with the collaboration of Stéphan Langevin

According to the 2022 Hospitality Global Market report, the hospitality market has an estimated global value of $4,548.42 billion worldwide and generates annual revenues of $570 billion. According to data from the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, international visitors’ spending on hotel stays in Canada reached approximately CAD $5.2 billion in 2019.

While the exact number of hotels and rooms worldwide is unknown, STR (a company specializing in hospitality statistics and benchmarking) estimates that there are approximately 187,000 hotels around the world, offering more than 17.5 million rooms. In Canada, roughly 8,500 hotels and 443,000 rooms sustain this industry. It is therefore a vast market, with figures that are truly staggering.

Beyond its economic value, the hospitality market is one of the most inspiring for architects and designers. In many cities, major hotels serve as powerful symbols. One need only think of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the Plaza in New York, or the Ritz-Carlton in Paris. Closer to home, Manoir Richelieu, Château Frontenac, Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth, and Auberge St-Antoine in Québec are among the prestigious establishments that act as identity-defining landmarks, forming an integral part of the DNA of the cities in which they are located.

Over the years, STGM has had the opportunity to work on some of Québec’s most iconic hospitality buildings. We renovated 267 guest rooms at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and designed Germain Charlevoix in consortium with Lemay Michaud and Coarchitecture. We worked on the expansion of Auberge St-Antoine, named Canada’s best hotel according to Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Lastly, we will be working with Le Manoir Richelieu, whose building envelope we previously renovated, on an upcoming renovation mandate.

Small or large, new or renovated, three-star or five-star, these places remain a constant source of inspiration for our teams. Whether it’s the Best Western Plus in Québec City, the DoubleTree in Québec City, the Hampton Inn in Lévis, Hôtel Royal William, or Manoir Price on Grande Allée, all of these hospitality projects share a common goal: welcoming guests into unique, healthy, comfortable establishments that respect their environment. Places that offer visitors a home away from home and that reflect—through inspiring spaces and atmospheres—the context in which they are rooted.

It is therefore with great enthusiasm that we begin these mandates, whose importance is often underestimated and which contribute to the identity of our cities, playing a significant role in shaping the image we project both locally and abroad.