I’m hoiping someone has some memories of this place…
Canada’s FIRST and most EXOTIC Hotel
1280 Ouellette Ave., Windsor, Ontario
on King’s Highway No. 2 & 3Windsor Phone CL 6-4575 – Detroit Phone WO 1-2121
Located in downtown Windsor. Rooms completely carpeted and equipped with free T.V. and background music. Air conditioned, bridal suites, party and conference rooms. Featuring “The Balinese Room”. Serving complete dinners & cocktails with intimate organ bar.
Looking at the postcard, it looked like it was quite the swanky place to stay in the 1960’s.
Today the main office is gone, and in later years it looked like above. This was a photo I shot in August 2001. (Sorry for the poor quality, it is from the only set of photos I ever shot of it) Today the building is a square box along Ouellette. It is home to Iris Inn, a group home for people with mental illness. At the end of its Motel life it was known as the Bavarian Inn, having long cast aside the exoitc far east theme. Iris opened in 2003, but I can’t remeber if it was a full tear down, or just a new front office and rehab of the rooms.
I recently cames across this postcard of the Bali-Hi inn on Jefferson Ave. in Detroit. If you look closely you see that the two figures visible on the postcard above, can also be found on the wall of the Detroit Bali-Hi. Was this simply a regional chain, or were there more Bali-Hi’s?
Yes…I have some memories of this place!! As a kid, I remember riding my bike with my friends up and down the hill on the right hand side of the building, it was a lot of fun. I don’t ever remember this place actually being open. When we rode our bikes up and down, and caused mischief there, that would have been in the very late 80’s, early 90’s. At that time, it wasn’t open if I recall as a motel. Later in the 90’s, I remember calling this place home for a short period of time. It was actually formerly the Salvation Army Residence for men. I stayed there approximately 4-5 months when I was 16-17. I actually remember having my 17th birthday there, with my friends. Anyways…about the building, I remember it being very…very outdated. No AIR for starters, I remember that vividly…the rooms were hot and muggy! There was only one way in through the front, which was under lock and key. An individual would have to be buzzed in, to get pasted the lobby. Not much of the original hotel remained. There was a very long, wide, winding staircase to the basement, which is where all the beds were set up. It was quite crowded, and dark. Nothing really special down there, the kitchen was down there also with the dining room. The showers were also on this floor, and were very dated. The upstairs was used to house permanent residents on what they called “programâ€. Those we addicts of some sort in recovery. It was more original upstairs, with the décor, but nothing really fancy. The front room you see in the postcard picture, still remained the same, it was used as a family room for program members. The rooms behind the front on Ouelette were used mostly for storage. The second level rooms were for Program members, the lower level were to store their belongings, and other items. It operated as a men’s hostile for most of the 90’s if I remember correctly. Anyone remember that Red Cross building two doors down?…When I lived at the Sally as it was referred to, we used to hang out at the old Red Cross Building. As Andrew mentioned it’s now the Iris home for mental health patients. There wasn’t a huge amount of reno done, Just to spruce up the front entrance, and breath new life into those drab rooms.
Thanks Ross.
Talk about déjà vu! As soon as I saw the postcard I remembered this place and driving by on our way downtown, back when there used to be a downtown to go to. I don’t think I was ever inside, but I will ask my Dad about it and he may have some answers for you.
It used to be called the Bavarian Inn back in the early 1980’s. I remember high school students’ would rent rooms at the motel so they would have somewhere hang out after the prom.
i remember booking a room there for a new years eve party back when i worked at the chicken court in the late 80s when it was the bavarian inn. i seem to remember someone coming to the door to tell us to quiet down, but don’t remember many people there.
Ya My Mom works at The Iris House now. She has been there since it opened.
…and FREE BACKGROUND MUSIC! I’m amazed they didn’t last longer 😉
You know what building I would love to see some pics of? Remember the old Viscount on Ouellette? My optometrist used to be located in there and I visited regularly. It was near the Bali Hi, wasn’t it?
http://internationalmetropolis.com/?p=526
Oh the Bali Hi and it’s flaming torches what a treasure it was for those who rented the rooms by the hour.
Detroit and Windsor shared many names and themes .
Look up the Kon Tiki and the Top Hat Burger (gee I wonder where they got the name from ?)
Chris, that request was put in ….(right, Andrew). Anyone have more pics?
From the Detroit side, it’d be interesting too, to see the Book Cadillac in all its glory prior to 1984, the 1984-2008 period of decline and the restoration after its completion later this year.
thanks for linking the post john. sad all i have is that grainy photo in the post, but glad i have it just the same.
Thanks for the link, John. As a wee one, the only thing I remember about the Viscount (besides the fact that I hated going because I knew the eye doctor would be dialating my eyes) was the big “V”‘s holding up the roof as we went into the parking garage. I was always blind as a bat leaving.
I can’t remember what year it was…. but I remember there was a big fire the the BALI HI… must have been early to mid 70’s
I remember when my X-husband did the security there when they were closing. There once was a hugh rubber tree plant in the lobby that I ended up in my living room at one time.
My grandmother worked at this hotel…I remember being in the car when my mother picked her up there once. She had also worked at the Elmwood Casino where she met my grandfather who was a musician….I do remember knowing that there was something ‘special’ about the Bali Hi.
“Intimate organ bar “….Imagine a Hotel today advertising this. Someone would call the cops.