Delta Bessborough Hotel

The Delta Bessborough, a château-style railway hotel completed in 1935, is Saskatoon's most distinctive building and the anchor of the downtown riverfront. Its copper-capped towers and green copper roof are visible from most of the river trail, and the building has defined the city's skyline for nearly a century. Even if you are not staying here, walk into the lobby to see the original woodwork and period details.

The hotel grounds slope down to the Meewasin Valley Trail and the riverside gardens, which are pleasant in summer. The Samurai restaurant inside the hotel is a local institution for Japanese food, and the Garden Terrace is a good option for afternoon tea or a drink while watching the river. The hotel is a National Historic Site of Canada.

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The Bessborough was nicknamed the "Castle on the River" when it opened in 1935, and the name stuck. Construction began in 1930 as a Depression-era make-work project for the Canadian National Railway, but ran out of money and sat unfinished for five years before finally opening. It is a remarkable piece of Château-style architecture — the style the CPR and CNR used to brand Canada's national hotel chain — planted improbably on the South Saskatchewan River bank.

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