The Marine Inn, located above Westview Ferry Terminal, has been under swift renovation since it was purchased by the Evergreen Hospitality Group last year.
"We are officially open today," said managing partner with the hospitality group Alisha Adam. "We worked really closely with the City [of Powell River], with the fire chief and the building inspector; they've been super helpful in helping us put the final touches on the renovations and to make sure everything was safe for the public."
Adam said Evergreen is a family business started by her dad 15 years ago, and has been revamping old hotels on the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland ever since.
"So we got the thumbs up from them [city, inspectors] today, to be able to accommodate guests," said Adam. "We had our first guests this afternoon, who are in town for a hockey tournament."
Adam said the space is perfect for families with children and sports teams because many of the rooms have two queen beds.
As for the 150-seat ocean-view restaurant and 125-seat bar, those will have to wait until the hospitality group finds suitable partners.
"We know what we're good at; we're hotel people," said Adam. "We're really excited to find great local partners to bring those spaces back to life."
Adam said she has heard some amazing stories about how vibrant the pub, bar and the restaurant used to be. For now, the group has completely focused its attention on the hotel renovations, inside and out.
"We actually get excited, frankly, when we see a building that looked the way that the Marine Inn did a year ago," said Adam. "We see what it can be, after some of the magic that our construction and renovation crews are able to pull off."
Adam said most of their hotels up and down the coast have what she calls a boutique feel; meaning, it's not about all the bells and whistles, it's about the right thoughtful touches and incredible service at all times.
"We really pride ourselves on that," said Adam. "We have an amazing team."
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