The opening of the new Courtyard by Marriott is imminent, with workers putting finishing touches on the 172-room hotel at 100 Gordon St. in Nanaimo.
Nanaimo is anticipating this year will see the realization of two long-standing dreams: a new hotel to drive business at the adjacent Vancouver Island Conference Centre and the start up of a privately fun fast-ferry service to Vancouver.
Dodds does not have a spare minute as he prepares to open. “There’s nothing more exciting in hotel-land than opening up a brand-new property,” he said. Convention delegates are already booked April through June and then again from September into the winter, typical strong months in that sector, he said.Fifty-six people have been hired to work in the hotel, including members of Snuneymuxw First Nation. First Nation members are working in all levels of hotel staffing, and Dodds hopes to see more join.
Jenn Houtby-Ferguson, Tourism Nanaimo interim executive director, said the new hotel will bring “real tremendous opportunity for tourism in Nanaimo. … It’s something we’ve been waiting for for a long time.” Having a new hotel means the conference centre can now attract larger conferences, he said. “That means revenue for the city and a lot of enhanced revenue for the downtown businesses, who, after suffering through COVID, really need it.”
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