Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Business is good at Ottawa's Chateau Laurier Hotel - a signature landmark hotel situated beside the Rideau Canal, just east of the imposing Canadian Parliament buildings and a short walk from the bustling crowds at the ByWard Market, overlooking the sweeping Ottawa River and nearby Gatineau, Quebec to the north.

An Ottawa institution, the Chateau Laurier hotel is a story of timeless elegance, dating back to its turn-of-the century construction by Charles Melville Hays, an American who ventured to Canada as the General Manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway of Canada. His vision was to extend the Grand Trunk Railway to Canada's west coast and build railway stations and deluxe hotels in all the major cities along the way.

The hotel's original magnificence has enjoyed great staying power, ever since its grand opening on June 1, 1912 when Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canada's seventh Prime Minister, officially opened the hotel. Ongoing renovations have kept pace with customer needs and no demands have been left unsatisfied. At the same time, traditions such as traditional afternoon high tea, Canadian high tea and champagne tea have been ingrained as part of the daily routine.

The Chateau Laurier is well situated for guests to partake in Ottawa's key tourist attractions: a suite of ongoing festivals; nearby historical and cultural institutions (for example, Parliament Hill, a multitude of museums and parks), the Rideau Canal, a World Heritage Site - busy summer and winter -and the ever popular ByWard market where there's always a buzz in the air, the envy of many cities with its market garden, shops and dozens of restaurants. The National Museum of Civilization and opulent, world-class Casino du Lac-Leamy, a short drive away across the Ottawa River, in nearby Gatineau, are also very popular draws in the Ottawa area.

There is still talk of ghosts in the hotel - in fact, the Haunted Walk of Ottawa provides tours of the Chateau Laurier, where ghosts are rumored to lurk on various floors - but this is hardly the reason to stay.

The Chateau Laurier is a leading hotel in Ottawa - it provides an ultimate romantic Canadian travel experience, part of the Canadian fabric, and when you stay there it's like experiencing a part of Canada's culture. It has a great location - a prime arrival presence in the city of Ottawa. The motto of the hotel is "Ottawa's Tradition of Grandeur" and guests can expect the ultimate in luxurious accommodations, service and class.

Ottawa is a four seasons destination which offers world class arts, culture and entertainment - whether it's the Ceremonial Changing of the Guard on the grounds of Parliament Hill in the summer, or skating on the Rideau Canal in the winter (capped off by a famous Canadian beavertail delight) or enjoying tours of awesome Canadian museums, or the National Arts Centre - while a stay at the Chateau Laurier is a memorable getaway experience in itself.

Learn more about this author, Duane Radford.
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