Winnipeg Construction X - Page 106

buzzg · #**2101** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 12:17 AM**

CanadInns charges obscene amounts for their dreadful hotels. Even their staff uniforms make me feel uncomfortable... I feel like I’m at a funeral home.

They were likely doing well for a long time because there were very few (inter)national brand competitors, so they were the de facto choice. Now there’s so much competition I’ve heard they’re really hurting.

EspionNoir · #**2102** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 12:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

CanadInns charges obscene amounts for their dreadful hotels. Even their staff uniforms make me feel uncomfortable... I feel like I’m at a funeral home.

They were likely doing well for a long time because there were very few (inter)national brand competitors, so they were the de facto choice. Now there’s so much competition I’ve heard they’re really hurting.

A more competitive market surely brings benefits

armorand93 · #**2103** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 5:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

CanadInns charges obscene amounts for their dreadful hotels. Even their staff uniforms make me feel uncomfortable... I feel like I’m at a funeral home.

They were likely doing well for a long time because there were very few (inter)national brand competitors, so they were the de facto choice. Now there’s so much competition I’ve heard they’re really hurting.

Maybe they wouldn't hurt so much, if they stopped supplying complete bland, beige, lifeless, and non-inspirational bullshit to the Winnipeg marketplace? AKA, the coming beige stucco hellhole that will be known as "Canad Place", complete with dying Canad Inns concept bars, torn apart heritage buildings & another few Batman symbol-esque lights on the outside walls, because they refuse to purchase actual signs like an adult? They remind me of some Third Grade kids idea of "design". Its a humiliation for Portage Avenue & makes it look like a Pee-Wee Hermann-inspired landscape, void of respect for downtown Winnipeg.

esquire · #**2104** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 2:21 PM**

^ Maybe let's wait to see the actual proposal before we damn it to hell

CoryB · #**2105** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 4:42 PM**

^^The story I heard is the HSC location fell well short of revenue projections made before it was opened and they had been using leveraged financing to some extent (like most companies). That meant that the Polo Park water park and the McPhillips casino hotels were both put on hold.

The water park is obviously full on not happening.

The casino hotel I think is still on the books somewhat not sure if it will ever go ahead.

drew · #**2106** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 5:13 PM**

Wasn't it in the news this week that CanadInns also agreed to pay back $5 million as part of the Crocus Fund fiasco?

esquire · #**2107** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 5:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

Wasn't it in the news this week that CanadInns also agreed to pay back $5 million as part of the Crocus Fund fiasco?

CBC ran that story right after the heritage designation issue. They asked Ledohowski and his daughter (who runs the company) about this issue at City Hall, and they became visibly uncomfortable and squirmed away from the cameras. It was a great awkward television moment.

Authentic_City · #**2108** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 5:19 PM**

^Yes (4 million). The crocus story was reported the same day the Somerset Building stuff, coincidentally.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canad-inns-crocus-fund-4-million-1.5449063

drew · #**2109** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 5:35 PM**

Perhaps the fact of having this payment on the horizon has resulted in CanadInns being a bit development/renovation gun shy as of late.

Ando · #**2110** Posted **Feb 5, 2020, 5:39 PM**

And how does that bode for their super amazing development on Portage?

armorand93 · #**2111** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 2:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ando

And how does that bode for their super amazing development on Portage?

I'm sincerely hoping that was sarcastic... unless their renders look like something out of Versailles, i have virtually no trust in their ability to build a "place" downtown, that won't look like a stucco beige piece of shit, that destroys an entire block worth of heritage buildings in the process...

Wpg_Guy · #**2112** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 5:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by armorand93

I'm sincerely hoping that was sarcastic... unless their renders look like something out of Versailles, i have virtually no trust in their ability to build a "place" downtown, that won't look like a stucco beige piece of shit, that destroys an entire block worth of heritage buildings in the process...

The Met is a nice place, they did well with that, gives us some hope.

1ajs · #**2113** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 5:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The Met is a nice place, they did well with that, gives us some hope.

indeed also took em few years but they got it done just ask TV

esquire · #**2114** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The Met is a nice place, they did well with that, gives us some hope.

The Met is the nicest thing that CanadInns has ever been involved with. It exceeded my expectations dramatically and definitely gives me hope for whatever they have planned downtown.

Curmudgeon · #**2115** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 4:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Their only saving grace design-wise is that some of their more recent hotels are vertically oriented, like HSC, Grand Forks and Brandon. Kind of a nice, European-style design touch. But other than that they're totally unremarkable.

But speaking of that, why did CanadInns stop building new/expanded hotels? For a while in the 00s they were on a construction tear, and then it just kind of stopped.

The Grand Forks property is far from recent, and is in major need of refurbishment.

esquire · #**2116** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 4:05 PM**

^ Yeah, it isn't new anymore. I just meant recent in the sense that it's one of the hotels they've built most recently, even if it has been a while.

blue4life · #**2117** Posted **Feb 6, 2020, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

The Grand Forks property is far from recent, and is in major need of refurbishment.

Brandon is as well.

I stayed there fairly recently on business and the rooms are gross at this point. I was very disappointed; but you can't beat the quick access to the facilities attached.

Wpg_Guy · #**2118** Posted **Feb 9, 2020, 2:57 AM**

cllew · #**2119** Posted **Feb 9, 2020, 5:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

Perhaps the fact of having this payment on the horizon has resulted in CanadInns being a bit development/renovation gun shy as of late.

Canad Inns is advertising on their website "newly renovated double queen, and king rooms and Executive King Jacuzzi Suites." at the Club Regent Casino Hotel. I know I saw piles of mattresses in the old pool area in the summer.

pspeid · #**2120** Posted **Feb 9, 2020, 3:48 PM**

200 Portage Ave looking much improved IMO now that old brown siding has been replaced.