Though its real name is Dalvay by the Sea, it has been said that workers at the hotel have answered the phones saying, "White Sands Hotel", and tourists who visit the spot have been known to ask if Simon Tremayne is working that day.
The Sullivan team used Dalvay by the Sea for exterior shots while shooting on location in Prince Edward Island, while interior shots were done in studio. The hotel’s architectural style is known as the Queen Anne Revival Style, which is characterized by bays, gables and dormers all contrasting in textures and colours. Here’s a look at the fascinating history of the hotel and its original owner.
Dalvay by the Sea was built in 1895 as a summer home for Alexander Macdonald, an American oil industrialist who originated from Scotland, but came to America seeking his fortune. Later in his life, he was on vacation in P.E.I and was so taken with the island that he bought 120 acres of land on the north shore and began constructing Dalvay, which was named after his childhood home.
The building was made entirely with local materials, such as red sandstone for the fireplace, and it apparently cost about $50,000 to build and $10,000 to maintain each year, what with a multitude of servants, housekeepers, cooks, butlers, horses etc. to care for. At the end of every summer he would throw a dance for the local people and went to great lengths to keep his many guests entertained all through the summer, with a covered bowling alley, billiards room, many carriages and sailing boat. The family furnished it with pieces from all over the world and travelled there on their own private train, spending many summers at the spot that Macdonald called Dalvay by the Sea.
His two granddaughters, armed with the vast fortune they inherited from their grandfather, went on to marry royalty in Europe. But when their fortune dwindled they sold the resort to its caretaker. Since then, Dalvay passed through many hands until it was sold to the Federal Government at the end of the 1930's. From that point on, Parks Canada has leased it as a private concession and it has undergone many expansions since 1995 to accommodate larger numbers.
In 1995 it was made a national historic site and remains a popular resort hotel. It’s part of the Prince Edward Island National Park – which also contains Green Gables, in Cavendish.
Stay tuned for upcoming blogs about other filming locations in Road to Avonlea!
Sources: http://www.dalvaybythesea.com/2005/history.htm and Beyond Green Gables
