Vancouver, BC — April 1, 2026 — Fairmont Pacific Rim announces the appointment of Chad Yamagata as its new executive pastry chef, bringing more than two decades of international experience leading pastry programs at some of the world’s most renowned luxury hotels. He will oversee all pastry operations across the hotel’s culinary venues, as well as lead the pastry program at the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Botanist.

Yamagata joins the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star property with a career spanning South Korea, Dubai, and Canada. Known for his refined and elegant approach to dessert, he has built a reputation for delivering elevated guest experiences while creating and mentoring pastry teams.

“We are thrilled to have Chad join our culinary team,” says Jens Moesker, regional vice president and general manager, Fairmont Pacific Rim. “He introduces a new level of artistry and global perspective to our dessert and pastry program, and we look forward to the creativity and leadership he will bring to Fairmont Pacific Rim.”

Most recently, Yamagata was the owner and pastry chef of SEE WHY Patisserie & Dessert Studio in Seoul, Korea, where he led a program of bespoke dessert collaborations with leading global luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Van Cleef & Arpels, Balenciaga, Gucci, and Thom Browne.

His resume also includes the role of executive pastry chef at five-star hotels such as St. Regis Hong Kong and JW Marriott Dongdaemun in Seoul. He was also the corporate executive pastry chef of South Korean celebrity chef Edward Kwon’s restaurant group, EK Foods.

“I’m honoured to be returning home to Vancouver and joining the talented team at Fairmont Pacific Rim,” says Yamagata. “This is an incredible opportunity to lead the pastry program across such a dynamic property, including the Michelin Guide-recommended Botanist. I look forward to creating memorable dessert experiences for our guests.”

For more information, please visit botanistrestaurant.com

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver is running out of hotel rooms – just as the city prepares to welcome the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For more than two decades, Vancouver has added little meaningful hotel inventory. According to Destination Vancouver and the BC Hotel Association, the city has roughly the same number of hotel rooms today as it did in 2002, despite significant growth in tourism and global events.

The reasons are layered: hotel closures, pandemic-era housing conversions, tighter short-term rental regulations, and a slow development pipeline. During the pandemic alone, more than 550 hotel rooms were removed from the city's inventory after being converted into supportive housing.

Meanwhile, demand continues to rise. Vancouver hotels operate at approximately 80% occupancy year-round, with peak summer periods reaching as high as 95% – among the highest rates in North America. Industry forecasts suggest the city may face a shortage of roughly 70,000 accommodation nights during the busiest stretch of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with more than 45,000 visitors seeking lodging on peak match days. Into that gap steps The Como.

A Boutique Hotel Arrives at the Right Time

Located at 1825 Comox Street in Vancouver's West End, The Como is a 32-room independent boutique property designed to offer a personalised, neighbourhood-rooted hospitality experience. Just two blocks from English Bay, steps from Stanley Park, and surrounded by the restaurants, cafés, and cultural life of Denman Street and Davie Village, the hotel sits at the centre of one of Vancouver's most iconic visitor districts. The Como opened quietly in early 2026 – not as a reaction to the city's hotel shortage, but as a reflection of something more personal.

Why Now. Why Here.

Husband and wife Karim Salamatian and Thuy Duong Salamatian didn't set out to solve Vancouver's accommodation shortage. They set out to build the kind of hotel they enjoy discovering while travelling – small, personal, and deeply connected to its surroundings.

Karim, raised in Victoria, BC, and Thuy, originally from Vietnam with a background in hospitality, spent nearly two decades living and travelling overseas together – across Europe and Asia, drawn to places where hospitality felt intuitive, thoughtful, and rooted in the local community. Eventually, they knew they wanted to bring that feeling home.

After purchasing the former Shato Inn, the couple reimagined the property as a boutique hotel shaped by the experiences, cultures, and values they'd discovered abroad. "We honeymooned at Lake Como and stayed in a small hotel where our names were remembered by the second morning," says Thuy Duong Salamatian. "That feeling stayed with us. When we found this building on Comox Street, the name felt like it was waiting for us. We wanted to build a hotel that invested serious thought in what would make a guest's stay wonderful."

"For us, hospitality has always been about bringing people together," adds Karim Salamatian. "Whether it's in our home or across different places we've lived, it's an extension of who we are."

The location is no accident. The Como sits where everything Vancouver is known for converges – English Bay and its famous sunsets two blocks away, Stanley Park at the end of the street, Denman Street's diverse restaurant strip as the front yard, and the Seawall, Davie Village, and downtown all within easy reach. The West End is the part of Vancouver that lives in people's memories. The Como puts guests squarely inside it.

A Different Kind of Hotel Model

By keeping the model intentionally lean, The Como creates space for something often missing in high-demand markets: genuine attention to guests and meaningful value at a premium location. Rather than pushing occupancy to cover the fixed costs of amenities few guests need, the hotel directs that bandwidth toward what matters – knowing what a guest needs before they ask.

Guest services are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, and Mandarin – reflecting both the owners' backgrounds and Vancouver's international audience.

Designed for Modern Travellers

The Como offers:
• 32 rooms, including standard rooms, kitchen suites, and private patio retreats
• 15 rooms with full kitchens designed for longer stays
• 11 rooms with large, furnished private decks – a rarity in Vancouver hotels at any price point
• Seamless digital self-check-in alongside 24-hour in-person guest services
• An oversized Wellness Suite with a private Peloton bike, yoga and meditation space, and full-body red-light therapy panel
• Complimentary e-bikes for exploring the city
• Secure underground parking
• Dedicated in-room workspaces and high-speed Wi-Fi
• Locally sourced amenities, mini-bar offerings, and artwork integrated throughout the property.

The Bigger Picture

Vancouver's hotel supply problem is well documented. A Hotel Community Impact Assessment by Destination Vancouver and the BC Hotel Association finds the city may need 10,000 additional hotel rooms by 2050 to support tourism growth and major international events. The same number of hotel rooms exist today as in 2002. The city lost more than 550 rooms to COVID-era social housing conversions alone. Average downtown occupancy runs at 80% year-round and spikes to 95% in summer – among the highest rates on the continent. Without new supply, Vancouver risks losing an estimated $30.6 billion in economic output by 2050.Boutique, neighbourhood-based hotels have been identified as among the city's most urgently needed accommodation types. The Como isn't waiting for a policy fix. It's already open.

Vancouver, B.C. – March 25th, 2026 – Coast Hotels Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of APA Hotel Canada, Inc. and one of North America’s fastest-growing and one of Canada’s largest hotel brands, is excited to announce the upcoming 24th Annual Coast Hotels Shuhachi Naito Golf Classic, which is set to take place on Thursday, July 09th, 2026, at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club, located in Delta, BC.

This event is being held to support the ALS Society of British Columbia and the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and will help fund both non-profit organizations’ valuable and important work.

The annual golf tournament is one of the biggest events for Coast Hotels and has well surpassed $1.4m in funds donated to charities since its inception. This year’s Golf Classic will once again feature exciting activities, raffles, auctions, and prizes for all participants.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting the 24th Annual Coast Hotels Shuhachi Naito Golf Classic again this summer,” said Mark Hope, Executive Advisor and Golf Classic Organizer for Coast Hotels. “This event is a great opportunity for golfers of all skill levels to come together and support two worthy causes. We’re looking forward to a day of fun and fundraising, and we hope to see a great turnout.”

Registration for the tournament will open in late April, and golfers can sign up individually or as a team. Participants will enjoy a round of golf, lunch, and dinner, and plenty of opportunities to win prizes. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses and organizations looking to support both non-profit organizations.

“We’re grateful for the support of our hospitality partners, sponsors, and volunteers who make this annual event possible,” added Mark Hope. “We couldn’t do it without them, and we’re excited to see the impact that this year’s tournament will have on the two charities and the people and communities they serve.”

For more information about the 24th Annual Coast Hotels Shuhachi Naito Golf Classic or to pre-register as a sponsor or participant, please contact Mark Hope at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We hope to see you on the greens!

VICTORIA, B.C. (Songhees, Xwsepsum and W̱SÁNEĆ territories), March 24, 2026 – Known for its award-winning workplace culture, Accent Inns Inc., which include and , are bolstering their Leading with Love philosophy with new executive firepower with the hiring of two new Vice Presidents.

Accent Inns and Hotel Zed has appointed Rachel Johns as Vice-President, Marketing, Sales and Revenue and Jeff Hope as Vice-President, Finance. Together, the appointments deepen executive capacity in two critical areas as Accent Inns and Hotel Zed continue to scale while staying true to the values that define their brands.

Building capacity for its next chapter, these new leaders will help Accent Inns and Hotel Zed grow while staying distinct, rebellious and guest focused. The appointments come at a pivotal moment for the business, with CEO Mandy Farmer also stepping into the role of Chair of Hotels Canada this year.

The Vice-President, Marketing, Sales and Revenue role is new to the organization and brings together three critical functions under one leader. The integrated structure is designed to strengthen alignment between brand, demand generation and revenue performance as the company scales. Rachel has held senior leadership roles at high-growth organizations including Booking.com, ThoughtExchange and Hootsuite.

As Vice-President, Finance, Jeff will oversee the financial integrity and long-term performance of Accent Inns Inc., supporting strategic decision-making across the organization. His experience across hotel finance, audit and enterprise risk with most major hotel brands will help strengthen the company’s financial discipline and equip teams with the insight needed to support sustainable growth.

“I believe that the most important factor to our organization’s success is having the right people on the team,” said Mandy Farmer, CEO of Accent Inns, Hotel Zed and ROAR. “Both Jeff and Rachel have deep hospitality roots, strong leadership chops and they’re experts in their fields. But I’m especially excited about welcoming them to our work Fam-Jam because their values align with ours, and they fit seamlessly into our culture.”