Ottawa’s Castle turns a Century

My memories of the Château Laurier go back to when I lived in Ottawa in my early twenties. As it does now, located next to the Parliament Buildings, the Chateau dominated the downtown landscape, looking as though it just popped out of a fairy tale. I loved stepping inside the elegant lobby of this historic building wondering what tales the walls could tell. Many years have passed since then, and as the grand old lady gets ready to celebrate her 100th birthday I had the chance to spend a weekend in her company getting to know her better.

In the early 1900s Charles Hays, then the General Manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway of Canada dreamed of extending the Canadian railway all the way to the west coast and at the same time building luxurious hotels along the way. Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier was part of that dream. He hired Ross and Macfarlane of Montreal to design the Château…a combination the French Renaissance style with the neo-Gothic vertical lines of the Parliament Buildings – a very castle-like building. With no expense spared, the Château was constructed of the finest materials … granite blocks, white Italian marble, light buff Indiana limestone, a travertine marble staircase with brass railing and a copper roof. Inside it was furnished with valuable antiques. Sadly, Hays went down with the ill-fated Titanic on April 14, 1912, just days before the Château was scheduled to open on April 26, 1912. He never had the chance to see his dream come true. 

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canada’s seventh Prime Minister officially opened the hotel on June 1, 1912, but not without a little drama first. French sculptor, Paul Romaine Chevré (he was on the Titanic with Hays, but survived) had been commissioned to create a bust of Laurier for the lobby of the hotel. It turns out that on opening day, moments before Laurier went to have a look at his bust, the statue was dropped by a workman, chipping Laurier’s nose. Laurier was outraged when he saw his damaged likeness and threatened not to attend the opening. He did in the end attend and was the first to sign the hotel’s guest register. The marble statue was later repaired. At the time, the 306 room building cost $2 million to build. Rooms were considered decadent (complete with indoor plumbing) and rates set accordingly at a whopping $2 per night. 

In 1929, the hotel got a facelift which included an art deco swimming pool. It looks very much the same today….spectacular with powder-pink Tennessee marble walls and dark green marble pillars and a hand-wrought brass railing overlooks the pool. Bathers relaxed on chaises lounges and were warmed by overhead brass sun lamps, quite an innovation at the time. 

Honoured Guests

Anyone who is anyone visiting Ottawa has stayed at the Château Laurier. There’s a long list of prestigious politicians, heads of state, royalty and entertainers. The hotel was home to former Prime Ministers Richard Bedford (R.B.) Bennett and Pierre Trudeau. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and her consort Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, The King and Queen of Siam and former U.S. President Hoover have all signed the hotel registry. 

Yousuf Karsh, one of the world’s most renowned portrait photographers, lived at the Château with his wife Estrellita and maintained his studio there for 18 years. Karsh gave seven of his famous portraits to the hotel when he moved in 1998. After his death his wife Estrellita added eight more portraits to the hotel’s collection. They are now located in the Reading Lounge and the Karsh Suite (you can rent it for about $2500.00 per night they say).

Today’s guests can check out the prestigious who’s who in the Heritage Gallery where images of famous guests such as Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill and the late Princess Diana are hung.

Haunted?

According to our tour guide from the “The Haunted Walk” (Ottawa’s most popular walking tour company), a ghost walks the halls of the Chateau Laurier. Rumour has it that a well-known CBC personality was accosted by a ghost on a stairwell. Other guests have reported that things moved around unassisted in their rooms. The ghost is supposed to be none other than Charles Hays, the man commissioned the building of the Chateau Laurier. Hays, having died when the Titanic sunk12 days before the opening ceremony of the Chateau, never saw his dream come true. Believers say that it is this unfulfilled desire that keeps his spirit roaming the halls of the hotel that was his last and greatest achievement.

Spending the night

Today, the 429-room Château Laurier (now owned by Fairmont) still oozes luxury and comfort. The bathrooms have rain-shower heads, high end toiletries and his and her bathrobes. In the high-ceilinged king suites, lots of dark wood and comfy traditional furniture make you feel like you are in a country home…with your own staff. By joining the Fairmont President’s Club (it’s free) you get special attention. Deneen Perrin, Director of Public Relations points out, “When you become a member you get free Internet access at Fairmont hotels and you can also personalize your stay in other ways, such as by letting us know if you like feather pillows, down duvets and much more.” 

For my stay, we upgraded to the Fairmont Gold floor, which in the end, turned out to be a budget-conscious move. After a comfy night’s sleep, as Gold Floor guests we didn’t have to trek down to the hotel dining room for a pricey breakfast. Instead, we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast in the Gold Floor’s elegant lounge. A buffet table was laid out with fresh fruits, muesli, croissants and pastries, cold cuts, smoked salmon with capers and thin slivers of sweet onion, freshly squeezed juices and superb coffee and teas. Between 5 and 7 p.m. the same lounge offers a wonderful spread of local cheeses, meats, salads and a featured appetizer or two from Zoe’s Lounge, one of the hotel’s restaurants. No one goes to bed hungry. Wine and beer is available on the honour system. You note your libations on a list near the bar and your room is charged accordingly.  

Oh, and the ghost? I didn’t see or hear a thing.

Happy 100th Birthday to Ottawa’s Castle … a national treasure. 

Fairmont Château Laurier

1 Rideau Street

Ottawa, Ontario

Canada

K1N8S7 

TOLL FREE: (866) 540-4410

www.fairmont.com/laurier chateaulaurier@fairmont.com