Victoria’s iconic Strathcona Hotel is going up for sale.
Owned by the Olson family for 79 years, it is hoped the six-storey property at 919 Douglas St., can be sold to a new operator.
Employees at the downtown venue were informed of the sale by letter, which noted “selling a business like the Strath can take years.”
“Should we find a buyer we can’t imagine any major changes happening to the business for several years to come,” said the letter from the Olson family.
A new owner will bring “new energy and ideas to the business which can only be positive,” said the family.
As well as the hotel, the building is home to a a liquor store and a number of entertainment venues including Sticky Wicket, Games Room, Clubhouse, Maple Room, Rooftop Patio and Big Bad John’s.
Its live music venue Wicket Hall, previously known as the Forge, has played host to a number of unforgettable acts, including Seattle grunge band Nirvana in March 1991.
“We got lucky,” said sales manager Joel Chudleigh speaking to Victoria News in 2023. “The experience was amazing. There were about 80 to 100 people that saw them."
Nirvana’s multi-million selling hit 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and breakthrough album 'Nevermind' were released later that same year.
Several other musicians including Meat Loaf, Finger Eleven, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Eddie Money, also played at the venue before becoming famous.
Despite the recent news, it’s business as usual at the hotel; for the year ahead at least.
“We are continuing to make lots of improvements to the property and are planning a busy summer season,” continues the letter to employees. “We are booking conference and concert events into the fall and Joel has already booked Christmas parties for November and December,”
The property is listed on the Canada’s Historic Places website, which says the building was constructed as the Empress Block in 1911, and was originally designed as an office tower.
“The fact that its function was changed to a hotel almost immediately after its construction reflects the shift that was steering Victoria towards a tourism based economy in the early twentieth century,” says the site.
