By Jeff Silverstein
The Montreal-based hospitality group known as Gray Collection, owners of several chic hotels and restaurants in Old Montreal, have set their sights on downtown Ottawa and have recently opened The Metcalfe Hotel, the city’s newest boutique hotel.
In a government town dominated by chain hotels the opening of The Metcalfe Hotel has brought a decidedly cool factor back to the downtown core.
Like the group’s iconic Hotel William Gray in Old Montreal, a fantastic example of how to successfully reinvent and repurpose a historic building into a boutique hotel, The Metcalfe Hotel also has a modern and sophisticated feel.
It’s their first foray into the capital and after a blissful weekend spent lounging in the hotel, taking in some of Ottawa’s iconic architecture, and enjoying a few meals at Cocotte Bistro – the hotel’s buzzy restaurant, I can safely say this is our new favourite in the nation’s capital.
When the Gray Collection acquired the red brick heritage building back in 2021, it was operating at the time as an Indigo Hotel.
But like their properties in neighbouring Quebec, the design team who worked on The Metcalfe Hotel brought the company’s boutique sensibility to what ended up being a very thoughtful renovation of what was once a men’s only athletic club back in the early 1900s.
Ideally located just a few blocks from the parliament buildings, ByWard Market, Elgin Street, the Rideau Canal and the National Arts Centre, the first thing that strikes when you enter the hotel is the airy five storey glass-roofed atrium that was retrofitted a number of years ago that creates a great sense of space and light.
Wooden beams from the original building are cleverly repurposed and suspended to allow for some very cool light fixtures to be hung from the ceiling, but it’s the natural light that pours in and the clever use of multiple seating areas and a floor to ceiling library, complete with rolling ladder, that gives it a very comfy, welcoming vibe.
Big books line the wall and random objects found during the renovation like old boxing gloves, a wooden tennis racket, and historical photos all help to give the hotel a modern, historical charm.
After our stay, I caught up with Kayla Pongrac who was formerly with the local boutique design firm Iron & Ivory and headed up the renovation and re-design. Kayla has since moved across the pond to the UK where she has set up her own boutique firm in London known simply as Kayla Pongrac Studio, but she explained to me the approach that was taken.
The biggest challenge confronting the design team was the entrance which lacked a sense of grandeur, and the atrium itself.
When the Gray Collection took over the hotel, there was a barbershop oddly located just inside the building next to the main entrance. To give visitors a sense of having arrived at this iconic Beaux-Arts building, the barbershop was closed allowing the entrance to be opened back up. Before that decision was taken, “that sense of arrival just didn’t feel right” Kayla says.
By opening things up including the windows which now looked onto the restaurant instead of the barbershop, the restaurant took centre stage and became more visible and connected to both the street and the lobby.
To address the challenge of a large atrium which can sometimes make a space feel empty and cold, the design team decided to keep things low, modular, and flexible so people can feel like they can come here and work or hang out in different settings. It feels like a spacious living room that also serves as an extension of the restaurant.
“That was a huge challenge,” Kayla says. “We didn’t want it to feel empty, so we embraced the idea of having a variety of seating clusters and lounge areas.” Mission accomplished. The space now seems to adapt as the day goes on, so you can have a coffee, cocktails or just curl up and read a book.
With her background in art, architecture and design, Kayla has managed to craft a space that seamlessly blends form, function and beauty while also honouring and elevating the heritage building, making it feel more connected to the city and the streetscape.
The showstopper of this makeover is the hotel’s art deco restaurant, Cocotte Bistro – the centrepiece and heartbeat of the hotel. The design team worked with local lighting designers, artists and millworkers to create a warm, intimate space that serves some outstanding traditional French bistro fare.
“We didn’t want to do something that was too contemporary. We wanted to keep some of those heritage aspects and embrace the Beaux-Arts design and make it more about the architecture and less about the interiors. But the owners were also clear that they wanted to give the restaurant a distinctly French bistro feel which we felt was appropriate in Ottawa.”
Geometric black and white flooring honours that art deco feel, and the colour palette with its soft deco greens along with floral printed wallpaper helps frame the booths and give the room a cozy feel.
“Before the renovation, the space was very rigid but all of these touches like the use of heritage red marble for the bar top and brass accents throughout help to elevate the space,” says Kayla. “We softened the corners with beveled arches, incorporated a pleated wood tambour facade on bar and used a lot of natural materials that all help to brighten up the space and help it transition from day to night.”
The chic restaurant has become a real magnet for locals and it’s easy to understand why. French classics and comfort food are the order of the day, and everything we had was superb.
Rounding out the hotel are 108 elegant rooms that feature remarkably comfortable beds that we simply did not want to get out of, modern furnishing, a double shower and colour palettes that match the rest of the hotel. What more could you ask for. We’ll certainly be asking for Room 307 the next time we are back.
If you Go:
The Metcalfe Hotel
123 Metcalfe St, Ottawa ON K1P 5L9
https://themetcalfehotel.com/
Cocotte Bistro
123 Metcalfe St, Ottawa ON K1P 5L9
Tel: 613-216-2912
https://cocottebistro.com/
