When
Jolanta Lukus of Royal Design first saw the Travelodge Toronto Airport in late
2016, she felt it was a great space that was poorly utilized, and somewhat outdated. Her goals in redesigning the
hotel for Manga Hotels were to bring a wow factor to the property, create a
destination arrival, fit into todays times and make it noticeable among its
surrounding competitors — both unique and different.
The renovation was all encompassing
— the property was fully gutted and fully renovated, including a new
restaurant.
Today the hotel, now rebranded
as the DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Airport, is barely
recognizable as that former Travelodge. It now includes a new front desk and
back wall feature. The lobby has fireplace details and lit onyx panels, plus
eclectic furniture selections and combinations.
“The guestrooms had a
existing brick wall,” said Lukus. “Everyone wanted to cover them or paint them,
but I saw this as potential to give it some character and keep the old
personality.
“We cleaned and sealed the
brick, then we drywalled a part so it looked purposeful and not overwhelming. Then we built a theme around to compliment it and built the rest of the hotel
in terms of that theme – the mix of modern and rustic industrial blend.”
Bathrooms are clean and
modern – fully upgraded with huge porcelain tiles.
The new hotel also includes
a renovated pool and a Starbucks, which has been added to the lobby.
All
together, the renovation cost Manga $17 million.
Says Lukus, “It is modern,
with clean lines and updated. It really feels amazing and transformed.”
