Fairfield Inn & Suites opens near Penticton entertainment district

The Fairfield Inn & Suites is officially open in Penticton.

The newest property in the Marriott chain welcomed its first guests this past Tuesday.

The fact a new hotel has opened in this tourism mecca has not gone overlooked.

“I remember reading that we’re the first new hotel to open since 1982. I was three then, so they were obviously just waiting for me to come along,” said general manager Richard Clarke with a laugh. “We’re super happy to be a part of the community, and I must say, the local residents and dignitaries have been absolutely fantastic welcoming us - and local businesses as well. They’ve just made us feel so welcome and we’re so appreciative of that.”

The Fairfield is located at 602 Eckhardt Ave. West, just off the Parkway Channel, and across the street from Cascades Casino, Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, and the South Okanagan Event Centre.

Opening a hotel in normal times can be a challenge.

Fairfield Inn & Suites staff had to accomplish the feat during a worldwide pandemic.

“We’ve had to deal with a lot of outside issues, such as COVID, which is a big challenge for everybody,” said Clarke. “Our biggest problem we found was getting deliveries, especially when they were coming from outside Canada. The doors were delayed. Once we got all the products in here, we had to sit down and say, ‘How do we open this hotel safely’.

“The safety of our guests and their associates is paramount to us. Everything we’re doing here we review on a regular basis, just to make sure we’re keeping up to date with the advisories out there.”

The Fairfield Inn & Suites was built by Mundi Enterprises, which already has Coast hotels in Oliver and Osoyoos

The Penticton location has all the amenities.

There are 98 rooms, featuring three different sizes, including a King Suite room. There is a 24-hour fitness gym, and an indoor swimming pool and hot tub, although the hot tub is not open yet due to COVID-19 restrictions. Use of all areas requires social distancing and is continuously sanitized.

Just how important is the new Fairfield Inn & Suites to Penticton, which draws thousands of tourists year round, but especially in summer?

“We officially opened July 14th, and we’re getting very busy already. We’re actually going to be full tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night,” said Clarke. “The local community and people from outside the community have just really embraced having this new hotel here. The feedback we're getting has been fantastic.

“Most of our guests are from BC and just want to have a weekend break here in Penticton. We do get a few people asking if they can travel from different provinces. We advise them to look online and take the advice of professionals.”

To check out the new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, click here