A little more than a month away from its first anniversary, Parq Vancouver is winning over its critics.
The $490 million development, built by Las Vegas-based Paragon Gaming, was met with initial apprehension by residents of Western Canada’s largest city and the nation’s third largest metropolis behind Toronto and Montreal.
Parq Vancouver – built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standards – was considered Canada’s first integrated resort. The uniquely designed complex was dubbed as potentially “North America’s most fun business hotel” by Bloomberg News a few weeks before opening.
Diana Bennett, co-founder, Paragon Gaming
“We’re very proud of the property,” Paragon Co-Founder Diana Bennett said in an interview last week. “We truly believe it brought a whole new look and feel to Vancouver.”
The city placed multiple requirements on Paragon while the company designed and built the resort. Paragon also had to close its other Vancouver casino before opening the 72,000-square-foot gaming space inside Parq Vancouver.
Tourism leaders lauded the resort as the first new hotel development since Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. They hoped its opening would bring additional hotel construction to accommodate the city’s some 10 million annual visitors.
Meanwhile, residents worried about the property bringing too much Las Vegas’ glitz to Vancouver, which has been highly ranked in “livable city” reviews for more than a decade.
The closest Parq Vancouver comes to resemble Las Vegas are the 600 slot machines and 75 gaming tables – produced by Nevada-based equipment providers. The casino itself is un-Las Vegas-like, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing natural light to the gaming floor.
Gaming numbers are private, according to British Columbia casino regulators. However, Bennett said she and Paragon executives have been “pleasantly surprised” on the performance of the casino’s slot machines.
Bennett is also gratified by the reception guests have given to The Victor, the resort’s traditional steakhouse. “Sometimes, it’s tough to get a seat in the restaurant.”
Other than Bennett – daughter of legendary Las Vegas gaming developer William Bennett and herself a member of the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame – the only other connection to Las Vegas is Parq Vancouver’s Honey Salt restaurant. The eatery was developed by Las Vegas restaurateur Elizabeth Blau and her husband, award-winning Chef Kim Canteenwalla, who operate a similarly-named restaurant in suburban western Las Vegas.
“We feel like the property has been well-received by the community,” Bennett said.
Parq Vancouver’s two hotels – that combine for 517 rooms – included Western Canada’s first JW Marriott and a unique brand known as The Douglas. A 30,000 square-foot outdoor park on the sixth floor was designed by landscape artist Christopher Phillips and includes native pines and Canadian flora.
Parq Vancouver is attached to BC Place, a 60,000-seat stadium that is home to the Canadian Football League’s British Columbia Lions and other sporting events. BC Place is also the city’s premier location for large outdoor concerts. The hotel connects into one of the stadium’s entrance gates allowing hotel guests with tickets to walk a few steps into the event.
Parq Vancouver is also in walking distance to the popular Yaletown and Gastown districts, and easily connects to many other Vancouver visitor landmarks.
“We’re very gratified by the community’s acceptance to Parq Vancouver,” Bennett said.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
