Ghoulish getaways

By Laura Osborne

Historic Photo of the Fairmont Algonquin

Trick or treat? This Halloween, why not treat yourself to something elegant and eerie? These grand Canadian historic hotels are big on splendor, with just the right sprinkling of spooky.

My heart must go on

Château Laurier

The Château Laurier is everything you'd expect an enchanted castle to be: a regal balance of French Renaissance style and neo-Gothic architecture (think towers, turrets, pilasters and pediments). Guests like Marlene Dietrich and Nelson Mandela have been bewitched by the brass stair rails and marble floors of this majestic property since its opening in 1912.

Old school: Afternoon tea service (freshly baked scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream) is still offered to the smart set.

New arrival: The jet set indulge in a champagne tea (Moët & Chandon Blue Label Nectar Impérial with fresh berries, dark chocolate fondue and a three-tiered tower of eclairs, foie gras and caviar blinis.)

Fear factor: Charles Melville Hays, an ambitious railroad businessman and founder of the hotel, never lived to see his greatest achievement come to fruition: He died aboard the Titanic a few days before the hotel was scheduled to open. Rumor has it that he haunts the halls of the hotel, chasing his unrequited dream.

The Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, 613-241-1414

On the waterfront

Locals refer to the Delta Bessborough – built in the style of a French château – as the Castle on the River, and with acres of Elizabethan gardens, a Versailles-inspired ballroom and a facade adorned with gargoyles and heraldic emblems, it's not hard to see why. Saskatoon's grand old lady now offers up a new twist on food: Guests can create their own dinner at Samurai, the newly renovated Japanese restaurant, which offers seating at teppanyaki-style tables (tableside cooking) or the new sushi bar.

Fear factor: At the foot of the second-floor landing is a piece of broken marble where a bellman is said to have met an untimely death and, according to local lore, has been seen by guests wandering the stairwell. The hotel is steeped in so many other spirited stories that it inspired local author Arthur Slade to write the thriller Ghost Hotel.

Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon, 306-244-5521

All work and no play

The Tudor-style neo-château Fairmont Algonquin was opened in 1889 in St. Andrews by-the-Sea. Perched on a hill overlooking the bay, it has the overall air of a seaside castle with its crown moldings, turret rooms and kilted bellmen. Stephen King, a guest early in his career, is believed to have been inspired by the hotel to create the fictional Overlook Hotel for his novel The Shining.

During the late 19^th century, affluent travelers flocked to this seaside resort for its restorative saltwater baths: Now pampered guests can enjoy a vast array of therapeutic, services at the hotel's spa, from seaweed body wraps to lunch with a glass of wine.

THE Fairmont Algonquin

Fear factor: Legend has it that a housekeeper once heard a little girl's laughter in a storage room before a number of boxes inexplicably tumbled over. (It was discovered later on that the room had previously been a children's playroom.) Other bewildering sightings include mysterious lights that flicker from an empty tower – formerly employee lodgings – that remains locked at all times…

The Fairmont Algonquin, St. Andrews, N.B., 506-529-8823

(Laura Osborne is the associate editor of Pure Canada magazine. She still takes dressing up for Halloween very seriously.)

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