As the Bob Dylan song goes: “The times they are a changin’.”
Victoria CEO Mandy Farmer is handing the keys to her 1978 Chevy Shaggin’ Wagon – and all Accent Inns and Hotel Zed properties – over to a new owner.
Vancouver-based Synvest Group of Companies has purchased all eight hotel properties and the restaurant ROAR, located at Hotel Zed Tofino, for an undisclosed amount. The companies shared in a Sept. 22 statement to the media that the transition is expected to take place at the end of November.
“This is an emotional day for me and for our team. I am deeply proud of the company and culture we have built together, and it mattered enormously to me to find a new owner who understood what makes this company special,” said Farmer in the media statement.
“Throughout this process, we found a shared set of values with Synvest, particularly around how we care for our people and our guests,” Farmer continued.
Farmer was unavailable for further comment on the deal as she is “currently focusing on supporting her team during this transition time,” shared her media contact.
The 70s-themed Hotel Zed Tofino opened in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations territory in August 2020. From the get-go, educating guests about the history of guardianship and activism in the region was important to Farmer. Hotel Zed Tofino was the first non-Tla-o-qui-aht owned resort to take part in the Tribal Park Allies program. Founded in 2019, the Tribal Park Allies program commits participating businesses to collecting a one per cent voluntary fee from guests for environmental stewardship and restoration.
“Sometimes getting fresh blood into a community enables change. It opens up conversations that weren’t otherwise happening. I really do believe that Hotel Zed Tofino played a really meaningful role as the first non-Indigenous resort to participate in the Tribal Park Allies program,” said Julian Hocking-Grant, Tribal Park Allies liaison.
“We were able to generate some meaningful revenue through that relationship, and we were able to demonstrate how well Tla-o-qui-aht was using those funds to achieve their stated goals. It played a really important role in building trust and building relationships across the whole community,” said Hocking-Grant.
Hotel Zed Tofino also commissioned a mini-book called ʔiisaak in the Garden (Respect in the Garden) for guests that recounts the Clayoquot Sound uprising of the 1980s and 1990s that led to the creation of the Meares Island Tribal Park.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when non-essential travel restrictions were encouraged, Hotel Zed Tofino offered up rooms to Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht who needed a safe place to isolate at no cost.
Azim Virani is the founder and principal of Synvest Group of Companies.
“For our family, hospitality has always been about people. Mandy, her family and the team have built something distinctive at Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, with a culture that genuinely cares about its people and guests,” stated Virani.
“We have tremendous respect for what they have built and are excited to work alongside these incredible teams, welcome their guests and carry forward the culture and hospitality that have made these brands so special,” said Virani in the media release.
All eight hotel properties and restaurant ROAR remain open, reservations continue to be honoured and day-to-day operations continue as usual, according to the companies. Guests, groups, event clients and business partners can continue working with their existing Accent Inns and Hotel Zed contacts through the transition.
The B.C.-based hospitality acquisition for Synvest Group includes three Hotel Zed properties (Kelowna, Victoria and Tofino), five Accents Inns (Victoria, Vancouver Airport, Burnaby, Kelowna and Kamloops) and ROAR Restaurant.
Hocking-Grant says Tribal Park Allies “values and treasures” the mutually beneficial relationship they have built with Hotel Zed.
“Not every company holds true to their tag lines, for Hotel Zed they had ‘Rebels against the ordinary’. You can really see from just being in the space that they work really hard to create a space that is welcoming to diverse people. They have lived up to that tag line by having the courage to enthusiastically voice their support for the Tribal Park Allies program during the early days. I hope we can continue the relationship,” said Hocking-Grant.
The annual Tribal Park Allies gathering, hosted in partnership with Tourism Tofino, is slated for Oct. 27 at Tin Wis Resort.
“The Hotel Zed new management owners are cordially invited,” said Hocking-Grant.
