Three Gables Hotel Opens This Weekend
EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, The Herald is reprinting historic stories from the South Okanagan focusing on the biggest news story of each year.
SEPTEMBER 14, 1933: This weekend Penticton’s new hotel, the Three Gables, will open its doors to the travelling and local public.
Although the dining room and coffee shop will not be ready and additional details will have to be attended to, the main portion of this fine new structure will be completed.
Businessmen and citizens in general have taken a keen interest in this hotel project, as it suffered many adversities in its initial stages. Mr. A. V. Surtees, founder of the company which is superintending the building, had many setbacks before the proposition was placed on a firm basis.
But now a portion of the street block, which has long been vacant, is filled.
The building is impressive as viewed from the street. The three gables, from which the hotel claims its name, are not a portion of the original design, as a type of turret top was first considered, and partly built.
From the outside, the building has an English appearance, its broad brown-stained beams interlaced with stucco being quite attractive.
On the south side of the main doorway are three stores, now occupied by Dr. H. Lovat Fraser, chiropractor; Southern Okanagan Securities, and R. L. Morrison, Rockgas agent. On the north side of the main entrance are the clubroom and coffee shop.
On entering the front doorway, one is struck with the cheerfulness of the rotunda.
The walls are panelled and stained in light natural tones. Yellow cathedral windows add to the brightness. Off the rotunda are the ladies’ restroom and the men’s writing room and smoking room. A fireplace has been provided in the men’s room and there is, of course, a large fireplace in the rotunda.
Immediately behind the coffee shop on the north side are the kitchen and dining rooms, both tastefully decorated. There are 30 bedrooms in the hotel and space has been provided so that more rooms can be added later in the second storey wings, when business grows. On a separate lot across the lane at the rear of the Three Gables are the sample rooms, and garage accommodation will be added there later.
Restmore furniture, personally selected by Mr. Surtees, was chosen for the bedroom, and a high grade of furnishings was purchased. All the furniture is made in British Columbia. The matting was obtained from the Dunlop Tire & Rubber Goods Co. Ltd.
(Most of the Three Gables was gutted in a 2000 fire.)