Ode is Toronto’s Black-Owned Hotel Rooted in Place, Pride and Community
Ode blends bold design, local art and personal history to create a deeply rooted stay in one of the city’s most budding neighbourhoods
Tucked into a stretch of Dundas West in Toronto’s Little Portugal, Ode is easy to miss—and that’s kind of the point. With just ten rooms and no sign out front, the hotel trades luxury flash for something far rarer: real connection. It’s the kind of place where your welcome might come from the founder’s mom, and where recommendations for what to eat or do are less Yelp, more group chat.
Built by Tiffany Ramsubick and her mother and siblings inside the former building her father bought years ago, Ode is layered with family history, creative energy and deep love for the neighbourhood. “We knew we had to create a place people could come to,” she says. “This is our love letter to Little Portugal.”
An ode to the family behind Ode Toronto. Photography by Antony Creary.
Little Portugal is a neighbourhood in flux: old-world Portuguese bakeries sit beside new-wave galleries, vintage stores, dive bars and destination restaurants. Despite its cultural richness, it remains relatively off the radar for tourists. That’s something Ode seeks to change—not by transforming the area, but by highlighting what already makes it special. “It really had to reflect that diversity and eclecticness and uniqueness, so that the neighbourhood vibe is woven into the fabric of Ode,” she notes.
Punchy wall art makes a case for supporting local talent. Painting, Destinie Adélakun. Photography by Kayla Rocca.
Rather than follow the “neutral luxury” formula, Ramsubick and designer Alisha Sturino of Studio Otty went in the opposite direction — no beige minimalism, no generic mid-century clones. Each room is distinct, with bold colour, original art and just enough quirk to spark delight. “We’re anti-copy-and-paste…” Ramsubick explains, “so that every different type of traveler could find a place at Ode that reflects them.”
The Black & Yellow room is not for the minimalist at heart. Photography by Kayla Rocca.
One of the boldest rooms Black and Yellow, draws from the striped rooftop just outside. Destinie Adélakun decorates the space with two framed works of vibrantly printed photography on silk scarves. The Green Room is wrapped in a jungle-like handpainted mural by local artist, Gabriella Lo, to counter the room’s lack of natural light. “You’re experiencing the natural light of outside while you’re inside a room,” Ramsubick explains, replicating the calm feeling being in nature stimulates. “Whether it’s playfulness or nostalgia or mischief or romance, I think we have something for everybody at Ode, but I think the theme that runs through all of them is thoughtfulness,” Ramsubick notes.
A dash of earthen-inspired motifs fit perfectly in Ode’s lush Green room. Photography by Curtiss Randolph.
Rather than offering room service, white gloves and valet parking, Ode encourages guests to engage with the neighbourhood. “We don’t want Ode to just be a place that exists in the neighbourhood, we want it to be a place that participates in the neighbourhood,” Ramsubick explains. Staff recommendations guide visitors to local gems—whether it’s a coffee at Larry’s, a glass of wine at Midfield or jollof rice at Mild Afro Lounge. The goal is not to overshadow the community, but to amplify it. That spirit of collaboration is central to Ode’s philosophy: “If were not supporting our local people, then who will?” says Ramsubick, “it’s about being local in everything that we do.”
Photography by Omri Massarwe.
At its core, Ode is about making people feel seen. As a Black-, woman- and Queer-owned business, the hotel was built to be visibly inclusive, unapologetically proud and genuinely welcoming. The exterior mural by Lauren Pirie sets the tone from the moment you arrive: “We wanted you to feel like when you enter the building, you’re being embraced,” she says. “I feel myself reflected in this place,” Ramsubick adds, “it’s a safe place for all but representation is so important.” And because that sense of care is being offered by people who have long sought visible reflection themselves, it’s woven into the fabric of Ode—unlike corporate hotels where, “it’s hard to create that sense of authenticity and safety,” says Ramsubick.
That care shows up in small but meaningful ways. A guest with sore feet once received blister band-aids from the founder’s mom serving the front desk. “Moments that you remember about Ode are really important for us to create for our guests,” Ramsubick says, “And since we’re small and family-owned, we can create that true hospitality.” The sense of hospitality isn’t manufactured because it’s been lived and passed down through generations of Ramsubick’s lineage.
A mural by local artist Lauren A. Pirie graces the facade of Ode Toronto. Photography by Curtiss Randolph.
Even as Ode looks ahead, the focus remains on staying rooted. Guided by their moto, “Collect memories, not loyalty points,” the hotel hosts events that foster casual connectivity—art shows, music nights, rooftop dinners. One of Ramsubick’s favourite events was a screening of Sister Act Two accompanied by a gospel choir that sang the songs in the movie. With a merch line in the works and more collaborations with local artists through the summer, it’s all part of the same idea: that a hotel does not have to be transactional. It can be a space where you remember how you felt, not just what you did.
