Esther's Inn & Tradewinds Restaurant

Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

Opened in 1980 by Henry Creuzot and named after his wife, Esther.

It was previously a couple of stand-alone hotels that were acquired by the owners, who connected everything by building a huge atrium over the top of the grounds and creating gardens around the pools, etc.

Esther's established itself as a great weekend party destination for the locals because where else could you immerse yourself in the tropics during those harsh Northern winters, short of taking an actual plane trip?

This 126-room-hotel featured tons of plants (especially in its atrium area), skylights, indoor pools with waterslides, and 5 jacuzzis. The main atrium was HUGE, with gardens dotted by bridges, masks, and tikis in addition to the pools and jacuzzis.

As far as decor, they were able to acquire many pieces from The Outrigger (later The Bamboo House) after it closed. Among these was an outrigger canoe and some of the tikis at the entrance to their Tradewinds Restaurant.

Their "Esther's Monsoon Lounge" was sandwiched in between their Tradewinds Restaurant and the main entrance/atrium. It featured Oceanic Arts masks on the walls which appear to have made it through the remodeling to its current incarnation.

Their Tradewinds Restaurant and its Orchid Dining Room also had a large outdoor "gazebo" under a thatch roof overlooking the atrium gardens.

The hotel was later remodeled @2014 and is now a Super 8.

Although it has lost much of its earlier charm, there are still tiki details to be found, and some of the masks remain on the walls.