Comfort Inn & Suites in Terrace named Hotel of the Year by Choice Hotels Canada

Choice Hotels Canada has named the Comfort Inn & Suites in Terrace, British Columbia, its 2023 Canadian Hotel of the Year.

The west coast property took the top award over more than 330 hotels in the Choice Hotels Canada system. To qualify, the winning hotel must have received a 2023 Platinum Guest Satisfaction Award, which recognizes properties in the top three per cent of Choice Hotels Canada’s portfolio.

While the owner/operators, Andrew and Sharon Cho, had previously run a seasonal motel on Vancouver Island, they entered the Choice Hotels Canada system in 2018 as first-time franchise hotel operators in the upper midscale market. The new build property’s opening was shortly before the beginning of the pandemic, adding many layers of intense challenges. But through hard work and perseverance, they received the highest LTR (likelihood to recommend) score of all hotels in the Choice Canada system in 2022.

"Andrew and Sharon’s property is a wonderful representation of the Comfort brand,” said Brian Leon, CEO, Choice Hotels Canada. “They built everything from the ground up, training their staff to be among the best in the business. The outstanding guest reviews they frequently receive speak for themselves.”

Accoridng to a spokesperson for Choice Hotels, since its opening, the property has received 511 real guest reviews on ChoiceHotels.com, with a 4.5/5 overall hotel rating and 95 per cent of guests likely to recommend the hotel. In addition to being awarded Canadian Hotel of the Year, the 92-room property won a 2023 Platinum Guest Satisfaction Award this year as well as in 2021. Last year, it received an APEX award (Awards for Property Excellence) for top likelihood to recommend in Western Canada.

“Making the decision to become franchisees for a respected and well-known brand like Comfort was a big adjustment, but one we’ve embraced wholeheartedly,” said Andrew and Sharon Cho, owners of Comfort Inn & Suites Terrace. “It was a tough start opening when we did, but we were committed to providing our guests with best-in-class hospitality we could be proud of, making this award even more meaningful.”

The Comfort Inn & Suites in Terrace, known as the service and supply centre of Northwest British Columbia, caters to the town’s leisure tourism sector, attracting guests with their hot tub, sauna, fitness centre and complimentary airport shuttle. They also offer king kitchenette units designed to accommodate longer-term stays for those in the region’s forestry, fishing, and mining industries.

The pet-friendly hotel is located off the Yellowhead Highway, in the mountain town between the Skeena and Kitsumkalum rivers. The hotel holds weekly complimentary customer appreciation pizza nights, and is also an active member of the community through sponsorships and donations.