To be modelled on N.Y. namesake; $200-million hotel on Sherbrooke St. will feature 250 guest rooms and 76 residences
MIKE KING, The Gazette
Published: 8 hours ago
Already experiencing its biggest hotel-building boom since the heady days of Expo 67, Montreal can now add the famed Waldorf=Astoria name to its inventory.
Local real estate company Monit Investments will spend $200 million developing and building the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel & Residence Montreal on what is now a parking lot it owns near Guy and Sherbrooke Sts. The 32-storey hotel, consisting of twin towers, will be modelled on its namesake on New York City's Park Ave.
Like the Manhattan hotel, the Montreal version will be luxuriously appointed, featuring 250 guest rooms, 76 residences, nearly 1,400 square metres of ballroom and meeting space, signature restaurants, bars and a spa and fitness centre.
While most of the building will face Guy, an access onto Sherbrooke will give the hotel the cachet of an address on that more prestigious street. Being set behind the Medical Arts Building means the new building will not be subject to the 60-metre height restriction in effect for new buildings on Sherbrooke W.
The Sherbrooke access became available in 2003 when a fire destroyed three 19th-century row houses next to the Medical Arts Building.
"Montreal is a culturally rich city that is on the forefront of design, art, entertainment, culinary achievements and other pillars that define a great city, making Montreal an ideal fit for the Waldorf=Astoria Collection," said Alex Kotler, Monit chairman.
Waldorf=Astoria spokesperson David Semanoff said in a phone interview from New York that the flagship of the upscale chain will manage the Montreal property as well, to ensure the Waldorf brand and standards are maintained.
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