Fairmont Palliser Hotel facts for kids
| Fairmont Palliser | |
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | 133 9th Avenue Southwest Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Opening date | June 1, 1914 |
| Architect | Lawrence Gotch, Edward Maxwell & William Sutherland Maxwell |
| Management | Fairmont Hotels and Resorts |
| Owner | InnVest Hotels |
| No. of rooms | 407 |
| No. of floors | 12 |
The Fairmont Palliser is a famous hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was once called the Palliser Hotel. This historic hotel opened in 1914. It is right next to the Calgary Tower and Palliser Square. The Fairmont Palliser is one of Calgary's oldest and most fancy hotels. It is part of the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts group.
Contents
History of the Palliser
Building a Grand Hotel
Back in 1883, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was building its tracks across Canada. At that time, Calgary was mainly a mounted police post and a trading spot. Many tourists traveled west, often heading to the CPR's Banff Springs Hotel in the mountains. This made a hotel in Calgary very important. It would be a key stop for travelers.
To encourage the CPR to build the hotel, the Calgary City Council helped out. They agreed that the hotel would not have to pay property taxes. However, the CPR would pay extra for police and fire services. They also had to pave part of 9th Avenue.
Construction and Opening
Work on the hotel began on May 12, 1911. It was built on land owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The company P. Lyall and Sons Construction Company built it. They used strong materials like stone, steel, reinforced concrete, and brick. The hotel cost about $1,500,000 to build. That was a huge amount of money back then!
The Palliser Hotel opened quietly on June 1, 1914. There was no big party or ceremony. The very first guest to check in was Charles Walsh Rowley. He was a banker from Winnipeg who used to live in Calgary. Like many other grand hotels in Canada, the CPR built the Palliser. It was part of Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts until 1999. That year, the company bought the Fairmont Hotel chain. Then, it changed its name to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
Naming and Design
The hotel was named after Captain John Palliser. He was an explorer who traveled through this region in the 1850s. The architect, Lawrence Gotch, designed the hotel. He worked for E. and W.S. Maxwell of Montreal. The building has an Edwardian style. It also shows features of the Chicago school of design.
When it first opened in 1914, the hotel had eight floors. It even had a sunny room called a sun parlor. In 1929, four more floors were added. This helped the hotel keep up with Calgary's growth. The hotel started with 190 staff in 1914. By 1929, it had 375 staff members.
Tallest Building in Calgary
After the four new floors were added in 1929, the Palliser Hotel became the tallest building in Calgary. It held this title for many years. It remained the tallest until 1958. That's when the Elveden Centre building became taller.
The Palliser Hotel has been updated and expanded many times. In 2000, it had a big renovation that cost $28 million. More recently, parts of the hotel, like the Fairmont Gold section and many guest rooms, have been updated.
Changing Times
The Palliser Hotel and the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton were the first two places in Alberta to get special permits to sell drinks. This happened in 1924. Before that, selling alcohol was not allowed in Alberta. This period was called Prohibition. For a long time, the Palliser Hotel's main bar only allowed men. But in 1970, women were finally allowed to enter too.
