Its official. The $52-million Oak Bay Beach Hotel will throw open its doors and welcome the first guests on Nov. 15 more than three years later than originally planned.The impressive waterfront hotel, delayed by rising costs, permits and the impact of the global economic meltdown, is fully booked for the November opening, said owner Kevin Walker.But before that, the first phase of the largest construction project in Oak Bays history is scheduled to partially open Oct. 4. Thats when the spa and pools, the 85-seat Kates Cafe and the hotels Colonnade and Conservatory, a large casual seating area for 45, will be ready for guests. Next will be the David Foster Foundation Theatre, expected to open the second week of October.On Nov. 15, the Beach Drive hotel will be fully back in business with 100 hotel rooms and 20 luxury residences, Walker said. Room rates range from $180 to $1,200 per night.Half the rooms have been booked through an Okanagan tour company, which arranged bookings for the final guests of the former Oak Bay Beach Hotel, which closed in 2006. The remainder are individual bookings, he said.Familiar faces will arrive with the tour. Many of them are people who had come frequently for many years to our dinner theatre programs ... Itll be like an old homecoming, Walker said Tuesday.The old hotel was once owned by Kevins father, Bruce, who bought it in the 1970s with partner Glenn Anderson. At the time the hotel closed, Kevin and Shawna Walker anticipated their project would be finished in 2009, but rising construction costs caused delays. When the global financial crisis hit, many construction projects stalled or were cancelled altogether. The Walkers had hoped to open in May to host the David Foster fundraising gala, but the event was switched to the Empress Hotel when construction fell behind schedule. Another opening was anticipated for early October, but final approvals and inspections required for safety systems such as fire alarms and smoke detection pushed the opening date into the fall, Walker said. The hotel is a marvel of high-tech and environmentally friendly features, including a geothermal heating system for the pools. A water-filtration system also collects runoff and cleans it to a level where the federal government will allow it to go into the ocean.The site is a hive of activity work inside and out. About 140 workers were on the site Tuesday, and numbers have reached 165, Walker said.Landscaping on the Beach Drive side of the property started Tuesday and will take a week to 10 days to complete. Inside the building, workers are still putting finishing touches on some of the guest rooms. Millwork and brickwork are underway. Theyve started laying carpets now and thats the sign that we are on to the final touches, said Walker. I think the big deal for me right now is to get the public back into the Snug [pub] and share with them the hot pools and spa, said Walker.Everything that we said we were going to do, weve done, he added. The Snug is all finished in historical beams and bricks and leaded windows. Its like coming home, except it really is significantly upgraded. Its a beautiful, beautiful room and the views from that corner of the room are just so much nicer than they used to be, because we have nice big windows now.As for sales, about 28 per cent of both the hotel units and condos have been sold, representing more than $30 million, Walker said. Potential buyers have been waiting until the project is finished and he anticipates that approximately $25 million in sales will take place prior to Christmas. I dont think this is a pre-sale market right now, he said.The hotel launched a club on Tuesday offering memberships that provide a certain number of nights annually to purchasers. The cost starts at $10,000.Once operating, the hotel will have 125 employees and an annual payroll of $4 million, Walker said.A total of 45 staff have been hired so far. Still to be hired are three butlers, valets to park vehicles, reception-desk staff, housekeepers and some kitchen workers. There may be spa positions [email protected]
