The Marlborough Hotel had a 95th birthday party and I invited myself along!
Due to my day job I wasn't able to make it right at noon but I showed up fashionably late - still in time for some cake and to meet some of the senior staff. I didn't realize that there were tours involved - oh well, the 100th is around the corner and it is usually part of Doors Open.
The Marlborough doesn't receive the attention that, say, the Fort Garry does as an historic hotel, (and to be fair the building hasn't received the same TLC). Nonetheless, whenever I go I am always struck at the attention showed to the history of the building.
The historic eating rooms - Churchill's and Johanna's - are very well preserved and the building's history is celebrated through dozens of photographs, plaques, newspaper articles framed on the walls. Next time you pass by, or grab lunch at Johanna's as an excuse to visit, definitely take a look-see.
A couple of interesting notes:
- Churchill's is named for Sir Winston Churchill, once a guest at the hotel.
- The Royal Canadian Legion was founded at the Marlborough in 1925.
- The Winnipeg Press Club was a long-time occupant in the Olympia Room.
- The Marlborough is Manitoba's largest banquet hotel thanks to the Skyview Ballroom.
For my history of the building, see my Winnipeg Places Blog post.
Churchill's:
- Churchill's is named for Sir Winston Churchill, once a guest at the hotel.
- The Royal Canadian Legion was founded at the Marlborough in 1925.
- The Winnipeg Press Club was a long-time occupant in the Olympia Room.
- The Marlborough is Manitoba's largest banquet hotel thanks to the Skyview Ballroom.
For my history of the building, see my Winnipeg Places Blog post.
Johanna's:
Related:
Video Tour - Winnipeg Sun
Olympia/Marlborough Hotel - Historic Building Committee Report (pdf)
Marlborough Hotel - U of M Winnipeg Building Index
Our History - The Marlborough Hotel
1 comment:
I was looking on line for an old pic that showed a large dining room with a central fish pond at this hotel. It was surrounded by palm trees and had a fountain. I heard in the 70's that it still existed and was hidden in a storage-area.
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