A four-star, 124-room hotel and conference centre has won approval from the Canmore Planning Commission as the first hotel built in the Alberta resort town in 20 years.
“The Malcolm Hotel was part of Spring Creek’s original master plan and it will be another option to host conferences in Canmore, so we’re very pleased to have the town’s support,” said Frank Kernick, developer, Spring Creek. “We’ll begin construction this month.”
The hotel will feature 124 rooms and 6,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space. “Last year visitation reached a record high in Canmore and this number is only going to grow,” said Kernick,
The Malcolm will include an array of amenities; hot tubs, a fitness centre, and an out door pool on a second floor open-air mezzanine. A steakhouse restaurant and bar will accommodate more than 175 people.
In 2015 Canmore reached a record number of overnight visitors, with the biggest increase seen over the summer months, reports the Canmore Hotel and Lodging Association, with visits up about 10 per cent from a year earlier.
Since Canmore is considered a gateway to Banff National Park, the new hotel is also expected to accommodate a growing number of overnight visitors to the park. In 2015, Banff National Park welcomed 3.6 million independent visitors, the highest number since 2003. Next year, park admission will be free in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation.
