The Algonquin Resort

The Algonquin Resort is a historic coastal hotel in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay. First opened in 1889, it became closely associated with the development of St. Andrews as a summer destination for affluent visitors from Montreal, New England, and other inland parts of North America. The resort is recognized for its Tudor Revival architecture, its prominent hilltop setting, and its role as one of New Brunswick’s best-known tourism landmarks. The original hotel was a large wooden Shingle Style structure containing 80 guest rooms. It was developed by the St. Andrews Land Company, an enterprise established by American businessmen who sought to build the town’s seasonal tourism economy. The hotel promoted the restorative qualities of the coastal environment, including the air from the Bay of Fundy, local spring water, and saltwater bathing. Saltwater was pumped from the bay to tanks in the attic and supplied to specially designed guest bathrooms. These amenities, combined with rail access and the town’s attractive coastal setting, helped establish the property as an elite summer retreat. A major fire in 1914 destroyed almost all of the original building, apart from two wings added in 1908 and 1912. The hotel was rebuilt on the same site as a four-story concrete structure designed in the Tudor Revival style by the Montreal firm Barott, Blackadder & Webster. Its faux half-timbered exterior and red slate roof became defining features of the resort and helped make it an architectural symbol of St. Andrews. Further substantial wings were added in the early 1990s and again in the early 2010s. The property’s history is also linked to the expansion of Canadian Pacific Railway tourism. Canadian Pacific acquired the resort in 1903, added golf facilities, and incorporated it into its hotel network. Railway connections made St. Andrews accessible to visitors arriving through New Brunswick, while a transfer station and hotel at McAdam served passengers traveling toward the resort. During the Canadian Pacific era, the Algonquin hosted prominent political and royal visitors and became a recognizable part of Canada’s grand-hotel tradition. Ownership and management changed several times during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Canadian Pacific sold the property to local interests in 1970, and the New Brunswick government leased it beginning in 1973 before acquiring the resort, its golf courses, and the adjacent private beach at Katy’s Cove in 1984. The property continued to be operated and marketed under arrangements involving Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts, which later became part of the Fairmont organization. Fairmont ended its management role at the end of 2011 after the province sought a different operating arrangement. In 2012, the resort was sold to New Castle Hotels and Resorts and Southwest Properties through the Charlotte County Hospitality Partnership. It then underwent renovation and restoration before reopening in 2013 as a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, becoming the first Canadian property in that collection. The hotel and its golf course were acquired by InnVest Hotels in 2023. Today, The Algonquin Resort combines historic accommodation with resort services such as dining, spa facilities, golf, events, and coastal leisure activities. Its identity rests on the preservation of a landmark building while continuing to operate as a full-service destination resort.

The Algonquin Resort originated in the late nineteenth-century development of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, as a seasonal destination for visitors seeking relief from the heat, congestion, and health concerns associated with inland cities. The St. Andrews Land Company, founded in 1883 by American businessmen, built the first Algonquin hotel. Designed by a Boston architecture firm, the wooden Shingle Style building opened in June 1889 with 80 guest rooms. Its location above Passamaquoddy Bay gave the property commanding coastal views and helped establish the town’s reputation as a summer resort. The original hotel marketed the natural environment as part of the guest experience. Bay water was pumped uphill to storage tanks in the attic and supplied to guest rooms for saltwater bathing. Promotional material also emphasized the Bay of Fundy air and Samson Spring, which were presented as having restorative qualities. These attractions encouraged affluent visitors from Montreal, New England, and other inland areas to spend the summer in St. Andrews, contributing to the construction of private seasonal residences in the town and surrounding area. The resort’s first building was largely destroyed by fire in 1914. Two wings added in 1908 and 1912 survived, but the main structure was replaced on the original footprint. The replacement building, designed by the Montreal architectural firm Barott, Blackadder & Webster, was a substantial four-story concrete hotel in the Tudor Revival style. Its half-timbered appearance and red slate roof gave it a distinctive historic character that remains central to the resort’s identity. Later expansions in the early 1990s and early 2010s increased the scale of the property while retaining its landmark role. Rail transportation was important to the resort’s growth. The New Brunswick Railway served St. Andrews, and Canadian Pacific Railway interests helped connect the area to wider passenger networks. Canadian Pacific acquired the Algonquin in 1903 and developed golf facilities, incorporating the hotel into its growing network of grand hotels. A major transfer station at McAdam, where the St. Andrews line met the Saint John–Montreal main line, included a 30-room hotel that supported travelers continuing to the resort. The Canadian Pacific era brought a steady flow of visitors and helped establish the Algonquin as one of the region’s leading resort hotels. The hotel’s guest list over the decades included senior political figures and members of royalty, including United States presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as members of the British royal family. Canadian prime ministers, including John A. Macdonald, also stayed at the property. These visits reinforced the Algonquin’s status as a prominent destination within Canada’s historic resort-hotel tradition. Canadian Pacific sold the hotel to local interests in 1970. The New Brunswick government leased it from 1973 and purchased the property, associated golf courses, and the private beach at Katy’s Cove in 1984. Despite these ownership changes, operating and marketing arrangements continued to involve Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts. After Canadian Pacific acquired Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in 1999 and consolidated its hotel interests under the Fairmont name in 2001, the Algonquin was marketed within the Fairmont system. By late 2010, Fairmont had requested provincial funding for a major refit. The province instead decided in early 2011 to seek different management, and Fairmont’s management relationship ended on December 31, 2011. In 2012, New Castle Hotels and Resorts and Southwest Properties acquired the property through the Charlotte County Hospitality Partnership. Renovation and restoration followed, and the resort reopened in 2013 as a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, the first Canadian hotel in that collection. InnVest Hotels acquired the resort and golf course in 2023. The property continues to operate as a full-service historic resort offering accommodation, dining, spa services, golf, events, and coastal recreation.

• 2023

  InnVest Hotels acquires the resort

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  InnVest Hotels purchases The Algonquin Resort and its golf course.

• 2013

  Reopens in Marriott’s Autograph Collection

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The renovated resort reopens as the first Canadian hotel in Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

• 2012

  Ownership changes and restoration begins

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  New Castle Hotels and Resorts and Southwest Properties acquire the resort through the Charlotte County Hospitality Partnership and begin renovation and restoration.

• 2011

  Fairmont management ends

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The province chooses to pursue a different management arrangement, and Fairmont’s operation of the property ends on December 31.

• 2001

  Canadian Pacific hotel interests consolidate under Fairmont

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts are consolidated under the Fairmont name.

• 1999

  Canadian Pacific acquires Fairmont

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Canadian Pacific purchases Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, beginning the corporate transition that later placed the Algonquin within the Fairmont system.

• 1984

  New Brunswick government acquires the resort complex

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The provincial government purchases the hotel, adjacent golf courses, and the private beach at Katy’s Cove.

• 1970

  Canadian Pacific sells the property

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The resort leaves Canadian Pacific ownership and is sold to local interests.

• 1914

  Fire destroys the original hotel

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  A fire destroys almost all of the first hotel, leading to construction of the Tudor Revival replacement that forms the core of the present resort.

• 1903

  Canadian Pacific acquires the resort

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Canadian Pacific Railway purchases the hotel, adds golf facilities, and incorporates it into its hotel network.

• 1889

  Original Algonquin hotel opens

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  An 80-room wooden Shingle Style hotel opens in June on a hill overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay.

• 1883

  St. Andrews Land Company is established

  [1]The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The company that would develop the original Algonquin hotel is established by American businessmen seeking to promote St. Andrews as a summer destination.

Upscale historic coastal resort combining heritage architecture, full-service hospitality, golf, wellness, and leisure travel.

• Hotel lodging · 1889

  Guest accommodation

  The resort’s principal offering is upscale accommodation in a landmark Tudor Revival hotel in St. Andrews. The lodging experience combines heritage architecture, views toward Passamaquoddy Bay, and access to the property’s dining, wellness, golf, and event facilities.

• Food and beverage

  Resort dining

  Dining is an integrated part of the resort experience, serving overnight guests, leisure travelers, and event groups. The offering supports the hotel’s positioning as a full-service destination rather than a room-only lodging property.

• Wellness

  Spa and wellness

  Spa and wellness services extend the resort’s historic emphasis on restorative coastal travel. Modern treatments and relaxation facilities reinterpret earlier features such as saltwater bathing and the nineteenth-century promotion of the local climate and springs.

• Leisure and sport · 1903

  Golf

  Golf has been associated with the property since its Canadian Pacific period. The resort’s golf facilities and course form part of the wider destination proposition, complementing accommodation, coastal recreation, and seasonal travel to St. Andrews.

• Hospitality events

  Meetings and events

  The resort provides space and hospitality services for gatherings, celebrations, and other organized events. Its historic setting and destination location make event business a supporting component of the hotel’s full-service operating model.

• 2023

  InnVest Hotels purchases the resort and golf courseM&A

  Background

  The Algonquin continued operating as a historic destination resort with an associated golf course.

  Action taken

  InnVest Hotels acquired the hotel and golf course.

  Source

• 2013

  Reopening under the Autograph Collection brandProduct launch

  Background

  The property underwent renovation and restoration following its change in ownership.

  Action taken

  The resort reopened as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

  Aftermath

  It became the first Canadian hotel in the collection while retaining its independent historic-resort identity.

  Source

• 2012

  Charlotte County Hospitality Partnership acquires the propertyM&A

  Background

  Following the end of Fairmont management, the resort required a new ownership and operating structure.

  Action taken

  New Castle Hotels and Resorts and Southwest Properties acquired the hotel through the Charlotte County Hospitality Partnership and initiated renovation and restoration.

  Aftermath

  The work prepared the property for its 2013 reopening as a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel.

  Source

• 2011

  Province seeks a new operator after Fairmont managementStrategy

  Background

  Fairmont requested provincial funding for a major property refit, while the New Brunswick government reviewed the future management model.

  Action taken

  The province decided to pursue management other than Fairmont, whose operation and guest-club relationship ended on December 31, 2011.

  Aftermath

  The change preceded the 2012 ownership transaction, renovation, and later reopening under Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

  Source

• 1903

  Canadian Pacific integrates the resort into its hotel networkStrategy

  Background

  Canadian Pacific Railway acquired the Algonquin during the expansion of railway-linked tourism in Canada.

  Action taken

  The company added golf facilities and operated the hotel as part of its broader resort and railway hospitality system.

  Aftermath

  The resort became more closely connected to national passenger-rail tourism and the Canadian grand-hotel tradition.

  Source

1. 1The Algonquin Resorten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of The Algonquin Resortalgonquinresort.com