Joining the elite ranks of 100-year-old iconic hotels such as The Savoy in London, The Plaza in New York, and The Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada is no small feat. But in 2012 Fairmont will be celebrating not one, but two centennial birthdays: Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier on June 1 and Boston’s The Fairmont Copley Plaza on Aug. 19. Both grand dames will be offering special offers, events and activities to highlight the history and grandeur that have graced their halls over the past century.

Witness to History

Ottawa’s famed castle, Fairmont Château Laurier, opened its doors June 1, 1912 with building costs totaling $2 million and guestrooms priced at $2 per night. Originally slated to open on April 26, 1912, the opening was delayed when Charles Melville Hays, the visionary behind the hotel, perished on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic.  The Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston is a landmark in Back Bay’s Copley Square.  In 1912 Mayor of Boston John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, President Kennedy’s grandfather, presided over a reception of more than 1,000 guests to open the hotel. The total cost to open the hotel was an extravagant sum of $5.5 million.  Since the ‘Gilded Age’ of their opening through modern times, both hotels have hosted heads of state, celebrities, dignitaries and guests from around the world.

Special Events

The hotels will host numerous activities all year, including complimentary historic tours and memorabilia searches for long lost treasures - with amnesty offered for items that may have gone astray.  On June 2 and 3, Fairmont Château Laurier will welcome the public for special period costume tours,  music and cake while at The Fairmont Copley Plaza, tours will be available throughout their 100 Days of Celebration, which kicks off on May 10. Guests at Fairmont Château Laurier can take a culinary journey through time, starting April 1 with an adaptation of the very last dinner served on the Titanic, followed by monthly table d’hôte menus featuring menus highlighting the best of different eras.  Additionally, starting April 26, on what would have been the hotel’s original opening date, a special Centennial Tea menu will launch. 

The Fairmont Copley Plaza Centennial Packages:

Available through December 31, 2012, the Celebration of a Century Package includes an overnight stay in a newly renovated guestroom, a private hotel history tour and a history booklet with rates starting at $100 USD per person. 

With a special Anniversary Offer, the hotel is inviting back couples who spent their wedding night at the property – at their original room rate.  The Anniversary Package includes accommodation in a newly renovated guestroom and a hotel history booklet. This package is available for a minimum two night stay, based upon availability.  Couples must present their original folio, and can enjoy one night at the original rate paid and the second night at the hotel’s best available rate. This offer is available through December 30, 2012.

Fairmont Château Laurier Centennial Packages:

o   The Century of Memories package offers a heritage gift card set to share with friends and family, a $100 CAD Dining Credit, an overnight stay in Ottawa’s famed castle and a special 100th anniversary welcome amenity upon arrival. 

o   To celebrate a century of offering Afternoon Tea to guests from around the world, the hotel is also offering a tea menu fit for a Queen.  The Centennial Tea Package includes an overnight stay and a special centennial afternoon tea for two served in Zoé‘s Lounge.  Rates for this package start from $299 CAD per night based on double occupancy.

Renovations & Restorations

Both Grande Dames are also getting facelifts for their celebrations. Scheduled for completion in spring 2012, The Fairmont Copley Plaza is undergoing a restoration that will include all guestrooms and suites, Fairmont Gold, and a new 3,000-square-foot rooftop health club.  The project also includes the Lower Lobby meeting space and enhancements to hotel’s grand lobby and ballrooms.  A new restaurant, in the space that formerly housed the legendary Merry-Go-Round Bar and Oak Bar will also debut.  At Fairmont Château Laurier, the 1929 art deco pool has just recently been restored, along with additional refurbishments to the health club including a new fountain, two massage therapy rooms, and refreshed women’s and men’s change areas.

For more information on the celebrations at The Fairmont Copley Plaza, visit here, and for more information on Fairmont Château Laurier’s celebrations, visit here. Other Fairmonts that have reached the Century mark include The Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Bermuda (1885); The Fairmont Banff Springs (1888); The Savoy, A Fairmont Hotel, London (1889); The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (1890); Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Quebec (1893); Fairmont Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg (1897); Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, Quebec (1899); Fairmont The Norfolk, Nairobi (1904); Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Switzerland (1906); The Fairmont San Francisco (1907); The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, New York (1907); and The Fairmont Empress, Victoria (1908).