Hotel Vancouver facts for kids
| Fairmont Hotel Vancouver | |
Quick facts for kids  Present day Hotel Vancouver |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | 900 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2W6 |
| Coordinates | 49°17′02″N 123°07′15″W / 49.283839°N 123.120959°W |
| Opening date | May 1939 |
| Developer | Canadian National Railway |
| Architect | Archibald and Schofield |
| Management | Fairmont Hotels and Resorts |
| Owner | Larco Enterprises |
| No. of restaurants | 1 |
| No. of rooms | 507 |
| No. of floors | 17 |
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is a famous old hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. People sometimes still call it the Hotel Vancouver. It is located on West Georgia Street in the city's main business area, Downtown Vancouver.
The hotel was designed by two architects, John Smith Archibald and John Schofield. Today, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts manages it. The building opened in May 1939. It looks like a French castle, a style called Châteauesque. It is known as one of Canada's grand railway hotels.
The hotel is 112.47-metre-tall (369.0 ft) and has 17 floors. When it was built in 1939, it was the tallest building in Vancouver. It held this record until the TD Tower was finished in 1972.
Where is the Hotel?
The Hotel Vancouver is at 900 West Georgia Street. This area is part of the Financial District. This is the main business area in Downtown Vancouver.
The hotel is surrounded by different streets. These include Burrard Street, West Georgia Street, and Hornby Street. Two other buildings are next to the hotel on one side.
Many popular places in downtown Vancouver are close to the hotel. The Vancouver Art Gallery is right next to it. Robson Square, a public park, is also nearby. North of the hotel, you can find Christ Church Cathedral. This is the oldest church in Vancouver. The hotel is also near two SkyTrain stations. These are Burrard station and Vancouver City Centre station.
Hotel Design
Building Style
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The Hotel Vancouver is one of Canada's grand railway hotels. These hotels were first built by train companies like Canadian National Railway. The building was designed by Canadian architects, John Smith Archibald and John Schofield.
Building the hotel started in 1929. But it took a long time to finish, until 1939. This was because of money problems during the Great Depression. To finish the hotel, Canadian Pacific Hotels also invested money. This company was part of Canadian Pacific Railway.
The hotel is built in the Châteauesque style. This style was popular for grand railway hotels across Canada. It uses ideas from castles in France's Loire Valley. For example, the Hotel Vancouver has a sloped copper roof with dormers (windows sticking out). It also has carved stone details over a steel frame. The hotel also has Renaissance style details. You can see gargoyles and sculptures on the building. In 1939, several artists helped create the decorations. These included Olea Marion Davis, Charles Marega, and Lilias Farley.
The Hotel Vancouver is 112.47-metre-tall (369.0 ft). It has 17 floors with guest rooms and other hotel areas. When it was completed in 1939, it became the tallest building in Vancouver. It stayed the tallest until the TD Tower was built in 1972.
What's Inside?
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver has 557 guest rooms and suites. Some special suites are the Lieutenant Governor's Suite and the Royal Suite. The Lieutenant Governor's Suite has an Art Deco style. It features walls covered in black walnut wood.
In 2018, the hotel finished a four-year renovation project. This project updated the main lobby and guest rooms. It also brought back the original look of the 14th floor from 1939. On the 14th floor, you can see restored English harewood doors with bronze plates. There are also bronze hallway doors and walls made of sapele wood with bronze strips.
The hotel also has places to eat. There is a restaurant called Notch8 Restaurant + Bar. This restaurant also offers the hotel's afternoon tea service. Other things you can find at the hotel include a gym, a swimming pool, and a spa.
Hotel History
Plans for a large hotel in this spot started in the 1920s. Canadian National Railway began building the Hotel Vancouver in December 1928. This was part of a deal between the city and the railway company. The city prepared land for railway yards and a train station. In return, the company promised to build a big hotel downtown. They also made Vancouver the end point for their train network.
Soon after the steel frame of the building was put up, work stopped. This was because of the Great Depression, a time when many people lost their jobs and money was scarce. Building started again in 1937. In 1938, Canadian National Railway teamed up with Canadian Pacific Railway. They worked together to finish the new hotel.
The hotel was rushed to be ready for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1939. This hotel was the third one in Vancouver to be called "Hotel Vancouver". The first two were located nearby on West Georgia Street. To avoid competing with the new hotel, Canadian Pacific Railway closed its hotel operations at the second Hotel Vancouver. That second hotel building was torn down in 1949.
In the middle of the 20th century, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio stations were inside the Hotel Vancouver. On May 1, 1940, Dal Richards started his music career there. He played with a band, and a young singer named Juliette also performed. Richards became a regular on The Roof, a CBC Radio show broadcast from the hotel.
Over the years, the hotel's ownership changed. In 1962, Canadian National Hotels took full control. Then, Hilton Hotels International managed it for a while. In 1988, Canadian National Hotels sold the hotel to Canadian Pacific Hotels.
In 2001, Canadian Pacific Hotels changed its name to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. The hotel was then renamed the "Fairmont Hotel Vancouver". In 2007, Fairmont sold the hotel to another company, but Fairmont still manages it. In 2015, the hotel was sold again to Larco Enterprise for C$180 million.
Before its 80th anniversary, the hotel had a big renovation. This cost C$12 million and updated the lobby, restaurant, and guest rooms. These renovations happened from 2014 to 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Hotel Vancouver para niños
