Events like Harefest (pictured), the Oregon Renaissance Faire, Clackamas County Fair and other events in Canby have contributed to increased visitors to the community that often stay in hotels outside of Canby. The city would like to see a change to that dynamic.

Does Canby need more hotel rooms? Yes.

Is Canby looking to the prospects for making that come to fruition? Yes.

Are there chains/entities that are actively looking at Canby as a potential hotel spot? Yes.

Is a new hotel imminent for Canby? Yes. Well maybe. Possibly. Could be. Discussions in that area are certainly heating up.

The Canby City Council recently got an update on where this possibility stands, and where it might be going.

“We did this study a while back and it came back saying that Canby would be a great place to have a hotel developed and built,” explained Mayor Brian Hodson. “And so, right now, we’re entertaining options and interest that could come in. We are working through those companies that are doing their own due diligence right now.”

The Canby Hotel Development Analysis was completed in December 2022 by Johnson Economics and considered the growth of businesses and residents in Canby over the last several years, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and area-wide demand.

In a 2019 hotel study, the results of the study showed the demand for a hotel in Canby was high, however, the COVID-19 pandemic brought considerable changes to business, development, and travel. The updated analysis considered growth in the Canby Pioneer Industrial Park, continued residential development, and the return of events throughout the year.

The 2022 Canby Hotel Development Analysis indicated the demand for a hotel in Canby remains high.

“There’s definitely some interest (from hotel developers) and a lot of preliminary conversations that are going on right now with our planning and economic development departments,” Hodson said.

Hodson pointed to the growth of the industrial park and the return and addition of myriad events in Canby that have regional appeal. There are people attending those events who are seeking accommodation outside of Canby. Keeping those visitors, and the dollars they bring, within the community couldn’t help but be a benefit, Hodson noted.

“This has been something that has been on my to-do list for quite a while,” Hodson said of adding hotel rooms. “This would continue to help us invest in our community and in our business community.

“There is no timeline at this point, so it’s a matter of figuring out what kind of (and how many) rooms we would have,” he added. “I’d like to see something that could accommodate large events in Canby, maybe larger conference rooms for groups to rent out. As we get closer to begin work with a developer, there are a lot of details to work out.”

Hodson said that talk about adding hotel rooms to Canby stretches back more than a decade.

Now, with the return to a state of normalcy, events like the Oregon Renaissance Faire, Clackamas County Fair and Canby Rodeo, Harefest and others are bringing large crowds to the area, prompting a return to discussions about hotel rooms in town. For Hodson, the time has come.

“I do think there’s a sense of urgency to this,” he said. “As we’ve grown and increased events, we see that occupancy of hotels in Wilsonville and Oregon City increase, which tells us there is a need back towards Canby and this part of Clackamas County.”

“This has been something that has been on my to-do list for quite a while. This would continue to help us invest in our community and our business community.” – Mayor Brian Hodson