The latest addition to the hotel and motel pool in town is readying for a July opening. Updates to the old Gateway Inn have included increasing capacity, revamping the hotel entrance into a gear rental space and adding a pub and cafe style eatery, Matt Crowley co-founder of VRGE told the Mountaineer in a tour of the hotel.
The rooms will offer a respite from outdoor activities, focusing on providing basic sleeping, hygiene and storage services, but most of the redesigned rooms not offering kitchenettes.
“The property isn’t meant to be an amenity,” Crowley said. “Revelstoke and the surrounding area is supposed to be the amenity.”
Apres and a limited food menu will be available in the Lüft Café & Bar, the speakeasy style eatery in the entrance of VRGE, but Crowley wants guests trying out the wide range of restaurants, cafes and other food options in Revelstoke.
“We really wanted to key into a more experiential component of getting outdoors and seeing these places around here,” he explained. “I mean, Revelstoke as a town is amazing.”
Guests will access their rooms and all amenities through a third-party app partnering with VRGE Hotel, Crowley said.
“You upload your driver’s license and a picture of yourself to verify, and then that becomes your room key and way to book gear with the app.”
The app will also be home for guests to find deals to local attractions and restaurants, book gear for recreation or make appointments at the massage parlour located on site, Crowley added.
As VRGE Revelstoke has partnered with local gear stores in town, guests will have access to rentals right on site in the renovated gear room with built-in storage for those who traveled with their own equipment.
“We want to set them up with everything that they need to basically have a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”
The goal is to hire from the local workforce, Crowley said, but staff from outside Revelstoke will be able to access staff housing on location, with multi-bedroom units available with a shared kitchen and living room.
“We want to give folks the ability to move here and have some time to settle and make connections, especially if they want a career in hospitality in Revelstoke,” Crowley said.
Either way, Crowley hopes VRGE Revelstoke becomes a place to champion the town for visitors and that the brand VRGE will not be the highlight.
“I hope the brand sort of disappears into the background, and instead you see our local gear and rentals and food partners.”
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