Groundbreaking move by Hyatt
Chain's first extended-stay hotel in Canada set for Winnipeg
By: Ryan Thorpe
Posted: 06/18/2018 4:00 AM | Last Modified: 06/18/2018 8:49 AM
The Hyatt hotel chain is coming to the city, with an extended-stay location expected to be operating in south Winnipeg by next summer.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held last week at 700 Sterling Lyon Pkwy.
"I think this represents what’s going on in Winnipeg. It’s a very positive vibe here, lots of development. This whole area has developed out over the last number of years in a very positive way, creating lots of new jobs and amenities for Winnipeggers, and this is a continuation of that," Coun. Marty Morantz said.
The Hyatt House hotel will be a six-storey complex with 135 units. Eighty units will have full kitchens. There will also be 3,500 square feet of meeting space on the main floor, a swimming pool and a gym.
The project has been in the works for 18 months, said developer Anupam Kothari, president of Kothari Group.
"We see a lot of potential in Winnipeg. We felt this area was under-serviced for hotels. This will be an extended-stay location. There are no extended-stay options in south Winnipeg at all," Kothari said.
It will also be the first extended-stay Hyatt operation, which is marketed under the Hyatt House brand, in Canada, as well as the first Hyatt location in Winnipeg.
Another Hyatt hotel is in the works in the city, on the 100 block of Portage Avenue.
Scott Richer, Hyatt’s vice-president of real estate and development, said it was time for the company to break into the Winnipeg market, which it considers more stable than other parts of Western Canada.
"This is huge for us. Winnipeg is a major urban centre. It’s an important market for all sorts of reasons. Geographically, it’s important. Economically, I think it’s strategic for us to be here. It’s a gateway to Western Canada," Richer said.
"The city has been doing great. It’s humming along. It never booms and busts like it does out in Alberta. It’s pretty steady here. Year in and year out, it gets its fair share of western prosperity, but it’s also very balanced. The growth in some areas has been astonishing."
The other Hyatt project in Winnipeg is under construction. It will open after the extended-stay location project.
The extended-stay location will feature rooms and amenities traditionally associated more with an apartment or condo than a hotel, Kothari said, which both he and Hyatt hope will help set the branch apart from competitors.
"We’re a 60-year-old company that prides itself on its reputation for quality. We put quality over quantity. It’s going to be very unique. It’s going to be a very upscale experience. But it’s also going to be very approachable, too," Richer said.
Know of any newsworthy or interesting trends or developments in the local office, retail, industrial or multi-family residential sectors? Let us know at
business@freepress.mb.ca.
ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe
Ryan Thorpe
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bu...485795071.html