Alt Hotel to be built in University District, scheduled to open by fall 2020

A 15-storey, 156-room hotel has been announced for the University District neighbourhood west of the University of Calgary campus. West Campus Development Trust and its partners will construct an Alt Hotel, a brand recognized for its contemporary design, eco-responsible features and affordable luxury.

Scheduled to open in the fall of 2020, the new Alt Hotel will include a retail and residential component as well as an underground parkade. It will be connected to August, the recently announced condo residence project, and part of the mixed-use development that includes a retail component at street level.

“We’re excited to announce the addition of Alt Hotel as the University District starts to take shape,” says James Robertson, West Campus Development Trust president and CEO. “Group Germain Hotels and Homes by Avi are ideal partners to bring the hotel to the dynamic urban community of University District, sharing the trust’s dedication to design and experience that puts people first.”

Similar to the trust’s approach that embraces unconventional thinking, the Alt Hotel brand is recognized as a creative market leader in the Canadian hotelier industry, with its unmatched features and services, and embracing key values such as sustainability and supporting the local community. The hotel will be an ideal home-away-from-home base for the patrons of the neighbouring sports training facilities, university, research centres, care facilities and hospitals. 

The hotel is the second partnership project for Homes by Avi and Group Germain Hotels, to introduce the new mixed-use development to the University District. Incorporated into the development will be Avi Urban’s 29th residential project, named August, with approximately 120 urban apartment condominiums spread over five stories. 

“Our commitment to innovation, environmental responsibility and quality design matches the trust’s values, which is fundamental in our decision to develop, and we believe that University District is northwest Calgary’s most distinctive community,” says Charron Ungar, president of Avi Urban.

“We are thrilled to build a new hotel at University District because we’re investing in an up-and-coming community that is future-focused,” adds Jean-Yves Germain, co-president of Group Germain Hotels.

To the west of the University of Calgary and overlooking the Bow River and Rocky Mountains, University District is a comprehensive 200-acre community. West Campus Development Trust is the community developer. For more information, visit the Discovery Centre at 4410 University Ave. N.W., go online to myuniversitydistrict.ca and visit Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, #UDLife.

The independent West Campus Development Trust (WCDT) was created by the University of Calgary’s Board of Governors to lead the planning and development of the west campus lands, called University District. The WCDT is the first real estate development company of its kind in Alberta.