VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 22, 2015) - After more than 11 years since Ellen Cmolik first acquired Abigail's Hotel ("Abigail's"), one of Victoria's most prized hospitality treasures, the time has come to find a suitable successor. The hotel has been listed for sale with Randy Holt of DTZ Victoria Real Estate Ltd. and the marketing efforts have now begun.
Abigail's is a luxurious 23-room facility that has been meticulously cared for and steadily upgraded during Ms. Cmolik's tenure, ensuring that its historic character and charm are blended with the modern comforts and amenities sought by ever more discerning and sophisticated travellers. The result is an elegant heritage masterpiece that provides an exceptional and unique guest experience, consistently producing some of the highest overall guest ratings of any Victoria hotel (as compiled by the world's leading travel website, Trip Advisor).
In both 2014 and 2015, Abigail's received its most impressive recognition to date as the recipient of Trip Advisor's "Travellers Choice Awards" for the #1 hotel in Canada in three categories including the "Top Hotels for Romance", the "Top Small Hotels" and "The Top Hotels for Service".
The offering comes as Abigail's is approaching its 30-year anniversary, having first opened in 1985 after a substantial renovation of the 8-suite apartment building formerly known as the "Bessborough". (It was named after Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, the ninth Earl of Bessborough who was the Governor General of Canada when the building was constructed in the early 1930's). Initially operated as a "bed and breakfast" inn, the property has steadily evolved to its current stature as a luxury boutique hotel tucked away into its quiet downtown nook on McClure Street.
The decision to sell was not an easy one for Ms. Cmolik and her family, who have a strong attachment to the property, staff and guests alike. Her son, Nick Saklas, has overseen the operations at Abigail's for the past five years and commented: "It is certainly bittersweet to contemplate selling Abigail's but we are proud of the work we have done over the last decade and of the high standards and stature that the hotel has achieved. With its place in the market now so well established, we feel that this is the right time to pass the torch to the next owner, who will acquire an asset that has been well cared for and has an outstanding team in place to sustain our momentum."
Abigail's enjoyed a record year in 2014 and has seen revenue growth of approximately 70% over the past five years, substantially outpacing the overall Victoria market over that period. All indications point to an even stronger performance in 2015.
