Hotels continue to book space in St. James

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This article was published 17/06/2010 (5576 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

West Winnipeg is fast becoming a mecca for visitors to the city with three new lodgings in various stages of construction.

The MainStay Suites Winnipeg Airport on Sargent Avenue is expected to open in October. Construction also recently began on the Marriott Fairfield Inn on Ellice Avenue while a five-star boutique hotel is scheduled to open at the James Armstrong Richardson International Airport some time in 2012.

The three new hotels will join 12 hotels already operating in west Winnipeg.

The recent hotel building boom is good news for the area, according to Ernie Nairn, executive director of the Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re always pleased to see new businesses opening up in the west Winnipeg area,” Nairn said.

“With the opening of the Sandman Hotel last year and now this MainStay hotel, it’s showing that west Winnipeg is becoming a very popular destination for travelers.”

The $11 to $12-million MainStay hotel will be the first extended-stay property in the province under the Choice Hotels International banner.

John Owens, president of the King Edward Extended Stay Group that owns the MainStay hotel, said the timing — and location — couldn’t be better.

“It’s a busy market in this part of Winnipeg and there’s lots going on and lots of extended stay drivers in this area. We immediately liked the location,” said Owens, whose company has built three Super 8 hotels in the province.

Owens said the four-storey, 100-room hotel will feature 12 different suite sizes ranging from 350 to 400 sq. ft. Each of the self-contained units will have a kitchen.

While MainStay Suites isn’t scheduled to open until October, Owens said that reservations are already being made.

“We don’t know where it’s going to end up in terms of a blend of transient and extended stay visitors, but people seem to think it will be really successful,” he said.

Owens said that he’s not done developing the approximately two and a half acre site. He is currently in talks to have a full service restaurant built on site.

Christine Alongi, director of communications and public affairs for the Winnipeg Airport Authority, said that the influx of hotels in the western portion of the city is a positive development for travellers heading to Winnipeg.

Alongi said it will be good news for people who travel during charter season and want to stay closer to the airport the night before they depart. She added that airport area hotels are also a popular choice of flight attendants since Air Canada shut down its base in the city last year.

While the proximity to the airport won’t hurt business, Owens is not necessarily counting on it to supply all of his hotel’s customers.

A spokesperson for the Manitoba Hotel Association declined to comment.

trevor.suffield@canstarnews.com