Flying high: Whitehouse new build off to good start

 The plan to build a new property in Whitehorse, Yukon, may have floated around for a few years. But in 2018, those plans came to fruition and construction officially began on Raven Inn Whitehorse. The five-storey property was the brainchild of four owners (two couples).

Fast forward to a year later. The property was open only one week before the pandemic hit. And changed everything.

New year, new ownership

“My husband and I had purchased one of the condo suites,” explains Kristine Lawrie, co-owner, Raven Inn Whitehorse. “We knew that one of the original couples was very risk adverse so rather than see it purchased by a chain or corporate entity, we offered to buy their share.”

Lawrie describes herself and her husband as long-time residents of Whitehorse, with proven business experience. The other couple, the Gildays, have owned a successful construction company in Whitehorse for several years. 

“We knew that the Gildays are experts in construction and knew the bones of the building,” says Lawrie. “And we were confident in our business experience so it just made sense to do it.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

“None of us had years of experience in running a hotel,” says Lawrie. “We all just agreed to focus on making it the best place to stay for our guests and the best place to work for our staff.”

Raven Inn Whitehorse offers 34 traditional hotel rooms with a “rustic chic” feel. The rooms are located on the second and third floors. On the fourth and fifth floors are 10 one- and two-bedroom luxurious condos, each of which is outfitted with a kitchen and private balcony.

The condos owners have the option to enter into an agreement with Raven Inn Whitehorse to rent them on a nightly basis. All of the current 10 owners have done so.

The main floor of the building houses the full-service, 51-seat capacity restaurant, The Railwork Lounge, along with the property’s kitchen, laundry facilities and other back-office supports.

Although the hotel was impacted by the pandemic, it did manage to remain open with a skeleton crew.

“We did not shut down,” saws Lawrie. “We did everything we could to remain operational.”

Lawrie describes the next few months as “rocky” but points to the unusual business model as contributing to their survival.

“The condos came in really handy,” she says. “When health professionals flew into town or when people needed to quarantine, they immediately chose the condos.”

All systems good

The owners’ focus on providing the best guest and staff experience seems to have paid off – in spades.

“This past spring, we reached full capacity for the first time,” says Lisa Brooksbank, General Manager, Raven Inn Whitehorse. “Last year, occupancy had been around 95% up until the fall. We are very, very happy with that.”

Even during the slow time (fall and winter), the numbers were an impressive 60%.

“That’s a lot higher than we expected,” says Brooksbank, who adds that 2023 is shaping up to be another good year, with solid bookings already in place.

According to Brooksbank, the average guest stay is the same for both the hotel and condo accommodation. There is the exception for out-of-town workers or the like, who may stay in the condos for two to three weeks at a time.

The different accommodations may contribute to Raven Inn Whitehorse’s success but Lawrie believes the real difference comes down to the staff itself.

“We have amazing staff,” she says. “When the staff is happy, it flows through to your guests. Our staff are very customer focused. They really get to know the guests and genuinely care about making their stay with us the very best possible.”

And for a property supported in large part by the local community, this personal service can go a long way to ensuring repeat business – something that Raven Inn Whitehorse is already witnessing firsthand.

- Western Hotelier Magazine