Hotelier quits downtown
By Steve Arnold / Hamilton Spectator
Hotel operator Oscar Kichi has walked away from downtown Hamilton.
After 15 years of trying to build a business in the heart of the city, Kichi has allowed the lease to lapse on the Crowne Plaza Hotel and plans to concentrate on more promising ventures.
“I put enough time into that hotel. I built it up and now it’s time to move on,” he said. “It’s not really profitable, but it’s doing OK. Downtown Hamilton is a very difficult environment for a hotel.”
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While he is finished as a downtown hotel operator, Kichi retains one link to the core — he still owns the Lincoln Alexander Centre, a conference space he created in a former cinema next to the Crowne Plaza.