| Fairmont Hotel Vancouver | |
|---|---|
 Present day Hotel Vancouver | |
 | |
| Former names | Hotel Vancouver (1939–2001) |
| Record height | |
| Tallest inVancouver from 1939 to 1972[I] | |
| Preceded by | Marine Building |
| Surpassed by | TD Tower |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Châteauesque |
| Location | 900West Georgia Street Vancouver,British Columbia V6C 2W6 |
| Coordinates | 49°17′02″N123°07′15″W / 49.283839°N 123.120959°W /49.283839; -123.120959 |
| Construction started | December 1928 |
| Opening | May 28, 1939 |
| Owner | Larco Enterprises |
| Management | Fairmont Hotels and Resorts |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 110.64 m (363.0 ft) |
| Tip | 112.47 m (369.0 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 17 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Archibald and Schofield |
| Developer | Canadian National Railway |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 507 |
| Number of restaurants | 1 |
| Website | |
| www | |
| [1][2][3] | |
TheFairmont Hotel Vancouver, formerly and still informally called theHotel Vancouver, is a historic hotel inVancouver,British Columbia. Located alongWest Georgia Street the hotel is situated within the city'sFinancial District, inDowntown Vancouver. The hotel was designed by two architects,John Smith Archibald, and John Schofield. The hotel is currently managed byFairmont Hotels and Resorts.
Opened in May 1939, theChâteauesque-styled building is considered one ofCanada's grand railway hotels. The hotel stands 112.47-metre-tall (369.0 ft), and contains 17 floors. It was thetallest building in Vancouver until the completion ofTD Tower in 1972.
Hotel Vancouver sits at 900West Georgia Street, within theFinancial District, thecentral business district ofDowntown Vancouver. The hotel property is bounded byBurrard Street to the northwest, West Georgia Street to the northeast, and Hornby Street to the southeast. To the southwest, the hotel property is bounded by two buildings, including750 Burrard Street.
The hotel is located close to several attractions in downtown Vancouver. The hotel is situated directly northwest of theVancouver Art Gallery, as well asRobson Square, apublic square adjacent to theart museum. North of the hotel also liesChrist Church Cathedral, the oldest church in the city. The hotel is also situated near twoSkyTrainrapid transit stations,Burrard station, andVancouver City Centre station.
_(2).jpg)
Hotel Vancouver is one ofCanada's grand railway hotels, initially built byCanadian National Railway. The building was designed by Canadian architects,John Smith Archibald, and John Schofield.[4] Although construction for the hotel began in 1929, its completion would not occur until 1939 as a result of funding issues duringGreat Depression.[5] The completion of the hotel required a joint investment into the property fromCanadian Pacific Hotels, a division ofCanadian Pacific Railway.[6]
The hotel was a part of series ofChateauesquegrand railway hotels built throughout Canada in the late-19th and early 20th centuries. Like the other grand railway hotels, Hotel Vancouver incorporates elements from chateaus found inFrance'sLoire Valley.[7] Chateauesque features found on Hotel Vancouver includes its prominent copper pitched roof withdormers, and carved stonework encompassing asteel frame.[7][8] In addition to chateauesque elements found on most grand railway hotels, Hotel Vancouver also incorporatesRenaissance architectural detailings, gargoyles, and relief sculptures.[7] In 1939, a number of artists were commissioned to complete the decorative work for the building, includingOlea Marion Davis,Charles Marega,Beatrice Lennie, Valentine Shabief, andLilias Farley.[9]
Hotel Vancouver stands 112.47-metre-tall (369.0 ft), containing 17 floors made up of guest rooms and other hotel amenities. After the building was completed in 1939, it became thetallest building in Vancouver until the completion ofTD Tower in 1972.[10]
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver includes 557 guest rooms and suites spread throughout the hotel.[11] Suites at Hotel Vancouver include theLieutenant Governor's Suite and theRoyal Suite. TheLieutenant Governor's Suite was designed withArt Deco stylings, and featuresblack walnut veneer-panelled walls.[11]
In 2018, the hotel announced the completion of its four-year renovation project, which saw a reworked main lobby, and guest rooms. The project also restored the 14th floor of the hotel to its original decor from 1939. Restored items on the 14th floor include Englishharewood doors with bronze doorplates, bronze hallway doors,sapele-panelled walls with bronze strips at its elevator lobby.[11]
In addition to lodgings, the hotel also houses several food-based services, as well as a restaurant,Notch8 Restaurant + Bar. The restaurant also hosts the hotel'safternoon tea service.[12] Other facilities at the hotel include a gym, swimming pool, and spa.[13]
Plans to develop a railway hotel at the present site of Hotel Vancouver first emerged in the 1920s, fromCanadian Northern Railway. In December 1928 work on the present Hotel Vancouver commenced for Canadian National Railway.[14] Canadian National Railway built the hotel as a result of a land deal between the city, and Canadian Northern Railway, a company later acquired by Canadian National Railway.[7] The land deal required the city to preparetidal flats onFalse Creek for the construction of railway yards andPacific Central Station. In return, the company guaranteed the construction of a large downtown hotel, and make the city the western terminus for its rail network.[15]
Shortly after the erection of the building's steel frame however, work on the hotel was halted, as a result of theGreat Depression. Work resumed on the building in 1937, and in 1938 Canadian National Railway partnered with Canadian Pacific Railway to complete the new hotel.[6][16] Work on the hotel was rushed to completion in time for KingGeorge VI andQueen Elizabeth's1939 royal tour of Canada.[5] The hotel was the third hotel in the city to use the name "Hotel Vancouver". The first andsecond Hotel Vancouver were both located southeast of the present hotel on West Georgia Street.[17] In an effort to prevent competition with the new Hotel Vancouver, Canadian Pacific Railway, closed its hotel operations at the second Hotel Vancouver once the new hotel opened.[6] The second Hotel Vancouver building was torn down in 1949, after Canadian Pacific sold the property toEaton's in December 1948.[6]
During the mid-20th century, theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation radio stations were located within Hotel Vancouver.[18] On 1 May 1940,Dal Richards began his career playing in an 11-piece band and a then-unknown 13-year-oldJuliette at the hotel'sPanorama Roof Ballroom, an event space at Hotel Vancouver.[19] Richards became a regular performer forThe Roof, aCBC Radio show broadcast from the hotel.
In 1962,Canadian National Hotels, a division of Canadian National Railway, acquired Canadian Pacific Hotels' share of the property, gaining full ownership of the hotel. On January 1, 1964,[20]Hilton Hotels International assumed management of the hotel for CN, though it was never branded as a Hilton. CN Hotels resumed management of the hotel on January 1, 1984,[21] after the management contract with Hilton ended.[22] In 1988 Canadian National Hotels sold its remaining nine properties, including Hotel Vancouver, to Canadian Pacific Hotels.[23]
In 2001, Canadian Pacific Hotels was reorganized asFairmont Hotels and Resorts, adopting the name from an American company it had purchased in 1999. The hotel's name was changed to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver as a part of this re-branding effort.[24] In 2007 Fairmont Hotels and Resorts sold 25 hotel properties, including Hotel Vancouver, toCaisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, although Fairmont continues to manage the hotel.[25] In 2015, the property was sold to Larco Enterprise forC$180 million.[26]
In preparation for the building's 80th anniversary, the hotel underwent a C$12 million renovation of the hotel lobby, restaurant, and guest rooms. The renovations took place from 2014 to 2018.[11]
From 2005-2008,The Suite Life of Zack and Cody featured shots of the hotel's exterior to portray the fictional Tipton Hotel.[27]
| City hotels | |
|---|---|
| Resort hotels | |
