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Open a Hotel in Canada

Open a Hotel in Canada

Hospitality is a very prolific Canadian industry and investors can open various types of companies in this sector. One can set up cafes, restaurants, resorts, and hotels in Canada by following the legislation applied at federal and provincial level.

Among the most sought touristic destinations in Canada are the cities of Toronto, Vancouver and the capital, Ottawa. However, foreign investors can explore other touristic locations by opening hotels in Canada.

With the help of our Canadian company formation agentsopening a hotel in this country can be an easy process.

Registering an accommodation business in Canada

The company registration procedure of a hotel or any other type of accommodation establishment in Canada is completed with the Trade Register. Our company registration advisors in Canada recommend you follow the next steps when opening a hotel in this country:

  • the company should be registered in the province where the hotel will operate in order to reduce the bureaucratic procedures;
  • the limited liability company or the corporation is the most suitable type of structure for a hotel business;
  • registering with the Hotel Association of Canada is recommended in order to attract clients;
  • the hotel business can be established by registering a new company or by taking over an existing business.

We can guide foreign investors through the company registration procedure of a Canadian accommodation business.

Requirements for opening a hotel in Canada

Those who want to establish a hotel in Canada should keep in mind the following requirements:

  • they must apply for construction permits if they plan on a new construction of a building;
  • they must hire specialized personnel in the hospitality field, as prescribed by the Canadian laws;
  • if the hotel will also have a restaurant, food and drink licenses must be obtained;
  • the hotel must have a register book which must contain information about each client.

Canadian hotels must also undergo classification. These can be categorized as:

  • one-star hotels;
  • two-star hotels;
  • three-star hotels;
  • four-star hotels;
  • five-star hotels.

For assistance in opening a hotel in Canada, please contact our local company incorporation consultants.

Foreign businessmen who want to enter this business sector and who want to set up a business in Canada as a hotel or another type of accommodation unit must know that they are liable to the payment of specific taxes, charged only to this industry.

The taxes can slightly vary based on the province where the hotel is operating – for example, in Quebec and in Ottawa, the tax rate is slightly different.

In Quebec, there is a lodging tax, that is charged at a rate of 3.5%, while in Ottawa, the tax authorities charge a tax that is known as Municipal Accommodation Tax, imposed at a rate of 4%.

You can find out more information on the taxes imposed to accommodation units from our CPA in Canada, who can provide professional accounting services to large accommodation units.

We invite you to contact our consultants in the case in which you are interested in any of the immigration programs that grant a foreigner the right to start a business here or become an employee.

One way to arrive here for business purposes is through the Owner Operator program in Canada, a program that is addressed to a certain category of businessmen and who must comply with many eligibility requirements.

Another way to relocate here is by applying for the Intra Company Transfer in Canada, a program designed for the employees of multinational companies that have incorporated an office in Canada as well.

Only certain categories of employees can participate in the program, while the company itself must meet specific conditions (such as the period of time since it has been operating here).