Ghosts and grandure: Checking in at Canadas historic, palatial railway hotels

In the late 19th century, Queen Victoria was desirous of a railway network across her then-dominion of Canada that would connect settlements on either coast for the first timeBut canny Canucks didn’t just want cheap freight lines; they had far grander designs.The railroad would drive tourism from coast to coast, while offsetting the enormous cost of construction.To lure travelers, hotels were built as pilgrimage-worthy landmarks. “If someone gets off in the middle of a journey, and spends the day in the hotel? It’s more revenue for the company,” said architectural historian Hal Kalman, who wrote the definitive history of these hotels.Most were deliberately designed in a mash-up of styles that nodded back to Europe.“It was to show we were a serious nation,” added Craig Baird, host of the “Canadian History Ehx” podcast. “They were created in a uniquely Canadian style, perfect for making posters to encourage people from Britain to come here.”The network of palace-style properties expanded rapidly across the country from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, with dozens dotting the route by World War II.

They fell from favor as car ownership became widespread in the 1950s, and many were demolished or repurposed for other commercial uses.A few managed to dodge the wrecking ball, though, and survive into this century; Baird says around a dozen are still operating across the country.Below, we’ve rounded up the seven best — all of which today fly a Fairmont flag, save for the Marriott-managed Algonquin Resort in St.

Andrews) — with cheat sheets, as well as a primer on the unauthorized guests you’re likely to encounter.“All of them are haunted.Every single one,” said Baird. Date opened: 1888Vibe: Scottish Lord on the prairieQuick hit: The 757-room property was built after railway workers discovered natural hot mineral springs here, inside what became Banff National Park.

With its own bowling alley, five tennis courts and a 40,000-square-f...