There has been plenty of promotional buzz around the new Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver, and visits by Donald, Ivanka, and Donald Trump Jr., accompanied by Holborn Group CEO Joo Kim Tiah. Holborn Group is the Vancouver-based real estate company that is building the Tower along with the Trump family and TA Global Berhad, a property development company based in Malaysia.
Donald Jr. and Ivanka were recently in Vancouver, and with Tiah, they spoke about many of the current challenges ahead of them. “We’ve done our homework, we took a look at what’s going on the market and want to raise the bar,” says Ivanka. She is the definition of poise and confidence, as she elaborates, “We want to be bold and daring, but appropriate to the environment. The design is incredible: beautiful metals and great woods, marrying hard and soft elements.”
Tiah also brims with confidence, and even belies a considerable passion for this project. “I want this building to become the icon of Vancouver,” he says. “I feel the weight of the entire city on my shoulders.” He is convinced that Vancouver is primed and ready for this relative leap forward in the luxury accommodation market, complete with pool bar nightclub, Champagne lounge, and service levels surpassed by none. The team will announce a world-class restaurant operator in the coming months as well. “Working with another family business sealed the deal for me,” Tiah says. “I like the longevity, knowing that I’ll be shaking hands with the same people 30 years down the road.”
The Tower is also architect Arthur Erickson’s legacy project in the city, a twisting, towering edifice 63 stories tall, boasting 218 residences and three penthouses, along with 147 guest rooms, and a Trump Spa by Ivanka, the first of its kind in Canada.
The most recent visit was to assert the project is on schedule. It is currently 65 per cent sold, and when summer 2016 rolls around, the doors will swing open to welcome guests, residents, and intrigued Vancouverites.
