Transformed Hotel Saskatchewan still iconic
Hotel Saskatchewan transformation stays true to iconic hotel’s character
The renovations are done! All guest rooms, public spaces and meeting spaces at the historic Hotel Saskatchewan have been renovated. And now, it’s time to unveil the transformed iconic downtown Regina hotel.
The community is invited to experience the “new” Hotel Saskatchewan during an open house, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 2. And a by-invitation-only launch reception will be held Oct. 4 — changing up the hotel’s usual annual corporate reception.
The renovations, which began in April 2015 and were just completed on Sept. 1, were all about staying true to “the integrity, authenticity and prairie perseverance of the hotel and the people it serves,” explained Melynda Loder, the Hotel Saskatchewan’s director of sales and marketing.
“As soon as we went into renovation, the cries, the concerns went up that we were going to ruin this place, (that) we’re going to ruin all the character,” she said, adding that nothing could be further from the truth.
“It was an enhancement, if anything. on the heritage of the building. So all the chandeliers are in place, the crown mouldings, the sconces. All that stuff is there. And now, we just have far more — it’s lighter, it’s brighter, it’s cleaner. It’s quite different,” Loder said.
“When you come in, it’s white marble flooring in the lobby with light blue inlaid carpet pieces. The lounge now has got a huge bar that runs the length of the lounge, overlooking the park. So when you sit at the bar, you’re not just sitting at this teeny little horseshoe. And the bartender can greet you when you arrive. It overflows into the lobby now; it’s totally open.”
The dining room also has been completely redone. “Again, just something a little more accessible. It’s not quite so stuffy, with white linen. It’s got a farm table style, but it’s still elegant. It’s got a wood floor and a beautiful carpet inlay. And it still has the chandeliers and sconces,” she said. And the renovated guest rooms feature “all the same, but just a contemporary update on the traditional.”
“When this hotel was built in 1927, it was a testament to the personality of the prairie,” Loder said. “It was built in 11 months. There’s this thing that we really cling to now; it’s called prairie perseverance. And we believe that we, like this hotel, are made of something that nobody else in Canada is made of. And through all those good times, the bad times, the really bad times, we’re all still here. And the hotel is a testament to it.”
The Hotel Saskatchewan, built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, now is managed by Marriott. It’s only the second Autograph Collection Hotel in Canada. So, while benefiting from its association with Marriott, it maintains its unique name, logo and identity.
“The hotel is such a prominent part of this community,” Loder said. “We are exactly like nothing else.”
Now, we just have far more — it’s lighter, it’s brighter, it’s cleaner. It’s quite different.