Saskatoon’s historic Bessborough Hotel to undergo major renovation after 90 years

WATCH: One of Saskatoon’s most iconic landmarks is preparing for a major transformation as the historic Bessborough Hotel celebrates its 90th anniversary.

Saskatoon’s most recognizable landmark is preparing for a major transformation just as it marks a historic milestone. It has been 90 years since the Bessborough Hotel first opened its doors and in that time it has become a staple of the downtown core.

“Yes, it is an important pillar to the community,” general manager Renjith Vengalil told CTV News.

The job to renovate this iconic hotel is one that’s going to be painstaking, with so many historical elements involved, like a 90-year-old hand-carved couch.

The great-grandson of the artist who carved it back in the 1930s visited the hotel in the past few years and made special note of the antique.

Built in 1935, the Bessborough has stood as a symbol of history for nearly a century and some parts of the hotel reflect that.

“Unique in Canada for this building is that we heat up this building in the winter with steam boilers,” he said.

Those boilers, which we couldn’t see during the visit because of safety concerns, will be replaced. All the guest rooms will also undergo an overhaul, according to Vengalil.

“The renovation will involve 225 rooms and the public spaces. That includes the lobby and meeting rooms, and a new three-meal restaurant called Grand Junction.”

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It’s additions like the name of that restaurant, Grand Junction, that reflect some of the changes to the hotel. The renovation and rebranding - to Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection - will include various elements that pay homage to the Canadian National Railway as the original owners of the hotel.

One of the iconic elements that will remain after the renovation is the Canada Post mail slot. It still works and the mail is still picked up every day.

One of the biggest changes will be moving the main restaurant to the ground floor - that means the pool will be taken out to make way for dining that overlooks the patio and Bess gardens.

For this manager, who’s been with the company nationwide for more than 20 years, the Bessborough holds special significance - playing host to an impressive number of famous people, VIPs and heads of government.

“In my past four years here, I’ve seen more dignitaries in my life than in the past 22 years with the company,” he said.

The renovation work will begin in mid-January and the hotel will remain open to guests until May of next year, when it will close through the summer until September 2026.