Two Edmonton sisters, who are lifelong hoteliers, officially own the iconic Athabasca Hotel — a historic cornerstone in the Alberta Rocky Mountain community of Jasper.
The Bassani family, another Edmonton-based family, had owned and operated the landmark since 1972. But on Tuesday, the Athabasca Hotel — the oldest hotel in Jasper — was acquired by Decore Hotels, a family-run hospitality business that also owns the Tonquin Inn and Maligne Inn.
When president and CEO Karyn Decore tells people she and her sister, Nicole Arquero, bought the Athabasca Hotel, “they laugh and they’re like, ‘Oh, I know the Atha-B.’”
“It’s kind of neat to be, now, a part of carrying that forward,” Decore said.
Although the 98-year-old hotel, located on the corner of Patricia Street and Miette Avenue, is changing hands, the new owners bring deep local roots and a multi-million-dollar plan to modernize the building while preserving its character.
(Maggie Kirk/CBC News)
$4.5M upgrade
The three-story, 61-room hotel is set for an immediate $4.5 million upgrade over the next eight months. The structure, built before modern conveniences, will get its first elevator, rooftop air conditioning system and new bathrooms for the 23 rooms currently without one.
“The most urgent matter is making sure that this hotel is accessible to everyone and comfortable,” Decore said.
In addition to the boutique hotel, the sale included six parcels of land behind the building, on Geikie Street. Decore said four of them will be used to build a 100-unit housing residence for staff at the Athabasca Hotel and Maligne and Tonquin inns.
“[Accommodations are] the No. 1 barrier to being in Jasper,” she said, adding that the business subsidizes the high cost of housing for staff.
In three years, the hotel will undergo a more robust renovation, but the new owners want to maintain its character, said Arquero.
The Athabasca Hotel, originally built by the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, catered mostly to men visiting the taproom, so most of its bathrooms were shared. Today, 23 of the 61 rooms still lack private bathrooms, Decore said. (Maggie Kirk/CBC News)
“The bones here are good,” she said, pointing out details that modern buildings lack, such as wood carvings and high ceilings.
The buyout will not result in job losses for those working in the hotel, its restaurant, or its bars, Decore told CBC News. Decore Hotels extended employment offers to the existing team, and most chose to stay — including long-time general manager Murray Pigeon, who will continue overseeing day-to-day operations.
4 generations of hoteliers
The Athabasca’s new owners have deep roots in Jasper, Alta., a municipality about 315 kilometres west of Edmonton.
Decore said she has been cleaning hotel rooms in Jasper since she was 12. She spent her summers staying with her grandmother, who was managing the Maligne Lodge at the time.
She and Arquero oversaw the business at a young age, after their parents passed away, she said.
Now, both sisters have children learning the ropes. Arquero said her 11-year-old sons love helping out with the laundry at the hotels.
“It really, truly is a family business,” Decore said.
Arquero and Decore had their first walk-through at the Athabasca earlier this week, and remarked they still have a lot to learn about the community’s historic buildings.
Hotel has long history
The Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, which shut down in 1994, originally built the Athabasca Hotel to sell beer in Jasper, according to Decore.
“The government required you to build a hotel,” she said. “So they built this hotel in order to sell beer at their bar, but they actually did an amazing job.”
The clientele was mainly men visiting the taproom, so many of the bathrooms were shared.
Taxidermy wildlife is a staple fixture of the Athabasca Hotel lobby. (Maggie Kirk/CBC News)
Another quirk is the hotel’s taxidermy deer, moose and elk that greet guests upon arrival. Decore said they aren’t hunting trophies.
“The train would hit an elk, they’d stop the train, they’d actually — if it was okay — eat the elk meat and they’d bring the head to the Atha-B,” Decore said.
Ironically, on Tuesday, Arquero said she found the hotel’s original blueprints in the basement rafters, beside a moose head.
It’s that excitement that keeps Aquero and Decore engaged in the hotel business.
“It’s just interesting, fun, unusual, crazy,” Decore said.
“It’s like a community that’s happening every day. Life is happening every day within the walls of a hotel.”