Hotel Macdonald facts for kids
| Fairmont Hotel Macdonald | |
Quick facts for kids  The Hotel Macdonald in downtown Edmonton |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°32′25″N 113°29′21″W / 53.54028°N 113.48917°W |
| Address | |
| Opening date | 5 July 1915 |
| Developer | Grand Trunk Pacific Railway |
| Architect | Ross and MacFarlene |
| Management | Fairmont Hotels and Resorts |
| Owner | InnVest Hotels |
| No. of restaurants | 1 |
| No. of rooms | 198 |
| No. of floors | 11 |
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is a big, fancy, and old hotel in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. People often call it the Hotel Macdonald or even just The Mac. It's in downtown Edmonton, right by the North Saskatchewan River. It has amazing views of the river valley. The building is about 47.7 meters (156 feet) tall and has eleven floors. It was designed by a company called Ross and MacFarlene. Today, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts manages the hotel.
The hotel first opened on July 5, 1915. It was built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway company. This hotel is a great example of a "grand railway hotel" in Canada. These hotels were built to be fancy places for train travelers to stay. The building looks like a French castle, a style called Châteauesque.
After the Grand Trunk company went bankrupt, Canadian National Hotels took over the hotel. The building has been updated many times. A new part was added in 1953. In 1983, the new part was taken down. The hotel was later sold to Canadian Pacific Hotels in 1988. It was fixed up and reopened in May 1991.
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Where is the Hotel Macdonald?
The Hotel Macdonald is at 10065 100 Street NW in downtown Edmonton. It's near the city's main business area. The hotel is also close to neighborhoods like Riverdale and Rossdale.
The hotel sits on a hill overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. It offers great views of the river valley. The building is a landmark at the end of 100 Street NW.
What Does the Hotel Look Like?
Hotel Macdonald's Architecture
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway wanted to build a grand hotel. They hired a Canadian company called Ross and MacFarlane to design it. This same company designed many other famous hotels in Canada. The hotel was built between 1911 and 1915.
The hotel's design was inspired by old French castles. It has sloped roofs with chimneys and towers. The main entrance is at an angle, with wings and turrets on each side. The roof is made of copper.
The outside of the building is made of Indiana limestone. It has fancy details like balconies and decorative edges. The main entrance has five arches and four pillars. These pillars have carvings of gargoyles and symbols from Canada's western provinces.
The hotel's limestone outside, copper roof, and five special rooms inside are protected. These include the Confederation Lounge, the Empire Ballroom, and the Wedgewood room. They were named a "municipal historic resource" in 1984. This means they cannot be torn down or changed a lot.
Hotel Macdonald's Rooms and Spaces
The Hotel Macdonald has 198 guest rooms and suites. Suites are like bigger, fancier rooms. Some suites are on the third and eighth floors. Several suites are named after famous people who stayed at the hotel. These include the King George VI suite, the Queen Elizabeth suite, and the Winston Churchill suite.
The Queen Elizabeth suite is on the third floor and is very large. It was built during renovations in the late 1980s. It was updated again for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Alberta in 2005. This suite has a dining room, two sitting areas, and two extra guest rooms. It even has a private lobby for staff and security. You can only reach the Queen Elizabeth suite and seven other suites on the third floor by a private elevator.
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The hotel also has several spaces for events. The Wedgewood room is named after the special designs on its ceiling. The Empire Ballroom is another event space with very tall ceilings, about 21 feet (6.4 meters) high. It has beautiful carvings on the ceiling. These carvings were hidden for a long time under a false ceiling. They were found during renovations in the late 1980s.
The Confederation Lounge is the hotel's main lounge. It's named after a copy of a famous painting. The painting shows a meeting in 1864 about forming Canada. It hangs above the lounge's fireplace.
Other things at the hotel include squash courts and exercise areas. There are also minibars in the rooms and a modern security system. The hotel has one restaurant called The Harvest Room.
Hotel Macdonald's History
Before the hotel was built, the area was a camp for people looking for a new home. Many Ukrainian-speaking migrants from a place called Galicia lived there. People sometimes called it "Galician Hotel."
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bought the land and started building the hotel in 1911. The hotel cost about $2.25 million to build. It opened to the public on July 5, 1915. The hotel was named after John A. Macdonald, who was the first prime minister of Canada.
The Grand Trunk Pacific company went out of business in 1919. After that, the hotel became part of Canadian National Hotels. This was a division of the Canadian National Railway.
In 1924, Alberta changed its laws about alcohol. The Hotel Macdonald was one of the first places allowed to serve drinks again. In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stayed at the hotel during their visit to Canada.
After World War II, Edmonton grew quickly. To have more rooms, the hotel added a new part in 1953. People called this new part "The Box."
In 1983, Canadian National Railway closed the hotel. They tore down "The Box" and planned big renovations. They wanted to add more to the hotel and build office towers. However, these plans never happened. To protect the building from being torn down, the City of Edmonton made it a "municipal heritage resource" in 1984.
In 1988, Canadian Pacific Hotels bought the Hotel Macdonald and eight other hotels. They spent $28 million fixing up the hotel over three years. They removed the 1953 addition and brought back the original look of the building. The hotel reopened on May 15, 1991.
In 2001, Canadian Pacific Hotels changed its name to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. This happened after they bought an American company called Fairmont. Because of this change, the Hotel Macdonald was renamed the "Fairmont Hotel Macdonald."
