Description of Historic Place

The Admiral Beatty Hotel is an eight-storey stone and brick Neo-Classical Revival building with an ornate parapet and large Roman arch entrances. It is located on King Square South and on Charlotte Street, within the Trinity Royal Preservation Area of the City of Saint John.

Heritage Value

The Admiral Beatty Hotel is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for its history as Saint John’s first luxury hotel.

Built in 1925 on the site of the former Dufferin Hotel, the Admiral Beatty Hotel is a good example of large-scale Neo-Classical Revival architecture from the early 20th century in Saint John. The building was designed by the Ross & McDonald architects, the same firm that designed the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal and the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. The Neo-Classical Revival style is evident in such elements as the eight-storey monumental massing, the use of stone and brick, the ornate parapet and the large Roman arch entrances.

Construction of large scale luxury hotels such as the Admiral Beatty was one means in which Saint John and New Brunswick attempted to meet the growing demand in hospitality services. A growing and wealthier middle class in combination with the rising use of automobiles in the earlier half of 20th century led to substantial increases in private capital and mobility. These circumstances caused a huge boom in the tourist industry. As a result, business and government across Canada became increasingly interested in capitalizing on this new fiscal opportunity. King Square and Charlotte Street were primarily the social and leisure center of the city. This was the place to shop, dine, play billiards, or enjoy a theatrical production. The Admiral Beatty Hotel catered to the needs of the wealthy cliental that this district often attracted. The United Hotels of America were responsible for its operation and maintenance. Several prominent Canadian companies, such as the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., invested heavily in the hotel as well. The hotel consisted of over 200 rooms, all equipped with private baths. Ten stores occupied the ground floor, while the main floor contained the cafeteria, dining rooms, offices and lounges. The second floor, also known as the “Mezzanine Floor” was perhaps the most luxurious of all. It contained the “Peacock Hall,” the “Georgian Ballroom” and three private dining rooms, in addition to the Royal Suite, a huge apartment reserved for royalty. The Admiral Beatty Hotel remained a prominent hotel of the City for close to sixty years until 1982.

Source: Department of Planning and Development - City of Saint John

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe the Neo-Classical architecture of the Admiral Beatty Hotel include:
- monumental, rectangular eight-storey massing;
- ornate parapet;
- stone roof-line cornice;
- top-storey windows complete with balustrade style sills;
- broad, stone quoins;
- brick façade along top six storeys;
- rectangular windows with large surrounds and entablatures over the third storey windows;
- stone cornice ornamented by stone dentils over first two storeys;
- large stone block design of front façade’s lower two storeys;
- large storefront windows along the main floor including transom windows with stone entablatures supported by slender, ornate pilasters;
- large windows along main floor with large stone surrounds and entablatures;
- Roman arched entries along King Square South and Charlotte Street with elaborate keystones of a classical design;
- Roman arched fanlights over entrances;
- stone archivolts surrounding entries;
- interior spatial arrangement.