Château Frontenac, Old Quebec Apr 23 2010

It was designed by American architect Bruce Price, the Château Frontenac was one of a series of "château" style hotels built for the Canadian Pacific Railway company at the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century. It opened in 1893, five years after its sister-hotel the Banff Springs. The railway company sought to encourage luxury tourism and bring wealthy travelers to its trains.

The Château Frontenac was named in honour of Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, who was governor of the colony of New France from 1672 to 1682 and 1689 to 1698. The Château was built not too far from the historic Citadelle, whose construction Frontenac had begun at the end of the 17th century. The Quebec Conference of 1943, at which Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed strategy for the Second World War, was held at the Citadelle while much of the staff stayed nearby in the Château Frontenac.

Although several of Quebec City's buildings stand taller, the hotel is perched atop a tall cape overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, thus giving a spectacular view for several kilometres. The building is the most prominent feature of the Quebec City skyline as seen from across the St. Lawrence, and is a symbol of the city. The hotel is built near the Plains of Abraham.

The hotel is managed and operated by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts of Toronto, a firm that manages numerous prestigious hotels around the world. The hotel was sold by Fairmont on October 31, 2000 to the Legacy Hotels REIT for CAD $185 million. However, Fairmont has a long-term management agreement with Legacy Hotels, and as of August 2005, held an 11.14% ownership in the REIT.[citation needed]

In 1953 this hotel was used as filming location for the Alfred Hitchcock's drama I Confess, with Montgomery Clift and Ann Baxter as main stars.

Prior to the building of the hotel, the site was home to the Chateau Haldimand, residence of the British colonial governors of Quebec/Lower Canada.

It holds the Guinness World Record of "The most photographed hotel in the world". :-)