Downtown Victoria Tour

Douglas Street – 1400 Block

1450 Douglas Street – Hotel Rialto

The Hotel Rialto (1450 Douglas Street and 653 Pandora Avenue) was originally built in 1911 by architect L.W. Hargreaves for Lim Bang as a “hotel and stores.” It opened in 1911 as the Prince George Hotel.

It was closed in 1917 when Prohibition was introduced in British Columbia but was re-opened under the name Hotel Douglas in 1918 and operated under that name until 2007, when it closed for major renovations and re-opened under the name Hotel Rialto in 2009.

The building is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places as the Hotel Douglas.

The Hotel Rialto, 1450 Douglas Street. Originally built at the Prince George Hotel in 1911, it became the Hotel Douglas from 1920 to 2007, when the present owners renovated it as the Hotel Rialto.

The Hotel Rialto, 1450 Douglas Street. Originally built at the Prince George Hotel in 1911, it became the Hotel Douglas from 1920 to 2007, when the present owners renovated it as the Hotel Rialto.

The Hotel Rialto, 1450 Douglas Street. Originally built at the Prince George Hotel in 1911, it became the Hotel Douglas from 1920 to 2007, when the present owners renovated it as the Hotel Rialto.

The Hotel Rialto, 1450 Douglas Street. Originally built at the Prince George Hotel in 1911, it became the Hotel Douglas from 1920 to 2007, when the present owners renovated it as the Hotel Rialto.

The photo below shows the Hotel Douglas in 2006 before it was converted into the Hotel Rialto.

The Douglas Hotel in 2006, before being renovated into the Hotel Rialto.

The Douglas Hotel in 2006, before being renovated into the Hotel Rialto.

Here is a map showing the location of the Hotel Rialto, 1450 Douglas Street:

Here is a Google Street View image of 1450 Douglas Street:

Additional Information About the Hotel Rialto, 1450 Douglas Street

  • Assessed Value (July 2019): $9,903,000; Land $2,058,000 Buildings $7,845,000
  • Assessed Value (July 2018): $9.943,000; Land $1,821,000 Buildings $8,122,000
  • Assessed Value (July 2017): $9.336,000; Land $1,455,000 Buildings $7,881,000
  • Assessed Value (July 2016): $8.638,000; Land $1,383,000 Buildings $7,255,000
  • Assessed Value (July 2015): $7.643,000; Land $1,192,000 Buildings $6,451,000
  • Assessed Value (July 2014): $6.871,000; Land $1,127,000 Buildings $5,744,000
  • Canadian Register of Historic Places

A Brief History of 1450 Douglas Street

The Hotel Rialto (1450 Douglas Street and 653 Pandora Avenue) was originally built in 1911 by architect L.W. Hargreaves for Lim Bang as a “hotel and stores.” It opened in 1911 as the Prince George Hotel.

The original building permit, issued to Lim Bang by the City of Victoria in April 1911, described a “new reinforced concrete building, 5 story, 120 rooms” intended for use as a “hotel and stores” with an estimated construction cost of $100,000.

Lim Bang opened the new hotel under the name Prince George Hotel and it was operated under that name until 1917, when it closed as a result of B.C. introducing Prohibition in 1917.

Although Prohibition was not repealed until 1921, the hotel re-opened in 1918 under the name Hotel Douglas. It operated under the name Hotel Douglas – commonly known locally as “the Dougie” – until 2007.

The current owner, Danilo Danzo, purchased the Hotel Douglas in 2000. It was closed for renovations in 2007 and re-opened in 2009 as the Hotel Rialto, named for the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy.

The building was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Here are links to some historic photographs of 1450 Douglas Street:

1915 advertisement for the Hotel Prince George, now the Rialto Hotel, 1450 Douglas Street. (Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours collection)

1915 advertisement for the Hotel Prince George, now the Rialto Hotel, 1450 Douglas Street. (Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours collection)

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