Carmen’s Group acquires The Arlington Hotel and Dominion Telegraph Event Centre

Carmen's Group has acquired The Arlington Hotel and Dominion Telegraph Event Centre from fellow Hamilton-based hospitality group The Other Bird.

The purchase of the Paris, Ont., properties was announced in a press release earlier this month and marks the company's most recent expansion beyond its Steeltown base, said chief operating officer Joe Mercanti.

It's going to require a little bit of a different operational requirement for us, which we're excited about," Mercanti said in an interview. It's new territory for us."

The Arlington Hotel, built in the early 1850s, features nearly two dozen suites that follow literary and artist themes, an art-deco inspired bar and its original stone wine cellar, according to a release.

Dominion Telegraph Event Centre, now known as River's Edge, is a waterfront space that can host weddings and other events. The venue was the site of the world's first long-distance phone call performed by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, according to a release.

The Other Bird owned the pair of businesses for six years, said Erin Dunham, co-founder and CEO of the hospitality group.

Dunham told The Spectator the decision to sell the properties came down to a shift in focus for the hospitality group, which meant deciding whether to keep their portfolio as is or centre their efforts on expanding The Mule and The Rapscallion and Co. brands.

The company choose the latter, she said, while noting that retaining the hotel takes a lot of work."

Being able to free people's time up by selling The Arlington was huge," said Dunham. And having the funds from the sales to help fuel the growth of The Mule has been great."

While Dunham admits that selling the businesses is bittersweet," she's also very happy" they're staying in the hands of another Hamilton-based company.

I'm sure they're going to grow them in ways that we never could," said Dunham. It'll be nice to see them flourish in another way."

Mercanti said while the company plans to keep the unique feel" of the hotel, they are planning some changes to the property, including transforming the former restaurant and the basement cellar into private event spaces.

The Library Bar is open to the general public, serving up cocktails and small plates, he noted.

The more extensive changes will take place at River's Edge, said Mercanti. Their plans include improving the kitchen equipment and making general investments" in the decor and feel of the venue.

Mercanti said the acquisition of the properties will allow the company to offer unique venue options in a different community amid a time of rapid change" in the hospitality industry.

Carmen's Group currently operates Carmen's, C Hotel, Baci Ristorante, The Lakeview and the Hamilton Convention Centre - all of which are located in Hamilton.

Both of the venues offer a completely different feel" than the other spaces in their portfolio, Mercanti noted, pointing to the history of the buildings and their original features such as exposed beams and brick.

Mercanti noted that the pandemic caused a shift in the hospitality industry, presenting challenges such as increased costs that the company had to work through in their other venues. The new spaces will allow them to craft menus and programs that better reflect those pivots, he added.

It's like starting with a fresh foot after COVID," said Mercanti. That's an exciting thing."

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com