Canadian City Proposals - Page 233

Black Star · #**4641** Posted **Mar 12, 2012, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool maudit

the w chain is at the point where it is going to the edmontons of the world. good for edmonton, bad for w.

You might want to update you're perception of Edmonton. Its not the city it use to be even 5 years ago. Its growing up and becoming a very cosmopolitan place to live...work and visit.

dansk · #**4642** Posted **Mar 12, 2012, 8:42 PM**

Don't see the W coming to Edmonton soon. Not because the city couldn't support it, but because there is a lot of other chains that would be better fits. I have know doubt that there will be a few new higher end hotels entering the Edmonton Core as the city is actually developing its core these days, and in 5 years it will be something to actually talk about. But I just don't see the W being the hotel that is coming to town at this point...but I've been wrong before.

Coldrsx · #**4643** Posted **Mar 12, 2012, 8:47 PM**

^I would agree with that. Going to be interesting to see as there are 3 downtown hotels in 'play' potentially.

Ramako · #**4644** Posted **Mar 12, 2012, 8:54 PM**

I expected Edmonton's first 200+ metre tower to be an office building anchored by an oil company. No Canadian city outside of Toronto has a residential and/or hotel tower over 200 metres (to the roof - sorry Van). It would be quite the feather in Edmonton's cap and would speak to the cultural strength of its city centre.

Coldrsx · #**4645** Posted **Mar 12, 2012, 9:12 PM**

I can promise you that if we get a hotel built, it will not be over 200m... likely more around 100m

TallBob · #**4646** Posted **Mar 12, 2012, 11:36 PM**

Ramaco: Unfortunatly, that's probably going to be that way for a long time. Calgary, Edmonton, ect., are populated with a lot of folks who just have'nt accepted/care too live in an urban/dense/high-rise environment. That's not nessassarily bad or good, that's just the way it is.... for now anyway.

Echoes · #**4647** Posted **Mar 13, 2012, 3:49 PM**

A scale model of the Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan unveiled yesterday:

Source

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echoes

Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK

Recent winner of the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence, it was designed by Bruce Kuwabara of KPMB Architects. Construction is slated to begin in 2012. The gallery bears the name of the local Remai family after the family's matriarch donated $30 million to the new gallery, the second largest donation to an art gallery in Canadian history.

Source

rapid_business · #**4648** Posted **Mar 13, 2012, 4:02 PM**

/\ So is it a performing arts centre + gallery?

Echoes · #**4649** Posted **Mar 13, 2012, 4:20 PM**

The performing arts centre (Remai Arts Centre) that is pictured in the renderings is already built and operating at this location. The gallery will wrap around and connect to the existing facility.

The gallery and performing arts centre will form the entertainment/cultural complex that anchors 'River Landing' - a redevelopment of Saskatoon's south downtown and riverfront.

bkd · #**4650** Posted **Mar 13, 2012, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Shang I cannot see.... nor 4 seasons unless the Sutton is rebranded again.

Le Germain would be awesome to have and W would bring a nice change from the current group of pretty bland looking major hotels.

I completely agree on the bolded.

Re: Shangri La / Seasons, just figured that I'd shoot for the stars.. but yeah, as you say, unlikely. Though I'm sure stranger things have happened.

Hali87 · #**4651** Posted **Mar 13, 2012, 8:44 PM**

That Saskatoon gallery reminds me a lot of the new central library under construction here in Halifax:

Dylan Leblanc · #**4652** Posted **Mar 13, 2012, 8:47 PM**

seems like it's not just TO that has a thing for boxes

WhipperSnapper · #**4653** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:26 AM**

Why would a hotel chain reject a city? Aren't most hotels owned by REITs and pension funds? They'd be complete fools not to go ahead if one of these guys approached a brand and met every condition.

Robertpuant · #**4654** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Why would a hotel chain reject a city? Aren't most hotels owned by REITs and pension funds? They'd be complete fools not to go ahead if one of these guys approached a brand and met every condition.

High-end hotels have an image to build/maintain. They can't just build hotels everywhere or multiples ones in the same city. Exclusivity has a price.

trueviking · #**4655** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Why would a hotel chain reject a city? Aren't most hotels owned by REITs and pension funds? They'd be complete fools not to go ahead if one of these guys approached a brand and met every condition.

they are selling a brand....you cant see how protecting the image of that brand isnt in their best interest?....they dont just throw their flag at anyone who wants it....the market plays a huge role....if W doesnt believe that a city like calgary can support the room rates, they will not go there no matter who is constructing the building.

this is why most hotel chains have several levels of brand....a developer will approach someone like starwood....they will do a market study and assign the level of flag that they feel is most appropriate....you might want a st. regis or W, but they might feel that your market can only support a westin.

WhipperSnapper · #**4656** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:48 AM**

I hope you are not implying that w is a high end hotel.

trueviking · #**4657** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hali87

That Saskatoon gallery reminds me a lot of the new central library under construction here in Halifax:

i am a much bigger fan of the library.....the saskatoon gallery seems chunky and heavy handed to me....KPMB do some things really well (corporate office towers), but im afraid that galleries are not one of them.....should have chosen diamond and schmitt.

WhipperSnapper · #**4658** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

they are selling a brand....you cant see how protecting the image of that brand isnt in their best interest?....they dont just throw their flag at anyone who wants it....the market plays a huge role....if W doesnt believe that a city like calgary can support the room rates, they will not go there no matter who is constructing the building.

this is why most hotel chains have several levels of brand....a developer will approach someone like starwood....they will do a market study and assign the level of flag that they feel is most appropriate....you might want a st. regis or W, but they might feel that your market can only support a westin.

That's why I mentioned conditions. I inferred that there is no freaking way Starwood wouldn't approve a W hotel in Calgary if a developer stepped forward. That just makes no sense.

trueviking · #**4659** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 2:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I hope you are not implying that w is a high end hotel.

i actually don't know the reason that Calgary was rejected....but it was....maybe they dont think the market will sustain it....maybe the market is saturated...maybe the price point is too high....maybe its not a market that fits the image of their brand.

it is very difficult to get a flag like W.

i guess its a matter of perspective....in my world an average room rate of $300+ is high end.

kool maudit · #**4660** Posted **Mar 14, 2012, 3:22 PM**

SIGNIFICANT EDMONTON-RELATED NEWS:

I just received this PM (titled "ignorant idiot") from forumer "bkd:"

Quote:

"the w chain is at the point where it is going to the Montreal's of the world. good for Montreal, bad for w.

Educate yourself about a city next time before you make yourself look like a fool.

this is a total game-changer. by inserting "montreal" into the part of my post where i had written "edmonton," our correspondent has opened a whole new series of vistas and possibilities.

i congratulate the people of edmonton on their... quality that this represents and/or alludes to.