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Asked if the hotel’s rescheduled opening date had anything to do with the upcoming U.S. election on Nov. 8, Posch said: “No, absolutely not.”

“Anybody who walks down West Georgia Street that peeks over the fence, you can see that there’s still full-on construction,” said Posch. “One thing has nothing to do with the other.”

Photo by Ric Ernst / PNG

The hotel will include a poolside lounge, a champagne room, a spa and a restaurant, all of which are expected to open at the same time early next year. Residents are expected to start moving into the condos within the next month, Posch said.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower, described on its website as “Vancouver’s most anticipated hotel and residences,” is being developed by Vancouver-based firm Holborn Group.

More than half of Canadians said they would like to see Trump’s name removed from the project, according to an Angus Reid poll from late last year. Many prominent Vancouverites have called for the removal of the name, including Mayor Gregor Robertson, who said last December that the Trump name was at odds with Vancouver’s “steadfast commitment to diversity, equality, and freedom from discrimination and hatred.”

At that time, the company released a statement saying: “Holborn, a company that has contributed immensely to the growth of Vancouver, is not in any way involved in U.S. politics. As such, we would not comment further on Mr. Trump’s personal or political agenda, nor any political issues, local or foreign. Our efforts remain focused on the construction of what will soon be the finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond.”

Since that time, Holborn’s representatives have not indicated any intention of dropping the Trump name.

Holborn owns the hotel and pays the Trump Organization a management fee, said Posch.

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