Hotel Bessborough

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The Bessborough

The Hotel Bessborough was built by Canadian National Railway from 1928 to 1932 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and is designed in the same Château-style as many of Canada's other railway hotels. It was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway, and currently operates as the Delta Hotel Bessborough via Delta Hotels.

[edit] History

The Bessborough is a 4 star 10-story Chateau style hotel located at 601 Spadina Crescent East in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The hotel has 225 guest rooms and meeting facilities. The hotel includes five acres of private waterfront gardens in downtown Saskatoon.

After the Canadian Pacific Railway built a railway hotel in Regina in 1926, the Saskatoon business community lobbied Canadian National Railway to build one in Saskatoon.

On December 31, 1928 Sir Henry Thorton, President of the Canadian National Railway, announced that they would build a similar hotel in Saskatoon. The hotel was designed by Archibald-Schofield of Montreal. In February, 1930, the excavation of the site began utilizing a steam thawer and gasoline excavator.

Materials used in construction were of Canadian origin including Tyndall stone from Manitoba, brick from Claybank, Saskatchewan, and tiles from Estevan, Saskatchewan

On May 30, 1931 Walter Pratt, General Manager of Hotels, Sleeping and Dining Cars of the Canadian National Railroad announced that Sir Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough and Governor General of Canada had given consent for the hotel to be formally named “The Bessborough”.

Construction was completed in 1932 but due to difficult financial times the hotel failed to open until Horace N. Stovin became the first official registered guest on December 10, 1935.

The hotel was designed by Archibald-Schofield of Montreal, the hotel was under construction from 1928 to 1932.

In 1972, Donald, David, and Marc Baltzan purchased the Bessborough.

It was acquired by the Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust in 1998.

In 1999, a $9,000,000 restoration of the Bessborough Hotel was done, returning many of its historical features.