Bombay Peggy's is an inn and pub located in Dawson City, Canada. This inn is a block away from the Yukon River and features the 1900s home and brothel converted into an inn in 1999. The pub adjoining the inn is known for its classic beverages such as scotch, beer, wine, and featured cocktails. There are nine rooms available to reserve at Bombay Peggy's. Each room is decorated with colorful wall paint, antique decorations, and historic furnishings. Wendy the owner of the property is dedicated to keeping her inn well kept despite its age and making it possible for each of her guests to have a relaxing stay. Bombay Peggy's is open year-round.
Dawson City is part of the Yukon province in northwestern Canada, just an hour and a half away from Alaska. It is where Bombay Peggy's Inn and Pub is situated, and the property is located just a block and a half away from the Yukon River on the town's western border. The property is located on a street corner and has a small amount of lawn space dotted with multi-colored flowers. A unique aspect of the property's appearance is its maroon roofing. The majority of the building is white, though there are dark green accents around the windows and along the edges of the structure.
The owner of the property is Wendy Cairns, who describes Bombay Peggy's as a "quirky and small boutique-style inn." It is a Victorian building of historical significance. Inside of the building is nine guest rooms. Three of these rooms are small and do not have access to private bathrooms, while the other six rooms are larger in size and offer private half-baths in each. Their colors generally distinguish the different rooms at Bombay Peggy's. For example, the Lipstick Room is a bright red color, and the Gold Room has motifs that match its name. Many people who visit the property already have a room in mind to stay in, all depending on their personal preferences.
Though the property is old, it has been restored and furnished with essential amenities of the twenty-first century, such as WiFi, large flat-screen televisions, phones, refrigerators, bathrobes, and "well-acquainted" air conditioning. In addition to the inn, Bombay Peggy's is also known for its pub. This classic-style bar provides drinking options such as scotch, beer, wine, and weekly featured drinks. The pub places a particular emphasis on its cocktails and martinis.
Bombay Peggy's season of operation can vary from year to year. Still, typically they open sometime in late February or early March and close in mid to late November. Wendy says that they don't tend to have a trending "busy season," and that things fluctuate frequently. Bombay Peggy's is not a bed and breakfast, but rather an inn. However, they still serve croissants to visiting guests, and there are a handful of options nearby for a more complete breakfast.
Bombay Peggy's Inn and Pub has a culture that is best described as a Victorian-style, historic atmosphere. Though the property has been restored and furnished with modern features and amenities, the building itself is over a century old. That age gives it a unique vibe, primarily due to the fact that the home was, at one point, a brothel. The different colorfully-thematic rooms at Bombay Peggy's are also of special note. Nearly all of the nine bedrooms have a color-themed choice that directly correlates with the room's name.
Wendy Cairns—who currently owns the property—explains that many visitors will have a specific room picked out in their minds where they hope to stay. This is oftentimes done in accordance with the guest's favorite color. Wendy has noted that there are two primary demographics of people who attend Bombay Peggy's. The first is younger, hip urban people seeking unique experiences. The second is older guests—typically in pairs, as a married couple—searching for places of historical significance.
Dawson City is known historically for having participated in the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. Gold mining is still a prominent industry in the Yukon region, and many of the older mines have been preserved and are available for touring. Wendy took this into account when decorating the property. Thus, guests will find a small assortment of antique Gold Rush period furniture on-site. Some popular activities of the area include sightseeing and walking tours of the surrounding natural landscape.
Visitors to Bombay Peggy's often comment on the property's well-kept maintenance despite its age, as well as the cleanliness, and the bathrooms. Due to the joint nature of Bombay Peggy's (being both an inn and a pub), reviews often mix the two into one conglomerate group. One such comment states, "Great service, fantastic character and atmosphere. Added bonus is the pub with boutique cocktails and Yukon beer."
Another positive reviewer said, "Adorable rooms and friendly staff. Would definitely recommend staying here if you can. The bar and patio were a great surprise. Loved the vibe. Morning coffee and afternoon port in the lounge is fantastic." Wendy says that people frequently seem surprised when they discover the inn, due to the fact that it is in a small area. She personally considers it to be a "small gem" of the city.
The house, currently known as Bombay Peggy's Inn and Pub, was built in the year 1900. Though the early portions of its history are not known in much detail, the original owners of the property were involved in the mining industry, and later on, it was taken over by people who used it primarily as a family dwelling as well as a boarding house.
In the early 1940s, the house was purchased and managed by Margaret Vera Dorval, better known as Bombay Peggy. She had obtained the nickname during her time in Shanghai, China, in times of war. Her boyfriend would reportedly fly by—he was a pilot—and throw presents for Margaret out of the aircraft's bomb bay doors. Bombay Peggy began running a bootlegging business and brothel in the house, gaining additional notoriety. Eventually, it was vacated, and the home started sinking into the swamp, rotting and forgotten. It was in this condition that Wendy Cairns—the current owner of Bombay Peggy's—found the building in 1998.
Despite the poor conditions it was in, Wendy saw the distinct beauty of the property, and her previous experience in the lodging industry led her to come up with the idea of converting the old house into an inn. After fourteen months of extensive construction and restoration—as well as moving the building itself halfway across Dawson City—the building was reopened as Bombay Peggy's Inn and Pub.
Inn & Pub
Wendy Cairns
