Hotels

Gleeson Ed.

Northmore, Mrs. Elizabeth

A boarding house that operated at 380 Clarence St. from 1881-1882.

Gleson Ed. is another boarding house that operated at 397 Clarence St. from 1881-1882.

369 Clarence St. from 1886-1888.

400-402 Clarence St. from 1881-1900.

Ryan, Mrs. M. Hotel

Victoria Hotel

Since the 1880s a number of hotels have been located on Clarence Street between Dundas St. and King St. Below, provides names, years and images of some of the hotels. A couple of hotels have been left out due to lack of basic information. The first few hotels have little information, while there is more for the Savoy Hotel and Iroquois Hotel. Please continue down the page to see all the information about the Iroquois Hotel and images of tickets and menus.

Clarence House Hotel

Savoy Hotel

Iroquois Hotel

Clarence House Hotel operated out of 369-373 Clarence St. from 1888-1907. From the closing date it appears that the Clarence House Hotel took over the building located at 369 Clarence St. after Ryan Mrs. M. Hotel.

The Iroquois Hotel is the hotel that operated for the longest period of time on Clarence St. When the Iroquois Hotel first opened in 1912, it was a hotel/boarding house for theatrical performers that were showcased at a variety of theatres in the downtown core, such as the Grand Theatre and Majestic Theatres. The Iroquois Hotel operated out of multiple street addresses from 369 to 377 Clarence St. from 1912-1973. The Iroquois Casino also ran out of 369-377 Clarence St. from 1965-1973.

During these years the Iroquois Hotel also ran a couple of different businesses in close proximity to the Hotel. Iroquois Cafe operated out of 377 Clarence St. from 1930-1935. In 1935 there was an Iroquois Hotel Beverage Room at 377 Clarence St. Then from 1965-1973 there was an Iroquois Coffee Shop. The Iroquois Hotel and other related businesses permanently closed its doors in April of 1973.

The history of The Iroquois Hotel is important to the hotel history of downtown London because it shows where there was a need of places for people to stay. The context for why people wanted to stay in that area of downtown London can be found from looking at businesses that were located in other buildings surrounding Clarence St. between King St. and Dundas St.

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The Savoy was the second longest hotel to operate on Clarence St. It was positioned in different buildings located between 398-406 Clarence St. From 1915-1960 The Savoy Hotel operated out of 400-402 Clarence St. and between 1960-1965 it operated out of 398-400. There was also a period of time around 1922 where the third floor of 404-406 Clarence St. was also part of the Hotel.

These changes in street address could have occurred because the building expanded at during some periods, while diminishing during others, or the street addresses of the buildings were changed by the city.

There is no an exact date for when these materials were used but it would have been between 1965-1973 for the New Year's Eve Frolic ticket and Gaslight and Gilded Cage menu, when the Iroquois Casino was in operation. The menu from the Chatterbox Lounge has a larger possible date range from 1912-1973, when the Hotel Iroquois/Iroquois Hotel was in operation.

All of these materials can be found at the London Room, located in the Central Branch of the London Public Library. The London Room has a Business Directory and in each file there are newspaper clippings and other materials about the business.

Interesting Quote

“The Hotel Savoy, Clarence and Dundas Street, is one of the most up-to-date of the smaller hotels in London. Its location is central, its appointments are modern in every particular, its management leaves nothing to be desired. In brief, it is one of the best conducted hotels in the Province, and is popular with all classes of citizens. Mr. J. O’Flaherty, the proprietor, is a hotel man to the manner born. The Savoy is not the largest in London, but, from the standpoint of quality, it is the class. There are 27 rooms in the hotel, and the rates are $1, European plan.” - H. W. Gardner, London Ontario, Canada, 1914; a presentation of her resources, achievements and possibilites, (London, Ontario: London Free Press, 1914): 84.

- H. W. Gardner, London Ontario, Canada, 1914; a presentation of her resources, achievements and possibilites, (London, Ontario: London Free Press, 1914): 87.

- London Regional Art and Historical Museums (Ont.), and London Advisory Committee on Heritage (Ont.), Downtown London: Layers of Time, Edited by Michael Baker, (London, Ont: City of London and London Regional Art and Historical Museums, 1998): 93.