Old Barley Market

Merritt's most historical building, the Coldwater Hotel was named after the river that flows past Merritt and through the Coquihalla Pass. William McIntyre built the first Coldwater Hotel in 1908, a two story structure with 12 rooms located on the corner across the street from our present location. With the influx of business because of the opening of the coal mines surrounding Merritt and an increase in the ranching economy, business expanded and the current Coldwater Hotel was officially opened in May 1910. The structure has three stories, with seven foot balconies, and fifty rooms. The cost of construction in those days was around $6,000. The Coldwater was a popular hotel and said to be one of the finest dollar-a-day hostelries in the interior of BC.