Rooms in the Coast Discovery Inn are being completely renovated and given a fresh new look over the course of this year and some of those new rooms have opened this week.
The first phase of a $2-million renovation at the hotel is almost done.
Construction work to renovate the marine wing rooms and hallways began in January and this work is nearing completion.
This renovation will be done in three stages and will continue into 2017.
Stage 2 will be the hallways, public areas, D.I. Restaurant and Lounge and the meeting rooms.
The third stage will be the tower rooms, which will be getting the same complete renovations as the marine wing, as well as brand-new windows and the addition of air conditioning.
Owner Sukhy Bains hopes people will be amazed by the major changes and the hotel’s new fresh and modern look.
“’Whoa!’ that’s the word I want to hear from people,” he said.
Bains says this work was due.
“It’s a 40-year-old property and they’ve done pieces here and there but never done any proper renovation, so it’s time to do the renovation,” he said.
Bains expects the first phase to be completed at the end of this month.
Right now, this first phase of construction includes renovating 40 rooms, some of which opened this Wednesday.
“Basically, in the rooms, we are gutting everything,” said Bains. “Except keeping the tubs, the rest of the stuff is new, the carpets, beds, bedding, lights, bathrooms, vanities, toilets, everything, the artwork.”
All the rooms will also have new high-standard furniture.
Coast Discovery Inn is working with local designer Denise Mitchell and is using mostly local suppliers, like Bob’s Flooring Canada for the carpet and tiles. Epic Design Studio Ltd. is wrapping the room doors in woodgrain.
In this phase, the health club is also being renovated. Bains says they are putting in new tiles, new wallpaper and new equipment and this work should be done by the end of this month.
Bains hopes this major renovation will bring the hotel up to a high standard and will modernize the interior.
The hotel has 88 rooms and six meeting rooms.
“On the physical side, the building is in pretty good shape,” said Bains. “I have no issue with the physical side, but just the interior makeup needs to be done. It was due.”
Bains says service for the public won’t be disrupted during the renovations and it will be business as usual. For example, when the restaurant is being renovated, it can be shifted to another room so the service can still continue.
“Service will be provided as normal,” said Bains.
As well, Bains says the work takes places in the daytime so it doesn’t disrupt guests in the evening.
Bains, who has owned the hotel for about 10 years, says this renovation has been in the planning for quite a while.
