Special Feature
2010 Olympics Feature
Wrapped in the Canadian FlagHappy New Year, 2010 is the Year of the Olympics in Vancouver B.C., February 12 to the 28th. Vancouver is wrapped in the Canadian flag in spirit and ready to welcome the world. The Residences at the Hotel Georgia is literally wrapped in the Canadian Flag. Under that gorgeous and patriotic banner at the corner of Georgia St. and Howe St., the heritage building is being restored and renovated.
The original 12 story hotel has had a series of names and owners. It was opened by The Prince of Wales (later the abdicating King Edward VIII) on May 7th, 1927 as the Georgia Hotel. This building had 320 rooms and cost 2.5 million to build. The architects were Robert T. Garrow and John Graham, Sr. In 1998 it was purchased by Allied Properties Inc. and called the Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia. This building had 313 rooms. In 2007 it was sold to Delta Land Development Ltd. and named The Private Residences at Hotel Georgia. The restored and renovated building will be a boutique hotel with 175 rooms. A 48 story glass tower of residences is being built to the north. The architects are IBI/HB and Endall Elliot.
The hotel at 801 West Georgia Street is located one block west of The Hudson Bay and one block east of The Medical Dental Building and The Vancouver Hotel. Directly across the street from the Georgia is the Vancouver Art Gallery, once the Court House, with a plaza and fountain facing the hotel. It was here in this Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza that the New Year's Eve midnight countdown was held at First Night celebrations in the 1980's. Hotel rooms facing the plaza celebration were rented for the night with revelers shouting Happy New Year out of the windows at midnight. Unfortunately, First Night in this outdoor form has been cancelled by the City.
The six story Hotel Georgia parking structure to the north of the hotel was demolished to facilitate the building of the 48 story glass tower.
Photo: Taken October 2009.
Links: http://www.residencesatgeorgia.com/
http://vancouverhistory.ca/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
