Hotel opens amid pandemic in St. Jacobs
Location driving demand for Staybridge Suites and others in market district
ST. JACOBS — Opening a new hotel comes with a lengthy to-do list at the best of times.
Doing it in the midst of a global pandemic? That’s a separate list altogether.
But the family behind the new Staybridge Suites in the St. Jacobs Market District is prepared to meet the challenge.
“We have come through difficult times in the past,” said Naushad Ismail, director at Woodlawn Hospitality Group, which owns and operates several hotels in Guelph and Waterloo Region.
The 72-room, six-storey Staybridge Suites opened its doors this week, beside the Holiday Inn Express & Suites that Woodlawn built in 2013; both are part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) family of brands.
Construction began in 2018; the project was in the home stretch before COVID-19 reared its head and caused final delays. Rather than postpone any longer, the Woodlawn team decided to open now as restrictions continue to ease and travellers dream of provincial staycations in the summer months.
The Staybridge Suites is the first of two new hotels from different ownership groups slated to open in the market district this year. An opening date for the second, a Hampton Inn & Suites, is still to be determined.
The new properties will bring the number of hotel rooms in Waterloo Region to 3,090, according to statistics from Explore Waterloo Region; nearly 500 of those are in St. Jacobs.
While the Holiday Inn Express caters more to short-duration stays, the Staybridge Suites is ideal for those looking for a fully furnished, apartment-style option. The Benjamin Road property has studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with living spaces and kitchens with a full-size fridge, cooktop stove, microwave and dishwasher.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, laundry room, storage lockers, business and fitness centres and 1,800 square feet of meeting space.
Enhanced disinfection practices and COVID-19 protocols have been rolled out across the IHG network.
Ismail and sales and marketing director Madhur Kanumuri said customers have been interested in extended-stay amenities such as kitchens amid ongoing restaurant closures. “That was a clue for us to know that it’s better to open right now,” Kanumuri said.
Location is driving demand for the cluster of hotels in the market district, said Woolwich Township Mayor Sandy Shantz.
Tourists love the easy access to attractions like the farmers’ market, outlet shops and the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse. For business travellers, it’s a short drive to Waterloo’s universities and business districts.
“Part of the attraction is that we have land available for these hotels to build,” Shantz added.
“Waterloo doesn’t have a lot of land, especially in the north end.” While it’s not an ideal time to be opening any business, Shantz said township and regional economic development officials are working to provide resources and support to the business community.
“Tourism is a really tough one,” she said. “I know that’s going to be the hardest piece.”
Ismail said he’s confident in the St. Jacobs area and its ability to draw visitors back as the situation improves.
“Definitely the last three months have been very difficult for all hotel operators in the area,” he said. “Hopefully, people are yearning to get out. We’ll be ready for them at that time.”