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The Great Canadian Railtour Co. recently announced it purchased the 98-room Thompson Hotel in downtown Kamloops, British Columbia.

The city serves as the mid-point for Rocky Mountaineer Vacations passengers taking the two-day trip between Vancouver, B.C., and Jasper, Banff and Calgary, Alberta.

In 2004, the railroad purchased more than 40,000 hotel room nights in Kamloops. Because ridership is increasing on the railtour’s GoldLeaf Sevice, owning the hotel will help the company meet growing demand for rooms, according to a prepared statement.

The railtour company plans to spend $1 million to renovate the hotel beginning in October 2005 to prepare for the 2006 tourist train season.