Nicely done at street level although I'm not sure the facade will ultimately go well with the apparent grandiosity of those sculptures.
 
Here are some shots from Bisha's soft opening today which did not make the front page story (where you'll find lots more to look at):

General Manager Jacques LaPierre hosting:
DSC03046.jpg


Mayor Tory speaking:
DSC03078.jpg


Charles Khabouth takes the mic:
DSC03089.jpg


Brian Brown pulls the drapes off of one of Jun Kaneko's 'dango' heads.
DSC03108.jpg


Ribbon Cutting:
DSC03118.jpg


Ceremony over, the new entrance:
DSC03132.jpg


The lobby lounge bar:
DSC03124.jpg


Way up top in 'Kost', pronounced 'coast'.
DSC03137.jpg

IMG_2803.jpg


Outside:
DSC03143.jpg


Back down at ground level, the café:
DSC03187.jpg

DSC03190.jpg

DSC03194.jpg


And another look at Kaneko's 'dango' heads:
DSC03180.jpg

DSC03195.jpg


42
 

Attachments

  • DSC03046.jpg
    DSC03046.jpg
    269.7 KB · Views: 826
  • DSC03078.jpg
    DSC03078.jpg
    272 KB · Views: 763
  • DSC03089.jpg
    DSC03089.jpg
    275.4 KB · Views: 843
  • DSC03108.jpg
    DSC03108.jpg
    335.8 KB · Views: 690
  • DSC03118.jpg
    DSC03118.jpg
    285.9 KB · Views: 701
  • DSC03124.jpg
    DSC03124.jpg
    260.1 KB · Views: 752
  • DSC03132.jpg
    DSC03132.jpg
    355.7 KB · Views: 742
  • DSC03137.jpg
    DSC03137.jpg
    284.3 KB · Views: 1,587
  • IMG_2803.jpg
    IMG_2803.jpg
    411.9 KB · Views: 761
  • DSC03143.jpg
    DSC03143.jpg
    224.2 KB · Views: 664
  • DSC03180.jpg
    DSC03180.jpg
    657.9 KB · Views: 774
  • DSC03187.jpg
    DSC03187.jpg
    297.7 KB · Views: 668
  • DSC03190.jpg
    DSC03190.jpg
    319.6 KB · Views: 678
  • DSC03194.jpg
    DSC03194.jpg
    339.6 KB · Views: 726
  • DSC03195.jpg
    DSC03195.jpg
    631.8 KB · Views: 721
Why is John Tory at the ribbon cutting for a private business venture?
The Mayor, City Councillors, MPs and MPPs regularly show up at sod turnings, ground breakings, and ribbon cuttings, whenever the project is deemed of appropriate significance, public or private. One of the government's jobs is to shepherd the economy, so showing up to wish an above-board enterprise well is considered a part of the government's ambassadorial activities.

42
 
I really didn't want to be the one to tell Charles — I thought that one of the many people involved on the project would have done their due diligence and figured it out — but Bisha is the derogatory word for homosexual in several languages. Slightly different spelling (sh instead of ch) but phonetically identical. It literally means f%$*t. Tell a Brazilian that you’re staying at Bisha and they’ll spit their cornflakes out of their nose.

For a hotel in such a multicultural city and one that has international aspirations, I really can’t believe they went ahead with that branding.

Here’s what Google images comes up with: https://www.google.ca/search?q=bich...afWAhVL54MKHQreCiwQ_AUICigB&biw=1903&bih=1330

I debated whether to bring it up here because I didn’t want to offend anybody and honestly thought that after years of building this thing, they’d have figured it out and changed the name. Nope. They actually cut the ribbon and there’s a building in Toronto’s skyline with that word.
 
I really didn't want to be the one to tell Charles — I thought that one of the many people involved on the project would have done their due diligence and figured it out — but Bisha is the derogatory word for homosexual in several languages. Slightly different spelling (sh instead of ch) but phonetically identical. It literally means f%$*t. Tell a Brazilian that you’re staying at Bisha and they’ll spit their cornflakes out of their nose.

For a hotel in such a multicultural city and one that has international aspirations, I really can’t believe they went ahead with that branding.

Here’s what Google images comes up with: https://www.google.ca/search?q=bich...afWAhVL54MKHQreCiwQ_AUICigB&biw=1903&bih=1330

I debated whether to bring it up here because I didn’t want to offend anybody and honestly thought that after years of building this thing, they’d have figured it out and changed the name. Nope. They actually cut the ribbon and there’s a building in Toronto’s skyline with that word.
So what, who cares?

"Charles" is an anglicization of his real first name, Bechara. Bisha was his nickname when growing up in Lebanon. Here's where Toronto's (and the world's) multiculturalism kicks in: Anyone who can't handle the fact the name means one thing in one language and something in another language is an immature asshole, and they can stay somewhere else.

42
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisha'a
All Truth Tellers should be offended if they stay at the Bisha Hotel because Bisha is a ritual practiced by the Bedouin tribes as a form of lie detection where no witnesses were present.

"The basic ritual consists of the accused being asked to lick a hot metal object (spoon, ladle, rod, etc.) thrice. He is provided with water for rinsing after the ceremony. He is then inspected by the official who presides over the ceremony - the Mubesha (or Mubasha) and by the designated witnesses of the ritual. If the person undergoing the ritual is found to have a scarred or burnt tongue, it is concluded that he was lying. The Howeitat Bedouin call this ritual "the true light of God". "

Bisha is also a town in Saudi Arabia.

:p
 

Back
Top