The Oak Bay Marine Group has signed a deal to sell its two remaining Island hotels — Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River and April Point Resort and Spa across Discovery Passage on Quadra Island — to one buyer.
No name and no prices were disclosed on Friday when the company confirmed the sales. The deals close in December, said an executive with the Oak Bay Marine Group.
“Throughout the listing and sales process we had sincerely hoped that any new owners would run the businesses as a going concern,” Brook Castelsky, Oak Bay Marine Group chief operating officer, said in a statement. “After rebuilding the historic Painter’s Lodge in the 1980s, we are delighted that they intend to keep operating both properties as destination resorts.
“They have expressed that they have the utmost respect and admiration for the rich history, tradition and guest experience that makes these two resorts so unique,” he said.
The original Painter’s Lodge burned down in 1985. Bob Wright, who founded the Oak Bay Marine Group, bought the property and built a new lodge. The 94-room hotel opened in 1988.
Wright, who died in 2013, bought the 56-room April Point Resort in 1998 and spoke proudly of the spa that was developed on site.
The resorts are major employers in the region. Painter’s has 160 staff and April Point has 65.
They will continue to operate as usual, the company said.
Wright was a key force in building Campbell River’s reputation as an international destination for sports fishing.
The Oak Bay Marine Group put Painter’s Lodge, April Point Resort and its Canadian Princess Lodge in Ucluelet on the market in February. It did not disclose asking prices. Hoteliers Bob and Sue Se from Nanaimo purchased the 46-room Canadian Princess Lodge in May.
The resorts went on the market because the company decided to focus on its marinas, attractions in Oregon and its restaurants. Properties include Oak Bay Marina, Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina, Ladysmith Marina and the luxury Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort in the Bahamas
“The resorts division has been an incredible journey for each and every one of us at the Oak Bay Marine Group, and I know we all have our own special and lasting memories from these very magical places, and the communities where they operate,” Castelsky said.
