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When it opened in 1958, The Queen Elizabeth was one of
the world’s great modern hotels, and it remains Canada’s
largest hotel east of Toronto. Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
embodies the midcentury vision of the perfect hotel: a
grand international-style building built at the heart of the
key infrastructure projects of the day, a beacon of modernity
lighting the way to downtown Montreal’s future. At the time,
the hotel’s original brand (Hilton) was still closely linked to
passenger rail, specifically the Canadian National Railway.
In the 1960s, the hotel’s restaurants and lounges, such as
the Beaver Club, attracted international politicians and
businesspeople. Legendary musicians like Oscar Peterson
performed there, and the hotel hosted an impressive list of
prestigious parties, balls and events attended by heads of
state, royalty and captains of industry.
Today, the hotel pays tribute to its past by providing an inspiring
space and new programming in tune with its quintessential
Montreal character. Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth is opening
itself to the city, making the most of its spectacular views, and
providing living and working spaces that will encourage local
and international clients to make it their own.