Hotel Vancouver (1916) Postcard

The postcard shows the Hotel Vancouver, the second hotel of that name, which was an Italian Renaissance style hotel built in 1916 by the Canadian Northern Railway. It stood at 15 floors/ 77m tall, and was between Howe and Granville Streets on the south side of West Georgia Street.

Hotel Vancouver Postcard

In the time of Hotel Vancouver the names of the Spanish Grill, the Panorama Roof, and the Red Barrel became famous as part of the city's social whirl. It had several ballrooms and lounges, as well as an adjacent opera house cum cinema (originally the Orpheum, later restyled the Lyric), and all the bathrooms were fitted with marble sinks and gold-plate faucetry.

During the Second World War, the second Hotel Vancouver was used as a barracks. CNR demolished the building in 1949 to make way for the third Hotel Vancouver which still operates. Pacific Centre mall and the Eaton's Store (constructed between 1969 and 1972) stand on the site today.

NOTE: DEMOLISHED IN 1949

SOURCES:
Hotel Vancouver (1916) Wikipedia Entry
Hotel Vancouver Wikipedia Entry

Central Hotel Berlin Postcard

In 1880, the Central Hotel opened in Friedrichstraße (lit. Frederick Street), a major culture and shopping street in central Berlin. But the hotel is more famous with its “jardin de plaisanterie” or winter garden.

Central Hotel Berlin Postcard

Situated in a magnificent glass hall reminiscent of a crystal palace, it covers some 2,000 sq. m. The guests at the plush hotel delight in promenading through the garden with its palm trees, evergreen shrubs and creepers, fountains and grottoes. On 21 June 1944 the hotel and the Wintergarten is destroyed in a bombing raid.

NOTE: DESTROYED DURING WORLD WAR II

Amara Singapore Postcard

Starting today, I will be posting the hotel postcards in my collection, existing/operational, destroyed or refurnished or even the renamed hotels. The postcard shows the Amara Singapore's swimming pool, which I got when I first visited Singapore in 2006. Amara Singapore is located within the heart of the bustling business, shopping and entertainment districts, and just steps away from the famous Singapore Chinatown.

Amara Singapore Postcard

Recently reborn after a complete refurbishment, Amara Singapore's 380-room showcases special touches like a lobby with minimalist theme, a Balinese-style resort pool ( landscaped half Olympic-sized pool) and a list of chic new restaurants. Unfortunately their website didn't mention anything about its construction.
ROOMS: Deluxe Room, Tropical 6, The Club Floor, Residential Suites

NOTE: OPERATIONAL
Address: 165 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088539Tel: +65 6879 2555

SOURCE:
Amara Singapore Homepage

University of Padua Postcard

The postcard shows, I believe, the Palazzo del Bo entrance of the University of Padua. The university, located in Padua, Italy, was founded in 1222 when a large group of students and professors left the University of Bologna in search of more academic freedom. From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, the university was renowned for its research, particularly in the areas of medicine, astronomy, philosophy and law.

University of Padua Postcard

Originally, the site of the historical seat of the University was occupied by an inn, at the “sign of the Ox” (Bo), which had been given to a butcher by Francesco da Carrara, Lord of Padua, in repayment for the meat supplied during the 1405 siege of the city. In 1539 the building became the property of the University, and ever since then it has housed the main seat of the Institute, though the name by which it is familiarly known has maintained that reference to the "sign of the Ox".

SOURCES:
University of Padua Wikipedia Entry
Palazzo Bo

University of Heidelberg Postcard

The postcard shows the New University building (middle building) of the University of Heidelberg, a public research university located in Germany. Founded in 1386, it is the oldest university in Germany. The university comprises two campuses: one in Heidelberg's Old Town and another in the Neuenheimer Feld quarter on the outskirts of the city.

University of Heidelberg Postcard

The New University building was constructed by Carl Grube in 1931-34. The New University replaced a neo-classical building created by the architect Friedrich Weinbrenner in 1828 for Heidelberg's museum's association. Its construction was made possible by the then American ambassador, Jacob Gould Schurman, who organized a campaign in the United States to collect donations for this purpose. The building contains lecture halls and a large assembly hall.

SOURCES:University of Heidelberg Wikipedia Entry
Stadt Heidelberg: New University