When the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) pushed west in 1883, Calgary was essentially a North-West Mounted Police post and trading centre.

With an influx of tourists, mainly en route to CPR's Banff Springs Hotel, a hospitality spot in Calgary was an essential link.

[2] It was built by P. Lyall and Sons Construction Company with materials such as stone, steel, reinforced concrete and brick at a cost of $1,500,000.

[3] The hotel's first registered guest was Charles Walsh Rowley, a banker from Winnipeg who previously lived in Calgary.

The building when completed in 1914 was eight stories in height and included a sun parlour, with four additional floors added in 1929 to keep pace with the growing city.