First Alt Hotel In Canada's Western Provinces To Open Its Doors
The first Alt Hotel in the Western provinces was officially earlier this month in the heart of Winnipeg's Sports, Hospitality and Entertainment District (SHED). As the first high-rise hotel to be built downtown in decades, the modern 20-floor, 160-room hotel occupies a prime location in downtown Winnipeg —right across from the Jets' home rink: the MTS Centre.
"We are thrilled to be offering a new hotel experience in Winnipeg, a dynamic and welcoming city that's blossoming culturally, architecturally and gastronomically," says Jean-Yves Germain, co-president of Group Germain Hotels.
"Located at the corner of Portage Avenue and Donald Street, Alt Hotel Winnipeg is within walking distance of the city's best attractions, including the Red River, the Esplanade Riel bridge and the splendid Canadian Museum for Human Rights," says Christiane Germain, co-president of Group Germain Hotels. "Whether it's for business or pleasure, or even a getaway staycation, Alt Hotel Winnipeg will provide a unique downtown Winnipeg experience for everyone."
Alt Hotels are an innovative no-frills-chic hotel concept combining modern design and eco-friendly features at an affordable rate. The hotel offers ultra-comfortable rooms with original and intelligent design that are decorated with works of art by local artist Cliff Eyland. The lobby features a colourful mural featuring photographs of the city and its surroundings and offers a snack counter where guests can satisfy their cravings, get a drink or a gourmet coffee. Guests will also soon be able to visit the restaurants and coffee shop that are conveniently accessible from the hotel lobby.
"In our view, being ALTernative means knowing what counts for our guests'', says Liane Reeves, General Manager of Alt Hotel Winnipeg. "Complimentary WIFI, ultra-comfortable bedding and mattresses, healthy snacks on the go, cutting edge meeting spaces that are fully equipped, and abundant natural light."
Alt Hotel Winnipeg has a fully equipped fitness room as well as 7 meeting spaces totalling approximately 5000ft2, with large format televisions, projection screens and equipment offering the latest technology. The hotel also presents a new kind of meeting space called a creative lounge, specifically designed to hold brainstorming sessions or more informal meetings.
Open since April 16th, Alt Hotel Winnipeg is part of Centrepoint, a $100M real estate project developed by AXLP (a partnership of Artis Reit and Longboat Development), Group Germain Hotels and Urban Capital. Covering one city block, the 200,000 square foot tower will include the hotel, two restaurants, a coffee shop, four floors of office space, as well as a parkade that will soon provide guests with direct access to the hotel via a skywalk. Centrepoint also includes a residential component with the construction of Urban Capital's Glasshouse Skyloft condominiums. Lemay Michaud Architecture Design and Stantec Architecture were behind the design of the building, while NovaCon managed its construction.
Altexpo
An original photographic installation created from the images of local artist and blogger Bryan Scott (winnipeglovehate.com), the impressive Altexpo mural adorns the lobby of the hotel is composed of 2500 colourful photographs that depict the city's familiar locations and hidden gems. Altexpo also includes LCD screens that display new photos from guests and visitors in real time when using the hash tag #Altexpo.
A green hotel
Alt Hotels boast a series of energy-saving features such as geothermal heating and cooling; heat recovery from indoor air that is vented outside and from the water used in commercial washers; energy-efficient lighting throughout, as well as a direct digital control system for ventilation, heating and cooling.
From Alt to Alt: a national expansion
Alt Hotels can be found in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto, and now in Downtown Winnipeg. Group Germain Hotels is rapidly expanding the Alt brand across Canada and is currently building two new properties in downtown Ottawa, as well as in Calgary's East Village.
About Group Germain Hotels
Ranked as one of Canada's 50 best managed companies, Group Germain Hotels is a family-run business, founded in Quebec City, which owns and operates Le Germain Hotels and the no-frills-chic Alt Hotels across Canada. The company is renowned for its exceptional approach to hospitality and the unique style that characterizes its hotels. Every year, its staff of about 700 people welcome guests for a total of 325,000 overnight stays, bringing the total overnight stays to nearly 3 million since the first hotel opened in 1988. For more information, visit www.groupegermain.com.
About Germain Hotels
Ranked as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies, Germain Hôtels is a family-run business founded in Quebec City in 1988, Germain Hotels owns and operates a network of 18 properties across the country and remains to this day the only truly Canadian hotel group. A model of innovation and daring, Germain Hotels is recognized for its unique hospitality philosophy and aesthetic sense. With a national presence and the use of local suppliers and artisans across the country, Germain Hotels has become an expert in the Canadian art of living.
Visit www.groupegermain.com.
