Building Hospitality that Builds Cities
The Culture + Entertainment District is Calgary’s next great city neighbourhood — the next chapter in downtown life, and an engine of development and tourism in a dynamic, evolving city. Guided by a 20-year master-plan vision, The C+E will build on the spirit of entertainment that resides in its DNA, and will make way for four million sq ft of new mixed-use development and more than 8,000 additional residents.
Today, as we break ground on the Autograph Collection Hotel — the first full-service, convention-oriented hotel built in downtown Calgary in 25 years — we speak with Oliver Trutina, Vice President at Truman, about why this moment matters, the role hotel development plays in successful culture and entertainment districts, and why, for Truman, this project represents a meaningful way to give something lasting back to the city that has given the company so much.
Building Hospitality that Builds Cities: Why Truman is Investing in Hotels in Calgary’s Culture + Entertainment District
by Oliver Trutina, Vice President at Truman
At Truman, we’ve always believed that great cities are built through thoughtful investment, long-term vision, and a clear sense of purpose – guided by what came before and inspired by what it can become.
As a family-owned, Calgary-based company, our decision to expand into the hospitality sector wasn’t about meeting a short-term need. It was about backing a long-range plan, investing in a district designed to thrive year-round, and helping position Calgary as a confident, competitive destination on the global stage.
Hotels as Part of the Master Plan
A rendering of the Autograph Collection Hotel, The W & JW Marriott Hotels & Residences by Truman in The C+E alongside the expanded BMO Centre.
The Vision
Calgary has always been a city of builders. Rigs, ranches, steel, and resources shaped this place. That spirit does not disappear. It evolves. It matures. It finds new expressions. A city in motion, guided by what came before and driven by what comes next.
The Autograph Collection Hotel, and JW & W Marriott Hotel and Residences mark the next chapter of Calgary’s story. A chapter where ambition finds balance and trailblazing energy is refined into sophistication. Together, they form the catalyst that carries the city forward, beyond what Calgary was and into what it is becoming, an international city defined by culture, ideas, wellness, and hospitality, and by how those qualities are shared with the world.
These developments transform The Culture + Entertainment District into Calgary’s daily heart. Not a destination reserved for moments, but a constant presence. A living hive of activity. A place to entertain, learn, recover, create, and celebrate. A place where the world does not merely visit, but belongs.
Built from the same grit that powered Alberta and guided by the people and traditions that came before, these legacy projects look forward without forgetting their roots. They are designed to deliver vast and measurable returns to Calgarians and to the city that has given so much to us; economic, cultural, civic, and human, through opportunity, pride, purpose, and presence. This is how Calgary moves from a great resource city to a great idea city, and a city defined by the execution of those ideas, without ever losing what brought it here.
The Autograph, JW, and the W will stand as beacons. A classroom. A studio. A wellness sanctuary. A stage. Not symbols, but engines. Not statements, but forces.
“They become the center of gravity for Calgary, for Calgarians and the world beyond.”
The Culture + Entertainment District is where this vision takes physical form. It is not incremental development. It represents one of the most ambitious city-building initiatives in Calgary’s history.
Anchored by world-class venues like the expanded BMO Centre and the forthcoming Scotia Place, the district has been thoughtfully master-planned by Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the Calgary Stampede to bring culture, sport, dining, entertainment and public life together—not in isolation, but in concert. Hotels play a critical role in making that vision real.
Extending the life of events beyond the final buzzer or closing keynote.
Creating continuity between daytime activity and nighttime energy.
Helping to ensure that the district remains animated, safe, and economically resilient year-round.
For Truman, investing in The C+E is about supporting a district that has been designed with purpose and scale – one that will continue to evolve and attract people from across Calgary and around the world.
Our hotel developments represent a significant private investment of more than $1.4B in The C+E, in Calgary’s downtown and in our city’s visitor economy, generating jobs, stimulating local businesses and supporting Calgary’s position on the global tourism stage.
In great districts, hotels don’t just house visitors — they contribute to the public life of the neighbourhood. The ground floor matters as much as the guest rooms. The Autograph, W and JW will bring food and beverage offerings, leisure amenities, and a range of hosting venues to The C+E, cementing Calgary’s reputation as a can’t-miss destination for world-class events and gatherings.
A rendering of The W & JW Hotel & Residences during the Calgary Stampede.
Choosing Calgary
Calgary is at an inflection point.
With major public investments now in place or underway across The C+E – from the expanded BMO Centre and forthcoming Scotia Place to new transportation connections like the 17 Avenue S.E. Extension and the Victoria Park/Stampede Station rebuild — the foundation for long-term transformation is firmly in place. And it has laid the foundation for private industry to respond.
Truman is investing now because we believe in Calgary’s momentum — not just where the city is today, but where it’s headed. When a district is planned with care and ambition, it creates the conditions for more than growth. It creates pull. It brings people together. It supports learning, wellness, culture, and connection — every day, not just on big occasions.
These hotels are not statements in isolation. They are part of a larger story about confidence, collaboration, and a city willing to invest in itself. A story about welcoming the world — and giving visitors a reason to stay, return, and remember Calgary.
“We’re all-in on The Culture + Entertainment District because we believe in Calgary’s future — and in building places that do more than serve a moment. Places that draw the city and the world toward them.”
About Oliver Trutina
Oliver Trutina serves as Vice President of Truman. With a greater than 40-year legacy of crafting distinguished residential, mixed-use, and community-oriented projects across Calgary and the surrounding region, Truman is widely recognized for its commitment to exceptional quality, thoughtful design, and crafting places that enrich how people live.
Oliver’s expertise spans a range of urban and suburban projects. He has been a key leader in realizing Truman's city-building portfolio, including master-planned neighbourhoods and high-profile mixed-use residential developments in Calgary’s evolving urban landscape. His work reflects a commitment to quality building and the delivery of spaces that enhance the way Calgarians live.