2013 EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR HOTEL
The original Oak Bay Beach Hotel (OBBH) was built in 1927. The old building was deconstructed in 2007 due to universal accessibility issues and the impracticality of seismic upgrades. The new 142,550 sq. ft. OBBH is Victoria’s first full-service luxury hotel with private residences. It includes 100 guest rooms, and 20 private residences in an eight storey concrete structure, with three levels of underground parking for 184 cars, 22,000 sq. ft. of public commercial space and administrative offices and a Spa in two buildings. Several features of the old building were identified as “Legacy” elements, and were faithfully re-created in the new OBBH under covenant, including: The Snug pub, the Grand Lobby and the original hotel entrance porch and door. The new stone, brick and stucco-finished hotel acknowledges its “tudor” roots in a contemporary style.
The new OBBH was designed and engineered to LEED Gold standard, but the inclusion of an outdoor hot water pool in the program made it impossible for the project to comply with one specific prerequisite. Of greater interest to the Owner is the Green Key Eco-Rating Program operated by the Hotel Association of Canada, which assesses the five main operational areas of a property along with nine areas of sustainable practices. It‘s anticipated that the OBBH will achieve five-star hotel status, and be awarded the highest Green Keys designation.
