The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Encyclopedia
The Hotel Vancouver is a hotel located on West Georgia Street and Burrard Street
, in the heart of Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia
.
. It became part of the Canadian Pacific Hotels
chain after that company purchased CN Hotels in 1988. CP Hotels was later renamed to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
This building is the third hotel to be named "Hotel Vancouver". The second Hotel Vancouver, this building's predecessor a block away, was built in 1916, and became a troop barracks during the Second World War
, and was finally torn down in 1949 to fulfill a commitment made by the city with the developers of the third Hotel Vancouver to demolish it - as the new hotel's design was not as lavish and impressive, and the older hotel was perceived to be too much of a potential rival. The second hotel was in a grand Italianate revival style, and was considered one of the great hotels of the British Empire
. In the time of this building the names of the Spanish Grill (a cafe-restaurant), the Panorama Roof (and dine-and-dance show club), the Timber Club (a drinking lounge), the Pacific Empire Ballroom, and the Red Barrel (a beer parlour) became famous as part of the city's social whirl (names that are used by facilities in the third Hotel Vancouver). It had several ballrooms and lounges, as well as an adjacent opera house cum cinema (originally the Orpheum, later restyled the Lyric), and all the bathrooms were fitted with marble sinks and gold-plate faucetry.
The first two Hotel Vancouvers were between Howe and Granville Streets on the south side of West Georgia Street. The current building, a block away across the fountain plaza of the then-provincial courthouse and on the same side of Georgia, opened in May 1939.
Until the opening of the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre
in the 1970s, the offices and broadcast studios of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
's Vancouver bureau were on the mezzanine floor of the hotel, overlooking the corner of Hornby and Georgia. A large art-deco sound stage used for radio theatre and musical broadcasts was located on the ground floor, with an entrance off Hornby Street.
It was here, in the Panorama Roof Ballroom, that Dal Richards
, the legendary Canadian big band
leader, known as the King of Swing
, began his career that spans decades. On May 1, 1940 young Dal Richards, his 11-piece band and a then-unknown 13-year-old Juliette
were booked to replace Mart Kenney
and His Western Gentlemen, Canada's leading dance band at the time. No-one could have known that Dal's initial six-week contract would stretch into 25 years of regular performances and broadcasts at "The Roof". A weekly CBC Radio
show was broadcast nationally from the Panorama Roof Ballroom of the Hotel Vancouver for many years.
Burrard Street
Burrard Street is a major thoroughfare in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the central street of Downtown Vancouver and the Financial District. The street is named for Burrard Inlet, located at its northern terminus, which in turn is named for Sir Harry Burrard-Neale.The street starts at...
, in the heart of Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
History
Constructed at 111 metres (17 stories) high, its architects were John S. Archibald and John SchofieldArchibald and Schofield
Archibald and Schofield was a collaborative relationship between Canadian architects John Smith Archibald and John Schofield. They were known for their designs for the Canadian National Hotels for the Canadian National Railway....
. It became part of the Canadian Pacific Hotels
Canadian Pacific hotels
Canadian Pacific Hotels was a division of Canadian Pacific Railway that operated a series of hotels across Canada. Most of these resort hotels were originally built and operated by the railway's Hotel Department, while a few were acquired from Canadian National Hotels...
chain after that company purchased CN Hotels in 1988. CP Hotels was later renamed to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
This building is the third hotel to be named "Hotel Vancouver". The second Hotel Vancouver, this building's predecessor a block away, was built in 1916, and became a troop barracks during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was finally torn down in 1949 to fulfill a commitment made by the city with the developers of the third Hotel Vancouver to demolish it - as the new hotel's design was not as lavish and impressive, and the older hotel was perceived to be too much of a potential rival. The second hotel was in a grand Italianate revival style, and was considered one of the great hotels of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. In the time of this building the names of the Spanish Grill (a cafe-restaurant), the Panorama Roof (and dine-and-dance show club), the Timber Club (a drinking lounge), the Pacific Empire Ballroom, and the Red Barrel (a beer parlour) became famous as part of the city's social whirl (names that are used by facilities in the third Hotel Vancouver). It had several ballrooms and lounges, as well as an adjacent opera house cum cinema (originally the Orpheum, later restyled the Lyric), and all the bathrooms were fitted with marble sinks and gold-plate faucetry.
The first two Hotel Vancouvers were between Howe and Granville Streets on the south side of West Georgia Street. The current building, a block away across the fountain plaza of the then-provincial courthouse and on the same side of Georgia, opened in May 1939.
Until the opening of the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre
CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver
The CBC Regional Broadcast Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, houses the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio and television facilities in that city. It is the second largest CBC production facility in English Canada, and the third-largest overall, after Toronto's Canadian Broadcasting...
in the 1970s, the offices and broadcast studios of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's Vancouver bureau were on the mezzanine floor of the hotel, overlooking the corner of Hornby and Georgia. A large art-deco sound stage used for radio theatre and musical broadcasts was located on the ground floor, with an entrance off Hornby Street.
It was here, in the Panorama Roof Ballroom, that Dal Richards
Dal Richards
Dal Murray Richards, CM, OBC is a Canadian big band leader known as the King of Swing.His saxophone and clarinet were first heard in the Sandy DeSantis and Stan Paton bands...
, the legendary Canadian big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
leader, known as the King of Swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
, began his career that spans decades. On May 1, 1940 young Dal Richards, his 11-piece band and a then-unknown 13-year-old Juliette
Juliette (singer)
Juliette Augustina Sysak Cavazzi, CM , nicknamed , is a Canadian singer and television host who was featured on CBC Television from the 1950s through the 1970s....
were booked to replace Mart Kenney
Mart Kenney
Herbert Martin "Mart" Kenney was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader whose big band Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen was Canada's premier dance band during the 1930s and 1940s.-Musical career:...
and His Western Gentlemen, Canada's leading dance band at the time. No-one could have known that Dal's initial six-week contract would stretch into 25 years of regular performances and broadcasts at "The Roof". A weekly CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
show was broadcast nationally from the Panorama Roof Ballroom of the Hotel Vancouver for many years.
In pop culture
- The hotel serves as the exterior of The Tipton HotelThe Tipton HotelThe Tipton Hotel is a fictional hotel from the television series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Most of the action occurs inside the hotel and it is the main setting for the series, particularly the lobby, the basement, the Tipton's 5-star restaurants, the ballroom, the game room, the Martin's...
on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. - The hotel was featured prominently in the VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
level in Tony Hawk's UndergroundTony Hawk's UndergroundTony Hawk's Underground, abbreviated to THUG, is a skateboarding video game, available for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox platforms released in 2003. A PC version was released exclusively in Australia as a budget release in 2005. This version was ported by Beenox. In 2004,...
.
See also
- List of old Canadian buildings
- Fairmont Hotels and ResortsFairmont Hotels and ResortsFairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Canadian-based operator of luxury hotels and resorts. Currently, Fairmont operates properties in 18 countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Barbados, United Kingdom, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the...
- Canada's grand railway hotelsCanada's grand railway hotelsCanada’s railway hotels are a series of grand hotels across the country, each a local and national landmark, and most of which are icons of Canadian history and architecture. Each hotel was originally built by the Canadian railway companies, or the railways acted as a catalyst for the hotel’s...
- List of tallest buildings in Vancouver
- List of heritage buildings in Vancouver
External links
- Hotel Vancouver website
- Emporis Listing
- BC Archives Photo: First Hotel Vancouver, Georgia & Granville c.1890
- BC Archives Photo: Second Hotel Vancouver, Georgia & Granville, c.1920
- BC Archives Photo: Billiard Room, Second Hotel Vancouver, 1920s
- BC Archives Photo: Dining Room, Second Hotel Vancouver, 1920s
- Interior, Second Hotel Vancouver, 1916
- First Hotel Vancouver, Howe Street side (Archives notes says 1909, but this can't be right as the second hotel was on this site by then)
