September 2012

The complete restoration of the original copper roof of the main tower is completed. This major project began in May 2011 to ensure the maintenance of this historic and architectural jewel of Quebec.

May 2012

Château Frontenac unveils a new majestic banquet room.
The Cellier du Château (Château Cellar) is the perfect place for special events including banquets, dinners, weddings, receptions and cocktails.
This new facility has over 2600 square feet (240 square meters) and can accommodate up to 150 people in cocktail (standing) and nearly 100 people in banquet (seated).

2011

After purchasing a 97% interest in the Château Frontenac in 2007, Ivanhoé Cambridge becomes the hotel’s sole owner.

2005-2008

When the Dufferin Terrace is excavated, and archeological digs inventory thousands of artifacts dating back to the days of the Saint-Louis forts and castles.

2001

During the Summit of the Americas, the Château Frontenac plays host to many of the world’s heads of state.

1993

The 100th anniversary of the Château Frontenac marked by year-round celebrations.

1993

The Pratte Wing, which includes a swimming pool, a health club and 66 new rooms, is added to the Château.

1991

Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa hosts a state dinner in honour of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark.

1989

A $65-million renovation project begins, emphasizing the history of the Château Frontenac and seeking to restore it to its original splendour.

1987

During the Sommet de la Francophonie (the French-language summit), the Château Frontenac becomes the setting for meetings of heads of state from French-speaking countries around the world.

1985

Quebec City is named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It later hosts the first International Symposium of World Heritage Cities.

1985

U.S. President Ronald Reagan meets with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, with the Château as a backdrop for the famous “Shamrock Summit.”

1981

The Château Frontenac is designated a Canadian national historic site.

1973

Major renovations begin at the Château Frontenac. French Canadian traditions are featured with the opening of the Café Canadien Restaurant.

1944

Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis moves into the Château Frontenac and remains as a permanent guest until 1959.

1943

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt agree to meet in the Château Frontenac for the Quebec Conferences of 1943 and 1944, where momentous military strategies were devised.

The 1940s

The Château Frontenac establishes the “Ski Hawk School,” which contributes to Quebec’s reputation as one of the most important downhill ski destinations in North America.

1939

The Château Frontenac prepares for a royal visit from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Quebec City is the first stop on their royal tour across Canada.

1926

After being damaged by fire, the Riverview wing is rebuilt by architects Maxwell and Pitts, closely following Price’s original plans, but with modifications to the interior arrangements and decor. The dining rooms are redesigned; the Champlain Room, for example, occupies the site of the former Riverside Lounge.

1924

The Château Frontenac is equipped with leading-edge innovations for the time: telephones, the latest in kitchen equipment, and electrical panels.

With its dramatic skyline, perched high atop Cap-aux-Diamants, the Château Frontenac is said to be the most photographed hotel in the world.

The 1920s

The Château Frontenac becomes a leader in the promotion of winter sports and activities at a time when mass tourism is not yet a reality.

1909

American architect Walker S. Painter of Detroit designs and builds the Mont Carmel Wing.

1908

In Quebec City to celebrate its 300th anniversary, the Prince of Wales, soon to become King George V, stays at the Château.

1899

Architect Bruce Price designs two additional wings: The Citadel Wing and The Citadel Pavilion.

1894

Lord Aberdeen, Governor General of Canada, inaugurates the first Quebec Winter Carnival at the Château Frontenac.

1893

On December 20, the first completed wing of the Château Frontenac is inaugurated. Christened the Riverview Wing, it counts 170 rooms, 93 of which have bathrooms and fireplaces, remarkable luxuries for the time. The hotel also includes three magnificent suites—the Habitant, the Chinoise and the Hollandaise. Bruce Price’s design, with its round towers and cone-shaped roofs inspired by the châteaux of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, rises on the ruins of the former Saint-Louis forts and castles—one of the continent’s most prestigious addresses. The Château Frontenac immediately becomes the symbol of Quebec City.

1620-1838

For over two centuries, the current location of the Château Frontenac was the site of a succession of different editions of the Saint-Louis fort and castle, the official residence of French, then English, governors.