Vancouver investment and hospitality group Synvest Group of Companies announced it will acquire the family businesses behind Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, with the transaction expected to be completed by the end of November 2026. The acquisition amount has not been disclosed. The transaction covers five Accent Inns located at Richmond’s Vancouver International Airport, Burnaby, the City of Victoria, Kelowna, and Kamloops; Other options include Hotel Zed, located in Victoria, Kelowna, and Tofino, as well as the ROAR restaurant inside Hotel Zed. The eight hotel assets together have about 800 rooms, with the largest being Richmond’s Accent Inns, which has over 200 rooms.
Mandy Farmer, founding family member and CEO of the hotel, said when announcing the transaction, “Today is an exciting day for me personally and our team. I am incredibly proud of the company and corporate culture we have built together and finding a new owner who truly understands what makes the company unique is crucial to me.” Farmer stated that during the transaction, both parties shared common ideas on how to treat employees and care for guests, so they believed Synvest was suitable as the next owner. New owner: Retain the original team and customer service Synvest is an investment and hospitality company that currently operates about 12 hotels in Western Canada through its management company, Roadside Hospitality, and states that its investment strategy focuses on long-term holding and development of enterprises. Azim Virani, founder and principal of Synvest, stated that the hotel industry is ultimately a “business of people.” Over the years, Farmer and his family have built a unique corporate culture at Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, truly valuing employees and guests.
Virani stated that Synvest plans to collaborate with the existing management and staff to continue the Farmer family’s established hotel management model, rather than starting from scratch. Before and after the transaction is completed, the eight hotels and ROAR will continue to operate as usual, and all existing bookings will be acknowledged, so travellers will not need to rearrange their accommodation due to the change of ownership. For British Columbia’s hotel industry, this transaction is not just about eight hotel asset transfers, but also marks a turning point for local family-owned hotel brands to shift from founding families to professional investors; Whether the new owner can expand its asset base while maintaining the corporate culture these two brands have built over the years is worth watching.