In the Niagara Falls of today you can find plenty of top-notch hotels and Inns offering luxurious accommodations, delicious food and spectacular views of the falls. In 1822 this wasn’t the case. It took an entrepreneur named William Forsyth to build a three story high hotel constructed of clapboard with covered verandahs overlooking the falls. The Pavilion Hotel at that time stood where The Tower Hotel is now found in the Fallsview area overlooking Niagara Falls. It could accommodate 150 guests in style; many remained for weeks and some for months.

In an 1836 guidebook the hotel was described this way, “the pavilion has an imposing appearance, and from the observatory on its roof visitors have an extensive view of the surrounding country”.

The hotel remained until February 19, 1839, when a furious fire burned it to the ground. It was never re-built.

The Fallsview area today includes majestic hotels and dining facilities still offering the same view patrons in the 1820’s and 30’s enjoyed.