New hotels ease Thunder Bay room shortage
Delta hotel, Mariott hotel and Hampton Inn to open up in the next few years
With a new hotel now finalized for Thunder Bay's waterfront, and two others on the way, booking a room in the city will get much easier.
Thunder Bay’s tourism manager said he hears from business travellers how hard it can be to book a room — particularly during major sporting events and hockey tournaments.
"Trends in the last few years have seen an increase in the occupancy rate in Thunder Bay, and one of highest occupancy rates in Canada in 2011," Paul Pepe said.
Pepe said three new hotels will ease the room crunch and help Thunder Bay attract more tourists, conferences and sporting events.
Good for tourism
The general manager of the Prince Arthur hotel said three new hotels will force him to compete with brand new properties, but he's trying to be optimistic.
"I'm looking at it … especially with the Delta coming downtown in Port Arthur," Tony Scarcello said. "It's definitely going to draw more people this way.
"I definitely believe it's going to bring more people down to the North Side of town," he said.
Delta Hotels will open a 150-room facility at Prince Arthur's Landing in 2014. Thunder Bay will also see a new Marriott hotel and a Hampton Inn.
Pepe said hotels do their homework, and know when they need to get into a market.
"It's encouraging to see that they have that confidence in the Thunder Bay economy," Pepe said.
"And, they see the opportunities to grow here."