Fort Garry Hotel’s new Vice Regal Floor offers even more luxury
Only in the Peg
Winnipeg’s grandest hotel, the Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre (FGH), now has even more grandeur.
After a $1-million renovation, the hotel unveiled its new Vice Regal Floor, a majestic exclusive floor fitting of downtown’s castle.
“I kind of sensed an opportunity in the market to introduce an elevated experience like we did with
Ten Spa (opens in new window), as at that time, there wasn’t anything of that caliber here,” said Fort Garry Hotel owner and managing partner, Ida Albo, during the unveiling of the Vice Regal Floor.
“We’re very proud of our city, and we’re very proud when we do a good job and present something that is world class,” said Albo. “And that’s what we hope to deliver here, and I think we will.”
Located on the first floor, just up the stairs from the hotel’s stately lobby, the Vice Regal Floor features 12 guest rooms, three luxury suites and the Vice Regal Lounge – a chic new area to unwind only open to guests staying on the floor.
On top of that, the hotel also unveiled The Churchill Photo Gallery in the skywalk that connects FGH to Fort Garry Place. The skywalk, which originally featured other images as an ode to the hotel’s historic nature, is now a showcase for Manitoba’s nature, via the lens of local
photographer JP Parenty (opens in new window).
“Our biggest client is
Natural Habitat Adventures (opens in new window), and they bring about 12,000 people for 8,000 room nights a year from all over the world,” said Albo.
“They stay here to see the polar bears in October and November… and they come in January to March for the Northern Lights, and then for the whales,” said Albo, noting how the hotel provides the Winnipeg base for these tour groups that fly to Churchill, MB, while Natural Habitat also now has a Winnipeg office in Fort Garry Place.
“Now, when these clients walk next door to get their boots fitted and whatnot, they are going to walk right past what they are going to see up North,” continued Albo.
You don’t need to be a guest of the hotel to see the new gallery, which features massive photos from Parenty of the vast tundra with polar bear families and handsome foxes.
“We worked on a whole bunch of different themes but eventually settled on it being nothing but Churchill pictures,” said Parenty. “I’m really liking the way it has turned out.”
The Vice Regal design details
The Vice Regal Floor itself is a work of art.
It was designed by
Belinda Albo (opens in new window), Ida’s sister, whose imprint on the hotel under the direction of Ida and her partners includes the restoration (opens in new window) of the lobby’s iconic Oval Room in 2021; the creation of Ten Spa – frequently cited as one of Canada’s best spas – in 2005; the addition of The Sunset Terrace Eat + Drink (opens in new window) outdoor patio in 2021; the opening of Vida Cucina Italia (opens in new window) at the front of the hotel in 2023; and a major transformation of across both its public areas (including the lobby and several ballrooms) and its 240 guest rooms.
The stylish Vice Regal Lounge alone is worth booking the new floor (whose rates are $200 more than a regular FGH stay). It features a sommelier-curated wine cabinet (which includes a button to call the hotel’s sommeliers for service), self-serve espresso makers and tea bar, and plush seating for up to 36 people on a mix of banquettes, bistro tables and love seats.
The lounge also has a 75-inch TV, a large table for meetings, and additional services for Vice Regal guests like complimentary hot breakfast, snacks, and an honour bar and hors d’oeuvres in the evening.
The Vice Regal Collection on the Vice Regal Floor consists of 12 rooms and three suites – including the hotel’s largest suite, the two bedroom plus living area and dining room Vice Regal Suite – following a design philosophy of modern, sleek and hidden. While it opens on April 13, the floor has already welcomed Prime Minister Mark Carney, who stayed here as the first guest during the recent Grey Cup weekend.
Every room is slightly different, with elements like clandestine Nespresso coffee machines and fridges within wall-mounted side boards, nooks with banquettes and tables for additional seating, and some of the coolest light fixtures and switches (which have no switch at all) you’ll find in the city.
The bedding and towels are as plush as the coats of the polar bears in Parenty’s photos; the all-marble bathrooms flaunt heated floors, gorgeous sinks, backlit mirrors and walk-in showers replete with products from Fig & Yarrow Apothecary; while the whole vibe is, in a word, lux.
The Vice Regal Floor is a secured floor –– only guests staying on the floor have access to the floor, along with its exclusive concierge service.
The history of the hotel
For 112 years, The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre has been part of the fabric of downtown Winnipeg, welcoming guests from all over the world.
Constructed in 1913 and having opened its doors on December 11, this iconic castle hotel was one of the city’s tallest buildings after completion, featuring more than 200 rooms and stately public areas representing the Louis XIV, Adamesque and Jacobean style.
This independently owned National Historic Site has pampered everyone from royalty to delegates to actors, including famous figures like King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis Armstrong, Sir Laurence Olivier, and countless actors, directors and touring musicians. In the past year alone, hotel guests have included James Marsden, Vince Vaughn, John Travolta, and Kristen Bell, to name but a few.
Since purchasing the hotel with her partners in 1993, Ida Albo has also created Yoga Public and TenSkin RX (opens in new window), along with the brand-new concept The Bread Box (opens in new window), with those last three businesses being located at 280 Fort Street.
The
Vice Regal Floor (opens in new window) opens on April 13. inquire about any of the hotel’s rooms, book spa treatments or learn more about FGH’s culinary concepts, go to www.fortgarryhotel.com (opens in new window)