A New Chapter in the East End

On the corner of Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue stands a building that has witnessed more than a century of change. Today, the Broadview Hotel is a boutique hotel, rooftop bar, and cultural hotspot. But for decades, it was known for something else entirely: Jilly’s, a strip club that lived in Toronto infamy. Before that, it was a working men’s club. And before that, a Romanesque-style landmark built in 1891. The story of the Broadview is one of layers, reinvention, and reclamation of identity shaped by its community and of a neighborhood growing into its own.

A Building With a Past: The Story of Broadview Hotel Toronto

Built in 1891 as the Dingman Hotel, the building originally catered to commercial travelers and working-class residents. It featured a tavern and upper-floor rooms that served as a community anchor for decades. In its next chapter, it operated as a boarding house, offering affordable accommodation as the city rapidly changed. By the 1970s, it became home to Jilly’s, a neon-lit strip club that defined the building’s identity for over 30 years.

According to Riverside TO, the hotel’s Romanesque revival architecture, including its arched windows and distinctive turret, has remained a visual marker throughout all these changes. The brick façade held memory, making it one of the few enduring structures in an area increasingly dominated by modern glass towers.

For longtime locals, Jilly’s offered familiarity. It may not have been widely celebrated, but it was recognizable. A constant presence that reminded the east end of its layered past: gritty, complex, and real.

The Restoration: Balancing Past and Present

Restoring the Broadview meant honoring its past while adapting to a new purpose. Streetcar Developments and Dream Unlimited partnered with ERA Architects and DesignAgency to preserve the building’s historical elements while modernizing the interiors. UrbanToronto reports that the restoration retained the turret, pressed-tin ceilings, and signature arched windows.

Inside, the design strikes a balance between vintage and contemporary. Dezeen details how velvet booths, ornate moldings, and curated art pieces help recall earlier eras. DesignAgency’s goal, as noted in Designlines Magazine, was to acknowledge the building’s layered past while ushering in a bold new identity.

Broadview Hotel Toronto as an Anchor in the East End

The Broadview’s significance extends beyond its aesthetic or history. Its location at the gateway to Riverside and Leslieville, anchors the east end’s cultural identity. These neighborhoods, once overlooked, have blossomed into vibrant enclaves for creatives, entrepreneurs, and community builders.

Canadian Geographic describes how the hotel’s revival helped validate the transformation of the area. The rooftop bar, for example, provided the kind of panoramic skyline views typically reserved for the downtown core, and House & Home notes that the Broadview’s presence helped reframe the east end as a cultural destination.

A Third Place With a Point of View

The Broadview Hotel serves as a third place, a gathering space outside of home and work. Its café, rooftop, and event spaces are designed for connection. Whether it’s storytelling nights, curated art shows, or casual coffees shared by locals, the hotel functions as a true community hub.

It offers a boutique experience rooted in context, reflecting the local character of Riverside Toronto and encouraging repeat visits and lasting community ties.

Why It Matters

The Broadview’s transformation is about more than architecture. It is a living example of heritage preservation that respects memory while embracing the future. Its restoration is not just a facelift—it is a reflection of Toronto’s identity, and a symbol of how historic hotel transformations can build community relevance.

As shared on The Broadview Hotel’s official site, its evolution highlights how a building can adapt and thrive without losing the essence of what once was. The result is a landmark hotel that feels both timeless and timely.

Learn more about how Ace Hotel has become the local’s third place with The Ace Hotel Toronto: Redefining Toronto’s Third Place Culture.