The Billionaire and The Bayshore
When the Bayshore Inn opened on Vancouver’s Coal Harbour waterfront in March, 1961, it represented a new modern direction for the city.
Built on reclaimed tidal flats near Stanley Park, the $6 million hotel opened with 308 rooms overlooking the harbour and North Shore mountains. Vancouver architect Reno C. Negrin was credited with its International Style design, although some historical sources attribute the work to Douglas C. Simpson. The original building was joined in 1970 by a striking Brutalist-inspired 20 story tower, substantially expanding the waterfront hotel.
And then Howard Hughes arrived.
In the early morning hours of March 14, 1972, the famously reclusive billionaire, aviator and Hollywood producer slipped into the Bayshore accompanied by an entourage of security guards and personal staff. Hughes took up residence in the penthouse of the recently completed tower, with his entourage occupying the floors directly below. Some accounts say as many as the top three floors were set aside for Hughes and his staff, with one serving as a buffer.
He stayed for nearly six months.
Hughes had already largely disappeared from public view by the early 1970s, after four years of isolation in Las Vegas, and his presence at the Bayshore quickly attracted international attention. Reporters and photographers descended on the luxury hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of the world’s richest and most mysterious man, but he never left his room.
Hughes finally departed Vancouver on August 30, 1972, five and a half months after arriving. Canadian authorities had granted him the customary six month period before tax implications would come into play. Rather then establish residency, Hughes left the Bayshore and flew to Nicaragua, later moving on to London, the Bahamas and, ultimately, Acapulco, bringing one of the strangest chapters in Vancouver hotel history to an end.
Hughes was far from the only famous name associated with the Bayshore. The hotel itself had gained international attention, mentioned in LIFE magazine as one of the world’s most beautiful hotels. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed there, as did Prince Charles, John Wayne, Bob Hope and countless other entertainers, dignitaries and public figures over the years. Led Zeppelin even held a press conference at the hotel in 1970 as the band kicked off a North American tour.
The Bayshore was also home to one of Vancouver’s great pieces of midcentury exotica: Trader Vic’s. Opened alongside the hotel in 1961, the Polynesian restaurant occupied its own distinctive A-frame building overlooking the water. With its tropical décor and exotic cocktails, it became a destination in its own right and remained a Vancouver institution for nearly four decades.
The Bayshore Inn officially became the Westin Bayshore in 1981, and today much of its midcentury pedigree remains visible. The original 1961 wing survives alongside the former Terrace Grill pavilion, now used by the hotel’s restaurant, and opposite the 1970 tower, offering a rare glimpse of the property’s architectural evolution.
Now celebrating its 65th anniversary, the hotel hasn’t forgotten its most mysterious guest. Howard Hughes remains part of the Bayshore mythology, beginning with the penthouse suite where he spent those six strange months, known today as the Howard Hughes Suite.
The connection extends downstairs as well. H2 Kitchen + Bar offers a subtle wink to those famous initials, while the H Tasting Lounge draws inspiration from Hughes and the glamour of his earlier Hollywood years.
For a man determined not to be seen, Howard Hughes certainly left his mark on the place.
Visit the Westin Bayshore here.
Written by Ken MacIntyre © Modtraveler.net
Archival footage of Howard Hughes promoting aviation, circa 1938
