On a sunny summer evening in 1927, a group of tourists and dignitaries gathered inside the brand-new Prince of Wales Hotel to welcome a new era to the remote corner of southwestern Alberta.
Ninety years later, on July 25, 2017, guests, dignitaries, staff and fans gathered to celebrate nine decades of excellence at one of North America's most impressive heritage hotels. They raised glasses of champagne to toast the past, the present and the future. And they celebrated the continuity of hospitality and the decades of stewardship of the hotel, and to honor the many, many memories that the Prince of Wales Hotel has created.
At 7:30 PM, in the hotel's stately lobby, renowned historian (and former Prince of Wales bartender) Ray Djuff made a toast to the hotel's legacy and to its future. He made a point of recognizing not only the outstanding architecture and landscape that characterize the hotel, but to celebrate the generations of people who have both taken care of, and passed through, this unforgettable place.
"To this hotel on its 90th birthday, to those who took this remarkable hotel from idea to reality and to those who have created traditions and kept them thriving for all these decades – we salute you!," Djuff said.
For the team at Glacier Park Collection who have the keen privilege to manage and maintain the historic site, 90 years is only the beginning.
"The Prince has left a lasting impression on everyone who has walked through its doors over the past 90 years." says Glacier Park Collection Marketing Manager Rebecca Baker. "It was truly special to see so many staff, guests and members of the community gather to share their stories and raise a glass to the hotel's 90th anniversary."
