A member of Historic Hotels Worldwide since 2017, Fairmont Le Manior Richelieu is among the most historic holiday destinations operating in the Canadian Province of Québec. Architect Edward Maxwell designed the first iteration of the hotel on behalf of the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company back in 1899. The company was a transportation business that ferried goods and people along the St. Lawrence River. At the height of the Victorian Era, the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company decided to create a magnificent retreat along the estuary of the Malbaie Bay. They specifically selected a beautiful parcel of land atop the Pointe-au-Pic bluffs as the site for their nascent getaway. Sportsmen had long visited the area for centuries, due to its grand bash fishing and tranquil environment. The company had hoped such a serene atmosphere would incentivize travel on its new passenger vessels as they departed from Québec City further south.

Investors affiliated with the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company opted to merge its company with several others in 1913. As such, they formed a new commercial entity known as “Canada Steamship Lines.” Under the reformed company’s watched, the Manoir Richelieu underwent a massive renovation of its entire structure in 1929. Led by renowned architect John Smith Archibald, the hotel was completely redesigned to resemble a grand historic manor from France’s Loire Valley. Around the same time, Canada Steamship Lines hired famed British golfer Herbert Strong to design a fabulous golf course. It debuted for the first time in 1925 before a large crowd, with former U.S. President William Howard Taft hosting the opening ceremony. The golf course has since become one of the area’s most celebrated attractions, having received the title of “Canada’s Golf Course of the Year” in the early 2000s.

Canada Steamship Lines eventually sold its controlling interest in the Manoir Richelieu to an engineering firm known as Warnock Hersey in 1966. Despite the hotel’s relative popularity, the company opted to sell the location to alleviate strain to its financial portfolio. The decision was driven by a significant drop in consumer interest in leisure travel along the St. Lawrence River during the decade prior. After traversing a period of fluid ownership over the next 40 years, the Manor Richelieu joined Canadian Pacific Hotels in 1998. The company had managed to acquire the hotel through a joint partnership of Loto-Québec and Solidarity Fund QFL. Canadian Pacific Hotels then became known as “Fairmont Hotels and Resorts,” following a major reorganization by its parent company, Canadian Pacific Railway. As such, the Manior Richelieu was reborn as the “Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu.” The hotel has since maintained its reputation as one of Canada’s most prestigious vacation hotspots.