Calgary’s Latest Luxe Hotel Is an Ode to Oscar Wilde
Range Rover & SHARP
In 2022, Calgary welcomed a brand new $72 million concept hotel to its downtown core. Inspired by the late great literary and cultural icon Oscar Wilde, Autograph Collection’s The Dorian Hotel is quite the all-encompassing hedonistic experience. With 133 rooms, a fitness centre, two unique dining spaces and a stunning rooftop patio, The Dorian is a luxurious boutique space with a culinary focus, and a splash of European charm.
Oscar Wilde was not only a revered writer, but a tried and true bon-vivant with a penchant for the finer things in life — ideas he poured into his much-celebrated gothic (and only) novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, the hotel’s namesake. Wilde was a leader at the forefront of aestheticism, travelling extensively, spending excessively and indulging himself in splendour. This is reflected across the property’s interior design, from pops of colour, golden embellishments, bold wallpaper prints, stocked bar carts, and champagne flutes in guest rooms.
Mr. Wilde famously declared: “I can’t stand people who do not take food seriously”, so naturally the dining spaces are integral to the experience of The Dorian. At ground level, Prologue cafe sits pretty with mosaic floors, a sleek baby grand, boulangerie eats, brunch bites, an afternoon tea menu, a lavish 24 layer chocolate cake, and a polished cocktail menu of flavour-packed libations. With subtle Parisian flair, Prologue perfectly channels the essence of a good lobby bar. Happy Hour provides the seamless transition from day to night, with elevated casual fare like British fish & chips available on the dinner menu.
The Dorian Hotel
The Dorian Hotel
The Dorian Hotel
The Dorian Hotel
The Dorian Hotel
The Dorian is home to the city’s only immersive dining experience, Le Petit Chef, a 3D animated dinner “show” that presents “the world’s tiniest chef” amid a 120 minute culinary adventure. Diners enjoy real plates, digitally rustled up table-side by the miniature chef in an evening of intrigue and joviality.
For the crème de la crème of Wildean opulence, a short elevator ride to the 27th floor provides access to The Wilde on 27, a sky-high fine-dining restaurant led by executive chef Joshua Dyer with a small but unrivalled patio that is the hot ticket to high-end alfresco dining in Calgary. Grand both indoor and out, think colourful platings, dry ice, and cocktails replete with a “bump” of caviar. A beautiful room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows proffering uninhibited city views, refined wines, a menu displayed in a hardback book and spread over “acts”; this truly feels like the type of backdrop to an upscale social scene that Wilde himself would have thrived within.
Wilde beautifully captured his own life ethos by instructing readers to: “live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations.” To that sentiment, The Dorian brings a real taste of the good life to Calgary for all those bold enough to indulge their inner epicureans for a night or two.
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