Lord Elgin Hotel, hotel in Ottawa, Canada
The Lord Elgin Hotel is a hotel in downtown Ottawa, located across from Confederation Park on Elgin Street. Built in French Château style with a copper roof and Queenston limestone walls from Niagara, it rises twelve stories and houses around 400 rooms, many offering city views.
Built during World War II starting in 1940, the hotel was created to solve a shortage of lodging for visitors and workers arriving in Ottawa, especially military personnel. Construction was remarkably fast at ten months, with Prime Minister Mackenzie King laying the cornerstone in February 1941 and the official opening held in July that year.
The hotel takes its name from Lord Elgin, a British governor general of Canada in the 1800s, chosen through public voting. This naming connects the building to Ottawa's role as the capital and links it to Elgin Street, which shares the same name.
The hotel is in downtown and easily accessible by public transport or car, with parking available nearby. It is within walking distance to Parliament Hill, museums, and restaurants, and has an on-site restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
During the opening ceremony in 1941, Prime Minister King became the hotel's first guest by signing the guestbook. The limestone for the walls was cut and assembled piece by piece like a giant puzzle by stonemasons brought from Scotland, as Canada lacked enough skilled workers for the task.
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