A rumble of excavation machinery displaces the ambience of Dose Coffee’s Monday morning hustle as Basecamp Resorts Ltd breaks ground on their new downtown hotel location. The hotel chain officially started development on their Second Street East hotel celebrating with a ground-breaking event on Monday, August 15, 2022.
The location will be the hospitality brand’s second hotel in Revelstoke. Basecamp Resorts’ location at 405 Highway 23 North has been operational for just under two years. The company has eight operational businesses in Canmore, Banff, lake Louise, Golden, and Revelstoke, with eight more under development and in various stages of acquisition, the company said.
The lot is the former site of the King Edward Hotel, otherwise known as the King Eddy hotel, built in 1897 and destroyed by fire in 1995.
The empty lot, leased for a number of community events since its purchase, broke ground on August 15 and is expected to open for operation in December 2023. Basecamp’s downtown location will have 28* rooms and various types of accommodation. The new hotel will offer the same booking options as its existing location on Highway 23 North. The rooms will accommodate multiple party sizes with studio rooms, one, two, and three-bedroom suites, some rooms interconnecting to accommodate larger groups.
Sky McLean, one of the owners and CEO of Basecamp Resorts, explains the impact she hopes the hotel will have on the downtown core. “I hope that everybody who’s staying here supports the local businesses, goes to the local restaurants, and actually inspires new entrepreneurs to come and open more restaurants and open more businesses, and have that snowball effect of economic growth.”
McLean says that growth and development are essential for the new business the visitors staying at the new hotel will bring to the city’s centre.
The hotel is located next to Revelstoke’s City Hall and will be three stories high with additional roof-top amenities. As for parking, the hotel will have a total of 31 parking stalls, some situated under the building but not below ground.
Basecamp said the building’s design was inspired by Revelstoke’s historic downtown. The exterior includes exposed brick to fit into the downtown’s aesthetic, McLean says.
The new hotel will not be partnering with any retailers. “I feel like there are so many great retailers and restaurants already here that we just wanted to add accommodation,” McLean says.
Aspirations for the future
A lot situated behind the Super 8 by Wyndham is also destined for development, McLean says. Pending permit approvals, a larger Basecamp Resorts hotel is in the works with an estimated opening date of summer 2024.
McLean describes the future Basecamp Resorts addition as a mix-use project with a combination of hotel and residential long-term rentals. The future project aspires to be larger than the existing and developing Basecamp Resorts locations.
The location will provide townhomes available for long-term rent, something McLean says is a passion of hers.
* Clerification: Basecamp Resorts Ltd. personnel at the ground-breaking event told Mountaineer staff the building would have 31 units. Basecamp Resorts Ltd. Development staff emailed saying they are only approved for 28 units at this time.
