Winnipeg’s most storied property has everything from spas, to live comedy and distinguished dining
For 110 years, The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre has been part of the fabric of downtown Winnipeg, welcoming guests from all over the world.
Constructed in 1913 and having opened its doors on December 11, this iconic castle hotel was one of the city’s tallest buildings after completion, featuring more than 200 rooms and a number of stately public areas representing the Louis XIV, Adamesque and Jacobean style.
This independently owned National Historic Site has pampered everyone from royalty to delegates to actors, including famous figures like King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis Armstrong, Sir Laurence Olivier, and countless actors, directors and touring musicians like Keanu Reeves, Owen Wilson, Sir Ben Kingsley, Renée Zellweger, J-Lo and Bono in recent years when they’ve been in town filming or performing.
Having hosted such illustrious clientele, just imagine what Winnipeg’s castle can do for your group!
Fine-dining at the Fort Garry
Over the past few years, The Fort Garry Hotel has gone through a major transformation across both its public areas and its 240 guest rooms.
It started with the restoration of the Palm Lounge, now called the Oval Room Brasserie, which received in awe-inspiring makeover in 2021 that includes both the intricate plaster designs on the ceiling and the menu itself. Within its ornate, circular dining room, your group can enjoy breakfast through dinner, including memorable dishes like seafood towers, chicken liver “brûlée,” local walleye, and black cod almondine. The wine list, by the hotel’s celebrated wine director Christopher Sprague, is also brimming with exceptional bottles (many of which are very modestly priced), while there are craft cocktails too.
Come summer, the hotel’s culinary program spills out onto the west side of the hotel with the addition of The Sunset Terrace Eat + Drink outdoor patio. Here, the casual dishes come directly from an outdoor shipping container kitchen, while the chic setting includes plenty of plants, artificial turf under your feet, live entertainment Thursday to Saturday, umbrellas for shade, and a fab assortment of adult slush drinks.
Most recently, Winnipeg’s only fine-dining Italian restaurant Vida Cucina Italia opened just to the left of the lobby, providing guests and locals alike with dishes that earned a Michelin star in Italy by celebrity Italian chef Rosanna Marziale.
The Vida Cucina Italia space itself is a lavish addition to the hotel. You enter via a black tiled hallway featuring yellow bird print wallpaper on the right and two private dining rooms on the left that are ideal for groups. These rooms, available for parties larger than six, lead into the main dining room.
All of Vida’s spaces feature accents of black marble with white veins, which really pop in the central dining room where walls feature an icy white textured tree print wallpaper. This main dining room also features an eye-catching grappa bar stationed at its centre, illuminated by a Swarovski crystal chandelier, with two and four-seat tables arranged against the walls.
It’s a setting that’s sure to impress.
Events and entertainment within the castle
In February 2023, The Fort Garry Hotel added stand-up comedy to its offerings. Located in the newly restored basement Club Room, Yuk Yuk’s Winnipeg now runs a side-splitter of a show every Friday and Saturday night, bringing in some of the hottest names in stand-up.
The Club Room seems tailor-made for stand-up, with all 165 seats providing a great view of the stage. The ushers do an expert job of seating you and your crew, helping you find a comfortable spot to take in the three-act show.
Hotel guests also receive 20 per cent off the ticket price for comedy shows while the food and drink program is no joke. The snacks menu has everything you are after too, from the veggies and green goddess dip and French onion dip with housemade chips, to buttermilk-brined salt & pepper drumettes with ranch, nachos piled high served with pico de gallo and lime crema, and the crispiest FGH-seasoned fries. (You’ll note that most of these items are gluten-free too!).
The hotel has also partnered with Jazz Winnipeg to host concerts every Sunday night, with $20 general admission tickets available on select dates throughout summer.
Should members of your group want to take centre stage too, the Club Room also plays host to Karaoke Live on Thursday nights. Hosted by local singer Lisa Windsor, you can sing along with a live band, The Fort Garry Four, featuring some of Winnipeg’s top musicians.
A perfect palace for pampering
The Fort Garry Hotel is also home to one of Canada’s top spas, as certified by countless publications. Ten Spa, located on the hotel’s tenth floor, is known for its luxurious treatments, including the Turkish hamam experience.
Ten Spa offers an Ultimate Day Pass, which includes the use of all spa amenities and refreshments, as well as a one-hour hamam experience. This unique hot air bathing ritual begins in the tea room with mint tea and Turkish Delight, followed by a self-administered salt scrub, guided by a hamam attendant. The Ultimate Day Pass ($79) is available to book Monday to Thursday.
For even more pampering, consider treating yourself to the new LIFT facial at Glo Skin Bar + Dispensary (located within Ten Spa). Cheekily marketed as ‘Winnipeg’s Best Facelift’, this luxurious anti-aging facial is designed to target wrinkles and fine lines while improving skin elasticity.
All of Glo Skin Bar’s facials, peels and other services are performed by expert Ten Spa-trained estheticians who will work with you to personalize treatments for your skin type and condition (best of all, you can bundle your Glo Skin Bar treatments with a day pass to Ten Spa for the use of all spa amenities and refreshments).
Ten Spa guests also receive a 15 per cent discount on guest room bookings at the Fort Garry Hotel on the day of their spa service. Learn more at tenspa.ca.
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To learn even more about group options at The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre –including its many opulent ballrooms that regularly host stunning events, from receptions, to business meetings and social gatherings –– head to its Meetings & Conferences site.