Timber Club circa 1960s. Courtesy of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s 85th Anniversary Is a Dance Through the Decades

A storied past.

Written by The Editors of NUVO

Impressive designs, lavish parties, historic moments, and a rumoured ghost are the makings of a significant hotel legacy. Hotel Vancouver, which celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2024, dusted off archival imagery—some not seen by the public in over 40 years—from the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Public Library, and its own files in the hotel basement. The photos feature no shortage of celebrity sightings, such as Donald Sutherland, Robin Williams, and members of royalty.

The first of three hotels opened in May 1888. William Van Horne, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, worked with English Canadian architect Thomas Sorby on the six-storey building, part of his vision for a lineup of hotels to attract more people to use the railway and the beginning of railway hotels across the country (The Empress and Château Lake Louise, for example). The hotel was rebuilt twice, opening in its current form in 1939 and commemorated by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, who were staying on the 14th floor. Over the years, the hotel would garner historic moments and legends, from Mark Twain’s bedside interview promoting his global lecture tour to the acquisition of a resident ghost, The Lady in Red.

Hotel Vancouver eighth-floor room in 1970.

At present, on view in the lobby is a collection of photographic reenactments, such as the carver who put the front page of a newspaper inside a gargoyle before finalizing the work, a dedicated housekeeper in the 1960s (heavily attached to the previous decor) who hid over 200 pieces of furniture, a club promoter who snuck a horse onto the rooftop during a party in 1940, and a music cue for partygoers to hide their liquor during the Prohibition era.

Some of the archival imagery below, the collective reenactments, and a 1920s-themed celebration speak to the hotel’s past, which has established itself as a cultural touchstone in the city, one with an extensive list of memorable stays and a storied history of grandeur.