The Story of the Walper Hotel | Down Kitchener & Waterloo Region Ontario

The Walper Hotel Historical Joseph Zuber Ii Bar

The Story of The Walper Hotel

For nearly two centuries, The Walper has stood at the centre of Kitchener’s story. What began as a blacksmith shop, tavern, and store in the early settlement of Ebytown has grown into one of the region’s most enduring hotels.

Through fires, changing city streets, family ownership, periods of closure, and careful restoration, The Walper has remained a gathering place for travelers, civic leaders, entertainers, and the local community. Today, the hotel pairs historic character with a sophisticated urban experience.

The Walper Hotel Historical Joseph Zuber Fb Team

Where the Story Began

Benjamin Eby arrived in the area in 1806, purchasing land that would become the village of New Berlin and, later, Kitchener. By 1830, the village centre was taking shape near what is now Queen Street, where Phineas Varnum operated a blacksmith shop alongside a tavern and store.

In 1835, Frederic Gaukel purchased the tavern and built the first hotel on the site, known as Gaukel’s Wirtshaus. Over the following decades, the property became known as the Great Western and then the Commercial. In 1886, Curry “C.H.” Walper purchased the hotel, giving it the name it carries today.

In 1892, the hotel was destroyed by fire. The following year, Curry Walper’s son Abel rebuilt the property as a three-story red-brick hotel with a tower. Determined to build to the very edge of the property, Abel’s plans even influenced the shape of the surrounding streets, contributing to the unusually angled intersection of Queen and King Streets.

The rebuilt hotel was the first commercial building in New Berlin to be completely electrified, making it a destination for curious visitors. In its early years, a weekly stay cost $4.50 and included a room, three meals a day, a pitcher of water, gas lamp lighting, and access to a shared bathroom.

In 1908, Joseph Zuber Sr. purchased the hotel. During the family’s ownership, The Walper continued to grow, adding two guest floors in 1925 along with running water, carpeting, telephones in every room, and the famed Crystal Ballroom.

A Place Where History Gathered

For generations, The Walper was at the centre of Kitchener’s civic and social life. The hotel became known across North America for its cuisine and welcomed international celebrities, prominent politicians, and generations of Canadian prime ministers.

The hotel’s former terrace hosted distinguished guests including Sir Robert Borden, William Lyon Mackenzie King, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The terrace also welcomed returning troops during the First and Second World Wars. In 1953, Louis Armstrong famously performed for crowds from the terrace, a moment later commemorated in a mural on the Halls Lane side of the hotel.

From ballroom dances and big bands to elegant dining and civic celebrations, The Walper has long been a place where important moments unfold.

Some of the hotel’s most memorable stories live in the realm of local legend. The Walper is said to have been a favorite destination of Al Capone during the American Prohibition era, when he reportedly traveled to the region to meet with the Seagram family. According to the story, the hotel’s basement served as a way station for rum barrels being discreetly transported toward the United States through underground tunnels. While Capone never signed the guest book, the legend remains part of The Walper’s lore, and several barrels can still be found in the restaurant space now known as TWH Social.

A Story That Continues

After years of financial difficulty and disrepair, The Walper closed its doors in 1979, ending 144 years of continuous hotel operations. Many original fixtures and furnishings were sold, and the future of the vacant building was uncertain. Some even called for the hotel to be demolished to widen Queen Street.

A group of concerned citizens launched a campaign to save the landmark. Their efforts succeeded when Fred Lafontaine purchased the hotel in 1982. Originally planning to create a retirement home, Lafontaine instead restored the property as a European-style residential hotel.

The 14-month, $6.5 million renovation added a shopping arcade, restaurants, lounges, convention space, and boardrooms. The property reopened in spring 1984 as the Walper Terrace Hotel. In 1983, it was recognized as a historical site under the Ontario Heritage Act.

In 2016, The Walper began a $10 million renovation that reimagined the hotel for a new generation. The result is a property that remains rooted in its history while embracing a sophisticated, contemporary identity.

Historic details, celebrated gathering spaces, modern accommodations, and memorable dining experiences continue the hotel’s long tradition of welcoming people through its doors.

Welcome to The Walper.