What’s arguably Edmonton’s most historic lodge has been acknowledged by not one, however two world leaders in hospitality accreditation.
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald has obtained one key from the Michelin Guide and has been included within the Condé Nast Traveller 2025 Readers’ Selection Awards.
In-built 1915 and containing 198 rooms, the Resort Macdonald was certainly one of a number of grand motels constructed by the railways equivalent to Canadian Pacific and the Grand Trunk Railway (later amalgamated into CN Rail), many in a Château fashion.
For the primary time, the long-lasting lodge overlooking Edmonton’s river valley has received one key from the esteemed Michelin Information.
A view of the skyline of downtown Edmonton, Alta., on Aug. 20, 2020. At centre is the historic Fairmont Resort Macdonald.
Don Denton/ The Canadian Press
Recognized to many regionally because the “Resort Mac,” the Michelin information has this to say:
“There’s nonetheless nothing else in North America fairly like Canada’s string of grand railway motels; the Macdonald, formally referred to as the Fairmont Resort Macdonald, is an incongruously old school construction, a storybook French Renaissance citadel standing by the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. What’s inside, nevertheless, is a wonderfully up to date luxurious lodge, in traditional Fairmont fashion, that includes good-looking and well-equipped rooms and suites, and, on the prime finish, lavish suites named for Winston Churchill, King Edward VIII, and Queen Elizabeth II.
“No shock, then, that among the many Macdonald’s culinary choices is a extremely regarded afternoon tea.”
The Michelin Information began out greater than a century in the past in France and relies on nameless inspector evaluations — motels and eating places have no idea when they’re being assessed.
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Initially full of maps, fuel station areas and vacationer sights, the information by the Michelin tire firm was supposed to get extra individuals driving. Within the Nineteen Twenties it started handing out stars to advantageous eating eating places and keys to motels.
Whereas the celebrities acknowledges essentially the most excellent eating places on the earth, the Michelin key does the identical for excellent motels that inspectors consider excel in design, structure, service and character.
The Michelin Information now incorporates greater than 7,000 lodging internationally, with choices for each fashion and price range. The distinctions aren’t essentially handed out to the costliest expertise, however relatively motels that stand out and provide a terrific expertise.
One key denotes a really particular keep, for a lodge Michelin feels is a real gem with character. Two keys is for a distinctive keep — a lodge that’s distinctive in each means. Three keys, the very best honour, is reserved for extraordinary stays at motels that might be thought of a “vacation spot for the journey of a lifetime.”
In Canada, there are 38 hotels with Michelin keys, together with two areas on reverse sides of Canada with three keys — one on a distant Newfoundland island, and the opposite in a secluded Vancouver Island inlet reachable solely by boat or seaplane.
Lots of Canada’s historic grand railway motels are within the Michelin Information, together with the Chateau Lake Louise and Banff Springs in Alberta’s Rockies, the Château Laurier in Ottawa, and the Le Château Frontenac in Québec Metropolis — all owned by Fairmont. Now, the Resort Macdonald has joined the checklist.
The hotel was also included this 12 months within the top 15 hotels in Western Canada section of the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Selection Awards. Fairmont stated that honour is particularly significant because it comes straight from friends who’ve stayed there.
“This recognition is deeply private for our crew and for our metropolis,” stated Fairmont Resort Macdonald common supervisor Cole Millen.
“For greater than a century, we’ve been proud to welcome travellers to Edmonton, providing experiences that remember our group’s heat and spirit.
“These awards are a testomony to our colleagues who make particular occur each day, and to the friends who proceed to decide on us as a part of their journeys.”
Michelin stated its inspectors added 5 new prime Canadian motels to its checklist in 2025, 4 of which Fairmont stated have been its properties, together with the Resort Macdonald.
Whereas motels throughout the nation have obtained keys, Michelin has solely handed out restaurant stars in three Canadian areas: Vancouver, the Better Toronto Space and elements of Quebec, together with Montreal.
The Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Selection Awards honour the perfect in journey worldwide, primarily based on votes from a whole bunch of 1000’s of readers annually.
The luxurious journey journal first printed in 1987 is by the media large additionally behind manufacturers equivalent to Vogue, GQ, Self-importance Honest, Bon Appétit and The New Yorker.
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
