721 Government Street

The Empress Hotel is considered not only a landmark in the northwest, but a tradition for honeymooners from California to Alaska. The same way newlyweds on the east coast flock to Niagra Falls, couples on the Pacific rim stage a more elegant rendezvous at this stately address. This hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to give people from eastern Canada a reason to venture to the unsettled west. The same tactic was behind the construction of other great hotels across Canada including the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta. The highlight of a visit is the afternoon high tea, served to about 900 anxious guests. The Empress wasn't always a glorious tribute to civilized behavior. In the 1960's there was serious talk about razing the building to make way for a high-rise. Public outcry and a four million dollar renovation called "Operation Teacup" put the hotel back on track.

• Shirley Temple checked in to the hotel with her parents and a pair of bodyguards. According to rumors of the time, she fled California for Canada because of kidnaping threats.
• In 1987 a guest reported seeing a little girl watching her in the night. The girl floated across the room.
• There are several reports of a maid dressed in a period uniform cleaning on the sixth floor.