The $490 million Parq Vancouver casino is nearing its first anniversary. The property, built by Paragon Gaming, was viewed with skepticism by many when it was proposed for the third largest city in Canada.
Many feared it would bring too much Las Vegas glitch to the city, even while the city wanted a new hotel, something that hadn’t happened since 2010.
It actually got two hotels, a JW Marriott and a boutique hotel called The Douglas. It also got an outdoor park on the sixth floor that includes native pines and Canadian native plants.
The project was considered Canada’s first integrated resort. It incorporated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standards but also was called “North America’s most fun business hotel” by Bloomberg News.
A year after opening, Paragon co-founder Diana Bennett declared, “We truly believe it brought a whole new look and feel to Vancouver.” Although certainly a casino, with 600 slots and 75 gaming tables, it is very un-Vegas. For instance it has huge floor to ceiling windows that flood the gaming floor with natural light.
While not revealing any proprietary financial information, Bennett said the gaming revenues “pleasantly surprised” them. So has the performance of the casino’s steakhouse, the Victor.
Bennett added, “We feel like the property has been well-received by the community.”
