Château Laurier, Railway hotel at Confederation Square, Ottawa, Canada
The Château Laurier is a railway hotel at Confederation Square in Ottawa, Canada, with 429 guest rooms and steep copper roofs rising above the Ottawa River. The gothic turrets and limestone facade follow the early 20th-century French chateau style.
Grand Trunk Railway commissioned the construction in 1908 to accommodate travelers along their rail line, and the hotel opened in June 1912. The original architect Bradford Lee Gilbert died during planning, so Ross and MacFarlane took over the design.
The building takes its name from Wilfrid Laurier, Canada's first French-speaking prime minister, who served during the construction period. Its halls attract journalists, lobbyists, and government staff who often hold informal conversations in the lounges.
The main entrance sits directly across from the Rideau Canal, so visitors can easily walk to Parliament buildings and Byward Market area. An underground passage leads from the hotel to the former train station, offering shelter during bad weather.
A planned rooftop ballroom was never built, even though the plans remained in the archives for years. The death of owner Charles Melville Hays in the Titanic disaster meant the opening ceremony took place without him.
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