After years of speculation, the Red Coach Inn has been sold to a new owner.
On Monday, June 9, the District of 100 Mile House announced that the historic inn, which was shuttered by the district in 2022 for fire code violations, has been purchased by Pinder Banipal, a private investor based out of Kamloops B.C. In their release, the district said Banipal has a "strong interest in community revitalisation" and intends to renovate the Red Coach Inn and re-open it to the public.
“We’re thrilled to see new life being brought into such a well-loved part of our community,” Mayor Maureen Pinkney said. “The Red Coach Inn holds a special place in our town’s history, and this investment not only preserves that history but also contributes to local economic development and tourism.”
According to the district, Banipal plans to preserve the building's "historic charm" and upgrade the facilities of the Red Coach Inn to provide modern and comfortable accommodations for guests and visitors alike. Before its closure, the Red Coach Inn boasted a swimming pool, banquet hall, an attached restaurant and once hosted the Red Coach itself, before its 2019 move to its current location beside the South Cariboo Visitor Centre. It was originally built by Lord Martin Cecil and turns 60 years old this year.
Pinkney said the previous owner, Joseph Carhoun, had been trying to renovate the property and make it compliant with the district's fire code. While Carhoun had been adamant about holding on to the property, the district had applied pressure including a legal notice in April of this year declaring they had the right to demolish the property if he was unable to bring it into compliance.
The last-minute sale of the building to Banipal, Pinkney said, came as a pleasant surprise to the district.
"It was a fairly welcome surprise. Initially, the previous owner was not looking to sell, he was really wanting to retain the property, but as the notice had indicated, we had gone through a court process to try and get him to comply with the fire code regulations and bring it up to code," Pinkney said. "It had allowed us the ability to demolish if that's where we had ended up and we are very happy that this new owner came on board."
Banipal said he first got his start in the hotel industry 25 years ago, working his way up from the front desk to purchasing his first motel in 2008. Since then, his company, Banipal Hotels, has only grown, with Banipal now owning 15 hotels across B.C., including the Ramada by Wyndham 100 Mile House, which he purchased in 2018.
Buying the Red Coach Inn has been something Banipal has wanted to do for the last two years, noting he enjoys purchasing hotels to fix up and bring to their full potential. He said that he couldn't disclose how much he purchased the Red Coach Inn for, but said it represents a significant investment.
"I know the 100 Mile House market. It's only two hours away from me, and I know the market well. I think there's a bunch of potential in it," Banipal said. "I talked to the mayor yesterday and she gave me some history of it, which was pretty exciting."
Restoration work of the building is expected to begin in short order, with Pinkney noting Banipal has told the district he would like to have the 80-room hotel reopened within six months. This will include renovating all the rooms, installing a new roof and fixing up the swimming pool.
"It will be a hotel chain of some kind and that's great because we need more. We're constantly running out of rooms when we have crews here in the summertime and hockey tournaments in the winter. We need those rooms up and running," Pinkney said.
Banipal said he's ready to begin as soon as he can get the proper permits from the District of 100 Mile House. He plans to invest between $1.5 to $2 million into the Red Coach Inn, noting that he wants to return it to "its original charm."
"There are going to be lots of renovations. To start with, it's a lot of legal paperwork, hiring architects and planning," Banipal said. "The delay is going to be getting the permits from the district and hiring the professional architects and engineers. This is not my first project, which I'm going to be renovating at the level I'm going to be doing with this project. We're going to do this properly."
Once the renovation is complete, Banipal predicts the hotel will create 15 full-time and part-time jobs once it opens, including front desk, housekeeping and maintenance. He's set a goal to open in time for Christmas this December.
The district said the Red Coach Inn is a landmark with deep roots in the community and its revitalization signals a positive step in local renewal within 100 Mile House. The Red Coach Inn's deteriorating condition in recent years has been a point of criticism and contention for many former employees and residents.
"Council and district staff look forward to working collaboratively with Mr. Banipal as the renovation progresses," the district concluded.
Pinkney further expanded on the history of the building, noting her mother grew up nearby. She recalled that the Red Coach used to be a place for the community to gather for events, and that 100 Mile House's first movie theatre was located in its basement.
"It's pretty exciting for me that the taxpayers didn't have to go into debt and tear it down and that a buyer came along," Pinkney remarked. "It's going to have a different name, but for everyone that's here, I guess it will always be the Red Coach. I'm just excited that it stayed, it's the best outcome we could have."
