Each week we鈥檒l uncover some聽unusual and (hopefully) interesting facts about聽the city. This week we take on English Bay鈥檚 historic Sylvia Hotel.
It started out as an apartment building
R. Broadbridge photo, Vancou- ver Public Library VPL 9426.
Now known as a historic hotel, the Sylvia was originally built in 1912 as an apartment building. The original designs were done by Seattle based architect W.P. White for the Goldstein family. It wasn't聽until聽the Depression that the building began transitioning into a hotel. With the advent of World War II, many of the suites were converted into rooms in order to provide accommodation for crews of the merchant marine. The Sylvia became a full-service hotel in the 1960鈥檚.
There may or may not be a ghostly presence
Some guests claim聽that room 604 features a spooky 鈥渋nvisible presence鈥�. One even stated that聽the ghostly presence tried to sit on them! It鈥檚 also rumoured that Hollywood star Errol Flynn (star of The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938), haunts the hotel, despite have passed away elsewhere in Vancouver.
The Sylvia was a beacon of grandeur and class
Opened in 1913, the Sylvia boasted 鈥渕odern gas stoves鈥� marble staircases a high-end top floor restaurant called 鈥淒ine in the Sky鈥�. Wealthier tenants would pay to stay at the Sylvia. Pricy! Its luxurious beginnings were poorly timed however, as the Sylvia was incapable of聽withstanding the economic built tightening of the Depression. In 1923, the Goldstein family sold the Sylvia for $275,000 before聽relocating to Los Angeles.
The Sylvia opened the city鈥檚 first official cocktail bar in 1954
Image via the Sylvia Hotel
That鈥檚 not the Sylvia's only "first".聽The building, which has since be designated as a heritage site, was the tallest building in the West End until 1958.
The hotel鈥檚 resident cat inspired several popular children鈥檚 books
The famous Sylvia Hotel cat, "Mr. Got To Go", has inspired three children's books by Lois Simmie (illustrated by Cynthia Nugent). The stories聽tell the tale of a stray cat who, after arriving at the Sylvia, takes control of the premises and stay聽for good.
