Today marks a special milestone for the iconic Lord Elgin hotel.

The historic downtown hotel turns 75 years old and was officially opened on this day in 1941 by Prime Minister Mackenzie King.

The twelve-storey building has seen a lot of change in the downtown core, just a short walk to Parliament Hill and the Byward Market.

The Lord Elgin has had its share of high profile guests including the Dalai Lama and U2's front man Bono, who visited in 2004 during a meeting with then Prime Minister Paul Martin.