Since passenger revenue made a significant contribution to railway profitability, facilities such as hotels were essential for attracting passenger traffic. The three earliest locations (
Mount Stephen House,
Glacier House, and
North Bend) were initially only dining stops, necessary because steep railway grades made hauling a dining car uneconomical.
Thomas Sorby's design for these three hotels was inspired by Swiss chalets. , BC, 1918 Hotels were established mainly at locations that connected with other passenger rail or ferry routes, but some rural locations, especially in the
Canadian Rockies/
Selkirk Mountains, became tourist destinations in their own right. After the success of the original
Banff Springs Hotel, described as a "Tudor chalet in wood", CPR lobbied the government to create
Banff National Park, the first in Canada. National parks protected CPH's commercial interests in such localities. The opportunity to participate in mountaineering excursions, led by professional Swiss guides, featured in CPH's promotion of the respective accommodation. Scenic images, often including a hotel, illustrated the CPH publicity brochures. Urban and township land sales financed the construction of the early hotels. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, CPH commonly adopted a
châteauesque architectural style for building, or enlarging, significant hotels. The earliest example was
Château Frontenac. Notable features included steeply pitched copper roofs, blue-green from oxidation, ornate
gables,
dormer windows, and irregularly placed towers and
turrets. The visual appeal of this design prompted other railway companies to imitate it. CPR, and its later competitors,
Canadian Northern Railway and
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, which became part of
Canadian National Railway (CN), built
grandiose railway hotels in every major Canadian city. However, CPR quickly reverted to a simpler style with a flat roof and limited ornamental features when designing most city hotels. With growing automobile traffic and tourists seeking cheaper accommodation, CPH retained only the more profitable urban and destination hotels. The resort hotels opened in summer only. Year-round opening began in 1969 for Banff Springs Hotel, and in 1974 for
Chateau Lake Louise. CPR restructured the division as a
subsidiary in 1963. ==Bungalow camps & tea houses==