Residence Inn by Marriott | ? | 15 fl | Approved

[LikeHamilton]

I am back and I found this today.

Took these pictures today at Main and Walnut at the former Modern India Buffet building. This is a sign that is on the newly vacant building. I cannot find anything on the cities web site.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/3078/img6673qa9.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4053/img6675pv7.jpg

[SteelTown]

Very nice! I hope this gets built. I'm assuming it'll require approval from City Hall first?

[Blurr]

I agree, good looking building.

[SteelTown]

The rendering kinda reminds me of what's being built in Montreal.

[crhayes]

Really nice design... like everyone else is saying "I hope this actually gets built". It will definitely give downtown a boost!

[emge]

It'll be an improvement, that's for sure. I especially like all the glass in the rendering and that there will be something with height in place of a one-story building.

However.... I'd sure like to know some names beyond "Mark" of who's behind this and who the architects and builders are for the project :) the # goes back to Gormley (Stouffville area) but no name on it.

[highwater]

Went by today. The lack of branding and names of the parties involved is a red flag as far as I'm concerned. I'm filing this one under "I'll believe it when I see it."

[paleale2]

I believe it will be an "Element" hotel, under the Starwood brand.

[matt602]

Went by today. The lack of branding and names of the parties involved is a red flag as far as I'm concerned. I'm filing this one under "I'll believe it when I see it."

Second http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k201/sugarton/chan/seconded.jpg

[markbarbera]

the # goes back to Gormley (Stouffville area) but no name on it.

You referring to the phone number? The Jackson exchange (52) for the 905 area code is a central Hamilton exchange.

[LikeHamilton]

I did a search for the listed phone number and came back with Modern India Buffet Restaurant 163 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8P1J1 Phone: (905) 524-2815 :???:

[emge]

Went by today. The lack of branding and names of the parties involved is a red flag as far as I'm concerned. I'm filing this one under "I'll believe it when I see it."

Likewise

You referring to the phone number? The Jackson exchange (52) for the 905 area code is a central Hamilton exchange.

I must have mistyped the number while looking it up - my error there.

I believe it will be an "Element" hotel, under the Starwood brand.

Classy, if its true, but that seems doubtful to me, given that their only Ontario planned opening listed is Toronto/2010 (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/element/ourhotels/locations.html), their locations look entirely different from the proposed rendering, and that would seem to be a gamble for that chain/location.

If you're being serious, what's the source of that information?

[matt602]

The designs seem really awkward for the urban locations that they choose. The Times Square West one has a picture of a weird, 4 story suburban box format.

[emge]

I can't imagine that's the actual rendering for the New York site and not a copy-and-paste job.

[coalminecanary]

They all appear to have the same rendering...

[urban_planner]

Does anyone have an example of these renderings?

[emge]

Try the link in my post above for the "only ontario planned opening" - that will take you to the page of planned hotel openings.

[markbarbera]

I was under the impression that this hotel will be an IHG banner, either Intercontinental or Indigo.

I wouldn't read too much into the fact that the branding is not revealed on the signage. The property owner may be drumming up investment partners for the hotel because he doesn't quite meet the investment requirements to secure the franchise, and perhaps he doesn't want to show his hand to rival hoteliers in the city before the franchise deal has closed.

[SteelTown]

Another new hotel is proposed in Downtown at the northeast corner of Main and Walnut streets. A preliminary site plan was submitted to the City in 2008 for 133 suites under the Element by Westin banner.

[urban_planner]

Restaurateur serving up $30m downtown hotel

March 04, 2009
Eric McGuinness
Despite the current economic gloom, the owner of Hamilton’s Modern India Buffet is planning a $30-million, 160-room high-rise hotel with underground parking at the restaurant’s former location on Main Street East at Walnut Street.

Owner-manager Mark Johal, who recently moved the restaurant to Main and Caroline streets, says he and partners own a Hampton Inn in Kitchener and a new Four Points by Sheraton in Cambridge and will soon start construction on an Element by Westin hotel in Cambridge.

He says he will meet city officials next week to review a site plan for the downtown Hamilton property. Plans aren’t final, but currently show a 14-to-16-storey structure with 165 parking spaces on one level underground and two above.

Meanwhile, Ron Marini, director of downtown and community renewal, says city staff met yesterday to review the site plan for a Hilton Homewood Suites at Main and Bay streets planned by hotelier Darko Vranich, who bought the Sheraton Hamilton last year. The city has also approved a loan for a new hotel on Main between Caroline and Bay to replace the Staybridge Suites on Market Street, which is to become a retirement home.

Asked if he expected to go ahead despite the recession hitting Hamilton hard, Johal said, “So far it’s a go.”

He’s aiming to start construction this summer. He said he had hoped to move more quickly, but has to get the Element project under way first.

Johal, with 28 years experience in the hospitality industry in England and Canada, opened Modern India Buffet three years ago after buying and renovating the building that formerly housed a series of watering holes, including L.A. Batts and Don Cherry’s Grapevine.

He then bought and renovated the current site, the one-time El-Mar hotel occupied more recently by a string of nightclubs before being left vacant for several years.

Johal described the proposed hotel as a long-stay facility with kitchenettes, which would qualify for the city’s residential loan program.

Unfazed by the prospect of competing with other existing and planned downtown hotels, Johal said, “You have to create business — or steal business.”

emcguinness@thespec.com
905-526-4650

[emge]

I have to take back my doubts then - that's great that he has experience with the Element brand and that it seems to be the plan for an Element hotel there.

[adam]

There is a rule about economics that seems to have been lost with newspaper journalists... competition is actually good for business. Case in point: Starbuck's on Locke St moved in... and the Locke St Bakery didn't see a decrease in business, you can walk by Saturday morning and see both places packed.

[Dundasguy]

There is a rule about economics that seems to have been lost with newspaper journalists... competition is actually good for business. Case in point: Starbuck's on Locke St moved in... and the Locke St Bakery didn't see a decrease in business, you can walk by Saturday morning and see both places packed.


Gee, I'm convinced.

[FairHamilton]

There is a rule about economics that seems to have been lost with newspaper journalists... competition is actually good for business. Case in point: Starbuck's on Locke St moved in... and the Locke St Bakery didn't see a decrease in business, you can walk by Saturday morning and see both places packed.

Huh? Haven't you railed about competition brought on by Walmart in the past? Am I mistaken?

[FairHamilton]

Now, back on topic. Wouldn’t it be great to have a more developers in Hamilton like this one.

1. Come to town buy and renovate a property. Then run a successful business for a number of years.
2. Buy a vacant property and renovate it for your restaurant.
3. Put development plans in place for the old restaurant location.

I hope he’s successful and if he is then we need a some more like him.

[Jon Dalton]

And one who buys a property when he's ready to do something with it.

I'd wondered about the vacant site on Main/Caroline since living downtown, and then one day all of a sudden heard that Modern had moved there. Last weekend I was in there and it's a stunning renovation, although I'm not sure how far gone the place was after Hypnotiq.

Maybe they owned it for some time before renovating? If so, they were wise not to publicize the fact before they were ready to proceed. Such tactics inevitably induce cynicism such as the case with the Vranichs.

[emge]

Huh? Haven't you railed about competition brought on by Walmart in the past? Am I mistaken?

Not to push it back off-topic, but Starbucks and Walmart do very different things to a market. Walmart undercuts stores and they can't compete for the exact same product.

Starbucks provides a high-quality, expensive product that coffeehouses can and do compete with... as long as they do a slightly different niche (price point, local, different menu, etc.) and try not to imitate Starbucks.

I did a ton of research on this last year that's too boring to repeat, but a good starting point is this lil' article (http://www.slate.com/id/2180301/pagenum/all/).

[urban_planner]

I hate walmart but I love hotels.

[highwater]

I have to take back my doubts then - that's great that he has experience with the Element brand and that it seems to be the plan for an Element hotel there.

At least now we know who 'Mark' is. I'll go from 'doubtful' to cautiously optimistic.

[FairHamilton]

Not to push it back off-topic, but Starbucks and Walmart do very different things to a market. Walmart undercuts stores and they can't compete for the exact same product.

Starbucks provides a high-quality, expensive product that coffeehouses can and do compete with... as long as they do a slightly different niche (price point, local, different menu, etc.) and try not to imitate Starbucks.

I did a ton of research on this last year that's too boring to repeat, but a good starting point is this lil' article (http://www.slate.com/id/2180301/pagenum/all/).


My point to Adam was, is he saying competition is good, as long as it's his terms and conditions, i.e. not true competition.

I won't disagree with Walmart's tactics, but smart, creative competitors can, and do, exactly the same with Walmart as you outlined with Starbucks, i.e. coffeehouses can and do compete with... as long as they do a slightly different niche (price point, local, different menu, etc.) and try not to imitate Starbucks.

Other retailers can offer a different product mix, and fill a slightly different niche at a price point different than Walmarts (i.e. dollar stores and upscale stores).

The local retailer in this article went slightly upscale and thrived; http://www.theglobeandmail.com/partners/free/toyota/catalysts08/articles/oct24/article1.html

My point is that it's not completely black, nor is it completely white.

[adam]

The original point was about hotels. Competition helps out all businesses involved. More hotels will mean Hamilton will have more likelihood of being picked for conferences, sporting events, etc.

Oh yeah, and competition is good for business is not up for debate, you study this trend in first year macroeconomics.


@FairHamilton, will a new bar on Hess be bad for other bars business? If so, why are the Vranichs putting in more than one bar on Hess?
@Dundasguy, Your squelching over the past month has convinced me you're trolling. Hence, I've put you on ignore. Have a nice life!

[WhipperSnapper]

Hotel construction certainly doesn't come down to market demand.

[realcity]

Now, back on topic. Wouldn’t it be great to have a more developers in Hamilton like this one.

1. Come to town buy and renovate a property. Then run a successful business for a number of years.
2. Buy a vacant property and renovate it for your restaurant.
3. Put development plans in place for the old restaurant location.

I hope he’s successful and if he is then we need a some more like him.

Exactly.
If we wait for our local land speculators (so called developers) we'll waste another 30 years.

[realcity]

I can't wait to see this on our skyline. I hope they break ground soon!!

[flar]

I can't believe this isn't under construction yet. Hamilton has so few hotel choices it's not even funny. I can't think of a city in Canada with over 100,000 people that has fewer hotel rooms than downtown Hamilton.

[FRM]

I can't believe this isn't under construction yet. Hamilton has so few hotel choices it's not even funny. I can't think of a city in Canada with over 100,000 people that has fewer hotel rooms than downtown Hamilton.

I was thinking the same thing the other day walking past the empty Sheraton front entrance. For a city of this size there should be at least more than two hotels the size of Sheraton, Crowne Plaza etc.

[realcity]

London Ontario

http://aff.bstatic.com/images/hotel/org/142/1420570.jpg

http://images.hotel-rates.com/hotels/YXU_STAT-exter-1.jpg

http://images.hotel-rates.com/hotels/EVT_4050-exter-1.jpg

http://media.expedia.com/hotels/2000000/1480000/1472700/1472693/1472693_8_b.jpg

http://www.staycanada.ca/large_images/photos/ON/32/im_1248013207.jpg

http://homewoodsuites1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hotels/content/YXUHWHW/media/images/YXUHWHW_Homewood_Suites_by_Hilton_London_Ontario_home_right.jpg

http://www.staycanada.ca/large_images/photos/ON/32/im_1247930034.jpg

http://www.staycanada.ca/large_images/photos/ON/32/im_1247926790.jpg

http://www.staycanada.ca/large_images/photos/ON/32/im_1247014354.jpg

http://www.radisson.com/rad/images/hotels/ONLONDON/home4_450.jpg

http://image.pegs.com/content/h/h1h/h1h6/h1h6q/h1h6ql0n_j.jpg

http://www.londoncannonballs.ca/nationals/delta.jpg

[flar]

I was just in Regina and there were 7 or 8 major downtown hotels.

[urban_planner]

These guys were at comittee of adjustment last week for a parking variance, Looks like they are still working towards developing the hotel.

[coalminecanary]

good luck. it takes a year and a half in this city to open a 22 person capacity lunch bar. these guys have probably been in a spaghetti tangle of variances since the day they put that sign on the building.

[emge]

These guys were at comittee of adjustment last week for a parking variance, Looks like they are still working towards developing the hotel.

Great to know they're still in the game and working on it.

[SteelTown]

It's going to be Residence Inn by Marriott.

I have a bunch of floorplans for the Hotel, black and white.

[SteelTown]

15 storey, 132 rooms and six levels of parking.

[SteelTown]

Changed the title from Main & Walnut Hotel Inn & Suites to Residence Inn by Marriott.

[realcity]

is this 15 floors plus 6 parking?

or 6 floors underground parking. I hope street level is not parking.

[SteelTown]

The Committee of Adjustment granted their application.

85 parking spaces instead of 132 and 2 barrier-free parking space instead of 3.

[SteelTown]

Basement - pool, hot tub, kitchen, laundry, storage, office space
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/hammer396/basementhotel.jpg

Ground floor - parking level 1, lobby, restaurant
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/hammer396/hotel.jpg

Second floor - parking level 2, meeting rooms
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/hammer396/hotelsecond.jpg

Third floor - parking level 3, hotel suites
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/hammer396/hotel3.jpg

Fourth and Fifth floor - parking level 4, hotel suites
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/hammer396/hotel4.jpg

Sixth floor - hotel suites
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/hammer396/hotel5.jpg

[Jon Dalton]

Is this the same design as the rendering on page 1? I'm glad the parking is not fronting Main, above ground parking always looks butt ugly from street level. But whatever. This is the first private new construction in downtown since how long ago? 20 years?

[SteelTown]

Yea from what I can tell it's the same as page 1. Looks like there's a 5 floor base and then from floor 6 to 15 it looks like an L shape, which would allow all suites with window views.

At least the above parking part won't face Main/Walnut, it's at the back section.

[realcity]

Jon, wait until we see a crane