A piece of Waterloo’s history is up for grabs as thousands of items from the former Inn of Waterloo go up for online auction. Storey’s Auctions and Appraisal Services has spent the last two weeks cataloguing roughly 10,000 items inside the shuttered hotel. The auction features about 2,000 individual lots, ranging from beds, linens and televisions to commercial laundry equipment and industrial kitchen supplies. “There’s probably 500 tables and 1,000 stacking banquet chairs. They used to run four banquets in this hotel at a time,” said Dennis Storey of Storey’s Auctions. Inn of Waterloo history The local landmark first opened its doors in 1972. In late 2020, the hotel partnered with the Region of Waterloo and the House of Friendship to serve as a temporary men’s shelter. However, a major fire in February 2021 destroyed one of the towers and displaced more than 100 residents. Due to pandemic pressures and rising insurance costs, the hotel officially closed for good in December 2023. What’s for sale? While some lots contain single items, others offer bulk items. Storey said one room has 34 pieces in it including a bar, fridge, cabinets and more. Each item in the online auction starts as low as $0. “The prices really don’t start to move until pretty close to the last day,” Storey said. “Everybody wants the TV for a dollar, but at the end of the day, that TV sells for maybe $50 or $100.” The plan is to sell things in different phases. “The first day will contain primarily restaurant and catering equipment. The second day we will go into hotel furniture. The laundry equipment where there’s commercial laundry, washers and iron and folding machines,” Storey said. Storey said there’s a lot of interest already in items that date back to when the hotel first opened. “It was a great hotel. It hosted a lot of events here. It was a staple in the community in Waterloo, for sure,” he said. Storey said the sale presents an opportunity for local charities, non-profits and shelters to secure supplies at a fraction of the cost. “There’s a lot of things in here that could help out men’s missions and shelters,” Storey said. “Instead of them possibly going out and replacing blankets at a high cost, we’re going to sell it to them for pennies on the dollar.” The auction runs from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18. Any unsold items will be disposed of once the auction concludes. Interested bidders are encouraged to take a look at the items in-person before they buy it, by booking an appointment. The long-term future of the property remains uncertain. Property owner Drewlo Holdings Inc. did not respond to CTV News when asked to comment. Conestoga College had previously planned to lease the building for temporary student housing, but confirmed its lease ended Aug. 31 and it is no longer pursuing housing options at the site.
