Coast Hotels & Resorts announced today it has signed an
agreement with OHR Springs Management Ltd. to rebrand the 186-room
Residence Inn by Marriott in Whistler, B.C. as the Coast Blackcomb
Suites at Whistler effective December 15th, 2009. The hotel will be
operated as a Coast Hotels & Resorts franchise.
Considered one of Whistler’s premier hotel properties,
the six-floor, ski-in, ski-out lodge-style hotel situated on the
slopes of Blackcomb Mountain is managed by O’Neill
Hotels & Resorts Ltd.
“Ever since Coast Hotels & Resorts left Whistler
two years ago, we’ve been looking for a suitable
property that would allow us to re-enter this highly sought-after
market,” said Graeme Barrit, President of Coast Hotels
& Resorts. “The addition of this prestigious hotel
to our portfolio gives Coast Hotels & Resorts a much stronger
presence in the Victoria, Vancouver, Whistler tourism triangle. The
addition of the Whistler hotel will also complement our other snow
resort properties in Sun Peaks and Revelstoke.”
“The Coast Hotels & Resorts’ brand is
widely respected and the hotel chain is well represented in western
Canada and the western United States, which was a key consideration
for the strata council,” said John Hopkins, Vice Chair
of the Blackcomb Springs Strata Council. “The high
quality of the franchise services they offer plus the fact the
company is located in our own backyard made Coast Hotels &
Resorts a natural choice for us.”
The property's transition to the Coast Hotels & Resorts flag is
a perfect fit," said John O'Neill, President and CEO of O'Neill
Hotels & Resorts. "We have complete confidence the new
relationship will benefit all stakeholders and ensure the property
will maintain its segment-leading status."
O'Neill Hotels & Resorts Chairman Robert O'Neill added, "With
the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Games coming to Whistler in less
than six months from now, there couldn't have been a better time to
move forward with the re-flagging of this world-class
property.”
The Whistler property is an all-suite, condo-style hotel located at
the base of Blackcomb Mountain. The hotel offers a range of
accommodation to meet every traveler’s needs from
spacious, luxuriously appointed studio suites to one and
two-bedroom units all containing fully equipped kitchens, gas
fireplaces and balconies, some with breathtaking mountain views.
The hotel also features onsite ski and sporting equipment rental, a
heated outdoor pool, whirlpool, fitness facility and 1,242 sq. ft.
of meeting space.
With the addition of the Whistler property, Coast Hotels &
Resorts will have added 14 properties to the chain’s
portfolio over the last four years. The company recently opened
hotels in Chilliwack, Sun Peaks and Williams Lake, B.C. and
Edmonton, Alberta. With the opening this year of new hotels in
Lethbridge, Alberta, downtown Vancouver, and now Whistler, Coast
Hotels & Resorts will have 42 hotels with 5,703 rooms in Canada
and the U.S.
About Whistler, B.C.
Located 120 km north of Vancouver between the two peaks of
Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler is one of the
top ten year-round resorts in North America. Whistler has received
numerous awards and accolades including the "Number One Ski Resort
in North America," "One of the best golf resorts in the world" and
"Best overall resort design." While best known as a world class ski
centre and home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, it is equally
attractive as a summer destination with a wide range of activities
including great golfing, hiking, swimming, sunbathing on lakeside
beaches, white water rafting, fly fishing, cycling and zip lining.
Visitors can still ski during the summer months on glaciers high in
the mountains or take a gondola or chair lift up the mountains to
admire the spectacular views.
About Coast Hotels &
Resorts
Coast Hotels & Resorts is a leading hotel chain in western
North America. The company's philosophy of serving its guests
through a superior standard of value, hospitality and service
enables its continuing expansion. Coast Hotels & Resorts now
owns, manages and franchises 42 hotel and resort properties located
throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, the
Western United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Visit
www.coasthotels.com or
call 1-800-663-1144 for more information.
About O'Neill Hotels &
Resorts
O'Neill
Hotels & Resorts is one of Canada's most trusted and
progressive hotel-management companies. After playing a pivotal
role in the creation of Canada's first Real Estate Investment
Trust, Canadian Hotel Income Properties (CHIP REIT), O'Neill Hotels
& Resorts transformed itself in a boutique manager specializing
in resorts, full-service and strata-ownership properties. Brothers
Robert and John O'Neill bring more than 50 years of combined
hospitality-industry experience to the firm, and their astute
management skills have earned international praise for properties
operating under the O'Neill Hotels & Resorts umbrella.
-end-
For additional information, please contact:
Martin Livingston
Living Communications Inc.
Vancouver
(604) 657-8234