Life House platform announces B.C. expansion

Independent hotel management company Life House, a tech-enabled hotel operator, has signed a long-term agreement to manage Beldi, a 48-key new build located in Squamish, B.C. This marks the first Canadian property in its portfolio.

Local entrepreneur Rodney Wilson of Hang Eleven Properties is developing the hotel, HunterOffice Architecture and Ste. Marie Studio will be leading design and branding, based out of Squamish and Vancouver, respectively. The boutique hotel will have a ground-floor restaurant and roof-top lounge area that will serve as both a co-working space by day and cocktail bar by night, catering to the recent influx of adventure-seekers and Vancouver transplants drawn to the area’s dramatic landscape and outdoor lifestyle. Life House will oversee all hotel and F&B operations, powered by its in-house built software.

“Beldi will be the first high-end, lifestyle property in Squamish, and we are [honoured] to be a part of the area’s transformation, offering a new hub for modern [travellers] looking for adventure but also convenience,” says Wilson who has been a Squamish resident since 2003, “We can’t think of a better partner than Life House who’s tech-enabled platform brings value to the hotel while creating a more seamless experience for the guest.”

Founded in 2017, Life House raised nearly $90 million from leading venture capital and real estate investors including Inovia Capital, KAYAK, Tiger Global, Thayer Ventures, Derive Ventures, JLL, Trinity Ventures, Sound Ventures, Cooley LLP among others. The company operates over 60 hotels across North America from roadside motels to five-star luxury properties, supporting hotel owners with a diverse suite of offerings including tech-enabled management, hotel branding, and Revenue SAAS, with a proprietary tech stack.

“We are excited to cement our position in Canada, both in the expansion of our hotel portfolio and continued commitment to hiring great diverse talent from Montreal to Vancouver,” says Rami Zeidan, founder and chief executive officer of Life House, which recently raised a Series C led by Montreal-based Inovia Capital. “With a majority of our team in Canada already, it's a natural progression for us to begin supporting hotel owners throughout Canada's fragmented hotel market following our proven track record in the U.S. and Mexico.”

The partnership with Hang Eleven and Life House is anticipated to expand beyond the Beldi with new projects targeting British Columbia including Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, Sooke and Tofino. More broadly, Life House is in active discussions with owners of 50-150 key independent hotel opportunities in top leisure and urban locations throughout Canada, with the goal of five hotels open or under development in the region by year-end.