Easton’s Group of Hotels, a renowned name in Canada’s hospitality industry with a comprehensive portfolio spanning premium, branded and upscale hotel properties across Canada, announces it will build Canada’s only Curio by Hilton, the first hotel within 1km of Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Located at 60 Mill St, the project will be perched at the entrance of the historic community and mark the last remaining heritage building to be re-purposed in the district.

Rising 31 storeys, the full-service hotel will preserve the heritage building’s exteriors as the base three floors. It will span 288,000 sq. ft. gross floor area and feature 392 guest rooms, Hotealong with first-class amenities including a rooftop bar and restaurant with spectacular views. Led by a talented team including IBI Architects, ERA Heritage Architects, and Studio Munge, the project will pay homage to the building’s rich history as a rack house built in 1890. This previously stored up to 15,000 barrels of alcohol as part of the liquor manufacturing operations of the Distillery District, until its closure in 1990. While the tower emerges from the top of the heritage building, it will feature “reveal floors,” which will be significantly set back to allow for a distinct visual separation between the old and the new. The entire volume of the existing heritage building will be publicly accessible to highlight the past use of the building to all visitors.

“We’re thrilled to bring Curio by Hilton to Canada, supporting the Distillery District as a vibrant community and tourist destination that is highly in need of hotel accommodations,” says Dr. Steve Gupta, Founder & Chairman of The Gupta Group. “Working with an immensely talented team of architects and designers, Easton’s Group of Hotels will restore this historic building and transform it into a cherished landmark, celebrating its prolific history while leaving a legacy for decades to come.”

Part of the reason this building has not yet been restored or in use for over 30 years is because the original architecture was extremely complicated. While the building was technically six storeys, it had no floors because it was designed for storing thousands of barrels of alcohol along wooden racks. In fact, the barrel storage racks forming the middle of the building are currently supporting the building itself, so any adaptation will require significant efforts to ensure that it is sufficiently supported once they are removed.

Easton’s Group of Hotels will convert these six storeys into only three levels for Curio by Hilton in order to maintain the long windows, expose the original heavy brickwork, and give visitors a glimpse into the past.

The company, recently rebranded under The Gupta Group umbrella, is spearheaded by visionary leadership of entrepreneur Steve Gupta. The Easton’s Group of Hotels has grown into a major force in the hospitality and service industry across Ontario. The Easton’s Group of Hotels’ flagship hotel properties include the industry’s renowned brands such as the Hilton, Marriott and Holiday Inn in diverse locations — from downtown Toronto to Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Montréal and Peterborough. With a dynamic leadership team and an abiding passion for excellence, Easton’s Group of Hotels is aggressively expanding to new locations with diverse offerings for the demanding business and leisure traveller. In the highly competitive hotel industry, the Easton’s Group of Hotels’ core advantages are prime locations, premium quality and superb service. Every Easton’s Group of Hotels’ hotel is located to cater to the needs of its clientele while being on the cutting edge of offering the best advantages to its guests.

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