Canada's Grand Railway Hotels: The Castles of Canada

Discover the majestic grandeur of Canada's grand railway hotels in this captivating journey through history. These iconic buildings, which stand as some of the most beautiful hotels in the world, have played a pivotal role in shaping the nation. From the early days of the railways, which were instrumental in industrializing the sparsely populated country, to the luxurious accommodations that hosted royalty, politicians, and celebrities, these hotels have stories to tell.
Uncover the origins of the Windsor Hotel, the first of its kind in Montreal, which set the standard for luxury and became the blueprint for a series of hotels across Canada. Learn about the strategic shift towards urban and rural hotels by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and how they aimed to import tourists to enjoy the breathtaking Canadian scenery. The video delves into the architectural marvels such as the Chateau Frontenac and the Banff Springs Hotel, which have become national symbols of heritage and luxury.
As the narrative unfolds, we explore the fierce competition between the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk Railway, which led to the creation of some of the country's most iconic hotel buildings. Despite the decline of rail travel and the challenges faced by these historic structures, they have endured, thanks to the efforts to preserve them as part of Canada's cultural heritage.
Whether you're a history enthusiast, architecture aficionado, or simply someone who appreciates the finer things in life, this video is a must-watch. Join us in celebrating these grand railway hotels that continue to stand proudly as monuments of Canada's rich history and opulence.
If you've enjoyed this historical tour of Canada's grand railway hotels, please leave a thumbs up and subscribe for more fascinating content. Have you ever stayed in one of these historic hotels? Share your experiences in the comments below!

[@status101-danielho6]

My dad was a bartender at the Hotel MacDonald from 1973 until being laid off in 1983 due to the closure. His paychecks were always from the employer, which was CN, not the hotel itself. Where the outdoor patio is today, it used to be staff parking. Guests had to use the indoor parkade (which was demolished along with the new wing). Most of my memories of the hotel was in the demolished wing, with its red carpeting throughout. CN certainly knew how to throw great Christmas staff parties, complete with Santa Claus and gifts for the kids, some of my favorite childhood memories.

[@clearasmudchannel]

That’s awesome, thanks for sharing your stories!

[@AndrewSmith-vr8kd]

I worked at the Chateau Lake Louise as a bellman and it will forever be one of my fondest memories. One of my most favourite duties was going out to the front of the hotel at 7 a.m. and raising the Canadian flag, as the Victoria Glacier reflected off the lake.

[@prestigewoodworks]

Had the privilege of staying a week at the hotel on the top floor centre suite overlooking the lake a few years back

[@thecheesecakeman]

Great video. Thank you. A real history lesson of Canada through the lens of the railways and hotels.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks!

[@pryles2000]

I've stayed in most but my heart will always be with the Empress.

[@clearasmudchannel]

The Empress is a great one!

[@burritoriot5724]

I stayed in one of the fanciest rooms on the Fairmont gold level, every single word of praise is deserved about that hotel, it is GORGEOUS.

[@johngore7744]

The Queen Elisabeth in Montreal is where John and Yoko did the bed in and recorded Give Peace aChance. Cheers from Montreal

[@northhaven2501]

What a great update of our treasured past. Lucky to stay in Banff, Lake Louise, and the Royal York. There is something majestic about these buildings. Thank you for this beautiful time peice. Cheers

[@nicolepresta2336]

The best hotel's in Canada no doubt

[@SimonMarseille]

Incroyable. Merci. This is an amazing video.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thank you!

[@E.N.HALL1]

That was a great little piece of history I never knew thank you

[@tytn9978]

This was a fascinating history lesson. I've seen most of the hotels you name, from the outside, but don't think I've ever stayed in one overnight ... not in my income range! I did take my young sons to the Banff Springs Hotel, just for them to see some of the interior aspects open to the public. And we've enjoyed "afternoon tea" at the Empress in Victoria, again as a way of reminding my sons of Canada's history. They've also seen the Chateau Laurier and The Bessborough.

[@craigroeser181]

It is my dream to one day stay in everyone of these beautiful hotels! When I was a child I saw one of them on a summer trip from Colorado and I have never forgotten the beauty of these amazing hotels and the beauty of Canada!

[@lcg5790]

My grandfather was in the 20's and 30's the western general manager for the CPR hotels. My mother was raised in them and has many fond memories and stories.

[@michaelgordon8763]

Nice history...I and my family have stayed in many of the hotels. They are wonderful places to spend time in many Canadian cities...well done!!

[@mccoyfleming6664]

my great great grandfather, harry sills, used to go back and forth along that line from ontario to alberta. he’d do it on a regular basis for work. in those days, customer service was a little different, in that train companies would hire black coach attendants for bare wages, forcing them to work 24/7 without breaks for the entire multi-day journey. remember, these are still the days in which employees were expected to take care of a customer’s crying child because “they paid for a vacation”. every time he would return to alberta, he would offer a spare bed and some food to a few poor souls unfortunate enough to have been employed in that hellish condition. strive to be like harry, i guess.

[@georgemorenstein]

If you're at the Banff Springs Hotel, don't forget to check out 'the haunted stairway'. "Arrrrroooooo!, It's scary kids."

[@hoboonwheels9289]

I worked as a telephone operator and manual elevator operator at Chateau Lake Louise after high school, it was like a castle then. Some friends and I went to a conference in Ottawa and stayed in the Chateau Laurier, small rooms as it was originally accommodated low income residents. My daughter and I toured Hotel MacDonald after high tea, including the royal suite. Those hotels appear to be built by craftsmen in comparison the boxes they build now.

[@johngore7744]

I worked at Chateau Lake Louise in 1980 as an elevator operator. Cheers from Montreal

[@rolandsingh]

Thanks for this Superb Video. These Grand Buildings deserve to be remembered. I have subscribed, Roland Singh, Canada 🇨🇦

[@andreraymond6860]

Loved the music you chose for the video. I stayed at the Frontenac (for work, as we were doing a convention in the grand hall). I didn't get much time in the suite and mostly napped, but the room service was amazing. I once stayed in Vancouver at a CP hotel, again for work. That was great.

[@maestroadam]

Place Viger is stunning; I rode my bike around it for awhile when I lived in Montreal

[@calumashleymcdonough8955]

AMAZING video. I love your telling of the pressures of construction, and destruction of the hotels with the economic pressures. I walk by the Hotel Vancouver everyday and love that it's such a beloved part of our city. There's an office tower across the street that is taller, but emulated the Hotel Vancouver style as a shout out to the Hotel Vancouver's significance.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks, really appreciate it!

[@diamondhfxizlit]

Well done! Exactly what I was looking for to show my little girl who has to do her schooling online right now! It would be just awesome to see stand-alone's for each. But I do realize how much work that could potentially be hwvr, I assure you it would be well received!

[@clearasmudchannel]

So glad you found it useful! That would be a lot of work, but who knows - maybe I will do that one day!

[@newtron1]

I have been fortunate to stay in the following: Chateau Frontenac, Chateau Lauirier, Royal York, Bessborough, Banff, Lake Louse, Jasper Park Lodge, Hotel Vancouver, Empress.

[@mraNewfoundland]

Stayed at the Banff Springs, and Lac Louise, beautiful walking trails at both.

[@fireninja110]

goated video

[@steedmartin195]

I have stayed in lake Louise, Fronenac, Lauirier, Banff and soon Montebello and I have love evryone

[@steedmartin195]

oh and the Palliser and queen Elizabeth

[@siglavikingkearns8108]

My parents and sisters and I got to stay in the Royal Alex around 1962. My wife and I got married in the Fort Garry and, a few years ago, spent a couple of nights in the Algonquin. I can't see us ever affording the Banff Springs but it is on my major want-to-dos. Maybe we could walk around the lobby

[@clearasmudchannel]

It’s worth a visit, even just to check out the lobby!

[@prot6729]

Nice video! This is such good quality, and opened my eye on a subject i'd never heard about! It's truly a shame you don't have more views and subs

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thank you so much! That means a lot. Hopefully I will be able to put out a few more videos in 2021, and maybe that will result in more views/subs.

[@noahkidd3359]

Excellent video! This channel deserves way more subscribers

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words!

[@dougiebee8504]

Excellently done. However the Prince Albert Hotel in Thunder Bay was forgotten.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks for your kind words! That’s a good catch. I had a whole paragraph about the Prince Albert in my original script that didn’t make the cut, and it looks like I forgot to include it elsewhere! The Prince Albert was a very interesting piece of this story - sorry about the omission.

[@maguirebentz797]

Several things: first off, well produced video. Very well done. It was randomly shown to me and I’m excited to see more of your videos The hotels have a special place in my heart. My mom’s second wedding was at the banff springs. I love it so much. I’m touched you talked about the hotel Mac. My first apartment was the McDonald estates, aka the box that it came it. At some point, the addition got turned into apartments. Lesser quality than the hotel Mac but one of the cheapest apartments in downtown Edmonton (price wise, not quality at all). So those two meant a lot to me. And my mom and step dad sometimes stay in the palliser when they visit me since I moved to Calgary. Those are the 3 I’ve visited (either stayed at or ate at). But it’s on my bucket list to visit all of them. Thank you for the video and insight.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks! That’s awesome, I didn’t know they turned the box into apartments. What a place for a first apartment!

[@OK-ws7ti]

Great work, keep it up

[@jumpmanbig]

I work in Ottawa, meer minutes away from the Chateau Laurier and the hotel, due to it's high level of luxury and being very close to the Canadian Parliament, prime minister's residence, Global Affairs Canada's headquarters and many more place foreign dignitaries visit, the Chateau Laurier now often get's used for diplomatic events, hosting multitudes of foreign dignitaries when they come to Ottawa. I also remember a while ago they wanted to add a box addition to the hotel that really didn't fit with the rest. Fortunately it was denied

[@bennuttall1589]

Good video cheers!

[@007gibberish]

Great video!

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks!

[@rileygally2967]

“The Tipton” from Suite Life of Zach and Cody = Hotel Vancouver

[@willhooke]

Thank you this was what I was looking for 👍 🇦🇺

[@clearasmudchannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@danachos]

Aside the Château Frontenac, it was difficult to follow which of these hotels are still standing since you used almost exclusively old footage. Indeed, this is a great video, and the old footage is awesome, I just would have liked to know which are still around with some modern photos/footage

[@markfinn0]

The image at 2:29 is incorrectly labelled. The entire building is Windsor Station. The Windsor Hotel is not in the photo. It was about 100 m past the right side of St. George's Church (shown in the image) on Peel and the north side of Dorchester.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Ah, sorry about that mistake. Thanks for providing this information!

[@williamharris8367]

Is the Lord Nelson hotel in Halifax really considered a railwsy hotel? It is located on the very edge of the central business district, quite far from passenger rail service. In contrast, the Hotel Novascotian is located directly adjacent to the railway station (and much closer to Downtown). After a few rough decades, both establishments are now doing well. They are holding their own against some newer luxury hotels like the Sheraton.

[@jacob476]

Thank God we brought civilization to North America

[@tylersmith7076]

I've stayed at the Fort Gary in Winnipeg. Nice hotel but the room was terribly uncomfortable. The humidity was so high in the room that we thought maybe the bed was wet.

[@clearasmudchannel]

Oh no! Hopefully you can stay at a more comfortable one some day!

[@robertcartwright4374]

Possibly Vancouver's greatest architectural loss was the demolition of the Hotel Vancouver (mark2). It's pictured briefly in this video (the "Italian Rennaissance" example). What aren't visible are the large, terra cotta moose and bison heads that graced its upper exterior. What character it had!

[@clearasmudchannel]

Such an incredible building. I wonder if any of the moose and bison heads were saved.

[@YouTubeOfficialReviewerAccount]

I live in Quebec City since I was 4 and dreamed to spend a night in the chateau Frontenac. Too expensive for me however so I resort to just going in the Starbucks that found its way inside

[@cherylsemrau7100]

I got to stay at Banff and Lake Louise hotels. I wish I could stay in more hotels but can not. Those railway hotels should still be in Canadian's hands. Also Canada should have train service like other countries. That would help a lot. I am from Edmonton and I am glad the box is gone.

[@emdxemdx]

No mention of CP's Château Champlain, built in 1966?

[@TerreSeche213]

"The story of the beginning of Canada is the story of its railways" You could say "The story of modern Canada begins with the railway", but the beginning of Canada starts a few centuries before that...

[@clearasmudchannel]

Fair enough!

[@camzimmer6898]

The Bessborough in Saskatoon is beautiful.

[@byron7165]

The Hotel Saskatchewan is also a grande hotel. Every bit as nice as the Bess on the inside, but the exterior doesn't match.

[@BasementEngineer]

I've stayed there and loved it. My boss who was Swiss did not like it. I've stayed in Swiss hotels also; just like any big hotel in any big city.

[@janenorthey8379]

Go ignore depth on your hotels like Banff Springs. What a hotel. Anybody who lives in Banff can get a job there What a place with scenery.

[@francoisroberge5882]

What about the Fairmount Mont-Tremblant? It looks chateau style.

[@hubertdendraak4557]

An enjoyable and quite informative video, thank you. Just one suggestion: please don't plug these cheesy classics into the sound track; they are not connected to the visuals in any way, distracting and way too loud. Other than that, nice work.

[@justthereed5593]

“Booming Canadian economy” wish I lived then.

[@joelhansen8649]

You don’t think its boomng now? You have got to be a social crank , our economy is currently red hot . , lowest unemployment rate in years which is why we have to allow more immigration which I would bet really pisses you off and , oh yea , you despise Justin Trudeau

[@jamesstephenpeyton3305]

Move to Uganda or try luxury living in North Korea. I’m sure you’ll love it.

[@mr.pricklepants5044]

Cry cry cry some more

[@TheScottbb1]

The economy and workers living standards have never been linked. Corporations are doing just fine… a vast number of Canadians have had their home value go up 500% if not more. Us (predominantly younger) workers aren’t protesting or doing anything about it. How much worse do things have to get?

[@SebastianJArt]

You are so naive

[@ATMDPNKBJ]

What are the songs you used here.

[@haweater1555]

1:10 There were no railways in Canada in the 18th century (nor anywhere else in the world).

[@clearasmudchannel]

Yeah, I didn’t really describe this well I guess. There were some freight transport tramway systems around for coal transport in the 1700s, which is what I was referring to, but I recognize that this video makes it seem like you could take a passenger train at that time. Sorry about that!

[@nutmeg208]

I do cherish our old railway hotels and their historic designations. But the interiors are not protected, and are going under the worst form of renovation you can imagine: modernizing and minimizing, ending up looking like a white on white Starship Enterprise.

[@Fargus990]

My goal is to stay in all of them before I die

[@clearasmudchannel]

Me too! They are such a wonderful place to stay. It’s great when a hotel can be an experience in itself!

[@holterskolter]

Charles Melville Hays died on the titanic, on his way to Jasper to over see the building of grand trunks new hotel being planned there. Fun fact!

[@clearasmudchannel]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@barontaylor7139]

Does this cover the Empress in Victoria?

[@clearasmudchannel]

I do mention the Empress in the video, but unfortunately didn’t have time to cover it in much detail!

[@stvfishy]

prince of wales (waterton) should be on this list

[@brian13105]

Excellent video . Though I loved the music , it got a little loud at some points overpowering your narration .

[@clearasmudchannel]

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll try to fix that in future videos.

[@christrudell7966]

It's hard to stop a train

[@mikemckimm8774]

Was St Andrew's by the sea nor a CP hotel

[@velvetsayer8678]

I always wonder why these hotels were build the same, now I know ....

[@larrynelson4909]

Labradour wasn't part of NFLD until the 1990s

[@lordgarak]

Labrador has been part of Newfoundland since 1809. In 2001 Newfoundland was officially renamed to Newfoundland and Labrador.

[@peterjaniceforan3080]

🏨🚂

[@primestopper132]

Prince of wales hotel?

[@KC-lc8dx]

What about the Royal York?

[@hubertdendraak4557]

It's mentioned and shown several times.

[@kjyost]

The biggest issue now is not the destruction of the hotels, rather architectural vandalism, like the monstrosities approved for Château Laurier

[@clearasmudchannel]

Yeah, that’s a rough one for sure!

[@rontarrant]

Eighteenth century? If we're talking about the first railroad ever, then yes. That's accurate. But in Canada? I'm afraid not.

[@VazzVegas]

Every modern big name hotel is made of glass, designed to cram as many condos in the top floors as possible, and all look generic. I miss innovative architecture like this.

[@KingConkable]

The only beautiful building in Edmonton 😊

[@freshofbreathair1476]

The original boomers

[@AndrewLumsden]

The incessant and wholly unnecessary music in the background is way too loud and makes what is being said very nearly unintelligible. Even as Clear as Mud. 🙄😖🤬

[@clearasmudchannel]

Will adjust in future videos. Thanks for the feedback!

[@kspeed419]

I'd work with your sound settings then

[@skipy8]

I did not find this to be the case

[@miawilson923]

Look 👀 like this hotels where build by ancient people long time ago.

[@clearasmudchannel]

For a country that's only 154 years old, the turn of the 20th century is pretty much ancient history!

[@elsaesmeralda4936]

you bet..tartarian empire..mudfloods..star fortress...

[@simont6337]

I’ve stayed in the Fairmont Empress on Vancouver Island. It’s not really covered in this video, but it’s one of the best, even though it’s on an island where trains never went (it was built as the terminus hotel for Canadian Pacific's steamship line). Would love to visit them all but I don’t think it’s going to happen! 🇦🇺

[@JohnJCouture]

Although a very informative video, the author ruined it with the loud "background" music. It should be remixed with more subtle music and more accurately represents the chapters.