Brandon’s hotels, 1882

Grand Central Hotel, 1882, photo: Daly House Museum

The Grand Central Hotel, located on the west side of Sixth Street, between Rosser Avenue and Pacific Avenue.

It was a fine three-story building that presented an imposing appearance, and was another architectural attraction of the city.

The structure covered an area of 150 x 100 feet, and its inner arrangement is of a most perfect description.

On the ground floor were the offices, billiard room, kitchen, and spacious dining room capable of accommodating 100 guests.

On the second floor was a large elegantly furnished ladies parlour and sundry bedrooms.

The upper floor was devoted exclusively to dormitories.

The house had sleeping accommodation for over 100 guests.

The proprietors of this house were Messrs. Carson and Caulfield, the former of who had been a resident of Canada for over ten years.

He was one of the leading merchants of western Manitoba.

Mr. Caulfield was a young and enterprising man, who was bound to make a telling record in the Northwest.

Both had other branches of business on hand, but in none did they furnish a more useful institution, and one that did more for the progress of Brandon.

Source: The Magnacca Research Center, Daly House Museum.

Beaubier House
This fine hotel was opened to the public in June 1882, by Mr. T. Beaubier, from whom the house takes its name,
and Mr. G. W. Cornell.

It is situated on the corner of Princess Avenue and 7th Street. The hotel is in area 50 x 70 feet, and is 3 storeys high.

On the ground floor are the reading rooms, office, commercial room, dining room, kitchen, bar room and wash room.

The second and third storeys are used as dormitories, besides having the public and private parlors on the second, and several suites of rooms on the third floor.

Altogether there are 34 different sleeping apartments which will accommodate about 100 people comfortably.

The dining room, which is large and airy, has a seating capacity of about 75.

The number of hands employed in carrying on this business is 12, and they carefully attend to the wants of the guests.

Messrs. Beaubier & Cornell also give their personal supervision to every department.

These enterprising gentlemen have commenced the running of a free bus to and from the hotel and depot.

The Grandview/Crystal Hotel

Grandview Hotel, 1882. photo: Daly House Museum

Crystal Hotel, formerly known as the Grandview Hotel, today. photo: Heritage Brandon

Although now known as the Crystal Hotel, this hostelry at 838 Pacific Avenue was named the Grandview when it opened as one of Brandon’s first hotels in 1882.

The brick building’s substantial appearance, with steep-pitched mansard roof and prominent balcony above the entrance canopy, must have caught the eye of the tired traveler and new emigrant emerging from the CPR Station just down Pacific Avenue.

Early advertisements declared it to be “strictly first class in every respect and the best hotel in Brandon for commercial men”.

The elongated windows of the second storey are the only visible remnants of the hotel’s original appearance.

– Heritage Brandon

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