Sooke Harbour House has a new owner. Luke Evanow, a restaurateur from West Vancouver, bought the waterfront property this week.
The three-acre site includes a 28-room hotel and a 100-seat restaurant. Evanow said the view, fresh air, and building style made him fall in love with it.
He did not share the price, but the property was listed at $13.3 million in 2022. It failed to sell until now.
The hotel is known for its organic, farm-to-table food. Evanow plans to keep this focus but will make a few changes.
He will replace the Copper Room lounge with a new casual restaurant. He also wants to bring in more visitors from around the province.
The chef and hotel managers will stay. Staff from the former owners will not continue.
Evanow runs Fred’s Hospitality Group. The company recently bought the Driftwood Motor Inn in Sechelt. It is now the Sechelt Inn and serves Italian food.
His business also runs a cafe and restaurant in West Vancouver. Evanow is also CEO of Foundry Commercial Kitchens in Vancouver.
Sooke Harbour House had a troubled past. Legal issues began after the 2008 crisis. The hotel went into foreclosure in 2020.
IAG Enterprises, based in North Vancouver, bought it for $5.6 million. They spent $14 million on updates. The hotel reopened in 2024.
In 2014, former manager Timothy Durkin tried to buy it. He misled the original owners and a Chinese investor.
A court later found Durkin had defrauded the investor and owed $4 million in damages. The money was never paid.
Evanow now plans to refresh the hotel. He will keep its name but improve service and food. He says the brand will stay, but service will rise.
Buyers came from far and wide. But all serious offers were from B.C. hotel owners. Evanow’s offer was the one that closed.
He hopes the hotel’s charm and fresh updates will attract many new guests.
