The Victoria Airport Authority is finally getting something many other airports already have — a hotel.
Work is scheduled to start in the fall on a 129-room, three-storey, extended-stay hotel which is part of the Marriott brand slated to open in spring 2025.
“We are pleased to see this project coming to Victoria International Airport and the Greater Victoria area,” said Victoria Airport Authority chief executive Geoff Dickson.
“The addition of the TownePlace Suites Hotel at YYJ will provide travellers and visitors to the region with convenient access not only to the airport and Sidney, but also to the many amenities and services in the area and the Pat Bay highway into Victoria.”
TownePlace Suites is a Marriott International brand.
Dickson has been instrumental in expanding and diversifying business development on the airport authority’s lands surrounding the airport.
The hotel will be built on 3.5 acres of leased Victoria Airport Authority commercial land at Beacon Avenue West and the Patricia Bay Highway.
Destination Greater Victoria chief executive Paul Nursey welcomed the announcement saying, “It will provide travellers departing from and arriving to Victoria International Airport a more holistic travel experience.”
Most international airports have hotels, he said.
The future hotel will make Victoria International Airport more competitive. Nursey said.
“This will make travel more comfortable, easier and provide a greater range of choices and amenities.”
Extended-stay hotels cater to professionals and other guests who are looking for a home-away-from-home for longer term bookings.
This hotel will have studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites.
The hotel will provide full kitchens, barbeques, cooking tools and spices on patios, a convenience market, and on-site laundry. There will be a swimming pool, fitness centre, and 1,500 square feet of meeting space.
A full-service restaurant, with the brand to be announced, will be part of the project.
Developer Kothari Group is leasing the property. Details of the length of lease are not public, Rod Hunchak, airport director of business development, said Thursday.
The hotel project went before Sidney council in fall 2022.
The design was altered following city hall’s recommendation for it to better reflect the building’s relationship to the area and its visual presence on the high-profile property, the airport authority said.
“ In consultation with VAA as well as Marriott, Kothari Group undertook a re-design of the hotel’s exterior, introducing architectural elements and features which will add to its visual interest and sense of place,” the airport authority said.
“Kothari Group’s collaborative approach throughout the design and review phase has resulted in a development proposal that we are all extremely excited about,” Dickson said.
Established in Canada in 1996, Kothari Group’s real-estate work includes mortgage financing, hotel development, and residential multi-storey construction. It works with international brands such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt to develop and manage hotels across Canada.
Company president Anupam Kothari said, “We’re especially thrilled to introduce the Victoria region’s first extended-stay hotel.”
The company plans to collaborate with the WSÁNEC Nation, to incorporate art installations plus place-naming opportunities within the hotel to reflect First Nations culture and history.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
