Hyatt, Hotel Equities expand Canada presence

Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hotel Equities both took steps this week to solidify their presence in Canada: Hyatt by outlining plans to triple its brand presence in the country and Hotel Equities by opening its first office there.

Hyatt, with just eight hotels open in Canada, expects to open over 20 more by 2022, among which will be its first Canadian Hyatt House and Hyatt Centric locations. Notably, the company plans to open its first three locations in the Niagara Falls market. Owned and to be operated by Fallsview Group, these hotels together will add 700 rooms to the area.

“Hyatt’s brand presence in Canada continues to steadily increase, as we successfully implement our strategy of growing with intent,” said Scott Richer, Hyatt’s regional VP of development for Canada. “We continue to see growth opportunities in the region and are confident in the direction and future of Hyatt across all brands.”

Owner, operator and developer Hotel Equities also is establishing itself in Canada with the opening of its first office in the country. Having entered the Canadian market in early 2018, the company has since grown its presence there to 23 hotels, about 20 percent of its total portfolio.

The news comes a few weeks after Hotel Equities began a partnership with the Kelowna, British Columbia-based Braemar Group, adding six hotels to its portfolio. These newcomers, located in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta, consist of four Choice-branded hotels, a Best Western Plus and an unopened TownePlace Suites by Marriott.

“We intend to be long-term players in Canada,” said Brad Rahinsky, president/CEO of Hotel Equities. “Our brand partners pointed out a void of high-caliber managerial expertise in Canada and inspired us to bring our services in-market. The opportunity for us to provide value to the hotel sector in Canada is enormous and I’m encouraged by the team of industry veterans leading our Edmonton office. With their expertise and the backing of our Canadian support team in Atlanta, they will make a profound and immediate impact for stakeholders.”