For more than 40 years, the Four Seasons Hotel has been a popular spot for power brokers in Vancouver.
The iconic 370-room hotel opened in 1976, and since then has hosted countless celebrities, politicians and business leaders.
On Monday morning some of the hotel’s 200 staff struggled to hold back tears as they served guests breakfast.
Among them was Yew Seafood and Bar server Jenny Wallisch, who has worked at the Four Seasons for 42 years.
“Kind of strange and kind of sad” was how Wallisch described the closure, noting some of her favorite clients were philanthropist Joe Segal and real estate magnate Bob Rennie.
The decision to close the hotel followed a 2017 lawsuit by Cadillac Fairview alleging the Four Seasons was not keeping the hotel furnished and equipped up to the standard of a typical first-class luxury hotel.
Four Seasons denied the allegations.
A different hotel chain is set to open at the Pacific Centre location, following extensive renovations. The name of the new company has not been publicly announced.
Four Seasons has indicated that it hopes to return to Vancouver sometime in the future.