{"id":7395,"date":"2026-06-18T06:00:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T10:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/?p=7395"},"modified":"2025-10-20T14:51:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:51:45","slug":"between-darkness-light-royal-connaught-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/18\/between-darkness-light-royal-connaught-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"Between Darkness &#038; Light | Royal Connaught Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Once the Royal Connaught Hotel was among the jewels of the Hamilton Urban Exploration scene, this stunning early 20th Century Hotel had a glamourous past. It ended its life as a slum hotel with only a shade of its former glory. A good urban exploration event often includes a trip to the Royal Connaught. The rooftop offered stunning views of the city&#8217;s skyline, especially the industrial zones by the lake. However, when it comes to locations, the hotel was dull from a photographic standpoint. Still, it offered up a rich history that traced back to the city&#8217;s glory days to the slump and is now another condo project attracting the same sorts of people as it did as a hotel.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/40619420283\/\" title=\"Camera Review Blog No. 106 - Minolta Maxxum 9\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7926\/40619420283_333271f949_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" alt=\"Camera Review Blog No. 106 - Minolta Maxxum 9\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The Royal Connaught today, now a Condo building as part of the revitalisation of the downtown.<br \/>\nMinolta Maxxum 9 &#8211; Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 &#8211; Kodak Panatomic-X @ ASA-32 &#8211; Kodak D-76 (Stock) 5:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The planned arrival of the railway in Hamilton, Ontario, would begin a mid-century drive to build up the city&#8217;s commercial core. Between commercial blocks like Lister Corners and hotels, new businesses were springing up along the James Street corridor and into the John Street core. One such hotel, the Anglo-American Hotel, opened its doors in 1854 but lasted only a decade, going bankrupt in 1861. The building survived, became home to the Wesleyan Ladies College for the rest of the century, and became one of the earliest liberal arts colleges for women in Canada. Closing its doors in 1898, the building again returned to life as a hotel under the Waldorf name. Again, the hotel&#8217;s life would be short; by the early 20th century, it had gone bankrupt. While the building was getting old, the land was valuable. It attracted Buffalo financier Harry L. Frost, who proposed to the city government in 1911 to build a grand new hotel on the property. The government approved, and by 1913, demolition work started on the old hotel, and in May 1914, a grand cornerstone laying ceremony was held. Laying the cornerstone, HRH Prince Albert, Duke of Connaught and Governor-General of Canada. The attendance of one of Queen Victoria&#8217;s children (seventh) inspired A.E. Richards, a twelve-year-old boy, to suggest the name Royal Connaught for the hotel; Prince Albert agreed to give his name and Royal accent to the hotel. Construction would last two years, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario officially opened the hotel in June 1916. The party lasted well into the night with a lavish banquet and dancing in the hotel&#8217;s grand ballroom. The hotel boasted 244 well-appointed rooms, an elevator, a grand ballroom, a second on the rooftop (standing twelve storeys tall), and another banquet hall inside the hotel. The Royal Connaught quickly established itself as a place for business, celebrity, and sports teams. Anyone who was anyone could be found at the Connaught. The hotel proved popular enough that 1929 plans were drawn up for a second tower, construction lasting from 1930 to 1931. The new section added another group of luxurious rooms, ground-level commercial and office spaces, and a new banquet hall. The central location allowed travellers to come in and out of the city on either Canadian National or Canadian Pacific trains and even hosted the grand Fall Convention for the Presbyterian Young People&#8217;s Society in 1936. The hotel maintained its standing as the place to be even after the Sheraton Group purchased the hotel in 1952 and put in a million-dollar (11.4 million in 2024) renovation to update the hotel.<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/442552223\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"The Connaught\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/202\/442552223_b9c736f113_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"The Connaught\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>My first view of the Royal Connaught Hotel, like most early trips, this was done at night.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G DX<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/442550357\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Laundry Room\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/191\/442550357_1a67f45d7e_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Laundry Room\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Some industrial laundry machines in the basement.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G DX<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/2370200967\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"The Mangler\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2406\/2370200967_9c8872272c_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"The Mangler\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The mangler, at least we were in a Stephen King short-story.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G DX<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/2371036364\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Basement\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2164\/2371036364_da9c0879fc_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Basement\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The basement was pretty rough.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G DX<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/442549685\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Fixtures\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/182\/442549685_fba4bd7bfc_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Fixtures\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The 80s called, they want their lights back.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G DX<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>Even through the mid-century, the Royal Connaught remained a jewel and focal point for Hamilton&#8217;s high society. The banquet halls and ballrooms hosted the best and brightest, who partied well into the night. However, the 1970s would bring an abrupt downturn in the local economy as Japanese imports began to impact Canadian-made products such as automobiles, steel, and tyres. All of these factors drove Hamilton&#8217;s industrial might, but they also didn&#8217;t help that passenger rail travel would start to die out. In 1973, ownership came to Citicom, who sucked four million (26.5 million in 2024) into the ageing hotel; it would be less than a decade before Joymarmon picked up the hotel in 1988. But the hotel was starting to age, and the people that once stayed there were staying away from the city as the downtown sucked lower into urban decay. Joymarmon would lose the hotel in 1992 when the mortgage owner foreclosed. A year later, a Howard-Johnston franchise purchased the hotel. The HoJo struggled along through the mid-1990s, and the hotel slipped further and further away. Soon, it was a slum with only a shadow of the past glory left to anyone who darkened the lobby. In 2002, Canmac purchased the building and shouldered the six million debt. While Canmac had a reputation for reviving struggling hotels, the Connaught was too far gone, and while some efforts were made, Canmac ended up foreclosing on the hotel. The hotel would sit in limbo for the next few years until local real estate mogul Harry Stinson put down a deposit on the hotel and, in the summer of 2008, made a grand announcement that the hotel would reopen by Christmas 2009 and be a part of a new 100-storey Connaught Tower Project. Stinson&#8217;s tower ,lasted only a short time and by September 2008, the project was dead. The former hotel sank into the usual decay, often becoming home to the unhoused, but never suffered like Lister Block. However, things started to move in 2011 with the purchase of the hotel by Spallacci Group and Valery Homes. The partnership would begin restoring the lobby and redesigning the hotel into a high-end condo project. The first phase went on sale in the Summer of 2014 when the first and second floors completed their restoration and model units were put up for display. The second phase would go on sale in 2015. Construction moved along, and in 2020, the exterior of the hotel and the lobby received Heritage status from the city. Today, the Residences at the Royal Connaught is part of the greater restoration of Hamilton&#8217;s core.<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/442545919\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Lobby 1\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/178\/442545919_d0437d3b00_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Lobby 1\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The main lobby, what struck me is that the chandeliers were still there! I wonder if they still are hanging there.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G DX<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/3498984200\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Elevators\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3616\/3498984200_04b040e825_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"730\" alt=\"Elevators\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The main lobby elevators.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; Sigma DC 18-50mm 1:2.8 EX MACRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/3498986958\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Balcony\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3620\/3498986958_6bd25d6cf7_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"619\" alt=\"Balcony\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>From the balcony overlooking the main lobby.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; Sigma DC 18-50mm 1:2.8 EX MACRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/3498175561\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"The Missing One\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3584\/3498175561_4fbc6f8469_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" alt=\"The Missing One\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>A lot of renovations have been done here, this is one of the decorated columns.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; Sigma DC 18-50mm 1:2.8 EX MACRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/3498994592\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Floors\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3354\/3498994592_a790669ed9_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"657\" alt=\"Floors\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The entire upper floors were gutted.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; Sigma DC 18-50mm 1:2.8 EX MACRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>The first time I went into the Royal Connaught, we all got in Die Hard Style through an open HVAC duct; I still can&#8217;t believe we made it in and out through that method around the back of the hotel in the dead of night in a dark alley. This was probably the only time I got into an abandonment with this method and it was not my favourite. I did something similar several years ago at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. This was in February 2007, after the hotel had been closed for only three years. Some efforts had been made to restore the Connaught before Stinson&#8217;s weird plan for the 100-storey tower. The place was a mess; the floors were already gutted, the lobby was in flux, and there was still electricity. In fact, on one trip, a few people decided to ride the elevator up to the top floor. I was not a part of that group, but I still have the old inspection plaque from one of the elevators. You could do the Connaught in a quick manner, sticking to the basement, Lobby, and Second floor, then take the stairs all the way to the roof as the floors in-between were all gutted. Access did get easy briefly when, for a couple glorious months, a few folks had a key to the front door; no one paid attention to anyone entering through the front door with a key. Of course, buildings changed hands; eventually, that was also off the table. Then, a daring daylight trip resulted in the group getting caught, not by security or police, but by an unhoused gentleman who started screaming at us. A quick escape ensued as the group scattered into various stores downtown. I would have jumped in my car, but it was parked next to the Connaught, and I was still running with a green hood on a white car. The last trip would be in 2010, just before the hotel came under new ownership, and work would start shortly afterwards to convert it into condos, and access was sealed up quickly. I think the next time I&#8217;m in Hamilton I&#8217;m going to see if I can at least poke my head in to see the restored lobby or at least grab a coffee at the Starbucks in the building.<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/3499006194\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Panorama\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3340\/3499006194_f369097c41_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"210\" alt=\"Panorama\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>A big stitched panorama from the top of the Connaught looking towards the industrial sectors.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; Sigma DC 18-50mm 1:2.8 EX MACRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/2058066288\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Elevators -- Daylight\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2197\/2058066288_4c630b6568_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"674\" alt=\"Elevators -- Daylight\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The elevators were still working when we were exploring&#8230;I took the stairs.<br \/>\nNikon F80 &#8211; AF Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Fujifilm Velvia 50 @ ASA-50 &#8211; Processing by: Silvano&#8217;s<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/2371034296\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Teh Chair\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2219\/2371034296_d77347ecbd_b.jpg\" width=\"681\" height=\"1024\" alt=\"Teh Chair\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>You bet I did a lonely chair shot.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; Sigma DC 18-50mm 1:2.8 EX MACRO<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/1966702494\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Empty Floors\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2394\/1966702494_8e6d598a5a_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Empty Floors\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Another empty floor.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; Tamron 11-18mm f\/4.5-5.6 Di II<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/2371035224\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Flying No More\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2303\/2371035224_520ba80136_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Flying No More\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The roof top &#8216;flying circus&#8217;.<br \/>\nNikon D70s &#8211; Tamron 11-18mm f\/4.5-5.6 Di II<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>My photography from my first trip to the Connaught is terrible, and I&#8217;m not afraid to admit it. Now, in all fairness, I couldn&#8217;t bring anything besides the camera for that first trip thanks to that HVAC entry. Thankfully, by the second trip, access had proved far easier. I could take a tripod to get better long-exposure shots and not resort to the on-camera direct flash. Even at night, given the hotel&#8217;s location, plenty of light was always inside that illuminated the lobby beautifully. You did, however, have to watch out for nosey passersby. After the second trip, I can start to see a bit of work on composition, paying attention to exposure and ensuring that my lines are straight. The most growth I learned here was doing rooftop work, capturing the skyline using single shots, and combining them into panoramas. I only realised once writing this post how many panoramic images (3) I had taken from the roof of the Connaught. But hands down, my best work inside the Connaught came in the last two trips, 2009 and 2010. I clearly improved my skills in composing and exposing the shots. The few from that previous trip in 2010 are some of the best interiors I shot in the Connaught. I experimented with light painting and different self-portrait ideas; I played with black-and-white and other focal lengths and had images of buildings long gone (Lyric Theatre). But there are still some regrets; I didn&#8217;t shoot a lot of films here, and I can only find a handful of terrible slide film shots. The second regret is that I spent far too much time on the roof, but with good reason. The lobby had always been risky as the doors were open to the street, and the roads were pretty active. And the rest of the interior was always dark. The floors were dull and torn up from the start of my trips, which always made for stale images.<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/4319262375\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Brilliant Blue\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2742\/4319262375_7c2d38f1bb_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" alt=\"Brilliant Blue\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The views from the roof were brilliant especially when we got bold enough to go in during the day.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/4319271135\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"The Ballroom\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4014\/4319271135_ab04ab49f9_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" alt=\"The Ballroom\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The main ballroom, it took a lot of work to get this spot lit up.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/4320005040\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Thank You! Goodnight!\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2763\/4320005040_6659d5fc8b_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" alt=\"Thank You! Goodnight!\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>I&#8217;m rather happy with this self-portrait.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/4320006990\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"The Lobby\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4054\/4320006990_559ee970ea_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" alt=\"The Lobby\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The main lobby.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/4320009818\/in\/album-72157600041187309\" title=\"Connaught Rave\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4059\/4320009818_ddf2376a3c_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" alt=\"Connaught Rave\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>This has to be my favourite shot from the place with all the weird colours from the different coverings on the window.<br \/>\nNikon D300 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>Like some other locations that once were everyday trips on the Hamilton scene for organised and impromptu meetups, the Connaught was usually part of the rotation. Access had always been hit-or-miss, often a year and a bit between getting in and being locked out. It also is one of the lucky ones to survive the ages and end up being restored. And you know, I&#8217;m glad it got repaired. Most important is that it retains the historical character of the building, despite the two towers being completely different, but that&#8217;s the charm of the Connaught. The next time you&#8217;re in Hamilton&#8217;s downtown, why not check it out? You may even get a chance to see the lobby or grab a coffee at the Starbucks. You can find all my photos <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/albums\/72157600041187309\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">over on Flickr<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once the Royal Connaught Hotel was among the jewels of the Hamilton Urban Exploration scene, this stunning early 20th Century Hotel had a glamourous past. It ended its life as a slum hotel with only a shade of its former glory. A good urban exploration event often includes a trip to the Royal Connaught. The rooftop offered stunning views of the city&#8217;s skyline, especially the industrial zones by the lake. However, when it comes to locations, the hotel was dull from a photographic standpoint. Still, it offered up a rich history that traced back to the city&#8217;s glory days to the slump and is now<a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/18\/between-darkness-light-royal-connaught-hotel\/\"><span>Read More &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1664],"tags":[22,107,1184,28,665,78,354,419,600,618,893,29,1721,610,24],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7395"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7395"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7429,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7395\/revisions\/7429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}