Hotel Newfoundland

Last updated
Hotel Newfoundland
Newfoundlandhotel.jpg
Hotel Newfoundland
General information
Address115 Cavendish Square
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
A1C 3K2
Coordinates 47°34′16.90″N52°42′01.74″W / 47.5713611°N 52.7004833°W / 47.5713611; -52.7004833 Coordinates: 47°34′16.90″N52°42′01.74″W / 47.5713611°N 52.7004833°W / 47.5713611; -52.7004833
Opening1982 replaced 1926 hotel
Management Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Technical details
Floor count8
Design and construction
ArchitectGeorge S. Burman
Other information
Number of rooms301
Number of suites14
Number of restaurants2
Website
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yytsi-sheraton-hotel-newfoundland

The Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland is a 4-star [1] hotel in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, operating under the Marriott International banner.

Contents

The site

From the late 1690s, Fort William occupied the site. Although replaced by Fort Townshend in the 1770s, it remained a British Army barracks until 1871, and became the first train station in the city. Following the opening of the new station in 1903, the building was demolished. [2]

1926 hotel

Proposal and construction

A desire to increase tourism and reduce dependence upon fishing, prompted local business and political leaders [3] to form a company, capitalized at $1 million, that promoted the erection of a large hotel. [4] Five years later, the Government of Newfoundland gifted the land, and guaranteed the $450,000 first mortgage that partly financed the undertaking. Newfoundland Historical Facilities Ltd. let the $1 million project [5] to T.E. Rousseau Ltd., of Quebec, and work commenced in July 1925. [6] However, construction costs were double the estimates, [3] and the contractor ceased business after completion, and liens likely left the owner out of pocket. [7]

Pre-Confederation operation

Newfoundland Hotel, 1928 postage stamp. Newfoundland-hotel-st-johns-newfoundland-stamp (2).jpg
Newfoundland Hotel, 1928 postage stamp.

Opened in July 1926, the eight-storey hotel comprised 200 rooms, and the central lobby included two mezzanine floors (the lower one reduced only by the open staircase), and access to shops and restaurants. [3] [8] In 1928, the building appeared on a new postage stamp issue. [9] That year, the Canadian Marconi Company operated a radio studio and transmitter at the hotel, [10] called VOS. In 1929, the Wesley United Church, the successor, broadcast twice weekly as 8WMC. [11] In 1932, VONF began daily broadcasts. [12]

Experiencing low occupancy and burdensome capital debt, [3] the hotel defaulted on mortgage payments. This triggered claims on the government guarantee in 1929, [13] and led to a court ordered sale in 1931. Being in the midst of the Great Depression, [3] the only offer was from the government for $447,000, which covered the outstanding mortgage principal. [14] Subsequently, the Department of Public Works frugally ran the establishment. [3]

Newfoundland Hotel, 1940s Newfoundland Hotel (1926).jpg
Newfoundland Hotel, 1940s

At a brief ceremony in the ballroom on February 16, 1934, Newfoundland ceased to be a self-governing dominion, and in effect became a crown colony again. [15] Acquiring VONF, the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland (BCN) maintained a studio and headquarters on the sixth floor 1939–1949. [6]

Post-Confederation operation

Within six months of Confederation, and in accordance with the specific terms of that agreement, the federal government of Canada became obligated to take possession of the loss-making hotel. [3] Since the central lobby spanned three levels, it was described as a six-storey building, with two wings of five stories. Available for guests were 59 rooms with baths, 50 without (excluding 8 used by staff), and 16 suites. The ballroom seated 160 persons, the main dining room 110, and two smaller dining rooms 35 each. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) had absorbed the BCN on the sixth floor. On the main floor were two travel agents, a barbershop, drugstore, bar, and a newsstand beside the reception desk. [16]

Despite protests from Canadian National Railway (CN), ownership transferred to the CN hotel division in 1949. During those initial years, the poorly constructed, rat-infested building cost $1.5 million to rehabilitate. A 1955 deal to sell the hotel collapsed. In the 1960s, occupancy rates improved dramatically, and the hotel became one of the more valuable in the portfolio. [3] During 1966, the cocktail lounge capacity was doubled, the dining room and ballroom switched places, and the guest rooms were redecorated and refurnished. [17] In accordance with a new bilingualism policy, CN renamed the property as Hotel Newfoundland. [5] A decade later, the small rooms, dated bathrooms, and poorly planned spaces, needed a prohibitive capital investment. Consequently, in 1983, it became the only railway hotel designed by Ross and Macdonald to be completely demolished. [3]

1982 hotel

CN invited select architects to create a visionary design for a new hotel. Burman, Bouchard Architects of Montreal submitted the winning entry. Dove Whitten Associates of St John's collaborated on the technical drawings. The 312-room hotel, with a glazed atrium resting upon a tetrahedron space frame, [3] [6] was built adjacent to, and east of, the earlier building. [5] Construction began in November 1980, and the opening was December 1982. [6] When CN exited the hotel business in 1988, Canadian Pacific Hotels (CP) purchased the property. [3] In 2000, the hotel received the Minister's Award of Excellence for its improved occupational safety record. [18] After CP acquired the Fairmont brand, the property became the Fairmont Newfoundland in 2001. The 2008 purchase by Fortis Inc. led to a rebranding as the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland. [5] In 2015, Fortis sold its entire hotel portfolio to a private investors group. [19]

Related Research Articles

St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador Capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the large Canadian island Newfoundland. The city spans 446.04 square kilometres (172.22 sq mi) and is the easternmost city in North America.

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, also known as Memorial University or MUNL, is a public university based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, with several satellite campuses in Canada and England. Memorial University offers certificate, diploma, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programmes, as well as online courses and degrees. Memorial's campuses include St. John's, Corner Brook, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and Harlow.

Hotel Vancouver Hotel located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, formerly and still informally called the Hotel Vancouver, is a historic hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located along West Georgia Street the hotel is situated within the city's Financial District, in Downtown Vancouver. The hotel was designed by two architects, John Smith Archibald, and John Schofield. The hotel is currently managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Château Laurier

The Fairmont Château Laurier is a 660,000-square-foot (61,000 m2) hotel with 429 guest rooms in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive and designed in a French Gothic Revival Châteauesque style to complement the adjacent Parliament buildings. The hotel is above the Colonel By Valley, home of the Ottawa Locks of the Rideau Canal, and overlooks the Ottawa River. The main dining room overlooks Major's Hill Park. The reception rooms include the Wedgewood-blue Adam Room; the Laurier Room defined by Roman columns; the Empire-style ballroom and the Drawing Room featuring cream and gold plaster ornament. The hotel was designated a national historic site in 1980.

Fairmont Royal York

The Fairmont Royal York, formerly and still commonly known as the Royal York, is a large historic luxury hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located along Front Street West, the hotel is situated at the southern end of the Financial District, in Downtown Toronto. The Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald, in association with Sproatt and Rolph, and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway company. The hotel is presently managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Queen Elizabeth Hotel

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth is an historic grand hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With 950 rooms and 21 floors it is the largest hotel in the province of Quebec, and the second largest Fairmont hotel in Canada after the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, which has 1365 rooms. Located at 900 René Lévesque Boulevard West, in the heart of Downtown Montreal, it is connected to Central Station and to the underground city. The hotel is well known for being the location for John Lennon and Yoko Ono recording "Give Peace a Chance" in Room 1742 during their anti-war Bed-In.

Banff Springs Hotel Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada

The Fairmont Banff Springs, formerly and commonly known as the Banff Springs Hotel, is a historic hotel located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The entire town including the hotel, is situated in Banff National Park, a national park managed by Parks Canada. The hotel overlooks a valley towards Mount Rundle, both of which are situated within the Rocky Mountain mountain range. The hotel is located at an altitude of 1,414 metres (4,639 ft).

Hotel Macdonald

The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, formerly and commonly known as the Hotel Macdonald, is a large historic luxury hotel in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Located along 100 Street NW, south of Jasper Avenue, the hotel is situated in the eastern end of downtown Edmonton, and overlooks the North Saskatchewan River. The 47.7 metres (156 ft) hotel building was designed by Ross and MacFarlene and contains eleven floors. The hotel is presently managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Peace Hotel

The Peace Hotel is a hotel on The Bund in Shanghai, China, which overlooks the surrounding areas. The hotel has two different buildings. The Sassoon House, originally housed the Cathay Hotel and is today the Fairmont Peace Hotel run by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts of Canada. The South Building was built as the Palace Hotel and is today a residence and studio for artists, known as The Swatch Art Peace Hotel. The two buildings both face the Bund, but are divided by Nanjing Road.

The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel Hotel in Philadelphia, PA

The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel is a landmark building at 200 S. Broad Street at the corner of Walnut Street in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Constructed in 1904 and expanded to its present size in 1912, it has continued as a well-known institution for more than a century and is still widely known by that original, historic name. In 1988, the building was converted to a mixed-use development. It has been known since then as The Bellevue. The hotel portion is currently managed by Hyatt as The Bellevue Hotel.

Fairmont Palliser Hotel

The Fairmont Palliser, formerly known as the Palliser Hotel, is a hotel of the Canada-based Fairmont Hotels and Resorts chain. The historic hotel (1914) is located in downtown Calgary, Alberta at 133 9th Avenue SW adjacent to the Calgary Tower and Palliser Square. The Palliser is one of Calgary's oldest and most luxurious hotels.

The Rooms Art Gallery, the Provincial Archives and the Provincial Museum. in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador

The Rooms is a cultural facility in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The facility opened in 2005 and houses the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland (BCN) was the government-owned public radio service of the dominion of Newfoundland. Following Newfoundland's admission as a Canadian province in 1949, the BCN was absorbed into the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and its three main AM radio transmitters remain in operation today as CBC Radio One stations.

The Omni King Edward Hotel Historic luxury hotel in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Omni King Edward Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hotel is located at 37 King Street East, and it occupies the entire block bounded by King Street on the north, Victoria Street on the east, Colborne Street on the south and Leader Lane on the west.

Canadian National Hotels was a hotel chain under control by Canadian National Railways. In addition to their own hotels, it acquired some from predecessor railway companies like the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Grand Trunk Railway and Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway. Some of their assets were later acquired by rival Canadian Pacific Hotels after 1988.

Hotels in Toronto

Hotels in Toronto have been some of the most prominent buildings in the city and the hotel industry is one of the city's most important. The Greater Toronto Area has 183 hotels with a total of almost 36,000 rooms. In 2010, there were 8.9 million room nights sold. Toronto is a popular tourist destination, with it having the 6th highest room occupancy rate in North America, but about two thirds of rooms are taken by commercial, government, or convention travellers.

Downtown St. Johns Neighbourhood in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Downtown St. John's is the historic core, and central business district of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Located north of St. John's harbour, it is the business, entertainment, and tourism centre with office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and other services.

OReilly House (Placentia)

O'Reilly House is located in Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was built for Magistrate William O'Reilly who served as Magistrate of Placentia from 1897-1923. He was the son of Thomas O'Reilly who had been the magistrate of Placentia from 1877-97. In 1902, Magistrate O’Reilly employed the architect W.J. Ellis to build a Balustrade Queen Anne Victorian house that would serve as his family home.

References

  1. ↑ "4-star hotels in Newfoundland and Labrador". www.tripadvisor.ca.
  2. ↑ "Newfoundland Quarterly, Fall 1987". www.mun.ca. p. 24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Commerce, Class, and the Newfoundland Hotel, 21 Oct 2020". www.canada-architecture.org.
  4. ↑ "Gazette, 5 Aug 1920". www.newspapers.com. p. 9. A company has been promoted by Mr. B.B. Stafford, capitalized at $1,000,000, for the erection of a large hotel….
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Newfoundland Historical Society Newsletter, Winter 2015" (PDF). www.nlhistory.ca. p. 7.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Hotel Newfoundland". www.mun.ca.
  7. ↑ "Gazette, 11 Jan 1927". www.newspapers.com. p. 11. …the assignment of the firm of T.E. Roussey Limited, building contractors of the Newfoundland Hotel….
  8. ↑ "National Post, 6 Jun 1929". www.newspapers.com. p. 22.
  9. ↑ "Newfoundland Quarterly, Spring 1928". www.mun.ca. p. 26.
  10. ↑ "Gazette, 20 Apr 1928". www.newspapers.com. p. 5. There has been installed a 500-watt Marconi radio station, the studio being in the Newfoundland Hotel….
  11. ↑ "Newfoundland Weekly, 30 Mar 1929". www.mun.ca. p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Broadcast Journalism". www.mun.ca. p. 134.
  13. ↑ "Harbor Grace Standard, 30 May 1930". www.mun.ca. p. 1.
  14. ↑ "Newfoundland Weekly, 12 Dec 1931". www.mun.ca. p. 1.
  15. ↑ "Atlantic Guardian, Oct 1945". www.mun.ca. p. 29.
  16. ↑ "Atlantic Guardian, Dec 1949". www.mun.ca. pp. 73–79.
  17. ↑ "The Newfoundland Journal of Commerce, 1966-01". www.mun.ca. p. 17.
  18. ↑ "News: Govt. of Newfoundland and Labrador". www.gov.nl.ca. 10 May 2000.
  19. ↑ "Fortis to sell off 22 hotels across the country for $365M". CBC News . 7 July 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.