Movie stars John Wayne, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rourke, plus royalty such as the King of Siam and Queen Elizabeth II, were among the Empress Hotel's more famous guests. Built in 1908 to accommodate wealthy world travellers, The Empress Hotel (D&M $40) is chronicled by Terry Reksten. Eccentric guests included Florence French, the "Empress dowager" who lived at the Hotel for 42 years and drove an electric car at a top speed of six-miles-per-hour, and John Rowland, a dedicated "lobby sitter" who occupied the same chair by the grandfather clock for over 20 years.
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[BCBW 1997]