Surrey's Pacific Inn Resort listed for renovation or redevelopment potential

Surrey's Pacific Inn Resort listed for hotel renovation or redevelopment potential

Artistic rendering of the renovated exterior of Pacific Inn Resort into DoubleTree by Hilton at 1160 King George Boulevard, Surrey. (Fountana Group)

The owner of Pacific Inn Resort in South Surrey is looking for third-party help in renewing the sprawling hotel and conference centre complex.

For years, Daily Hive Urbanized has been following the progression of the planning for the future of the hotel at its 4.8-acre site of 1160 King George Boulevard, which is strategically located next to Highway 99 and about a four-minute drive from the Canada-US border’s Peach Arch crossing.

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The property was recently listed for sale by Colliers International, which calls it a “rare opportunity” to redevelop “the shell” of the former Pacific Inn Resort.

But the listing particularly emphasizes the potential opportunity of performing major renovations on the existing shell of the structures — instead of the previously contemplated much more ambitious approach of a complete demolition for a brand new hotel and conference centre redevelopment from scratch.

pacific inn resort surrey 1160 king george boulevard

2023 condition of Pacific Inn Resort at 1160 King George Boulevard, Surrey. (Colliers International)

The existing five-storey hotel building was constructed in 1992, and it has a total building floor area of about 140,000 sq ft. It has 150 guest rooms and 10,000 sq ft of meeting and event space, plus an impressive glass-covered indoor atrium courtyard with guest amenities, such as a swimming pool, lounge areas, and a restaurant. The replacement value of such unique spaces is immense and may support the alternative options of retaining, reusing, and renovating the existing structure, especially with escalating inflation in construction costs for materials and labour.

Ever since the hotel closed in October 2018, much of the previous interior finishings have been gutted, and it has seen various temporary uses, including as a set for major film and television productions, such as Stephen King’s The Stand on CBS All Access.

pacific inn resort 1160 king george boulevard surrey

The atrium of Pacific Inn Resort before its closure. (Pacific Inn Resort)

The atrium at Pacific Inn Resort modified for film and television productions. (Pacific Inn Resort)

A scene from “The Stand” filmed in the atrium of Pacific Inn Resort. (CBS)

Green screens for film and television productions inside the atrium of Pacific Inn Resort. (Pacific Inn Resort)

At the time of the hotel closure, the owner indicated they were preparing the complex to undergo an extensive interior and exterior renovation at a cost of $28 million into Metro Vancouver’s first DoubleTree by Hilton branded hotel.

In January 2021, Daily Hive Urbanized reported the City of Surrey was in the early stages of reviewing a rezoning application from Mason Link Development to completely redevelop the property into two new hotel buildings, reaching 10 storeys and six storeys.

This more ambitious concept — designed by architectural firm IBI Group — also included 41,200 sq ft of conference and meeting space, which is more than four times the space for such uses in the existing building. It was noted DoubleTree by Hilton was retained as the brand for this redevelopment concept, and there would also be an additional residential use component.

The existing hotel building is surrounded by surface parking lots with about 400 vehicle stalls, where the residential buildings can be constructed.

Preliminary artistic rendering of the new Double Tree by Hilton complex at the site of Pacific Inn Resort at 1160 King George Boulevard, Surrey. (IBI Group/Mason Link Development)

Local developer Fountana Group, which is affiliated with Mason Link Development, has indicated Pacific Inn Resort is part of its portfolio. On its website, Fountana states it is planning a “complete overhaul and modernization” that will “spawn two new hotel buildings, a four-storey convention centre, residential homes, and numerous retail opportunities.” It specifically notes the concept of two new 10-storey and six-storey hotel buildings will be retained, along with the addition of two six-storey residential buildings.

Fountana also notes such a complete mixed-use hotel, convention centre, residential, and retail redevelopment is targeted for a 2025 completion, but it is unclear if that remains the case given the listing, permitting, and required construction timeline at this juncture.

Throughout much of its history, the hotel property has been attached to the moniker of “Pink Palace” for its eye-popping choice of pink shade for its exterior. But the building is no longer pink — sometime between 2021 and 2022, it was completely repainted to an off-white shade with black trimmings. The repainted exterior matches the design shown in Fountana’s artistic renderings of a retained and renovated hotel under DoubleTree by Hilton.

Previous condition of Pacific Inn Resort in March 2021, with its old “Pink Palace” exterior. (Google Maps)

Film production crews at Pacific Inn Resort in August 2022, boasting a new exterior paint colour. (Google Maps)

Film production crews at Pacific Inn Resort in August 2022, boasting a new exterior paint colour. (Google Maps)

Film production crews at Pacific Inn Resort in August 2022, boasting a new exterior paint colour. (Google Maps)

According to BC Assessment, the property’s assessed value as of July 2022 is $22 million, including $21.5 million for the land and $563,000 for the structure. This is up from the July 2021 assessed value of $18.3 million, including $18.2 million for the land and only $88,000 for the structure.

The property last changed hands in 2015 in a deal worth $11 million. At the time, its assessed value was about $8 million.

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