Albany Hotel

Description of the Historic Place

The Albany Hotel is a three-storey brick building located at 265 Avenue B South in the Riversdale neighbourhood. The hotel has long been a historical feature along 20th Street West.

Heritage Value

The Albany Hotel (initially referred to as the Iroquois Hotel) was built by the Graham brothers in 1906. It was one of the first large buildings to be constructed west of the Canadian National Railway (CNR) lines. The brick building, with its stone basement, once had a distinctive double-tiered balcony across the front of the hotel that overlooked 20th Street. In 1912, through the assistance of the Regina architectural firm, Storey and Van Egmond, the balconies were removed and the building was enlarged, extensively altered, and renamed the Albany Hotel. By 1914, the Albany Hotel had 42 rooms. The hotel was outfitted with modern luxuries for its time, including hot and cold water, steam heat, electric lights, bathtubs, and telephones. 

The Albany Hotel has been identified as one of the buildings in the Riversdale area that has shaped the community, in addition to others such as the A.L. Cole Generating Station, the Roxy Theatre, and the former Barry Hotel. In December of 2000 the hotel was converted into housing services.

Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database

Character Defining Elements

Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:

• Those elements that reflect its historical importance including its brick façade, symmetrical design, flat roof and prominent location along 20th Street West.