The Winnipeg Hotel is a rare remnant of Winnipeg’s south Main Street of the 1880s.

When the hotel opened in 1881, it was part of a vibrant block of retail spaces, warehouses, and office buildings. The Winnipeg Hotel fit right in, and an 1883 renovation added an imposing Classical Revival style façade to the wood-framed structure.

Red brick and Battle River sandstone once covered the façade, with a wrought iron balcony on the second floor. Detailed corbels support the entablature and pediment along the roofline. It was Walter Chesterton, an English-trained architect, behind the design – which today has changed significantly. The façade that Winnipeggers know today is actually an updated version of the 1895 redesign. Sometime in the 1930s, the original red brick was painted white while the balcony was removed. Arched windows were filled with glass blocks, and the entire main floor was re-clad and re-designed.

For the first several years, it was owned by Montgomery and Wheeler – then later just Montgomery. Though the interior has been altered, the purpose of the building has never changed. Over the past century, various owners have come through and made their mark on the small hotel, which still operates on Main Street.