Photo: Contributed - Delta Hotels

It will be business as usual at Kelowna’s Delta Grand hotel, despite the sale of the Delta brand to Marriott Hotels.

Marriott International Inc. signed a deal this week to buy the Delta hotel brand from B.C. Investment Management Corp. for $168 million.

But Delta Grand general manager Daniel Bibby says only the brand Delta was sold, not its properties across Canada. So, the Grand will stay under the Delta banner.

“Our ownership hasn’t changed,” he says.

Bibby says the Kelowna hotel’s 400 employees all received notification from the company’s president and CEO at the beginning of the week.

“We immediately called a town-hall-style meeting for all our colleagues to discuss the news … it is an exciting time.

“It’s business as usual, but the changes open up many new possibilities for our staff. Marriott has 4,100 hotels worldwide in 79 countries. Delta will be one more brand under their flag, but it could provide new opportunities for movement within the company. We’ll still be owned by BCIM.”

Under the purchase agreement, the U.S. hotel chain will take over management and franchise operations for the 38 Delta hotels and resorts, including 10,000 rooms across Canada.

Acquisition of the Delta chain will bring Marriott’s operations to more than 120 hotels and 27,000 rooms in Canada.

Affiliates of B.C. Investment Management own 13 of the Delta hotels and will sign new 30-year management agreements with Marriott. Meanwhile, third parties own the other 25 Delta hotels, including 15 that are managed by Delta and 10 are that franchised.

Marriott expects to close the deal in the second quarter.

B.C. Investment Management manages investments for public sector pension funds as well as publicly administered trust funds and government operating funds.