Description of Historic Place

The Hotel Georgia is a twelve-storey Georgian Revival style luxury hotel. It is prominently located in downtown Vancouver at the corner of West Georgia and Howe streets. It comprises part of a street wall of buildings that surround the square in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Hotel Georgia lies in its contextual, historical and architectural significance.

The Hotel Georgia is one of Vancouver’s most prominent heritage buildings. Located at the corner of West Georgia and Howe streets, it is one of a trio of distinguished buildings – together with the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Hotel Vancouver – which frame one of the city’s few downtown open spaces.

The Hotel Georgia was built in 1926-27 in the Georgian Revival style to the designs of R.T. Garrow and John Graham Sr., the latter a prominent Seattle architect. The building has been host to many diplomats and distinguished guests in its almost 80 year history and has played an important role in Vancouver social life.

Like a classical column, the building’s exterior is divided into three parts, a strong base, elegant cap and simple shaft in between. Elegant and restrained detailing includes tall mullioned windows on the second floor and a balustraded parapet with urn finials at the top of the building. The interior features a richly-detailed wood-paneled lobby, ballroom, ground level terrazzo flooring, plasterwork, curved staircase, and handsomely-appointed meeting rooms on the second floor.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Character-Defining Elements

Key exterior elements that define the heritage character of the Hotel Georgia’s Georgian Revival architectural style include its:

- prominent and highly-visible corner location in downtown Vancouver
- orientation to the Vancouver Art Gallery square across the street
- simple rectangular building mass and shape
- principal street facades facing West Georgia and Howe Street
- elegant and restrained articulation of building mass with base, shaft and capital sections
- use of Georgian Revival architectural motifs
- masonry construction, with detailing in granite, cast stone and beige brick
- regular and elegant pattern of punched window openings
- projecting marquee on both street facades

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Hotel Georgia’s interior include its:

- decorative balustrade and urns at parapet level
- lobby with Georgian Revival elements including pilasters, columns, mouldings and paneling with elaborated elevator surrounds, terrazzo floors, metal balustrades, mail box and clock
- ballroom with arched openings, decorative plaster cornice and chandelier mouldings
- ballroom foyer with decorative mouldings and reliefs, drop beams and marble baseboards
- fireplace and mirrored surround in the Tudor Room
- York Room with all plaster mouldings and surfaces, stained glass, chandeliers and arched entry door openings
- remains of former promenade space, with decorative plaster mouldings, drop beams, ceiling reliefs and tall mullioned windows
- former basement pub with arches and Tudor Revival style decorative finishes