Bellstar will complete the amenities at Solara Resort

CALGARY-Hard to believe that Bellstar Hotels & Resorts is just six years old. Since 2004, the company has brought a more than a dozen boutique properties into its resort operations and development portfolio, and made its mark on the real estate and hospitality industry.

The latest acquisition is Solara Resort Spa in Canmore, Alberta. Bellstar is committed to completing the original vision for this full service luxury resort. The property, located in the popular Rocky Mountain resort community of Canmore, has all of its 214 one, two, and three-bedroom resort suites completed and fully furnished at a five star level, but the amenities still have to be finished.

Solara Resort is Bellstar’s latest acquisition

"The Bellstar team will complete the resort based on the original design and more to create the most welcoming resort accommodation and amenities in Canmore for guests looking to experience the mountain lifestyle of the Canadian Rockies," said Ed Romanowski, president and CEO of Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. "We plan to be fully operational in July 2010, with amenities opening as they're completed."

Construction of the 38,000 sq. ft. amenities area should be completed by early next year. Amenities will include a holistic health spa, pools, restaurant, deli, coffee shop, convenience shop and fitness centre.  In addition, the property will appeal to the conference market with the installation of a full service convention and meeting centre, complete with 200-seat theatre.

Bellstar's first project was the management of Mystic Springs Resort in Canmore.

The name, Bellstar, was chosen, partly because it reflected the idea of a bellman or doorman, but also because the first few letters happened to represent the first names of the four owners of the company-Barry, Ed, Linda and Leon, Romanowski told CLN.

Romanowski has been in the tourism and hospitality industry since 1975-and in the service industry for 43 years if you count work in his family's service stations while growing up.

Many projects on the go

Solara is just the latest of many ongoing Bellstar projects.

Phase 3 of Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos, BC is now underway. It will feature 37 luxurious villas, tucked between desert cliffs and Sonora Dunes Golf Course, with spectacular views of Lake Osoyoos and the Okanagan Valley.

Romanowski calls Oliver, BC "The Tuscany of Canada" with its 165 wineries. Bellstar plans to develop Canyon Desert Golf Resort in Oliver. The resort will be the first fully integrated destination resort in the Oliver area, with 450 golf and lakefront residences, villas and resort suites.

In the Kootenay area of BC, Bellstar has begun to survey land and sell resort properties for the Kokanee Springs Resort Club in Crawford Bay. Kokanee Springs was once named Canada's most under-rated golf course, by Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine. Its owner has retained Bellstar to conceive and execute a development master plan that will include up to 1,500 cottages, homes and suites over the next 10 to 20 years.

In other news, Bellstar recently added Patti Smith to their management team as chief financial officer. A chartered accountant, she comes to Bellstar from her own consulting company, Polar Peaks Services, which has worked with ski and resort operators to explore real estate opportunities and achieve acquisition goals.