Delta Bessborough facts for kids

Delta Hotels Bessborough
Quick facts for kids The Delta Bessborough
Hotel facts and statistics
Coordinates	52°07′35″N 106°39′33″W / 52.12639°N 106.65917°W / 52.12639; -106.65917
Address
Developer	Canadian National Railway
Architect	Archibald and Schofield
Management	Delta Hotels
Owner	Leadon Investment Inc.
No. of restaurants	3
No. of rooms	225
No. of floors	10

The Delta Hotels Bessborough, often called The Bessborough, is a famous old hotel in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It's right in the middle of Saskatoon's main business area. This beautiful hotel was designed by Archibald and Schofield for Canadian National Hotels, which was part of the Canadian National Railway.

The hotel first opened its doors in 1935. It was built in a special style called Châteauesque, which looks like old French castles. The building is about 58.5 meters (192 feet) tall and has 10 floors. The Bessborough is known as one of Canada's grand railway hotels. These hotels were built by railway companies to encourage travel. For many years, it was the tallest building in Saskatoon. Today, the hotel is owned by Leadon Investment Inc. However, it is managed by Delta Hotels, which is a brand of Marriott International.

Where is the Bessborough Hotel Located?

The Delta Bessborough is situated near the South Saskatchewan River.

The Delta Bessborough is at 601 Spadina Crescent East. It sits at the edge of Saskatoon's main business area. The hotel is surrounded by roads, a river, and parkland. To the east, you'll find the South Saskatchewan River. This is a big river that flows through the city.

The hotel property is also next to Kiwanis Park. The park is split into two parts by the hotel. To the west, you'll see Spadina Crescent East. The hotel is a key landmark at the end of 21st Street East. It's also a great view from Spadina Crescent if you're coming from the south.

The Bessborough is close to many cool places in the city center. To the southwest, there's the Remai Arts Centre. This is a place for performing arts. You can also visit the Remai Modern, which is an art gallery. Northwest of the hotel is Midtown Plaza, a big shopping center. There's also TCU Place, a convention center. The Broadway Bridge is south of the hotel. It's an arch bridge that crosses the South Saskatchewan River.

What Does the Bessborough Look Like?

Hotel Architecture and Style

The interior of the hotel features ceiling moulds and plaster reliefs.

The Delta Bessborough is one of Canada's grand railway hotels. These hotels were built by the Canadian National Railway. The hotel was first designed by John S. Archibald. Later, John Schofield took over the project after Archibald passed away. The building's style is called Châteauesque. This means it looks like old castles from Bavaria in Germany.

This castle-like style became very popular for Canadian railway hotels. By the 1920s, it was seen as a unique Canadian architectural style. The Bessborough was designed to really show off these castle features. It has many medieval-inspired elements.

You can see these Châteauesque features all over the hotel. Look for oriel windows, which are windows that stick out from the wall. There are also round turrets, like small towers. You'll also notice quoins (corner stones) and string courses (horizontal bands). The hotel even has machicolations, which are openings that look like they're from a castle wall.

The roof has Gothic Revival dormers. These are windows that stick out from the sloping roof. They have carved tympana, which are decorated spaces above the windows. You can also spot different grotesque figures around the building.

All the building materials came from Canada. The stone is from Manitoba, and the bricks are from the Claybank Brick Plant in Saskatchewan. The tiles used are from Estevan, Saskatchewan. Inside the hotel, you'll find beautiful ceiling molds. There are also plaster reliefs, which are carvings that stand out from a flat surface. The floors are made of terrazzo, a mix of chips and cement.

Hotel Rooms and Other Facilities

The hotel includes a waterfront garden backing into the South Saskatchewan River.

The hotel has 225 guest rooms and suites. One special suite is the Vice Regal Suite. It's on the third floor and looks out over the city center.

The Bessborough also has three restaurants and other places to eat. One restaurant is Samurai, which serves Japanese food. Another is Garden Court Cafe, which uses food from local farms. Besides places to stay and eat, the hotel has a fitness center and a pool. There's also a spa that's about 167 square meters (1,800 square feet).

The hotel has a large event space, about 1,672 square meters (18,000 square feet). This space is used for many events. People hold conferences, weddings, and other social gatherings here.

Outside, the hotel has a big private garden. It's about 20,000 square meters (5 acres) and goes right down to the South Saskatchewan River. These gardens are often used for big events. The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is one of the most famous events held here.

History of the Bessborough Hotel

After another railway hotel was built in Regina in 1926, Saskatoon's business community wanted one too. They asked the Canadian National Railway to build a similar hotel in Saskatoon. On December 31, 1928, the president of the Canadian National Railway, Sir Henry Thorton, announced they would build a hotel.

In February 1930, work began to dig out the site. The city agreed to not charge the railway property tax for 25 years. In return, the railway had to build a "chateau" style hotel. It also had to have at least 200 rooms.

The hotel under construction in 1931.

On May 30, 1931, Walter Pratt, who managed the railway's hotels, made an announcement. He said that The 9th Earl of Bessborough, who was the Governor General of Canada, had agreed to let the hotel be named "The Bessborough." The Earl and his wife even visited the hotel while it was being built in 1932.

Construction finished in 1932. However, times were tough because of the Great Depression. This meant the hotel couldn't open right away. Finally, on December 10, 1935, Horace N. Stovin became the first official guest.

In 1972, Donald, Dick, and Marc Baltzan bought the Bessborough. The Baltzans then sold the hotel to Delta Hotels in 1989. That's when it was renamed Delta Bessborough. In 1998, the hotel was bought by Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust. A big restoration project costing $9,000,000 was finished in 1999. This work brought back many of the hotel's original historical features. The hotel also had a major renovation in 2003.

Today, the hotel is still managed by Delta Hotels. This hotel brand was bought by Marriott International in 2015.

Images for kids

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  The Delta Bessborough