Openings, Sales and Renovations ~ January 2010

The troubled Humber Valley Resort finds a buyer

CORNER BROOK, NL—A buyer has been found for a resort on Newfoundland’s west coast that went bankrupt nearly a year ago, but the trustees for Humber Valley Resort Corp. won’t identify the purchaser until the deal is finalized.

The bankruptcy last December left creditors in Canada and abroad owed more than $100 million.

Humber Valley Resort, a string of upscale chalets around a golf course along the Humber River, attracted European investors, mostly from the United Kingdom, lured by the promise of a return from rental of their chalets.

Bellstar now managing the Adara Hotel in Whistler...

Adara Hotel in Whistler

WHISTLER, BC—The owners of Whistler’s Adara Hotel  are pleased to announce that they have awarded the hotel management contract to Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. 

The contemporary, boutique hotel is located in the centre of Whistler Village. With the addition of The Adara Hotel, Bellstar’s portfolio of boutique and luxury hotels and resorts continues to grow in Western Canada’s key tourism destinations, including the Okanagan Valley, Rocky Mountains and Coastal regions. 

The Adara Hotel adds a third resort to Bellstar’s properties in key ski destinations throughout the province including Pemberton Valley Lodge in Pemberton, BC, and Mountain Spirit Resort & Spa in Kimberley, BC.

The Adara Hotel highlight’s British Columbia’s best contemporary design elements, with a vibrant colour scheme and charismatic décor.  The resort includes 41 fully-outfitted spacious guest rooms in four distinctive room configurations, featuring a walk-in rain shower, luxurious beds, floating electric fireplaces and artful design details, all with stunning views of the surrounding Coastal Mountain range. Common amenities include a rooftop outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, inviting fireside lounge, coffee bar and meeting spaces.

...And Osoyoos band okays Canyon Desert Golf Resort

OSOYOOS, BC—In other Bellstar news, in late November, members of the Osoyoos Indian Band resoundingly voted in favour of moving ahead with the development of Canyon Desert Golf Resort, a new resort community on Band lands in the Oliver area. 

The Land Use Designation Vote had a strong turnout from Band members eager to cast their vote in favour of economic development in South Okanagan region, according to a recent news release.

Experienced developers Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation and Watermark Asset Management Ltd. came together in early 2009 to create an exceptional resort community in this idyllic  South Okanagan town of 4,500. 

They will jointly develop Canyon Desert Golf Resort, a $150-million destination resort community in Oliver, British Columbia. Located on Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course and the shores of Tuc el Nuit Lake, the destination will offer 450 golf and lakefront condominiums, villas and resort lodge suites along with a host of mixed amenities. 

Bellstar manages and develops destination resorts and boutique hotels in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and Coastal Regions.

Putting the finishing touches on Coast Coal Harbour Hotel

Port cochère at Coast Coal Harbour in early December

VANCOUVER—Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on Coast Hotels & Resorts’ new flagship property, the 20-storey, 220-room Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in downtown Vancouver,  in preparation for the hotel’s Olympic opening in mid-January.

The $60 million four-star, full-amenity property located two blocks from the expanded convention centre, at 1180 West Hastings St., will offer a range of accommodation for business and leisure travellers. These range from luxury premium suites on the top floor with spectacular views of the North Shore mountains to view suites with balconies and comfort rooms. 

Hotel rooms average 340 square feet with bathrooms featuring  porcelain tile, freestanding vanities with hand-made stone tops and custom light features.  Light-filled rooms, natural textures with wood finishing in public areas and a range of neutral palettes provides an open, welcoming environment for guests.

All guest room floors have been finished, complete with carpeting, wall coverings and fixtures.  The hotel’s colourful porte-cochère vehicle entry way off West Hastings Street has been completed and work on the Coast Coal Harbour ballroom is in the final stages.  Work is also progressing on the interior of the hotel’s new restaurant.  

The 4,500-square-foot porte-cochère vehicular entry way has a 20-foot-high ceiling of green, blue and yellow coloured, backlit glazing that extends down the two-storey wall between the two lobby entrances.  Inside the hotel, a mix of marble finishes and stone floors accented by coloured glass will adorn the lobby creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

The Coast Coal Harbour Hotel will feature an 5,000-square-foot ballroom and conference facility on the third and fourth floors, which will include 20-foot-high north-facing windows accented by coloured glass. The hotel will also include six private meeting rooms, a full service business centre, a fully equipped gym, locker room and a landscaped podium roof deck on the fifth floor with an outdoor lap pool and hot tub.

The West Pender Street side of the hotel will be the site of a new stand-alone 105-seat restaurant.  Specializing in west coast cuisine, the 2,200-square-foot restaurant’s upper dining area will include 11 private booths.   At street level, the restaurant will feature an 18-foot-long solid cypress communal table surrounded by sleek, red leather chairs set against a backlit wall mural depicting Vancouver’s cityscape. Four levels of underground parking will also be available.

New Whitecourt Holiday Inn Express is No. 19 for Alberta

WHITECOURT, AB—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), opened Whitecourt’s first Holiday Inn Express late last fall. The new-build property will showcase the Holiday Inn Express brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program.  

The relaunch focuses on the things research shows matter most to guests—a modern, contemporary hotel with efficient, friendly service  and a great night’s sleep. 

Located in the ‘snowmobile capital of Alberta’, the 96-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Whitecourt is close to downtown as well as attractions such as Eagle River Recreation Area and Carson Pegasus Provincial Park.  The property is within a short distance of several local businesses including Blue Ridge Lumber Inc, Millar Western Forest Products and Canadian Sub-Surface Energy, making the hotel a convenient option for both business and leisure travellers.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Whitecourt is owned and managed by Mike Li, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 4721  49th Street, Whitecourt, AB T7S 1N5.  

A new trend? Hotels, student residences switching roles

Hotel Alma at University of Calgary

CALGARY, MONTREAL—As a means to attract travellers to the city and to generate extra income, the University of Calgary has opened its own full-service hotel.

Hotel Alma, located on the U of C campus in the northwest part of the city, has 100 guest rooms and suites, a bistro restaurant and conference space for 125 people. 

Bistro Alma is a 40-seat restaurant on the ground floor of the building that also houses a student residence on the first three floors.  

“Hotel Alma will attract more people to our campus and allow those coming to the U of C on business, for academic conferences or to attend cultural events a convenient and top-quality place to stay,” said U of C president Harvey Weingarten, in a statement. 

“Having our own hotel will also allow the university to reinvest some of the $1.5 million spent on hotel rooms each year back into our own programs and facilities.”

Hotel Alma features 85 euro-style standard rooms and 15 one-bedroom suites, daily maid service, Wi-fi Internet access and flat screen TVs. A special opening rate of $109 per night is in effect until December 30.

Conference facilities include five boardroom-style meeting spaces and the 125-person Senate Room for catering and audio-visual presentations. 

In the summer, guests can book 61 two-bedroom suites, the rooms used by students during the school year. They come with microwave, sink and fridge equipped kitchenettes, two double beds, a desk and ergonomic chair, 32-inch flat screen TV and Wi-fi. 

The hotel also serves as a training facility for students looking to work in the hospitality industry. “I think our guests will also be pleased to know that part of their travel budget will go towards improving facilities for our students,” said U of C’s associate vice-provost, residence and ancillary services Voula Cocolakis, in a statement. 

At the same time, universities and colleges are increasingly turning to hotels to relieve an increasing demand for student housing, a trend that began in 2003. In a Globe & Mail article, Bill Stone executive managing director of Colliers International Hotels, said that in this economy, converting hotels into student residences is a boon for universities, hoteliers and students.

For example, McGill University’s newest residence, the Carrefour Sherbrooke, was recently a 20-storey, four star Four Points Sheraton. McGill paid $18.8-million. 

The economy has lowered prices of hotels to numbers not seen since the early 90s. Other properties that have sold at bargain prices include the 240-room Valhalla Inn in Etobicoke, at $15.5 million, and a 199-room Days Inn near Toronto Airport for $12 million.

Hotel to shelter the homeless

VICTORIA, BC—In a report from Victoria, BC, published in the Globe & Mail, Tim Quocksister spent $1.4 million to buy a Traveller’s Inn which he is planning to turn into a temporary shelter for homeless families, with a little help from the city. Quocksister, who runs City Metro properties, says it’s an opportunity to do something good in the community. It’s also an opportunity to turn a profit in these recessionary times.

Hotel Le Germain Calgary to open in January 2010

Guest room at Hôtel Le Germain Calgary

CALGARY—Canada’s boutique-hotel innovator, the family-led Groupe Germain will extend its unique brand of hospitality to Western Canada, as the 143-room Hôtel Le Germain Calgary opens in January.  

“Everything we do aims to create a warm, comfortable ambiance for guests, where the attentive and personalized service is always considerate without ever being indiscreet. 

“These are the little touches that are part of the Germain difference, ” says Hôtel Le Germain Calgary general manager Christopher Vachon. 

The 143-room hotel has oversized windows—that actually open—allowing in plenty of natural light. Rooms feature naturally lit, spa-like bathrooms with rainfall showers, the most comfortable mattresses, Frette linens, goose-down duvets, feather pillows and comfy seating. 

Ecological features include a geothermal heating and cooling system, energy-efficient lighting controlled by occupancy card reader, and the recycling of heat from the air conditioning system to produce the hotel’s hot water.