Extreme Makeover Toronto

'Dirtiest' hotel gets extreme makeover

The TripAdvisor.com review began as follows: “This place is nasty the worst place on the face of the earth I would rather sleep in a big steamy pile of cow dung.”

Bedbugs and bigger bugs scurried. Wires dangled from broken ceilings into broken showers. Closet-sized rooms were decorated only with condom wrappers and human stains. The Bay Street Hotel, whose smiley-face logo seemed like a mocking joke, placed second on TripAdvisor’s Dirtiest Hotels in Canada list for 2009. By the time the list came out in January 2010, it had closed down.

Former guests saw karmic justice. Proving that one man’s steamy pile of cow dung is another man’s fertilizer, realtor Addy Saeed’s clients saw opportunity.

“I work with a couple of investor groups that look at properties that are ugly,” Saeed says. “And we try to beautify them and make money in the process.”

Ugly might have been a generous term for this property: “When I walked in there,” Saeed says, “I wanted to burn my shoes off. It was horrible.” But the squat three-storey building was located in the heart of downtown, at 650 Bay St. just north of Dundas, and there was nothing about it a gutting couldn’t fix. So Saeed’s clients bought it — and began an extreme makeover he says will turn it into “one of Toronto’s most trendy boutique-style hotels.”

Saeed says the owners do not yet want to talk about their plans. But he revealed some of them: 24 reconfigured rooms, a new limestone exterior, exposed brick on the interior, “high-end finishes,” a gourmet sandwich shop renting space on the ground floor, and, permits willing, Toronto’s largest rooftop patio.

“It will be a destination,” Saeed says.

The Gladstone Hotel and Drake Hotel offer local proof that once-bad hotels can be turned into destination hotels, says Joel Rosen, chief executive of Horwath HTL , a hospitality industry consultancy.

In a competitive market, it won’t be easy. And the location of 650 Bay St. — near the Toronto Coach Terminal, distant from fancy nightlife — makes it poorly suited for a high-end boutique, Rosen says. But he says he can envision a successful “small boutique hotel that caters to a more moderate-priced crowd.”

The hotel will probably open this year, Saeed says. “But that is not set in stone,” he says.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time to get everything done. Because, as you can imagine, it’s a big project we’re working on.

Dr. Kaloti Extreme Dental Makeover Winner Transformed! | Etobicoke ...

I’m not sure why I never posted this before, but I thought this would be a great discussion topic about what can be accomplished these days with modern dentistry. Out of a pool of over a hundred applicants T. Schultz was selected as our winner in last year’s Extreme Makeover Contest, and rightfully so. He is a giver, and has always placed his family’s dental care needs before his. We felt it was time he received the smile he deserved! We used a combination of veneers, crowns, and cosmetic gum therapy to pull this off, and I think this results speak for themselves!

Dear Dr. Kaloti,

I want to let you know how much I appreciate your gentleness, kindness & encouragement this morning. I can’t believe it all went so easily & with so little pain! I could certainly tell I was in very good hands, and now am more excited than ever about the final outcome. I only wish I’d had it done years ago… but then, you weren’t around year ago, were you! I’m happy I’m having it done now, and by you! See you in 3 weeks!

Thank you so much!

Judy

Dear Dr. Kaloti and staff,

Thank you for the great results! You and your staff did a great job, and it was completely painfree! My smile has never looked so good, it is truly amazing! For all those years I regreted not having braces, I wish I had known how easy it was to have the smile I’ve always wanted.

Friends and family have commented about how awesome my smile looks. My sister Irene was so happy it brought tears to her eyes… needless to say I’ve been smiling a great deal more.

Your expertise and gentle approach made it all possible, thanks again for a beautiful smile!

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