Canad Inns now open
It isn't quite finished yet, but the new Canad Inns Destination Center is open for business in Grand Forks. I'm anxious to hear from people who have been to the Canad...those who have stayed at the hotel, eaten at the restaurant, or "tested" the water park. What are your thoughts?
Grand Forks should be very proud to have a development like this in our city. There is no other complex like this elsewhere in the state. I hope things go over really well for the complex. This is the culmination of a very long (but hopefully very rewarding) process. Welcome Canad!
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I drove by the Canad at about 11 tonight and there were no lights on in the parking lot and no lights in any of the hotel rooms. Is this place really open yet? Then again, I wouldn't exactly be too excited to stay at a hotel that is a month away from being finished!
Either WDAZ or KVLY said that rooms will start at something like $120 and go up to $300. Those $300 hotel rooms must be on the penthouse level. These must be the priciest hotel rooms in town, maybe the state...I wonder how often they'll be able to fill those rooms?
I kinda thought the same thing myself. I don't know many people that can afford $300 hotel rooms. Then again, if it has enough room for grandma, grandpa, parents and kids, it is kinda a wash compared to getting two other rooms. In any case, it won't be the same as a room at the Super 8.
More gov-subsidized competition for the private sector. Truly sad.
remember, the "private sector" put up $50 million bucks. If the rest of the hotels in town are so mad...why didn't they put up the entertainment complex/hotel?
The city put up quite a bit in the free land and tax abatement for five years, but will be getting a heck of a return on investment.
That's the theory, a lot like the Alerus Center.
I went to dinner at AALTOS last night. I'm debating whether or not to just do my own review (I know one visit, particularly in the opening week, usually isn't enough for a review, but I seriously doubt there will be a second visit.)
"for five years"
That's how long I give Canad before the put the place on the auction block.
And if it does go on the auction block, what is the city out? In the meantime, many more Canadians will be spending money in Grand Forks than would have otherwise. Even if the occupancy isn't 60-70% Canadians like the GM anticipates, it still is more than would have come to Grand Forks.
what's the deal with the "entertainment complex" at Canad? Is it open to everyone, only with fees? Or just like a regular hotel where you have to be a guest? And what about that theater that was supposed to accompany the Inn?
Canadians have been coming to Grand Forks for years. No mystery there. But now, when it happens, "city officials" and The Canad can take all the credit.
Nice work boys and girls.
From what I was told, admission to the waterpark will be around $17 for adults and $8 for kids. A reduced rate will be available is staying at the hotel. I also understand that they're working on a season rate, but the person I spoke with didn't have pricing.
The Canadian presence in GF is directly proportional to the value of the Canadian dollar. Now it's 90 cents, so everything is hunky-dory. If it ever drops to 62 cents again, the Canad here won't make a difference.
The Canadian presence in GF is directly proportional to the value of the Canadian dollar.
I would beg to differ on that... I've been here for almost thirty years, and, while traffic is up from what it was in, say, 1983, I'd put that down to the increased population of southern Manitoba. Even when the exchange was significantly tipped in our favour, Grand Forks had lots of Canadian visitors. Five years ago, I never went to Super One on Sunday afternoons, because it was always packed with busloads of Manitobans (and, truth be told, I don't know that I've seen such buses lately, maybe traffic is actually down.)
In my experience, they come here for the variety as much (or more) as the prices.
Well whoever said that the hotel will be out of business and auctioned off within five years is well, .....rather stupid! For one thing the complex is an instant money-maker, it will attract so many people. The building is the tallest in Grand Forks making it appealing to the customers, and it has a waterpark that's arguably just as good or better than The one by Thief River(Seven Clans). From what I've seen on the news and heard from fellow friends, it brings a very luxurious feel inside. With a fine dine-in restaurant, a huge waterpark, a 10- screen movie theater, some of the nicest rooms and suites in town, kids and adult themed party rooms, and being connected to the Alerus Center, who's to say that it'll be on the auction block within the next five years. What a negative minded person and an idiot!!!
I highly doubt this property will cashflow even one month in the next 12.
Time will tell, like in the case of The Alerus Center.
Another massive failure.
a 10- screen movie theater
Sadly, this one isn't likely to manifest. It was already on the ropes (if not already knocked out,) when the multi-plex in EGF was announced. I think that's stuck the fork in it.
That said, I agree that the whole place is likely to be out of business any time soon. Investors aren't idiots (or they'd be short lived investors,) and have surely done the due diligence that tells them there is a market in Grand Forks for this hotel complex. Comparing it to the Alerus (put up by government, with the purpose of boosting the economy [in which case, you can claim success, even if you're losing money,]) doesn't wash, for that reason alone.
As a Canad employee in training, I'm popping to say this...
The $300 rooms are being marketed to families, and actually contain a children's sleeping area with Playstation and 2 sets of bunkbeds and a parents' sleeping area seprate from the children.
Two of the three restaurants are woefully unprepared to open any time soon.
They're planning to build one just like it in Bismarck very soon.
What a bunch of negative Nellies! Maybe it's the grey sky, but snap out of it! I am certain that Canad Inn did their due dilligence prior to building a property here and they are no bunch of dummies. When booking a room from out of town don't you always want the 'newest property' where you can try all the new stuff? The waterpark is going to be a huge attraction and will pull in people from the entire region. Anyone ever gone to Thief River on a Saturday and seen a ton of Grand Forks residents at the waterpark? Now it will be less expensive (especially with gas at $3.00 a gallon) for them to have the same experience in Grand Forks. Also, Canad has a rewards program as do most hotels and the Canadians who want those points will stay at Canad vs. a different hotel. As far as the resturants go - I can't imagine they are going to depend on the residents to Grand Forks to support them. Anyone who has ever been to a convention or stayed in a different city knows that sometimes it's just easier to not leave the hotel and you pay a premium for that convenience. One thing that nobody has mentioned is the awesome arcade that is almost complete.
Instant money maker, no; but long term success and an asset to the city, YES!
That said, I agree that the whole place is likely to be out of business any time soon.
I just reread this and, although you'd get the gist from the rest of the post, I have to point out that "I agree" should say "I disagree"! :-)
I've been at the place, and even though it is half ready, the place is amazing. It reminds me of the Ralph. It has to be the nicest hotel in the state, you would have to go to the Twin Cities and Le Meridian to get nicer. I look forward to hanging out at the Tavern United and Playmakers, which will have darts, pool and lots of blackjack!
I forgot to mention, why are some of you people so miserable? The only reason you wouldn't like the Canad would be if you were a GM of a "local" hotel such as the Best Western Townhouse or Super 8. Like someone mentioned before, why didn't the "local" hotels upgrade their properties or add some sort of destination center??? Thanks for making GF even better Canad.
The Canad was built of the premise there would be all these conventions and concerts at the Alerus, whose attendees would need hotel rooms. Well, where have these events been? If the future mirrors the past, there will be no attendees. As for the water park, somewhere it was mentioned that it would cost a family of four $50. It remains to be seen whether that is too steep or not.
anon52 - it costs a family of four $50 to go to the movies, to go out for dinner, to do just about anything anymore. Fun at the waterpark will compete with those activities, and do just fine in GF.
I really don't think a company that has won national management awards in Canada be so shortsided as to build a hotel that won't make money. The interview with the manager on WDAZ stated the hotel is full for the next couple of weekends. Sounds like a money-maker to me.
The first couple weekends are not a gauge of anything. Whoever said the first 5 years has it about right. If the Canad can operate in the black over that period of time things will be ok. If, however, the parent corporation has to subsidize it, it will go on the auction block eventually.
The major promise of the Canad Inn complex hasn't even been discussed here. The Canad complex is expected to serve as a pathway for more expansion of Winnipeg businesses into the US and using GF as their bridge. Ledohowski himself has expressed that belief. GF is already very much in the consciousness of Canada and especially Winnipeg: the flood, the World Juniors, and the upcoming World Curling Championships all serve to create a Canadian-friendly culture that few US cities can match. The true test of the Canad Inn complex will be how many Winnipeg companies begin US operations in GF.
I'm coming up from Florida in July and look forward to spending a night at the hotel and take in the water park. I can't imagine how anyone with any hometown pride can look at Canad in a negative light. One reason for some of these negative nells is that they are from Fargo and will knock anything to do with GF.
You can't imagine how anyone with any hometown pride can look at Canad in a negative light?
Maybe I can shed some "light" on "how"?
Grand Forks has been plagued as of late by "leaders" who are very condescending, talk down to the citizenry, and generally see residents as hicks that just don't get it. All the while, their plans are just flatly NOT WORKING.
We all came together after a natural disaster. Shortly there after, we have all been pried apart by bad decision making. Now, less than 10% of the citizens vote, and the mayor and president of the city council ran unopposed in the last election. The homers, cry out..."That means the citizens are happy". That's simply not true, the citizens have had apathy pounded into their hearts and minds.
I would speculate that locals look at The Canad in disgust. The same group that told us to trust them on The Alerus issue, are now trying to sell this future white elephant. We all know that the city, out of desperation, threw out a heavily gov-subsidized request for proposals for a new hotel attached to the Alerus. All the while, expecting the Hiltons and Marriots of the world to come to the table. That was years ago, virtually no one came to the table. Now, they're trying to justify this odd arrangement. In the time period since G.F. and Canad entered into the agreement, The Alerus has absolutely tanked to the point of embarassment.
I'm not going to go on any further. The market is totally screwed up now. Everyone is looking for a solution, in most cases a more big government solution. That is wrong! The answer lies in HANDS OFF the private sector. Take a cool down period. Stop all the "economic development" mumbo jumbo, control the run away property taxes, streamline government, and put more money back into the hands of the citizens. The market will then take care of itself.
I won't be supporting the Canad, thank you. I'm sticking with the people, and businesses, that made this town great. Spending money at the Canad is just sucking money out of our economy and feeding the egos of the flakes that we hear form over, and over, again.
Also, in the future, we will be besieged by over reporting of the "success" stories about The Alerus and The Canad. Success stories about their accomplishments. Accomplishments that aren't news but, are simply, what the properties are supposed to do. Sorry, these stories will not play out as postive to me, it's taken on a bizzare dynamic. Now, it's like the child that started a sport late, doesn't really understand the game, but they get a chance at bat after the game is lost. They hit a single, and the crowd goes crazy.
Nice.
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UND's student forum:
http://talk.campusdakota.com
Even though GFG asked for comments from people who had visited the new hotel, only one or two of the dozens of remarks came from someone who fit that criteria.
The rest of you have such a hate-hate relationship with the Alerus that you can't stand to see the success of anything associated with it. Sad.
What success? It stands there empty most of the time.
I agree whole-heartedly with the anon from 2 prior posts. He/she is right on the money. The prior anon's post is just laughable.
"Alerus success"...funny.
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