‘We’re going to bring it back to being a pre-eminent, top-tier hotel’

The Fairmont Winnipeg hotel at Portage and Main is set to undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation from top to bottom, requiring it to close to guests from July 1 until the spring of 2027.

Thor Richardson, president of Winnipeg-based James Richardson & Sons Ltd., which owns the Fairmont, said nothing will be untouched and the property will essentially emerge as a brand new hotel when it reopens.

“We knew it needed a big renovation when we bought it just over two years ago,” he said Tuesday. “We’re going to bring it back to being a pre-eminent, top-tier hotel. Our goal and our bar is not just Winnipeg — it’s for certainly Western Canada — but really this should be a leading hotel in the country.”

All 340 guest rooms, the lobby and its bar, the Fairmont Gold lounge, the top-floor indoor pool, gym and sauna are among the areas that will be completely remodelled.

The Velvet Glove restaurant will be “reimagined.” Meeting, banquet and event spaces in the 21-storey hotel will undergo upgrades.

“Without giving you a specific number, I can tell you just in terms of the quantum and the level of investment in downtown, that it’s north of $120 million,” Richardson said of the cost of the hotel’s transformation.

He said financial support, including continued benefits, will be provided to staff during the closure, with plans to reopen as quickly as possible.

“Unfortunately, this (closure) needs to happen to be able to do the work that is required safely and efficiently,” Richardson said. “From our perspective as a family, we only made the decision to close on the condition that we could do everything we can to take care of the people impacted by closing.”

“Our goal and our bar is not just Winnipeg – it’s for certainly Western Canada – but really this should be a leading hotel in the country.”

He said staff have been proactive for some time to make new arrangements for guests or events affected by the closure.

Richardson said the project will use Canadian trades, with local workers as much as possible.

The project will temporarily reduce Winnipeg’s stock of available hotel rooms and space for conferences, weddings and other events.

The planned renovations were welcomed by people in Manitoba’s hotel industry and sectors that use the Fairmont to host business travellers or events, movie stars and other visitors.

In separate interviews, Michael Juce, president and CEO of the Manitoba Hotel Association, Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, and Lynne Skromeda, CEO and film commissioner of Manitoba Film and Music, said they’re excited about the long-term benefits, and what the investment signifies.

“This is our premier hotel that, unfortunately, has seen better days, and now you have the Richardson family stepping in, recognizing this jewel and recognizing that investment is needed,” Remillard said.

“We know having high-end, premium hotel space is always in demand. We need more of it, especially as we seek to attract larger-scale conventions, meetings and events. This is an asset that will make those efforts to secure that type of activity even stronger.”

He said the renovation is indicative of the business community’s belief in Winnipeg’s long-term future.

Remillard and Juce said the Fairmont project builds on other downtown developments that are underway or planned.

“It will be super exciting, come 2027, to see the finished product and enhanced amenities that will be a great addition to downtown and the broader community,” Juce said.

He said other hotels, likely starting with those downtown, will absorb a shift in demand while the Fairmont is closed.

The closure will force some short-term adjustments but will overall be a positive for the city’s hospitality industry, said Ryan Kuffner, president of Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism.

“This kind of reinvestment strengthens our tourism infrastructure and helps ensure the hotel continues welcoming visitors and events downtown for years to come,” Kuffner said.

“We’re working closely with event organizers and hotel partners across the city to help accommodate bookings and ensure events scheduled for Winnipeg continue to succeed.”

Skromeda said the Fairmont is used a lot by visitors from the film and music industries.

“The service has always been fantastic. They have always been so good to us, but it’s time for an upgrade and I think by doing that it’s going to make it even more appealing for our industry to stay there,” she said.

“This is our premier hotel that, unfortunately, has seen better days, and now you have the Richardson family stepping in, recognizing this jewel and recognizing that investment is needed.”

Skromeda said the industries were given ample notice of the closure, allowing them to make alternative plans for people who will be visiting Winnipeg in the coming months.

She said it’s hopeful the Fairmont will reopen before Winnipeg hosts the Juno Awards in April 2027.

Plumbing, mechanical and HVAC systems have already undergone work since the Richardson family reacquired the hotel in early 2024.

“We watched the hotel and the quality start to decline, and we eventually realized that Winnipeg deserved a five-star hotel,” Richardson said. “It was not in the condition that I think we would have liked it to be operated at, and so we made a decision to buy it, always with the intention of doing a major renovation.”

His late grandfather, George Richardson, opened the hotel, then known as the Winnipeg Inn, in 1970. The hotel, later rebranded, remained in the family until it was sold in 2000.

Richardson said the renovation adds to the company’s other investments downtown. He hopes the renovation will bring spin-off effects and spur more economic opportunities.

“I think this will do a lot for attracting groups and events, and that sort of thing that rely on large quantities of hotel rooms,” he said. “Banquet facilities is a big part of that.”

The hotel is located next to the office tower that is home to James Richardson & Sons Ltd.’s headquarters.

Richardson said the company recently contributed land in-kind for the proposed Global Agriculture Technology Exchange downtown. It will be an agricultural hub and the future home of Cereals Canada.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca