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Posted Jul 30, 2024, 5:29 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 29,131
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Article from the Citizen. Turns out there is a hotel like component. Some inaccuracies, like the this one:
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The developer also took great pains to preserve some of the historical façade as seen at the back of the building along Sparks Street.
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The developer did not take great pains to preserve the historical façade. The developer let it rot until it could no longer be saved and proceeded to build a replica. Ashcroft has a poor record when it comes to heritage preservation. Not sure why they, and many others, insist on buying heritage properties just to let them fall into further disrepair. There are plenty of strip malls and parking lots they could purchase instead.
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Modern living: A different kind of stay
Martin Slofstra, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jul 15, 2024
Our one-bedroom penthouse suite featured a fabulous view of Sparks Street and its historical façade, and in the background, one of the Parliament buildings. Photo by Supplied
For some time now, there’s been a ‘blurring’ of hotel and condo styles of living. Think of it as the best of both worlds, residents of a condo can be made to feel at home while enjoying luxury, world-class hotel services.
The Re in the heart of downtown Ottawa is an example of this new kind of stay. Rather than just take their word for it, I accepted an invitation to stay for two days in May during Ottawa’s Tulip Festival.
The Re consists of ReStays and ReResidences. ReStays consists of 111 studio, one-bedroom, two bedroom and penthouse suites with 41 different layouts. Guests can stay for anywhere from one night to over 12 months. ReResidences, which are available for purchase, includes 91 residential condos and penthouses.
The one-bedroom, 6th-floor penthouse suite I stayed in was more than comfortable, and I perked up immediately when told of the Hollywood star who stayed there previous to me. (For guest confidentiality reasons, I can’t reveal who that was.)
What I can tell you, says general manager Linda Leclerc, is world-famous anthropologist and activist Dr. Jane Goodall also stayed here recently and was “truly enchanted” by the experience.
LeClerc, alongside the sales team Danielle Eves and Corey Eves, met with me to offer a tour of the building.
The 12th-floor Sky Lounge, where both residents and visitors are invited to relax, has an unobstructed view of the Parliament buildings. Photo by Supplied
Corey Eves says there are two types of visitors to reStays.
First, there’s the try-before-you-buy crowd. “Prospective buyers stay one or two nights at the hotel which helps them get a feel for the building and the area, and then may purchase a suite,” he says.
The other kind of visitor is a person like myself, an out-of-towner who wants to make the most of his downtown stay.
But first some history. The Re is the vision of Ottawa developer and entrepreneur David Choo. Construction began in 2016 and was completed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
That meant for a slow start, but residents have gradually moved in and business really start picking up during the summer of 2022, say the Eves.
Corey Eves says a lot of the focus is getting the downtown area back to where it was before the pandemic, for example, Ottawa’s famous Spark Street pedestrian mall and its many festivals and events. “As for the potential of downtown Ottawa, it’s only going to grow. It’s one of our focusses, to keep building it up,” he says.
Earlier this year, another milestone was achieved, The RE obtained LEED Canada Silver status based on a number of its key features including car charging stations, bicycle storage, a heated walkway, a green roof, a heritage facade, and the use of indoor air quality, energy efficiency and water use reduction systems.
But it’s not just what’s inside that counts, the most striking feature of The Re is its many views of the Parliament buildings.
“We are, in fact, the only hotel in the Parliamentary Precinct, and we are the only condo building with a straight view of the Parliament buildings like this,” says Corey Eves.
And this view could not be any better than from the 12th floor Sky Lounge, a comfortable seating and bar area allows for a full view of the Parliament buildings.
As for the suites I toured, all are comfortable, modern, nicely detailed and come equipped with built-in appliances. Bathrooms have rain showers or deep soaker tubs. The balconies, terraces, and seasonal furniture further add to the unique stay experience.
All residents and visitors have access to amenities, and my tour included a fully equipped fitness center including sauna, movie theatre, games room and business centre.
People want to enjoy the experience of walking into and around the building, and fair enough to say The Re effectively combines both modern and historical aesthetics.
The main entrance, located at 101 Queen Street, sets the tone for modern luxury. White porcelain marble-effect book match tiles are juxtaposed with walnut wood to set a modern and elegant tone, and the paintings by artists Julie Beauchemin and Janna Watson help create a local feeling.
The developer also took great pains to preserve some of the historical façade as seen at the back of the building along Sparks Street.
Adding to my experience was concierge services, the front desk referred to us to an Italian eatery in the area, which turned out be a great recommendation. A request for extra towels one night of our stay was responded to immediately.
I could easily get used to this way of living.
This Sparks Street-facing suite features a unique two-storey loft design. Photo by Supplied
What may have completely won me over was the location – the 101 Queen St. address put us in the middle of a great neighbourhood. And a private, direct access at the back of the building to the Sparks Street pedestrian mall was of great benefit, as more than once, we could be seen sitting on a Spark Street patio for cocktails and dinner.
Also convenient was being only a five-minute walk from Parliament Hill, (a tour of the Parliament buildings was on our agenda), and a few more minutes of walking got us to the ByWard Market, Rideau Centre and the National Gallery of Canada.
We also took a friend’s recommendation, left the car behind, and took a hop on/hop off shuttle for a viewing of the Tulip Festival (only $6 for a round trip ticket).
As for my final verdict, The Re is a great example of making the combined hotel/condo living experience work.
Is it for everyone? Maybe, maybe not. And I’d also say that combined hotel/condo living, now considered by many to be a niche market, could be poised for growth among those who want a relaxed urban lifestyle.
Of note, reStays has a “third night free” offer for stays until August 31, 2024, good for weekday and weekends and on all suite categories based on availability. Details are on restays.com
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https://ottawacitizen.com/life/modern-living-a-different-kind-of-stay
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