Downtown Calgary’s office vacancy rates are high, but a newly opened office-turned-hotel building is helping to change that by bringing new business and people to the area.
Element Calgary Downtown is Calgary’s newest hotel and the first office-to-hospitality conversion as part of the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program, which offers funding to convert empty downtown office spaces.
Inside the newly converted 170,000-square-foot hotel (previously the Canadian Centre) are 226 suites ready for long-term stays with fully-equipped kitchens. Element also has a Studio Commons space, a unique suite with four private rooms centred around a main shared space that’s perfect for larger families and groups.
Other amenities include a fitness centre and a bicycle borrowing program to take advantage of the nearby Bow River pathways.
Element also brings two new dining options to the city: Wander Coffee & Cocktails, offering coffee, cocktails and pastries on the street level, and Bow & Bend Rooftop, a restaurant on the hotel’s 12th floor featuring a rooftop patio with incredible views of the Bow River and an elevated dining experience celebrating Alberta’s local ingredients.
833 4 Ave. S.W., 587-392-8800, marriott.com
[Note: The headline of this story has been updated to clarify that Element Calgary Downtown is the first office-to-hospitality conversion that participated in the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program, not the first conversion overall.]