New Wave Travel's Ray Surette and Ensemble's Chris Lackstrom
The 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of a new ocean liner may not be an obvious reason to get together for a celebration, but the deluxe hotel chain’s history does intersect with the doomed ship.
That bit of historical coincidence and the release of the 3D version of Titanic set the stage for the Fairmont Royal York to invite some of their top tour operator, corporate and travel agent friends and partners to preview the movie prior to its general release last week. And, Fairmont is also inviting everyone to create their own Greatest Love Story with a contest in conjunction with Paramount’s re-release of James Cameron’s Academy Award winning film.
Prior to the screening we were invited to enjoy a reception in one of the most beautiful venues at the Royal York. Its 18th floor Upper Canada Room’s glistening chandeliers and vintage decor is certainly reminiscent of the early days of the grand voyage.
The 1st of the Fairmont Hotels – Boston’s Copley Plaza is also celebrating its 100th anniversary this year but, the chain’s Titanic connection has a more Canadian connection.
Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier was to have been opened on April 26th, 1912. The chateau had been commissioned by Charles Melville Hays who was also the President of the Grand Trunk Railway. Mr. Hays was sailing to Canada on the Titanic to attend the opening when the great ship went down and Hays perished at sea. His survival would have been much more romantic, but, alas, you can only re-write history for the movies.
