Hotel Vancouver

Hotel Vancouver, now officially known as the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, is a landmark luxury hotel at 900 West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The property occupies a prominent position in the city's Financial District, near the Vancouver Art Gallery, Robson Square, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Burrard and Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain stations. It is one of Canada's grand railway hotels, a group of large early twentieth-century hotels developed to support railway travel and to establish prestigious civic gateways in major Canadian cities. The present building was designed by Canadian architects John Smith Archibald and John Schofield in a Châteauesque style influenced by the châteaux of France's Loire Valley. Its principal architectural features include a steep copper-clad roof with dormers, carved stonework, gargoyles, relief sculpture, and Renaissance-inspired detailing. The building is constructed around a steel frame and rises approximately 112.47 metres across 17 floors. When completed, it became Vancouver's tallest building and retained that distinction until the completion of TD Tower in 1972. Decorative work was undertaken by artists including Olea Marion Davis, Charles Marega, Beatrice Lennie, Valentine Shabief, and Lilias Farley. Development began in the late 1920s under Canadian National Railway, following a land arrangement connected with the preparation of False Creek tidal flats for railway yards and Pacific Central Station. Construction started in December 1928, but the Great Depression interrupted the project after the steel frame had been erected. Work resumed in 1937, and Canadian National Railway joined with Canadian Pacific Railway to finish the hotel in time for the 1939 royal tour of Canada by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It opened in May 1939 as the third Vancouver hotel to use the Hotel Vancouver name. The property became an important hospitality, entertainment, and broadcasting venue. During the mid-twentieth century, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio operations were based in the building. The Panorama Roof Ballroom hosted live performances and broadcasting, including the early career appearance of bandleader Dal Richards and a young singer later known as Juliette. The hotel has also appeared in popular culture; exterior footage was used to represent the fictional Tipton Hotel in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Ownership and management changed several times. Canadian National Hotels acquired Canadian Pacific Hotels' interest in 1962, giving CN full ownership. Hilton Hotels International managed the property for CN from 1964 to 1984, although the hotel was not publicly branded as a Hilton. CN Hotels then resumed management, and Canadian National Hotels sold its remaining properties, including Hotel Vancouver, to Canadian Pacific Hotels in 1988. Canadian Pacific Hotels was reorganized as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in 2001, and the property adopted the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver name. Fairmont later sold the property to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in 2007 and continued to manage it. Larco Enterprise acquired the hotel in 2015, while Fairmont remained its operator. The active hotel contains 557 rooms and suites, including the Lieutenant Governor's Suite and the Royal Suite. Its services include accommodation, dining, afternoon tea, meeting and event spaces, a fitness facility, swimming pool, and spa. Notch8 Restaurant + Bar is the principal named restaurant and also hosts the hotel's afternoon tea service. A four-year renovation completed in 2018 updated the lobby, guestrooms, and restaurant areas while restoring the fourteenth floor's 1939 appearance, including historic doors, wall paneling, elevator-lobby detailing, and bronze hardware. The property continues to operate as a heritage-oriented luxury hotel under Fairmont management.

Plans for a major railway hotel on the present downtown site emerged during the 1920s. The project was associated first with Canadian Northern Railway and then with Canadian National Railway after the former was absorbed. A land arrangement with Vancouver connected the hotel to the preparation of False Creek tidal flats for railway infrastructure and the development of Pacific Central Station. In exchange for the land-related work and the city's role as the western terminus of the railway network, the railway company committed to building a substantial downtown hotel. Construction of the current building began in December 1928. John Smith Archibald and John Schofield designed the structure in a Châteauesque idiom that linked it to Canada's grand railway hotel tradition. The design used a steel frame with a steep copper roof, dormers, carved stone, gargoyles, relief sculpture, and Renaissance details. The Great Depression halted work soon after the steel frame was raised. The unfinished project remained dormant until construction restarted in 1937. In 1938, Canadian National Railway entered into a partnership with Canadian Pacific Railway to complete the building. The work was accelerated so that the hotel could be ready for the 1939 royal tour of Canada by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Hotel Vancouver opened in May 1939 as the third property in Vancouver to bear that name. At approximately 112.47 metres and 17 floors, it was the city's tallest building until TD Tower was completed in 1972. The hotel quickly became more than a lodging facility. Its Panorama Roof Ballroom served as an entertainment and broadcasting venue, and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio stations operated from the building during the mid-twentieth century. On May 1, 1940, Dal Richards performed there with an eleven-piece band alongside a thirteen-year-old singer later known as Juliette. Richards subsequently became a regular performer on The Roof, a CBC radio program broadcast from the hotel. The hotel's corporate history followed the restructuring of Canada's railway-hotel system. In 1962, Canadian National Hotels acquired Canadian Pacific Hotels' share, making the property wholly owned by the Canadian National organization. Hilton Hotels International assumed management on January 1, 1964, but the hotel did not become a Hilton-branded property. Canadian National Hotels resumed management on January 1, 1984. In 1988, Canadian National Hotels sold its remaining nine hotels, including Hotel Vancouver, to Canadian Pacific Hotels. Canadian Pacific Hotels was reorganized as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in 2001, adopting the Fairmont identity after the earlier acquisition of an American hotel company. The Vancouver property consequently became the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, although Hotel Vancouver remains a common informal name. In 2007, Fairmont sold 25 properties, including this hotel, to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and continued as manager. Larco Enterprise later acquired the property in 2015, with Fairmont retaining operational responsibility. The building has remained a prominent part of Vancouver's downtown landscape and heritage. It is near the Vancouver Art Gallery, Robson Square, Christ Church Cathedral, and two SkyTrain stations. From 2005 to 2008, exterior views of the hotel were used to portray the fictional Tipton Hotel in the television series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. A renovation carried out over four years was completed in 2018 in preparation for the hotel's eightieth anniversary. The work modernized the lobby, restaurant, and guestrooms while preserving the building's historic character. The fourteenth floor was restored to its 1939 appearance, including English harewood doors, bronze doorplates and hallway doors, sapele wall paneling, and bronze elevator-lobby details. The operating hotel now provides 557 rooms and suites, dining at Notch8 Restaurant + Bar, afternoon tea, event facilities, a gym, pool, and spa.

• 2018

  Renovation completed

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  A multi-year renovation of public areas, guestrooms, restaurant facilities, and the fourteenth floor was completed.

• 2015

  Larco Enterprise acquisition

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Larco Enterprise acquired the hotel while Fairmont continued to manage it.

• 2001

  Fairmont rebranding

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  The property became known as the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver after Canadian Pacific Hotels adopted the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts identity.

• 1988

  Sale to Canadian Pacific Hotels

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Canadian National Hotels sold the property to Canadian Pacific Hotels.

• 1962

  Canadian National gains full ownership

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Canadian National Hotels acquired Canadian Pacific Hotels' share of the property.

• 1939

  Hotel Vancouver opens

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  The completed Châteauesque hotel opened in May and became Vancouver's tallest building.

• 1937

  Construction resumes

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  After a Great Depression interruption, construction restarted.

• 1928

  Construction begins

  [1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Work began in December on the present Hotel Vancouver building for Canadian National Railway.

A heritage luxury hotel positioned around grand railway architecture, central downtown access, historic Vancouver identity, and full-service Fairmont hospitality.

• Hotel accommodation · 1939

  Guest rooms and suites

  The hotel offers 557 rooms and suites in a historic downtown building. Its accommodation portfolio includes standard guestrooms and notable specialty suites, including the Lieutenant Governor's Suite and the Royal Suite. Renovation work updated guestrooms while retaining period-inspired design elements.

• Food and beverage

  Notch8 Restaurant + Bar

  Notch8 Restaurant + Bar is the hotel's principal named dining venue. It forms part of the property's full-service hospitality offer and also supports the hotel's afternoon tea service.

• Hospitality experience

  Afternoon tea

  The hotel offers an afternoon tea experience through its dining operation, extending the property's traditional grand-hotel positioning into a formal food-and-beverage service.

• Events and banqueting · 1939

  Meetings and events

  Historic event spaces, including the former Panorama Roof Ballroom, support meetings, receptions, banquets, and other functions. The hotel's central location and large-scale heritage architecture make events a longstanding part of its business scope.

• Recreation and wellness

  Wellness facilities

  The property includes a gym, swimming pool, and spa, complementing its accommodation and dining services with conventional full-service luxury-hotel amenities.

• 2014

  Heritage-sensitive renovation beginsOther

  Background

  The hotel prepared for its eightieth anniversary while updating guest and public facilities.

  Action taken

  A four-year renovation program modernized the lobby, restaurant, and guestrooms and included restoration of the fourteenth floor's historic finishes.

  Aftermath

  The renovation was completed in 2018, combining updated operations with a more explicit presentation of the building's 1939 character.

  Source

• 2001

  Property adopts the Fairmont identityStrategy

  Background

  Canadian Pacific Hotels was reorganized under the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts name.

  Action taken

  Hotel Vancouver was renamed the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, while the historic informal name continued in common use.

  Aftermath

  The hotel became part of the Fairmont-branded luxury hospitality portfolio and remained managed by Fairmont.

  Source

• 1938

  Railway companies join to complete the hotelStrategy

  Background

  Construction had been delayed after the Great Depression interrupted the original Canadian National Railway project.

  Action taken

  Canadian National Railway partnered with Canadian Pacific Railway to finance and complete the hotel in time for the 1939 royal tour.

  Aftermath

  The building opened in 1939 and became one of Canada's major grand railway hotels.

  Source

• 2018

  Four-year renovation reaches completion[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A renovation undertaken ahead of the hotel's eightieth anniversary updated the main lobby, restaurant, and guestrooms and restored the fourteenth floor to a version of its original 1939 design.

• 2015

  Larco Enterprise acquires Hotel Vancouver[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Larco Enterprise acquired the property. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts remained responsible for management.

• 2007

  Fairmont sells Hotel Vancouver properties to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Fairmont Hotels and Resorts sold 25 hotel properties, including Hotel Vancouver, to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, while Fairmont continued to manage the hotel.

• 2001

  Property adopts the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver name[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Following the reorganization of Canadian Pacific Hotels as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, the property was renamed the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver while continuing its role as a historic downtown hotel.

• 1988

  Canadian Pacific Hotels acquires Hotel Vancouver[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Canadian National Hotels sold its remaining nine properties, including Hotel Vancouver, to Canadian Pacific Hotels.

• 1984

  Canadian National Hotels resumes management[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Canadian National Hotels resumed operation of the property when the Hilton management arrangement ended.

• 1964

  Hilton Hotels International takes over management[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Hilton Hotels International began managing the hotel for Canadian National on January 1, 1964. The property retained the Hotel Vancouver identity rather than adopting the Hilton brand.

• 1939

  Hotel Vancouver opens after a decade-long interrupted construction project[1]Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The new Hotel Vancouver opened in May 1939 after construction begun in the late 1920s was delayed by the Great Depression. The hotel was completed through cooperation between Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway.

1. 1Hotel Vancouveren.wikipedia.org