The Clarendon Hotel, or Clarendon House (french: Hôtel Clarendon), is a high-end hotel in the historic neighbourhood of Old Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city. The original building, on the corner of Rue Sainte-Anne and des Jardins, was a house built in 1858 and designed by Charles Baillairgé. It was built as a four-storey house, and was almost immediately sold to Queen's Printers George-Édouard Desbarats and

Stewart Derbishire Stewart Derbishire (1794 or 1795 – March 27, 1863) was the first elected representative for Bytown in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. Born in England, he was a strong Whig. At various times he was an ensign in the B ...

. The building hosted the printers (and various smaller businesses) until 1870, when it became the Russel House hotel, which was sold in 1894, and renamed the Clarendon Hotel. The hotel changed hands again several times until it became part of the Dufour Group hotels. Important extensions and modifications were made to the building during the 20th century: two extra floors with

mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The ...

and a six-floor Art Deco extension at 57 Rue Sainte-Anne where the main entrance, originally on des Jardins, was relocated. Soon after, another extension was built to enlarge the hotel. The hotel boasts a fine

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

restaurant, Le Charles Baillairgé, and a bar, L'Emprise, were renowned live jazz shows used to be held until 2006. The main architectural interest of the building is its brick Art Deco façade, completed in 1927 and designed by Raoul Chênevert. It also has

Art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

cast iron grilles and canopy, giving it a unique combination of styles. Built a few years before neighbouring

Édifice Price The Édifice Price ( en, Price Building) is an 18-floor (originally 16) skyscraper in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Built in 1928–1931 amid controversy for Price Brothers Limited, it is the tallest building in the Old Quebec historical district ...

, its decoration is more geometric than figurative. The building still keeps its wicket entrance. The hotel serves as a backdrop to Nicole Brossard's novel ''Yesterday, at the Hotel Clarendon'' (french: Hier).

References

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External links

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Hotel Clarendon
from Yahoo! Travel
Postal card: Clarendon Hotel
date unknown. Quebec National Archives
Postal card: Ladies' Drawing room
{Dead link, date=July 2020, bot=InternetArchiveBot, fix-attempted=yes , date unknown. Quebec National Archives Hotels in Quebec City Old Quebec Art Deco architecture in Canada Houses completed in 1858 Hotel buildings completed in 1925 Hotels established in 1870 Art Nouveau architecture in Canada Art Nouveau hotels Canadian companies established in 1870 1870 establishments in Quebec