Quebec City Quebec - Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac kicked off its year-long 125th anniversary celebrations in grand style Thursday night, with a lavish gala for guests, partners, and 128 journalists from seven countries.
 
"It's more than a hotel, we're running an icon," said General Manager Robert Mercure.
 
Champagne flowed as guests wandered along a Grand Gala Route from the main ballroom through four salons, enjoyed signature Quebec dishes from poutine, to elaborate pastries, artisan charcuterie, and local cheeses.
 
It was a fitting party for the historic hotel, designed to resemble a medieval-style castle.
 
It's a romantic symbol of Quebec culture, built near the site where the 17th-century Saint-Louis forts once stood and opened during early days of Canadian Pacific Railways' push for cross-country travel.
 
Mercure said the UNESCO World Heritage designated hotel is also a Canadian landmark.
 
Expanded over the decades, the image of the hotel accompanies Canadians on every international trip.
 
Check your passport.
 
Le Chateau Frontenac is on page 24.
 
Perhaps even more important in the age of social media, it's an Instagram darling, with fairy-tale good looks making it the most-photographed hotel in the world.
 
The media visit was also an opportunity to show off the results of an $80 million renovation of the 611 room grand dame, completed in 2014.
 
The upgrade also saw the hotel double its meeting space.
 
There are eight new signature suites, each named for a famous guest, including Celine Dion, Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, and the Trudeau and Trudeau father-son themed room, saluting former and current prime ministers.
 
The timing couldn't be better for a year-long spotlight on the Chateau Frontenac, which is riding the best year in its history in 2017.
 
It was also a record year for Quebec City tourism.
 
"We exceeded 75 percent occupancy for the year," said Mercure.
 
"We are completely in another universe with the success of the hotel," he added, pointing to a combination of international demand, extensive renovations, and expanded meeting spaces.
 
"People love history but also the amenities of today's luxury hotel, so I think we have a very unique offer in that sense," said Mercure.
 
"We're going to continue developing that."
 
A virtual hotel museum and updated and expanded artefact displays are in the works.
 
Mercure said visitors are responding to the "Europe in North America" appeal of historic old Quebec.
 
"Canada as a destination is really booming and the Canada brand has never been so strong and well understood," added Mercure.
 
He said Asian tourism has taken a marked upswing at the hotel, thanks to a hugely popular South Korean TV fantasy drama, Goblin, which was shot at the Chateau Frontenac in 2016.
 
The hotel is offering special rates and packages tied to the 125th anniversary, as well as events throughout the year focusing on food, culture, and history, including the Great Spring Festival, where chocolate and maple syrup share top billing.
 
The 75th anniversary of the historic World War II Quebec Conferences meetings of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King will be marked in August.
 
In November, the hotel celebrates the 50th anniversary of Princess Grace of Monaco's visit to the hotel.
 
The events culminate with a huge party for the official opening day of the hotel, 18 Dec 2018.
 
Linda Barnard.