Quebec City: Chateau Frontenac (July 2005)

The Chateau Frontenac is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. The

hotel is the most photographed hotel in the world, largely due to its prominence

in the skyline of Quebec City. The Chateau Frontenac was designed by an American

architect as one of a series of "chateau" style hotels built for the Canadian

Pacific Railway company (CPR) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The

Chateau Frontenac opened in 1893, six years after the Banff Springs Hotel, which

was owned by the same company and is similar in style. Another reason for the

construction of the Chateau Frontenac was to accommodate tourists for the 1893

Chicago World's Fair; however, the hotel was not finished in time. The Chateau

Frontenac was named after Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, who was governor of

the colony of New France from 1672 to 1682 and 1689 to 1698. The Chateau was built

near the historic Citadelle, the construction of which Frontenac had begun at the

end of the 17th century. The hotel includes 611 guestrooms and suite with elegant

furnishings and contemporary decor. The hotel restaurants offer exceptional views

of the St. Lawrence River and include the Champlain Restaurant, the 1608 Wine and

Cheese Bar, and the Bistro Le Sam. Unwind and swim a few laps in the indoor pool

with outdoor sundeck, or work out in the state-of-the-art health club.