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![\"MIKAELA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4065905_web1_211104_Fairmont_high_tea_00004.jpg\")
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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
The Fairmont Winnipeg hotel will be closed from July 1 until spring of 2027 while it undergoes a complete remodelling of all 340 guest rooms, the Fairmont Gold lounge, the top-floor indoor pool, gym and sauna.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Velvet Glove restaurant will be \u201creimagined.\u201d Meeting, banquet and event spaces in the 21-storey hotel will undergo upgrades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout giving you a specific number, I can tell you just in terms of the quantum and the level of investment in downtown, that it\u2019s north of $120 million,\u201d Richardson said of the cost of the hotel\u2019s transformation.<\/p>\n
He said financial support, including continued benefits, will be provided to staff during the closure, with plans to reopen as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, this (closure) needs to happen to be able to do the work that is required safely and efficiently,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cFrom our perspective as a family, we only made the decision to close on the condition that we could do everything we can to take care of the people impacted by closing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal and our bar is not just Winnipeg \u2013 it\u2019s for certainly Western Canada \u2013 but really this should be a leading hotel in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said staff have been proactive for some time to make new arrangements for guests or events affected by the closure.<\/p>\n
Richardson said the project will use Canadian trades, with local workers as much as possible.<\/p>\n
The project will temporarily reduce Winnipeg\u2019s stock of available hotel rooms and space for conferences, weddings and other events.<\/p>\n
The planned renovations were welcomed by people in Manitoba\u2019s hotel industry and sectors that use the Fairmont to host business travellers or events, movie stars and other visitors.<\/p>\n
In separate interviews, Michael Juce, president and CEO of the Manitoba Hotel Association, Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, and Lynne Skromeda, CEO and film commissioner of Manitoba Film and Music, said they\u2019re excited about the long-term benefits, and what the investment signifies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our premier hotel that, unfortunately, has seen better days, and now you have the Richardson family stepping in, recognizing this jewel and recognizing that investment is needed,\u201d Remillard said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t SUPPLIED<\/p>\n A rendering of the reimagined Fairmont Winnipeg lobby.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe know having high-end, premium hotel space is always in demand. We need more of it, especially as we seek to attract larger-scale conventions, meetings and events. This is an asset that will make those efforts to secure that type of activity even stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the renovation is indicative of the business community\u2019s belief in Winnipeg\u2019s long-term future.<\/p>\n Remillard and Juce said the Fairmont project builds on other downtown developments that are underway or planned.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be super exciting, come 2027, to see the finished product and enhanced amenities that will be a great addition to downtown and the broader community,\u201d Juce said.<\/p>\n He said other hotels, likely starting with those downtown, will absorb a shift in demand while the Fairmont is closed.<\/p>\n The closure will force some short-term adjustments but will overall be a positive for the city\u2019s hospitality industry, said Ryan Kuffner, president of Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism.<\/p>\n \u201cThis kind of reinvestment strengthens our tourism infrastructure and helps ensure the hotel continues welcoming visitors and events downtown for years to come,\u201d Kuffner said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re working closely with event organizers and hotel partners across the city to help accommodate bookings and ensure events scheduled for Winnipeg continue to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Skromeda said the Fairmont is used a lot by visitors from the film and music industries.<\/p>\n \u201cThe service has always been fantastic. They have always been so good to us, but it\u2019s time for an upgrade and I think by doing that it\u2019s going to make it even more appealing for our industry to stay there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our premier hotel that, unfortunately, has seen better days, and now you have the Richardson family stepping in, recognizing this jewel and recognizing that investment is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Skromeda said the industries were given ample notice of the closure, allowing them to make alternative plans for people who will be visiting Winnipeg in the coming months.<\/p>\n She said it\u2019s hopeful the Fairmont will reopen before Winnipeg hosts the Juno Awards in April 2027.<\/p>\n Plumbing, mechanical and HVAC systems have already undergone work since the Richardson family reacquired the hotel in early 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cWe watched the hotel and the quality start to decline, and we eventually realized that Winnipeg deserved a five-star hotel,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cIt was not in the condition that I think we would have liked it to be operated at, and so we made a decision to buy it, always with the intention of doing a major renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n His late grandfather, George Richardson, opened the hotel, then known as the Winnipeg Inn, in 1970. The hotel, later rebranded, remained in the family until it was sold in 2000.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Richardson said the renovation adds to the company\u2019s other investments downtown. He hopes the renovation will bring spin-off effects and spur more economic opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this will do a lot for attracting groups and events, and that sort of thing that rely on large quantities of hotel rooms,\u201d he said. \u201cBanquet facilities is a big part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n The hotel is located next to the office tower that is home to James Richardson & Sons Ltd.\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n Richardson said the company recently contributed land in-kind for the proposed Global Agriculture Technology Exchange downtown. It will be an agricultural hub and the future home of Cereals Canada.<\/p>\n chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Chris Kitching Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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