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Farenheit Hotel: Still Clothing-Optional, But Didn't Kick Out Poor People

Where: 1212 Granville Street, Vancouver, Canada, BC V6Z 1M4

[Ed. Note: A representative for the Farenheit Hotel in Vancouver emailed us to dispute the notion put forth by another blogger that "poor people" were kicked out of the building to make way for the clothing-optional, gay men only hotel. Here's his side of the story.]

FYI the hotel was converted from SRO to "Tourist Hotel" by the owner/operator a couple of years before we even considered leasing the building from her.  She went through the city's legal process to do so.  At that time she only had 5 SRO tenants, and she moved them to another hotel she owns with rent frozen for 5 years.  Freezing the rent at that hotel (for ALL it's tenants) for 5 years was part of the deal.  4 of the tenants were delighted to move, because they felt the new facility was much better for them than was the hotel on Granville, and they all submitted letters of support.

One cranky tenant was a holdout (you can't please everyone), and he got a good deal too, and eventually a buy-out.  He left the hotel BEFORE we took over and converted it to  the Fahrenheit hotel.

So please, we didn't kick out ANY poor people.

Here's the link to the city's files documenting the entire process of conversion of the Ambassador Hotel from SRO hotel to Tourist Hotel.

We never respond to Jamie Lee Hamilton, the Downtown Eastside blogger, because it is pointless to talk to her.  Anything we do would only make her more angry.  I'm kinda sorry now I helped fund her run at a seat on the city council a few years ago...  Now she seems to be set on hinting that maybe I burned down all the other gay baths in town just to eliminate the competition. Egad! I'd sue but she'd just enjoy the publicity; she's pretty much unstoppable when she gets on a tear about something.

Meanwhile, we have created more jobs for gay men, and created a new facility to be enjoyed by their community.  We like to think we've done a nice job.  The Hotel's guests seem very pleased, I'm gratified to hear.

But, we can't be all things to all people.

Related Stories:
· Vancouver's First Gay Hotel Has 'Clothing Optional' Floor [HotelChatter]