A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Digging The Ambiance & History At The Patricia Hotel On The DTES

Lobby-details

Sitting at the intersection of Strathcona, Railtown, and Japantown, the Patricia Hotel is, like many of Vancouver’s historic buildings, a place that many locals never get the chance to step foot in. I recently popped in to take a look at some of the unique features inside this DTES landmark and a few of the secrets it holds.

The building was originally intended to serve as a doctor’s office. However, the death of the original owner prior to its completion in 1913 led to it being converted into a hotel. Offices were swapped for suites, and rates began as low as $1 a day. On the top floor, a series of doors connect multiple suites where a well-to-do tenant once rented the whole space (these days the doors are locked). Original claw-foot tubs and uncovered sections of the original wood flooring in the hallways hint at the hotel’s storied past, in addition to the beautiful neon sign on the front side.

8145098888_566cb03860_o

Nestled in behind the lobby is, of course, the well-loved Pat’s Pub, which was known in years past as the Patricia Cabaret and the Patricia Café. In addition to being an early hub for Scandinavian and Finnish workers, this establishment’s claim to fame is its incredible role in the story of jazz music in North America (expertly detailed in Lani Russwurm’s Vancouver Was Awesome). Original wood floors and exposed brick are still on display in the lounge section, whereas the old smoking room in the center of the bar features an interesting architectural detail: the four columns extend into the basement below, creating enough room for a small boxing ring which stood until 1950s. All that’s left of the ring are the old turnbuckles, but it’s still enough to imagine what it might have looked like back in the day.

  • View from the top
  • The Patricia Hotel
  • Pat's Pub | House brewed lager and beef dip sandwiches | 403 East Hastings St. | DTES
  • The Patrcia Hotel, 1960 (CVA 2008-022 127)
  • The Hotel Patricia, 1917 (CVA 99-187)
  • The Bar
  • Take a seat
  • Sunshine in the lobby
  • Signage
  • Signage in Pub
  • Secret doorway
  • Royal portrait
  • Patricia Hotel Details
  • Pat's Pub
  • Original flooring
  • Old turnbuckle
  • Old boxing ring
  • More antique accents
  • Looking out
  • Lobby details
  • Inside Pat's Pub
  • Hotel entrance to Pats Pub
  • Exterior of the hotel
  • Exposed brick
  • Exit to the hotel
  • Dunlevy & Hastings, 1945 (VPL Accession Number 5008)
  • Details inside the pub
  • Details in the lobby
  • Claw-foot tub
  • Pat's Pub and Brewhouse
  • Antique accents
  • Pat's Pub and Brewhouse

OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

There is 1 comment

  1. What I learned from this article was that the Patricia was an early hub for Scandinavian and Finnish workers. Being half Finnish, I found this interesting.

    Some personal history: My aunt’s 2nd husband, William Sawchuck, was the majority shareholder owner of the Patricia. He sold his interest in 1972. My mother was a chamber maid there for a short time. As a child (late 1950s), I spent time at the hotel. On Saturday nights, Ina and Bill would spend time in the beer parlour. I, in the front desk office playing with the office equipment. My aunt’s daughter, Marjorie, was the front desk clerk.

Vancouver’s History of Independent Grocery Stores, Vol. 10

Discover one of what used to be many Victoria Drive Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood grocery stores: A & B Grocery.

Groundbreaking Eleanor Collins, The City’s ‘First Lady Of Jazz’

Eleanor Collins, celebrated as "Vancouver's first lady of jazz" and recipient of the Order of Canada, passed away on March 3, 2024, at the age of 104. In tribute to her legacy and to extend our condolences to her family, we are republishing Christine Hagemoen's 2017 article that explores Collins' profound impact on Vancouver's music scene.

Vancouver’s History of Independent Grocery Stores, Vol. 9

In her latest instalment, Christine Hagemoen details the progression of Kong’s Grocery in Strathcona.

Kingsgate, the ‘Little Mall That Could’, Turns 50!

A brief history of one of the last remnants of Mount Pleasant’s working-class origins, still standing as an oasis of resistance to the neighbourhood's gentrification.