From the Windsor Daily Star – December, 1935:
Representative of one the the major remodelling works in downtown Windsor during 1935, is the Ambassador Hotel, Sandwich street at Goyeau, opposite the Canadian National terminal station. Complete structural changes, painting and decorating, inside and out, were executed in transforming the appearance and appointments of the entire building. An olde English front replaces the former Sandwich street side. Besides exterior remodelling, the entire main floor including an upstairs dining room has been re-designed, decorated and furnished to carry out the olde English motif. A charming ladies’ beverage room, finished in matched chestnut and equipped with special furniture and furnishing, adjoins the main entrance. The rotunda and beverage dispensing space has been completely remodelled and decorated. The Men’s beverage room, with entrance off Goyeau street, follows out the olde English scheme. Rough sawn wainscotting and ceiling beams with a heavy block composition floor, along with antique bracket lighting fixtures, create a striking effect in this room. Every room is equipped with running water and modern furnishings. Mrs. N. M. McNamara is the proprietor of the Ambassador which rates as one of the three leading hotels in Windsor. Scores of travellers make it their Windsor home.
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Was this previously the Great Western Hotel?
"The Men’s beverage room, with entrance off Goyeau street, follows out the olde English scheme. Rough sawn wainscotting and ceiling beams with a heavy block composition floor, along with antique bracket lighting fixtures, create a striking effect in this room."
Sounds like a nice place to hoist a few
What were the other two leading hotels? British American, Ritz, Crawford House?
i remember going in there to drink when it was called the Riverfront Follies the bar was part of the stage and the girls were dancing right up behind the bartender this would have been in the 70's
i worked for the city of windsor asa garbage man i recall maybe in the early 80's there was actually a tunnel that went thru the building off the Goyeau side and led to the alley that comes out on chatham street next to Shanfields there was the exact same thing on the south side of chatham street next to the union mens shop that led to university next to pizza pizza on the midnite shift we would enter the alley behind what is now the scotia bank at ouellette and park drive north thru the alley and come out finally on Goyeau street
Ric i believe this hotel was called the Ritz at one time,and the British American was on the north/east corner of ouellette and riverside drive as far as the Crawford house i don't know about that one
Crawford House was located on Sandwich Street (Riverside Drive)... roughly northeast corner of Ferry and Sandwich.
Anyone remember the Parkwood Hotel. I believe it was located on the south west corner of Church St. and Riverside Drive. Could have been Dougall & Riverside, though.
Mac i vaguely remember it