HOSPITALITY
W Hotels & JW Marriott
Marking Marriott’s first luxury hotel and residential offerings in Calgary, W Calgary & JW Marriott Calgary, along with an Autograph Collection Hotel, are set to deliver a new standard of hospitality in the heart of the city
Truman and Marriott International, Inc. announced today plans to open three hotels in Calgary, including W Calgary, JW Marriott Calgary and an Autograph Collection Hotel on Stampede Park. These brands are poised to transform the hospitality landscape in Calgary and will debut as part of a dynamic mixed-use development ideally situated within the city’s rapidly evolving Culture + Entertainment District.
The development of the Autograph Collection, W Calgary, and JW Marriott Calgary, expected to open in 2028, 2029, and 2030 respectively, will be led by Calgary-based joint-venture partners Truman and Louson. Planned to be two of Western Canada’s tallest residential towers and located at 15 Ave and Macleod Trail S.E., W Calgary and JW Marriott Calgary are set to redefine luxury in the city, offering elevated living and travel experiences in the city.
“We are incredibly excited to announce our newest hotel development right here in our hometown of Calgary,” said Tony Trutina, Chief Operating Officer of Truman. “Truman and Louson, as Calgary-based and family-owned companies, have a deep commitment to this city, and we believe this project will be a significant catalyst for the local economy. Beyond creating numerous construction jobs, these hotels are expected to generate substantial long-term employment opportunities, boost tourism, and support local businesses through increased visitor spending. We are immensely proud to invest further in Calgary’s future and contribute to its vibrant growth.”
Truman brings a uniquely grounded perspective and vested interest in the city’s long-term success. With the company’s longstanding history of delivering high-quality residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects across the region for over 40 years, the development will be guided by a team that intimately understands Calgary’s character, community needs, and economic landscape.
“As Marriott continues to expand our hospitality options in Canada to meet the diverse needs of guests, owners and developers, W Calgary, JW Marriott Calgary, and the Autograph Collection Hotel are poised to usher in an unparalleled level of hospitality to this high-energy city,” said Paul Cahill, Chief Operating Officer, Canada, Marriott International. “We are thrilled to closely collaborate with Truman and Louson, whose combined passion and love for Calgary will be a perfect complement to the elevated service that guests have come to expect from the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.”
Bringing W Hotels signature bold and creative energy to the city, the 69-story W Calgary tower is set to feature 157 guest rooms, including 27 suites, and 239 branded residences. Guests will enjoy one-of-a-kind amenities, including a 7,500 sq. ft AWAY Spa, specialty restaurant, 16,259 sq. feet of meeting space, the brand’s signature Living Room, an expansive FIT studio, and a rooftop bar. Residents will also have exclusive access to the facilities and a dedicated private entrance.
The 62-story JW Marriott Calgary is set to offer 248 guestrooms and 120 branded residences, each meticulously designed to embody the brand’s world-class approach to well-being and luxury hospitality. Guests and residents will enjoy 32,500 sq. feet of meeting space, an indoor and outdoor pool, the brand’s signature JW Market, a tranquil JW Garden, a curated retail area, and more.
As stewards of the Rivers District Master Plan, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has been leading the redevelopment of the district for the past seven years, transforming the landscape of this dynamic downtown neighbourhood.
“Our shared vision for The Culture + Entertainment District as a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood is coming to life, with more than $2B in city-building infrastructure and cultural destinations completed or underway,” said Kate Thompson, President and CEO of CMLC. “As we knew it would, our city’s public investment in the C+E is now attracting significant private interest and investment, bringing forward the hotels, residences and commercial spaces envisioned in the master plan that will, critically, support the needs of meetings, conventions and major events taking place in The District.”
“We are thrilled to work with Marriott on the Autograph Collection Hotel on Stampede Park,” adds Joel Cowley, CEO of the Calgary Stampede. “With the growing demand for meetings and conventions at the expanded BMO Centre and across Calgary, these three hotel offerings dramatically elevate our competitive advantage as a host city and complement the Calgary Stampede’s world-known exceptional Western hospitality.”
Together, these projects are set to deliver more than 700 premium and luxury hotel rooms and nearly 360 branded residences in Calgary’s emerging Culture + Entertainment District, fulfilling a strong need for hotel accommodations to support key venues like the BMO Centre and the forthcoming Scotia Place event centre. With a combined $1.47 billion in private investment from Truman and Louson, the hotels and residences will not only inject vibrancy into the city’s skyline but are also planned to support over 9,100 jobs during construction and more than 2,000 ongoing positions across operations and tourism sectors.
Annually, Truman expects the development will contribute over $120 million in GDP from hotel operations and an additional $111 million from visitor spending, generating nearly $76 million in government revenues, according to a preliminary economic assessment. As the Culture + Entertainment District undergoes a transformative revitalization, this highly anticipated development is expected to serve as a beacon of adventure and refined hospitality, elevating lifestyle offerings in Calgary.
Stampede Park Hotel
The new, approximately 320-key hotel responds to growing demand for hotel space to support BMO Centre’s expanding meetings and conventions demand
As stewards of the Rivers District Master Plan, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the Calgary Stampede are pleased to announce Truman as the development partner for the first hotel on Stampede Park in Calgary’s Culture + Entertainment District.
“CMLC and the Calgary Stampede are proud to partner with Truman, who bring more than 40 years of exceptional building experience in Calgary to this much-anticipated hotel development right at the front door to Stampede Park,” said Kate Thompson, President and CEO of CMLC. “Hotel development has been a key priority for CMLC and the Calgary Stampede, and we’ve seen development interest in The District surge with the completion of the BMO Centre expansion, the groundbreaking of Scotia Place, and the opening of the new 17 Ave S.E. extension, which unlocked the potential of this site and created a unique hotel opportunity at the west entrance to Stampede Park and The C+E. Partnerships and development investments like this one are an indication of industry confidence and enthusiasm for our shared vision for this district, and we’re so pleased to see this project take shape.”
CMLC and the Calgary Stampede have been working to advance hotel development opportunities for the past five years through challenging market conditions impacting hotel and financing requirements. In that time, CMLC and the Calgary Stampede have completed feasibility studies and site analysis on three potential hotel sites on Stampede Park and in The C+E, and have conducted extensive engagement with a range of interested developer partners on each of the sites.
A Purchase and Sale Agreement is now signed between the Calgary Stampede and Truman, and Truman is actively engaged with a world-class international hotel brand partner to operate the hotel, who will be announced in the coming months.
Located on an approximately 85,000 square foot parcel, the Truman hotel will be a full-service, 13- storey upper-upscale lifestyle boutique hotel with approximately 320 rooms; 15,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space; 14,000 square feet of food and beverage offerings including restaurants, a lobby bar, a coffee shop, and a roof-top lounge with views of downtown; a south-facing leisure terrace with activity pool, jacuzzi and an outdoor bar; and an indoor swimming pool and fitness club.
“This is an exceptional location for a hotel, allowing guests to just stay steps away from the action of The Culture + Entertainment District – whether it’s a convention, meeting or event held in the BMO Centre, a hockey game in Scotia Place, a concert in The Big Four Roadhouse, or the Calgary Stampede’s annual celebration of Western heritage and community spirit each July,” said Tony Trutina, Chief Operating Officer of Truman. “As a family-owned Alberta-based developer, we are thrilled to partner with CMLC and the Calgary Stampede to bring this project to life in one of our city’s most exciting and fast-growing districts.”
With a development value of approximately $330M, this hotel agreement and land sale represents substantial private developer investment on Stampede Park. This will be the first full-service convention-oriented hotel built in downtown Calgary in 25 years, demonstrating significant confidence in the emerging Culture + Entertainment District. Truman’s investment is further anchored by the recent purchase of another C+E District development site at 15 Ave and Macleod Trail, which is in the development planning stages with announcements forthcoming.
As home to Western Canada’s largest convention centre since the expanded BMO Centre opened in June 2024, the Calgary Stampede is now drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Stampede Park every year for meetings, conventions and special events, and upwards of a million more during our annual celebration each July. As a result, our city is experiencing a growing demand for hotel rooms, and hotels like this one, conveniently located directly next to the BMO Centre, are a timely response to that demand.
Since the expanded BMO Centre opened in June 2024, it has hosted 409 events, with 205 major events booked between now and 2032, and is projected to contribute more than a quarter of a billion dollars to Canada’s GDP annually, with the majority supporting Alberta’s GDP. These numbers will only increase as hotel capacity in the area grows.
“Not only will this new hotel further strengthen our competitive advantage and help draw more visitors to the BMO Centre, Stampede Park, the Culture + Entertainment District and Calgary, but it will also build on the world-class experience guests receive when visiting,” said Joel Cowley, CEO of the Calgary Stampede. “When guests stay at the hotel, they will receive the highest level of Western hospitality that Calgary is known for, through a thoughtful, quality-built project by Truman, and the incredibly elevated guest experience that this hotel will offer.”
The partnership is working with architecture firms NORR Architecture (Chicago), Scatliff+Miller+Murray (Calgary), and CivicWorks (Calgary) to lead design and planning for the hotel. The hotel design is inspired by the unique curvature of Flores LaDue Parade and the expanded BMO Centre, with a sweeping curved form that draws inspiration from the movement of a bucking horse and materiality representative of both the rich identity of the Calgary Stampede and of Alberta’s landscape.
The next step in the process is to initiate regulatory approvals with a development permit submission expected to be submitted later in June, and prepare the site for construction, which is anticipated to begin in late 2025. Construction is anticipated to be completed in late 2028.
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