Grand Canada Railway Hotels | Fairmont Chateau Laurier

The Fairmont Château Laurier is a historic luxury hotel located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Situated at 1 Rideau Street, it stands adjacent to Parliament Hill and overlooks the Rideau Canal, offering guests unparalleled views and proximity to the city's most iconic landmarks.

Commissioned by Charles Melville Hays, then-president of the Grand Trunk Railway, the Château Laurier was constructed between 1908 and 1912 to serve as a grand railway hotel. Tragically, Hays perished aboard the RMS Titanic just days before the hotel's scheduled opening. Consequently, the inauguration was postponed and took place on June 12, 1912, officiated by Canada's seventh Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, after whom the hotel is named.

Designed in the French Gothic Revival Châteauesque style, the hotel was intended to complement the adjacent Parliament Buildings. Its architecture features Indiana limestone walls, copper roofs, conical turrets, and ornate gables, embodying the romanticism of early 20th-century design.

In 1980, the Château Laurier was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, recognizing its significance in the nation's architectural and political history.

The Fairmont Château Laurier offers 429 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, many with views of Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, or the Ottawa River.