The Hotel Frontenac or, Le Chateau Frontenac as it is commonly known, opened in 1893 and sits atop Cap Diamant making it an extremely prominent landmark in Quebec City.
The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885 officially linking the province of Ontario with British Columbia, a promise made to her upon her entry into Confederation. The task now fell to the marketers of the day to draw the wealthy tourists to the trains and to the vast Canadian territories opened up by the CPR.
One of the ways they sought to do this was to build exquisitely grand “chateau” hotels at the most picturesque spots along the railroad. The first of these hotels was the now famous Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta.
Five years later Le Chateau Frontenac opened its doors. The hotel was named after the Count de Frontenac who was governor of New France in the late 17th century.
As you approach the hotel from the street you can’t help but be carried back to a time when horse drawn carriage was the prime mode of transportation for the affluent. A stone carriageway entrance greets you on the outside as you enter the lobby. You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses on the old cobblestones.
The lobby is large and beautiful. The old stones cut during the 1800s are still in place, some bearing the coat of arms of the family Frontenac. Set high in the vaulted ceiling is a 300 year old stone bearing the cross of Malta, a symbol used by both the French and English military during the late 17th and 18th centuries.
The Hotel Frontenac is old but with recent changes in ownership (Canadian Pacific Hotels changed to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts before being recently sold to an international group) beds and bedding have been upgraded and the fitness/pool area renovated.
The cocktail lounge at the back of the hotel overlooks the Dufferin Terrace, the St. Lawrence River and the Isle d’Orleans across the river. At night you can watch the lights of the ocean going freighters coming down the St. Lawrence headed out to sea. Enjoy your favorite beverage as you take in the wooden decor and the ambiance of the room.
Neither time nor circumstance can take away the majesty and luxury that is the Hotel Frontenac. Royalty and celebrities alike have enjoyed the history surrounding the hotel and inside the walls of old Quebec City. There is no better place to stay in Quebec City.
Brenda Simard first visited Quebec City as a youngster and immediately fell in love. She has a natural affinity for history and Old Quebec was like heaven on earth. She has traveled to Quebec City several times since and never loses interest in the national treasure that is the only walled city north of Mexico. The food and the culture are things not to miss. For more interesting articles about Old Quebec you can visit her blog
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