There are only 6 hotel brands in the world with more than 100 years of history, and Fairmont is one of them.
In addition to the Fairmont brand, Fairmont Hotel Group also has Raffles and Swiss luxury brands. There are more than 60 landmark hotels around the world, and it is also the hotel group with the most protected buildings in the world, such as the Peace Hotel in Shanghai and the Plaza in New York, London Savoy Hotel, and so on.
Fairmont, since 1907
In 1906, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in San Francisco, USA, almost all the buildings in the city were destroyed by the earthquake and the subsequent fire.
At the time, the Fair family owned a piece of land and a hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco. After the earthquake, Teresa and Virginia in the Fair family decided to rebuild a landmark luxury hotel, so they found Julia Morgan, who was later recognized as one of America’s greatest female architects.
In 1907, the brand new Fairmont San Francisco opened as the first hotel under the Fairmont brand.
The hotel brand uses the founder’s family surname, Fair. Since the hotel is located in Nob Hill, the Latin mont (meaning hill) is added to the brand name, which together is called Fairmont.
Since the establishment of the hotel, it has been the social center of the local upper class. Many rich businessmen, celebrities, heads of state, popular stars, and royal families have stayed here or participated in social activities.
– In 1945, the Charter of the United Nations, which led to the formation of the United Nations, was signed in this hotel.
– Legendary American singer Tony Bennett sang “I left my heart in San Francisco” for the first time.
The Princess Hotel
The Princess Hotel is located in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda. Although Bermuda is located in North America, it is an autonomous overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
In 1883, the husband of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Louis, ended his tenure as Governor-General of Canada, and the couple took a detour to Bermuda for a holiday in a warm climate. Mr. Trott, then one of Bermuda’s business leaders, decided to pay tribute to the princess by building a luxury hotel.
In 1885, the hotel opened, named The Princess, and later renamed the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, managed by the Fairmont Group, which also became the oldest hotel in the Fairmont brand.
Due to its pink appearance and history, the Princess Hotel is known locally as the “Pink Palace”.
Legend hotels
Fairmont has many historic and legendary hotels, and each of them has a lot of interesting stories.
The Savoy Hotel, London
Opened in 1889, The Savoy was the UK’s first luxury hotel and pioneered several “firsts” in the UK hospitality industry: the first to have an elevator, the first to have a “microphone” in the room, enabling 24-hour room service.
- In the early 20th century, guests could book hotel rooms by sending wireless telegrams.
- In 1899, the painter Claude Monet stayed in the hotel for 2 months and painted a series of famous Thames landscape paintings.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Canada
Opened in 1888, the hotel is designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The hotel is located in the Rocky Mountains with superb views and the interior is less like a hotel and more like a medieval castle.
The annual average water temperature of the hot springs here is about 45 degrees, and there is almost no pungent sulfur smell. Members of the royal family, celebrities, such as George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Helen Keller, Marilyn Monroe have stayed here.
Do you know? The hotel is also rumored to be haunted and is said to be one of the top 10 haunted hotels in the world.
The Plaza Hotel, New York
The Plaza Hotel New York opened in 1907 and has been named a “National Historic Landmark”.
Today, the Plaza Hotel is one of the most luxurious hotels in the United States. The Royal Suite in the hotel costs about $40,000 a night. The suite has three bedrooms, a library, and a piano.
In order to maintain the privacy of guests, the suite also has a private elevator, allowing guests to enter and leave the hotel without knowing it.
There was a saying in New York, “Nothing unimportant happens at the Plaza Hotel”.
Hollywood love Fairmont hotel
How much does Hollywood love Fairmont-branded hotels? As you can see from the following films that have been shot at the Fairmont Hotel:
- “River of No Return” starring Marilyn Monroe – Banff Springs Hotel, Canada
Monroe sprained her ankle during filming, and the male hotel staff used to play cards to decide who can help Monroe to push her wheelchair.
- “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” – The Plaza Hotel, New York, USA
In this film, former US President Trump also appeared. Of course, he was only the owner of the hotel at the time.
Now the Plaza Hotel also has a “Home Alone Experience” package, but the hotel has a special statement that the experience does not include Trump’s cameo.
- Vertigo directed by Alfred Hitchcock – Fairmont Hotel San Francisco, USA
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring Audrey Hepburn – Fairmont San Francisco, USA
- “The Great Gatsby” starring Leonardo – The Plaza Hotel, New York, USA
- “Notting Hill” – The Shore Hotel, London, UK
- Fifty Shades of Grey – Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Canada
The Fairmont brand has now been acquired by AccorHotels, and it has become a ceiling-level presence in this group. Let’s talk about another legendary brand under the AccorHotels Group. Which Fairmont hotel is your favorite?
