Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier hotel to undergo major expansion, renovations
Posted September 15, 2016 6:29 am.
Last Updated September 15, 2016 7:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Major changes are in the works for the iconic Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in the national capital.
The plan is to add as many as 200 long-term stay suites in the hotel just steps from Parliament Hill, in addition to an exterior courtyard and approximately 427 underground parking spaces.
Shovels are expected to be in the ground in the fall of 2017, with the new suites expected to be ready in 2020.
There was no immediate word on cost of the project from Larco Investments, the owners of the Chateau Laurier.
“The addition will offer a modern interpretation of the heritage character of the Château,” the company said in a news release. Larco Investments owns the building, while Fairmont operates the hotel.
Public consultations will take place at a later date, but there has already been a flurry of negative reaction to online depictions of the planned expansion.
One person on Twitter called it a “travesty” — another labelled it “hideous.”
“That might be the biggest shed I’ve ever seen,” wrote one Reddit user. Others use words including “hideous,” “ghastly” and “terrible” to describe the expansion.
The hotel’s owners will go to the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission to get approval for the plans.
