Winnipeg has been chosen to start the rollout of a $100 million upgrade to 53 Comfort Inns across Canada, being done by InnVest Hotels and Choice Hotels Canada.
InnVest is Canada’s largest hotel owner. InnVest owns a 50 per cent interest in Choice Hotels, which has more than 350 properties open or under development.
The renovation rollout is beginning with a prototype in Winnipeg, which is expected to complete in early 2020, followed by the remaining 52 properties.
InnVest will focus on locations in the southern Ontario, Ottawa and Montreal areas, and has selected four hotels in Ontario and two in Quebec for the second wave of revitalizations.
Winnipeg has a competitive hotel environment, according to industry research firm HVS, which notes that approximately 970 hotel rooms will be added over the next two years in seven new hotels. These include city-centre properties the Sutton Place Hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Winnipeg and the Hyatt Place Winnipeg, as well as a number of new projects at the airport.
“The [hotel] room supply is projected to increase at a stronger pace than demand in these years, leading to a decrease in occupancy,” HVS concluded.
