Empress Hotel (Hotel Vancouver)

Some may confuse the Empress Hotel in Vancouver with the Fairmont Empress Hotel situated in Victoria, BC, which is known for its' stunning history, decor, and afternoon tea. Where at one time, the Empress Hotel in Vancouver was a ritzy, sister hotel to the Fairmont, times have unfortunately changed. The eight story Empress Hotel in Vancouver resides on Hastings Street in the Downtown Eastside, and has become a safe haven for many trying to survive the reality that has become of this area. Where many flocked to the Hotel Empress for the comfort of an upper-class home to stay, the building still stands now 100 years old that many refer to as "a symbol for strength that many still call home".

                          

The Empress Hotel was built between 1912 and 1913 by British architect F.N. Bender, and depicts Edwardian style and design of the late Victorian era. It actually used to be called the "New Empress Hotel", as it was built next to a neighbouring hotel, now called the Shaldon. It was once referred to as the "world's narrowest, tallest hotel", as the building is only two hotel rooms wide, and was the tallest building on Hastings Street back then. The interior finishing of the Empress Hotel, including white mosaic tile floors and marble stairwells, was designed to attract tourists and business men that were expected to arrive after the Canadian Northern Railway and the Panama Canal finished building in the early 1900's.  It is hard to miss the Empress Hotel, as it also boasts three different forms of signage, one that is neon that was installed in 1940. Times have certainly changed, and Hotel Empress is not what it used to be, but is still considered an integral part of the British Legacy in Vancouver.