Canadian Lodging News - April 2015

i s h c o m p u b l i c at i o n s s i n c e 19 8 6

C A N A D I A N

LodgingNews April 2015 Vol. 12 No. 3

c a n a da’ s l o d g i n g b u s i n e s s n e w s pa p e r $ 5 . 0 0

3

6

HNL’S SILVER ANNIVERSARY

BEWITCHIN’ KITCHENS

16

MO JESSA ON RETENTION

12

FEATURE: NEW BRANDS IN CANADA PULLOUT GUIDE FROM AC TO VIB

Sunray doubled its size in 2014

From left: Al Richards, director of operations, Ray Gupta, Sandeep Gupta and Lori Anderson, director, sales and marketing.

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

TORONTO, Ont. — Travellers on Highway 401 driving through Toronto have likely noticed the Radisson Toronto East Hotel at the Victoria Park exit. It’s a distinctive building with three prongs radiating out from a central core. It was once a Viscount and a Travelodge, but has flown the Radisson flag for a number of years.

This hotel is the latest acquisition by Sunray Group, a nine-year-old hotel company that has been on a roll recently. In a deal that closed Feb. 28, Sunray acquired the 240-room property with a full restaurant, lounge area, 8,000 square feet of meeting space, an indoor pool and fit-

ness area. Kimwest was the previous owner of the building and it was managed by Westmont Hospitality. Sunray will now be both owner and manager.

Kimwest has already spent a large amount renovating the property’s guestrooms. Sunray’s plan is to expedite renovations of the public areas and to add finishing touches to the guestrooms, working with a designer. While they don’t plan any changes to the footprint of the building, they are looking at development of another complementary business on the 3.5-acre property.

The deal has been in the works for two years.

“We felt it was a great location,” Ray Gupta, president and CEO, told CLN in an interview at the newly-acquired Radisson, adding that the nearby Highway 401-Highway 404 intersection is arguably the busiest in Canada.

This Radisson is the latest in a series of acquisitions by a company that has seen its portfolio of owned and operated hotels almost double from 11 properties to 21 during 2014. Room count for the portfolio stands at 2,350. Most of the properties are in Ontario, but three Comfort Inns and a future Marriott are in Quebec.

Sunray has made three acquisitions so far

this year, the Radisson Toronto East, the Comfort Hotel Airport North and another hotel west of Toronto.

Other existing and future projects include the Best Western Plus in Leamington, Ont., and conversion of the former Champlain Inn in Orillia, Ont., to an Ascend Collection property.

While the basic Best Western property improvement plan (PIP) called for $2 million in renovations, Sunray spent $4.5 million to renovate the former Pelee Days Inn to include a brand new waterpark in a 10,000-square-foot atrium, a jungle gym that accommodates 80 children, indoor basketball and indoor virtual golf. Located on Lake Erie within an hour’s drive from the American border, the property is benefitting from the lower loonie and falling gas prices that are bringing Americans across the border. The 94-key property was full for March Break, although it hadn’t yet been fully integrated with Best Western’s reservation system.

The 57-room Hotel Champlain Waterfront, in Orillia, is a historic property that is being totally gutted. Letters and documents uncovered during the reno will be used as artwork in the guestrooms. (As a matter of interest, rooms at the hotel cost $3.50 each in the 1920s.)

Sunray is a family business, with Ray Gupta as president and CEO; Sandeep Gupta as vicepresident; Wally Gupta (Ray’s brother) as senior vice-president and CFO; Wally’s son Gaurav Gupta as director of strategic marketing and information technology; and Sandeep and Wally’s cousin Shaun Gupta as director of real estate and development. Two non-family members, Al Richards and Lori Anderson, round out the management team.

Build with the Brand that’s Building.

Our prototypes were designed with the modern guest in mind featuring flexible layouts that incorporate style and innovation with a focus on guest satisfaction and the profitability of our owners. Whether you want to build a new hotel or reposition your existing property, our Canadian based support team is dedicated to helping you every step of the way.

Days Inns - Canada 416.966.8387 daysinn@realstarhospitality.com A Division of Realstar Hospitality

Don’t just follow trends,

build a new one.

EVEN® Hotels is the first hotel brand solely created for the wellness-minded traveler, with a brand focus on holistic wellness — another industry first from the revolutionary InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®).

For development opportunities with the EVEN Hotels brand or to learn more about our other brands contact us today: 1.866.933.8356 I development.ihg.com I development@ihg.com

©2015 InterContinental Hotels Group. All rights reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and operated.

Check in Canada adds Ontario

From left: Tony Pollard, HAC, Dave Kaiser, AHLA, and Tony Elenis, ORHMA. TORONTO — Since the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association launched Check In Canada on Jan. 1, 2014, the website has grown to include almost 1,200 properties representing all four Western Canadian provinces — and Ontario is next.

At the time of writing, the website featured almost 600 Alberta hotels, 409 from B.C., 86 from Manitoba and 81 from Saskatchewan — and almost 600 Ontario properties were expected to go live on the website “by about midApril,” according to Tony Elenis, president and CEO of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA). Check In Canada allows consumers to search hotels and book directly with their chosen property.

Elenis said that by the go-live date, the website could feature additional Ontario hotels over and above the planned 600 properties, which include “a good mix” of independents and chains, as well as limited- and full-service and convention properties. He added that longterm plans call for the site to feature upwards of 1,000 Ontario properties. For the first year,

participating Ontario hotels pay no fee, but in the second year, they pay a fee, on a graduated scale, that’s equivalent to about “one or two nights’ stay,” said Elenis.

Planat accessibility information Ontario properties feature Planat information detailing their accessibility features. Each hotel completes an evaluation of its accessibility components and if it qualifies, can display a Planat logo on its Check In Canada entry.

Plans call for Check In Canada to integrate Planat information into its entire program, said Dave Kaiser, president and CEO of the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association, which launched the website and continues to spearhead the project, with support from the Hotel Association of Canada.

Kaiser said there’s “no firm timeline” for integrating Planat accessibility information and called it a “differentiator” for the site.

HAC president Tony Pollard said “Check In Canada is a top priority for the Hotel Association of Canada and is fully supported by

our national board of directors.” Since the site’s launch, it has attracted more than 6 million hits and last summer, garnered more than 3,000 unique visitors per month, according to Kaiser.

Also featured on Check In Canada hotels is Green Key eco-friendly certification information and consumer-generated TrustScores evaluating each property in key areas such as guestrooms and service.

Longer-term, aggregating properties nationally is a potential goal, said Kaiser, and to that end, Check In Canada is “keeping tabs on other provinces” and has “had discussions with Nova Scotia.” First priority, however, is to “get the template right” and ensure that the B.C. and Ontario sections are running properly, he said.

Key to the website’s success is marketing and to that end, Check In Canada is “working closely” with Travel Alberta, which is providing referrals through their site and U.S. sites, said Kaiser. Plans are also afoot, he said, to work with provincial tourism marketing organizations and Canada’s largest 25 city destination marketing organizations to target tourists, working toward the ultimate goal whereby “Check In Canada would be the hotel booking platform for every PMO and DMO in the country.”

Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation’s website homepage features Check In Canada, and Visitor Information Centres throughout Ontario highlight the service, said Elenis. In Alberta, Visitor Information Centre staff members refer tourists’ callin or walk-in hotel queries to the site and can book rooms directly on behalf of tourists, said Kaiser.

HNL’s Silver Anniversary show • Director Colleen Kennedy – Gros Morne Cooperating Association • Director Darlene Thomas – Seaside Suites • Hotel/ Motel Association of N.L. representative Annette Parsons, – Neddies Harbour Inn • Restaurant Association From left: Cindy Nicolle-Wight and Todd Wight of Ocean of N.L. representative View Hotel, and Bruce Sparkes, Clayton Hospitality.

Scott Hillyer – Coffee Matters The keynote address was given by consumer GANDER, N.L. — Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador kicked off its Silver Anniversary behaviour expert John Young. Other speakers conference and trade show in late February with included David Goldstein, Canadian Tourism its annual general meeting and the announce- Commission chief executive officer and interim CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of ment of two new directors at large.

New to the board are Colleen Kennedy, ex- Canada Rob Taylor. N.L. Premier Paul Davis ecutive director of Gros Morne Cooperating As- addressed delegates at the provincial tourism sociation and Darlene Thomas, Seaside Suites luncheon. And Tourism Café Canada managing partner Nancy Arsenault gave delegates a owner and operator. glimpse into experience development.

On day two, a social media panel featured HNL’s 2015 board of directors: Lyle Wetsch, associate professor of marketing • Chair Rex Avery – Steele Hotels • Vice-chair Dion Finlay – The Leaside at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Terri Coles, freelance journalist and travel writer.

Group During the conference Hospitality N.L. will • Secretary/treasurer Kelly Finlay – also introduced the province’s first Certified HoMurray Premises Hotel • Director Kathie Hicks – Spirit of New- tel General Manager (CHGM), Todd Wight of the Ocean View Hotel. foundland Productions The conference closed with the annual Tour• Director Helena Lawlor – Tweet’s Travism Excellence Gala, which recognized the outel – TPI

standing tourism leaders and businesses that make great contributions to the provincial tourism industry.

Tourism Excellence Awards: •

•

•

•

• •

•

•

• •

H. Clayton Sparkes Accommodator of the Year – Ocean View Hotel, Rocky Harbour, N.L. JAC Tourism Champion of the Year – Gros Morne Cooperating Association, Rocky Harbour, N.L. Maxxim Vacations Tourism Business of the Year – Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island, N.L. Cal LeGrow Tourism Innovator of the Year – Shorefast Foundation/Fogo Island Shop, Fogo Island, N.L. Corporate Partner of the Year – Eastlink TV, Newfoundland and Labrador Cultural Tourism Award – Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador, Winterton, N.L. Sustainable Tourism Award – Bonne Bay Marine Station and Aquarium, Norris Point, N.L. Doug Wheeler Award – Joe & Loyola O’Brien, O’Brien’s Whale and Bird Tours, Bay Bulls, N.L. Cruise Vision Award – Corner Brook Port Corporation, Corner Brook, N.L. Restaurateur of the Year Award – chef Shaun Hussey & chef Michelle LeBlanc, Chinched Bistro, St. John’s, N.L.

BRIEFS David Whitaker of Tourism Toronto joins Brand USA in May TORONTO — Toronto will lose an aggressive advocate as industry veteran David Whitaker has announced he is going to become chief marketing officer for Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the U.S. Whitaker will join Brand USA on May 11, following eight years as president and CEO of Tourism Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America.

After taking the helm of Tourism Toronto to promote Canada’s largest city in April 2007, Whitaker embarked on an aggressive strategy to reinvigorate the greater metropolitan area as an exciting leisure and business travel destination. He revamped its marketing and advertising and focused on attracting high-value travellers (who stay longer and spend more) primarily from major U.S. cities, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan and Brazil.

The strategy began paying off in less than three years, and by 2014, Tourism Toronto experienced its fourth consecutive year of growth in visitors from the United States and the highest number of overseas visitors in its history. In 2014, visitation reached a record 14.3 million overnight visitors who spent $6.9 billion.

HNL to compare green tourism practices in N.L.. and Costa Rica ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) announced in early March that it is working with researchers at Memorial University, in Corner Brook, N.L., to distribute a survey assessing the level of green/sustainable business practices being undertaken in the province’s tourism industry.

Spearheading the study is a team led by Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus, the College of the North Atlantic and the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Information collected will be used to assess green practices and strategies of tourism operators in Costa Rica and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The project is expected to contribute to an understanding of tourism operators and their green practices, and the information gained will be shared with tourism professionals across the province, country and internationally.

Starwood’s event planning app STAMFORD, Conn. — Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Feb. 26 launched an app that will allow meeting planners to manage events onsite. Through the ProMeetings app, planners who are Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) or SPG Pro loyalty program members can submit on-property requests — from an extension cord, to coffee service, to a change in lighting and everything in between — directly to associates, who can fulfill requests in real time.

ProMeetings is in pilot at several Starwood hotels, including W Singapore - Sentosa Cove, The Westin Singapore, Sheraton Atlanta Airport, W Atlanta Midtown and The Westin Charlotte. Starwood will use key findings from the pilot to enhance the offering before a full global rollout, which is expected in 2016.

April 2015 | 3

C A N A D I A N

EDITORIAL

Empowerment & environment This month’s magazine is chock-full of information on how to attract and engage employees, particularly the millennials who will form the backbone of the hospitality industry in the coming years. The news is also rife with statistics on how scarce skilled labour will become in the next five years, making attraction and retention of hospitality employees even more important.

What I’m hearing is heartening. Speakers at a University of Guelph symposium early this month all stated that a company’s reputation or “brand” matters — that millennials are very picky about the firms they want to work for. They want companies that encourage leadership, where they are empowered.

They also want companies that have a corporate conscience, participating in charitable or environmentally friendly initiatives.

Dawn Li, general manager of Metterra and Varscona hotels in Edmonton, said that while the company’s move to renewable Bullfrog Power came at a cost premium, the move has paid off in terms of both employee and guest engagement. One employee has even

bullfrogpowered their house.

What millennials are not attracted to is an inflexible hierarchy and the almighty buck.

As a boomer, I’m thinking that my generation had some of those same ideals. Decades ago, I worked as a writer/editor for the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s Conservation and Renewable Energy (CARE) group and was proud of what I did. I remember thinking that I would like to be the first on my block with a wind buggy — essentially a big skateboard powered by a sail. I chided my parents for not turning off lights or lowering the thermostat.

I wrote brochures and speeches about time-of-day energy usage, using the carrot approach of lower energy prices for those who avoided peak periods. When the government actually implemented conservation measures in the form of tiered hydro pricing, I felt totally cheated by the government’s stick approach, which made the off-peak times the baseline and penalized consumers for using peak periods.

Idealism? Dreams? Boomers had those too. We were the ones who talked about “being yourself ” and not being sucked in by the corporate “rat race.”

Did we sell out? Not completely.

No, I’m not living off-grid in a solar-powered house with a wind buggy in the driveway, but I still take every opportunity to write stories about energy and the environment. Paying it forward warms my heart, and those stories find a place in this magazine too.

Some of my boomer friends are more jaded and less idealistic than they used to be — but not all. Some are entering their retirement years with the same goal attributed to millennials, to pay it forward by volunteering.

What may be changing is business. With all the focus on the need for millennial talent, the businesses that are thriving are those that embrace corporate social responsibility. Take Chipotle Grill, the 800-plus unit fast casual chain with a mission statement calling for Food with Integrity. Or Zappos, the online shoe company whose founder, Tony Hsieh, also leads the Downtown Project, an effort to revitalize downtown Las Vegas.

We boomers might have been idealistic, but we weren’t a scarce commodity. While businesses changed during our careers, they didn’t need to embrace our values. Maybe social responsibility for employers is one of the silver linings of the coming labour crunch.

— Colleen Isherwood, Editor

LodgingNews PUBLISHER

Steven Isherwood ext. 236 · sisherwood@canadianlodgingnews.com EDITOR

Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 · cisherwood@canadianlodgingnews.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Marni Andrews· marni@trolltales.com Larry Mogelonsky · larry@lma.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Kristen Smith ext. 238 · ksmith@canadianlodgingnews.com Jonathan Zettel ext. 226 · jzettel@canadianlodgingnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Don Douloff ext. 232 · ddouloff@canadianrestaurantnews.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 · dmcgilvray@canadianlodgingnews.com ACCOUNT MANAGER

Kim Kerr ext. 229 · kkerr@canadianlodgingnews.com PRODUCTION

Stephanie Giammarco ext. 0 · sgiammarco@canadianlodgingnews.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

Don Trimm ext. 228 · dtrimm@canadianlodgingnews.com CONTROLLER

Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 · tammy@canadianlodgingnews.com

CONTACT US 905-206-0150

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD JASON CHESKES Above The Line Solutions VITO CURALLI Hilton Worldwide

SPOTLIGHT

PHILIPPE GADBOIS Atlific Hotels & Resorts

What women want!

By Larry Mogelonsky, P.Eng. My dear bride of 34 years travels with me for leisure and sometimes business. With her critical input, we’ve come up with a short list of ideas that focus on women’s hotel needs.

Travel research indicates that the female head of household makes the bulk of leisure travel decisions — either directly or through ‘grocery lists’ given to male counterparts. So, while fussing over our operating costs, we may be cutting corners that cost occupancy and loyalty. In particular, if you target the premium/luxury segment, or are an independent operator, you can easily capitalize on these suggestions.

1. Choose your bathroom amenities carefully. It’s more than improved packaging; it’s what’s inside those minibottles that count. Great brand names are not privately labelled — they don’t have to be! Brands like Clarins or Molton Brown charge more for their amenity programs because they provide instant recognition.

Lastly, size does count. Make sure the bottle size is at least enough for two. A 30-millitre bottle should be the minimum.

2. Fresh flowers make a statement. Flowers are more than just lush colours and pleasant fragrances. A single fresh flower in a bud vase indicates a degree

4 | Canadian Lodging News

of care for the room and a link to nature.

3. Make sure there are enough hangers. Somehow there are never enough hangers for all of the suits, skirts, pants and other items that spring out remarkably from a single suitcase. Whereas most guys will hang up a suit, leaving everything else in a suitcase, women may want to place everything in drawers and the closet.

4. Source high quality bed sheets and ensure beds are made properly.

The result of poor training or supervision, there is no excuse for an improperly-made bed. As for bed sheets, the quality is immediately noticeable. Better sheets will last longer and finish better, giving you a further return on your investment.

5. Bathrobes that fit. Too often bathrobes in hotels are ‘one size fits all’ which really means that they are ‘one size fits nobody’. For those who haven’t met me, I’m six foot three. What works for me is too long for my wife. Consider two sizes per bathroom or, at the very least, the ability to call the front desk and request different sizes.

6. Where is the tray to store jewelry? I take off my watch and place it bedside. My wife has earrings, a bracelet or two, watch and necklace that all have to find a home in the wee hours of the morning. Yes, they are placed in the safe when at the pool or when not being worn. Some room safes have velvet trays to place these items. On the other hand, many hotels

MARK HOPE Coast Hotels ELIZABETH HUESTON Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc.

overlook this nuance which adds the constantly gnawing stress of losing an earring to the experience.

7. Towels that have not almost died in the laundry. Towels have a laundering life. Don’t try to squeeze the last few uses out of an old towel. Simply replace it.

8. Provide a bag for a wet swimsuit. You go for a swim, and then you have to leave the next day but the swimsuit has not dried out yet. Thank goodness you can take a laundry bag. Wait, that’s for your dirty clothes. So, where does the swimsuit go? Help!

9. Flawless housekeeping. Nothing is a greater turnoff than a room that is anything less than perfect in this regard.

Make a good first impression with your guestrooms and don’t give anyone a reason to doubt your services.

10. Make up mirrors need to be illuminated and ideally magnifying.

While this one will require CAPEX, complaints mount when the makeup mirror lacks adjustability, magnifying and its own illumination. There are many brands available and costs have gone down considerably, so the choice is yours.

Larry Mogelonsky (larry@lma.net) is president and founder of LMA Communications Inc. He is also the developer of Inn at a Glance hospitality software. His work includes three books “Are You an Ostrich or a Llama?” (2012) and “Llamas Rule” (2013) and “Hotel Llama” (2014). You can reach him at larry@lma.ca.

BRIAN LEON Choice Hotels Canada Inc. ROBIN MCLUSKIE Colliers International Hotels BRIAN STANFORD PKF DR. DAVID MARTIN Ted Rogers School of Hospitality CHRISTINE PELLA Serta Mattress Company TONY POLLARD Hotel Association of Canada ANDREW CHLEBUS LG Electronics

CANADIAN LODGING NEWS VOLUME 12 · NO. 3 · APRIL 2015 Canadian Lodging News (www.canadianlodgingnews.com) is published 10 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd., 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ont. L4X 2W1 T: (905) 206-0150 · F: (905) 206-9972 · Toll Free: 1(800)201-8596 Other publications include the Canadian Chains and Buyers’ Directory as well as: P A C I F I C / P R A I R I E

O N T A R I O

A T L A N T I C

Subscriptions: Canada & U.S.A.: $39.57/year or $63.43/2 years, Single copy: $5.00 (Plus taxes where applicable) Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1710-145X GST number R102533890

Ask about the new Line 5000 professional washers and dryers!

12% faster drying, 25% less energy, 30% water savings. Easiest to clean lint screen. Extended machine life.

Call to learn more about the full line.

Fact: Gas is the single highest energy cost in operating a laundry.

Solution: Built to last, Electrolux dryers are precision-engineered for efficiency, ease of use, and superior drying results. With Electrolux’s high-tech Axial Airflow design, dryers consume 25% less gas and dry 12% faster than competing models.

Electrolux smart washers and dryers will forever change the way you do laundry.

An estimated 60-70% of washers are underloaded, wasting water, chemicals, and energy. That’s why Electrolux developed Automatic Water Savings (AWS), a UNIQUE feature that automatically matches water consumption to load size. Combine that with Smart Dosing which adjusts laundry chemicals to water ratio, and you will see immediate savings and superior wash results – every time, automatically.

Experience the Electrolux difference – the #1 selling on-premise laundry brand in the world. Special financing available. Call your local authorized Electrolux Professional distributor to learn more:

Alberta Alberta Laundry Systems (403) 273-4040 • (800) 661-1530 www.albertalaundry.com

Ontario Ontario Laundry Systems (905) 673-1308 • (888) 669-4837 www.ontariolaundry.com

Saskatchewan and Manitoba Stalwart Machinery (204) 786-4879 • (800) 567-2468

British Columbia Coldstream Commercial Sales (604) 940-8668 • (888) 872-0777 www.cold-stream.ca

Quebec & Maritimes Automated Laundry Systems (450) 621-6124 www.laveuse.com

To learn more visit www.laundrylux.com

INCREASED EFFICIENCY, IMPROVING SAFETY AND REDUCING ENERGY COSTS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF HOTEL OPERATORS’ ONSITE KITCHEN OPERATIONS.

BY DON DOULOFF

“

We are seeing hoteliers looking to improve all aspects of their kitchen operations as they increase their profit margins. Saving money doesn’t mean, however, that they have to sacrifice quality. With the right equipment, kitchens can turn out larger volumes of food while maintaining top food quality.

“

T

hose words, from Claudio Baldinelli, vice-president of sales in the Canadian office of kitchen equipment manufacturer Alto-Shaam, neatly encapsulate how advances in equipment are helping hoteliers operate better kitchens.

Cooking equipment products that are leading the charge, said Baldinelli, are combi ovens (that offer the functionality of convection and steam cooking, separately or in combination); mobile and stationary holding equipment; cook-and-hold ovens; and blast-chilling equipment, fulfilling operators’ need for equipment that “increases speed, maintains and enhances food quality, reduces waste and energy costs and maximizes their return on investment.”

He added that combi ovens allow hoteliers “to expand menus, which provides even more variety for guests and can lead to increased sales.” Combi ovens’ key is their humidity, “which allows the outside of a product to cook without drying out the inside.

Not only do these (ovens) offer convenience through their ability to provide fast and high-quality food, but they also leave a small ecological footprint,” said Stephanie Michalicka, social media and marketing, at Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supplies.

Moreover, by adding smaller cook-and-hold ovens, combi ovens with ventless hoods and high-speed ovens that can operate outside of a kitchen, operators “can take hotel foodservice menus to the next level,” noted Baldinelli.

Indeed, the need for kitchen versatility is trending big-time, with diners demanding ever greater variety, which, in turn, requires kitchens to be more flexible, said Kevin Breton, marketing manager in the Canadian office of manufacturer Rational.

On top of that, in an intensively competitive foodservice environment, hotels must entice guests to eat onsite rather than at

“

“very efficiently,” said D’Ambrosio, and in the case of smokers, can cook large batches at one time. This means they will be running a lot less often and still produce large quantities of food.

When it comes to refrigeration, hotels are looking for more capacity without taking up space, said Steve Tracey, director of sales and business development for Canada, at True Food International. “Cubic feet within a kitchen are being analyzed more and more.” Front-breathing cabinets, for instance, can give kitchens “the most pan space on top or in drawers” relative to the cost of the unit.

One way to increase efficiency, said Tracey, is to improve the flow of kitchen staff. Refrigerated chef bases with drawers underneath and, on top, griddles and broilers, provide staff quicker lead times on food and additionally, ensure cooks don’t have to go to other areas of the kitchen for product.

Helping to lower costs are low-wattage induction warmers — either on-counter, undercounter or built into the unit — used to heat chafing dishes, said Miles Chesher, partner at Chesher Equipment, a distributor of combi ovens and induction cookers.

In the last three years, brands such as Holiday Inn Express and Best Western have installed commercial dishwashers in main-floor, off-lobby kitchenettes serving breakfast.

As these chains’ breakfasts have become more elaborate, operators have had to install dishwashers that meet commercial sanitization codes.

“

offsite restaurants. It follows, then, that properties are installing ovens capable of delivering a wide variety of cooking functions — such as steaming, baking, roasting, sous-vide and pre-heating — often simultaneously, said Breton. These all-in-one ovens increase efficiency by being more space-efficient and also reduce energy costs.

A lot more kitchens are welcoming smokers and pressure fryers “to add another degree of flavour and depth to their menus,” said Bobby D’Ambrosio, general manager at Kendale Products Ltd., the Canadian distributor for Southern Pride BBQ Pits & Smokers and Broaster Equipment.

Smokers and pressure fryers can run

Induction warmers lower costs because they’re less expensive to operate than butane fuel warmers. On top of that, they’re safer than butane open-flame warmers and are cooler, too, since they only heat what’s in the pan and not the surrounding area, he said.

“One trend we see is customers looking for efficiency,” said Alain Goyette, Canadian regional sales manager at kitchen equipment manufacturer Vollrath. Playing a big role in increasing kitchen efficiency is ergonomically designed tools such as vegetable cutters and dicers, which speed the prep process and are less stressful on chefs’ hands, said Goyette.

Also increasing kitchen operations’ speed are induction cookers, which are more efficient than gas cookers, said Goyette.

He added that induction soup warmers are also trending.

Used to warm soup, chili and mac ’n’ cheese, induction warmwarm ers keep food at a consistent temperature without overcooking (as happens with bain-marie type warmers) and are easier to control, noted Goyette.

Front-of-house induction tables, featuring a downdraft, don’t require a hood and are ideal for cooking pasta, eggs and sysstir-fries, said Goyette. They’re less expensive than a hood sys tem and energy efficient, and are mobile, adding flexibility to kitchen operations.

Sous-vide — sealing foods in airtight plastic bags and cooking slowly in a water bath or temperature-controlled steam environment — remains popular and offers multiple benefits, including precise cooking; guaranteed consistency; and a more forgiving cooking technique than charbroiling, said Goyette. In addition, sous-vide allows kitchens to pre-cook food and then finish it when it’s ordered by the customer. Food pre-cooked this way can be kept one day longer than food pre-cooked using concon ventional methods, reducing waste.

Trending on the commercial dishwasher front is heat recovery with undercounter and door-type machines, said Scott Cherevaty, vice-president of sales and marketing at Champion/Moyer Diebel.

Connected to a cold water line, these units pre-heat incoming wawa ter by extracting heat from a specially designed chamber, dramatdramat

ically

lowering operating costs and reducing the output of steam, creating a more pleasant environment and offering easier ambient temperature control.

And when it comes to improving sanitation, Canadian hotels have, in the last 18 months, been installing small machines, often right inside their kitchens, to clean the laundry (prep cloths, kitchen staff uniforms and aprons) t h a t receives the most exposure to bacteria, said Larry To w n , director of the professional division, Canada, for manufacturer Miele. “ Te x t i l e s are the weak link in contamination control,” said Town, and by laundering them right inside the kitchen, hotels can disinfect kitchen laundry within the closed cycle of the kitchen, without cross-contaminating the other textiles in the property. It’s easier to police the laundering process when it’s done in-kitchen and also offers quicker turnaround compared to offsite laundering, added Town.

Laundry machines offering high-temperature thermal disinfection are less expensive than chemical-based cleaning systems, and a washer/dryer (self-contained in one unit) can fit into about five square feet of floor space, said Town.

Additionally, in the last three years or so, Town has seen mid-range hotel brands such as Holiday Inn Express and Best Western install commercial dishwashers in main-floor, off-lobby kitchenettes serving breakfast. As these chains’ breakfasts have become more elaborate, offering hot foods such as pancakes, eggs and meats, operators have had to install dishwashers that meet commercial sanitization codes requiring the water, in the final rinse stage, to reach a specific high temperature.

Typically, the dishwashers that meet code are undercounter machines that are suited to the low-volume requirements of the hotel’s breakfast service, said Town.

Another trend is mid-range hotels phasing out traditional room service and in its place, creating the upscale grab-and-go market concept, said Scott Wilson, an interior designer at Vancouver-based Inside Design Studio. There’s also a demand for “more comfortable and safe kitchens to improve efficiency of kitchen staff.”

On the layout and design side of the equation, it’s key that every kitchen determine what their priorities are and choose a design that will accommodate them and that works well with their menu, he said.

“Energy efficiency should be a primary consideration for any commercial kitchen layout, because it saves money on utility costs. In an energy-efficient setup, refrigeration and cooking equipment are kept as far apart as possible, while still being practical,” said Wilson.

Sensory appeal is also important. “Beyond appetizing smells, kitchen layout can appeal to customers’ other senses as well,” said Wilson. “Exhibition kitchens, for example, allow customers to see everything that’s going on.” Open kitchens add to the value of the restaurant ambiance and help sell the dining experience.

“Guests want to have the interaction with back-of-house.”

Flexibility of design is important for any commercial kitchen, he said. “A change in management or food trends could completely change the menu, which can affect equipment usage and placement.”

By investing money up-front in a properly designed kitchen, “hotels save long-term through management cycles,” said Wilson. “Well-planned commercial kitchens, combined with good equipment, equal timeless solutions that have to be replaced less often” as menus change and chefs leave.

April 2015 | 7

T HE

guest experience

Metterra uses Bullfrog Power throughout hotel

From left: Gary Fredrich-Dunne, Alberta sales manager, Bullfrog Power; Anthony Santilli, VP sales and marketing, Bullfrog Power; Hans Von Bloedau, VP hotels, Westcorp Properties and Dawn Li, general manager, Metterra and Varscona Hotels.

Sysco Guest Supply is committed to maximizing the guest experience at your property by offering an extensive line of hospitality products that enable you to provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience.

866-483-7822 • guestsupply.ca

8 | Canadian Lodging News

EDMONTON — The Metterra Hotel on Whyte is now the largest hotel in Canada to have its entire premises bullfrogpowered with 100 per cent clean, pollution-free electricity, and on Feb. 25 they held a green ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate.

Other hotels use Bullfrog Power for their common areas, such as the lobby and meeting rooms, Anthony Santilli, vice-president, sales and marketing, Bullfrog Power told CLN. “What makes Metterra’s green energy commitment so impressive is that it is the largest hotel in Canada to bullfrogpower its entire premises, which means that it is taking into account the environmental impact of all of the electricity it uses.”

Through the agreement, Bullfrog Power’s generators put 100 per cent clean, pollution-free electricity onto the grid to match the amount of power Metterra Hotel uses. Bullfrog’s green electricity comes from a blend of wind and low-impact hydro power sourced from new Canadian renewable energy facilities.

The 761 MWh of power being used by the 90-room Metterra is equivalent to electricity being used in a year by 106 average homes in Alberta, Santilli said. Or, put another way, the 761 MWh of green power being purchased by the Metterra results in an annual emissions reduction of 129 tonnes (CO2), which is like taking 27 cars off the road.

It’s not cheap — Dawn Li, general manager of the hotel, estimates that Bullfrog Power will cost the hotel about $20,000 per year, as they pay a percentage based on power use.

But the payback is in terms of

guest and team member response.

“Our guests are happy to see us doing something different,” said Li. “We have a lot of inclusions, such as complimentary WiFi, valet parking and wine tastings. This is more personalized, more directly related to their values.”

Along with the launch, the Metterra held a lunch-and-learn for the entire staff, so that they could understand and explain Bullfrog Power to guests.

“The team members were really excited,” said Li. “They said, ‘thanks so much. I really enjoy working for a company that is thinking ahead.’ One team member was so excited they signed up for Bullfrog Power for their home.

“It helps with employee retention and morale, and makes them realize they are working for a company that invests in the environment.”

Other hotels in Canada that use Bullfrog Power include the Hyatt Regencies in Calgary and Vancouver, the Westin Calgary, Westin Ottawa and Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Brookstreet in Ottawa, and Atlantica and Four Points by Sheraton in Halifax.

“Consumers are becoming more demanding about how products and services are brought to market, and are scrutinizing organizations,” said Santilli. “We can tactically help them communicate that to their market, work with them to tell their story.

It’s important to communicate with everyone and to educate employees about what their employer does.”

“Metterra Hotel’s proximity to the Edmonton River Valley reminds us

that we need to do our part to provide our guests with a more sustainable stay,” said Hans Von Bloedau, vice-president of hotels for Metterra owner Westcorp Properties, who initiated discussions with Bullfrog Power.

“Supporting renewable energy with Bullfrog Power puts Metterra Hotel at the forefront of Canadian green energy supporters in the hospitality space — but most importantly, it’s the right thing to do.”

He adds that Bullfrog Power uses wind and low-impact hydro on behalf of their customers today. Facilities must be eco-logo certified regarding how they’re constructed and where they are located. Wind generation requires environmental studies, community involvement and consideration of factors such as bird migrations.

Metterra Hotel on Whyte is part of Westcorp, a full-service real estate company that specializes in the ownership and management of residential, retail, office, hospitality and mixed-use projects. Clientele is primarily high-end business, although there is some leisure travel due to its location on Whyte Avenue close to trendy restaurants, shops and pubs.

Bullfrog Power provides financing to support the development of new green energy projects from coast-tocoast. As a Certified B Corporation, Bullfrog Power meets higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Thousands of individuals and businesses in Canada are doing their part to address climate change and air pollution by choosing green energy with Bullfrog Power. For information, see bullfrogpower.com.

“High cost of low oil” at Canadian Hotel Investment Conference

DON’T MISS OUT, SUBSCRIBE NOW! www.canadianlodgingnews.com

WE HAVE THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

LOCKED IN.

In the not-so-distant future, your guests will rate their stay on how much you let them do on the go. Fortunately, Kaba is well ahead of the mobility curve. Plus, our mobile functionality is built on the security backbone you’ve grown to trust. It’s more than mobility without limits.

It’s security without compromise.

Speaker Himalaya Jain.

By Don Douloff, Assistant Editor TORONTO — A timely presentation discussing the potential effects of low oil prices on the Canadian hotel industry will highlight the Canadian Hotel Investment Conference, being held May 4-5 at the Hilton Toronto Hotel.

Presenting the session — scheduled for the morning of May 5 — will be Himalaya Jain, director and portfolio manager, portfolio advisory group, ScotiaMcLeod.

According to Jain, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and in particular, Saudi Arabia, deliberately pushed down the price of oil — by announcing in 2014 that in the near-term, it would accept lower prices for the commodity — because North America’s recently increased oil production, driven by high prices (and improved technology), threatened OPEC’s dominance. At the time of writing, the price of oil sat at about $51 USD per barrel (down from an average price, during the past five years, of around $90.50 USD per barrel).

OPEC’s announcement “sent the market into a tailspin,” said Jain, and appears to have achieved its desired effect, with low oil prices causing North American companies to suspend oil-patch projects worth “tens of billions of dollars.”

In Canada, this is significantly affecting Alberta and Saskatchewan’s resource-based economies. That, in turn, will affect hotels in the two Western provinces, where RevPAR growth projections are expected to be revised downward, said Jain.

But the lower Canadian dollar (the intended result of the Bank of Canada’s January interest rate reduction) will boost the fortunes of Ontario and Quebec, where hotels could see higher RevPAR. Hotel operators that have national portfolios in Canada will be “net beneficiaries” of low oil prices, while companies that have Albertaonly portfolios “will face headwinds,” said Jain.

The overall impact of the lower Canadian dollar will more than offset the slowdown in Alberta and Saskatchewan, resulting in a “net benefit to the lodging sector,” said Jain.

Ilco 1.877.468.3555 Saflok 1.800.999.6213 www.kabalodging.com

© Kaba Ilco Inc, 2014, all rights reserved. Patents pending and protected.

A BETTER PROPERTY. AN EVEN BETTER OPPORTUNITY. Choice Hotels® has redefined and redesigned our Comfort Inn® prototypes around what guests value and developers need. With you as our architects, we created a new prototype to maximize space, materials, human resources and décor at a low cost with a single goal in mind: attract more guests. It's a design that will help you provide a higher-end experience, without a higher-end price. So focus your money where it matters most. Build now and experience the benefits that come with Choice Hotels.

Call 905.206.7316 or go to ChoiceHotelsFranchise.ca to learn more

©2014 Choice Hotels Canada Inc. All rights reserved.

ChoiceHotelsFranchise.ca

Open for Opportunity

April 2015 | 9

Dealing with workplace medical marijuana

We’re Lighting Up the Northern Skies

By Lisa M. Bolton and Andrew Ebejer Marijuana possession for recreational purposes is currently illegal in Canada. However, for the more than 40,000 Canadians who legally use the drug for medical purposes, obtaining it has become a lot easier within the last year.

Effective April 1, 2014, medical marijuana users no longer require a license from Health Canada and can secure the drug from an authorized distributor with only a doctor’s prescription.

According to Health Canada, this change is likely to increase the number of medical marijuana users across the country to more than 450,000 in the next 10 years. For employers this creates many new and challenging issues, as marijuana use creeps further and further into the workplace.

Founded on the belief that one size does not fit all, Canadas Best Value Inn® and Lexington® by Vantage offer the best of both worlds – the resources of a franchise and the freedom of a membership.

Members Enjoy: • Low, straightforward fees • Reasonable agreements • Sensible PIPs • Comprehensive revenue, marketing and sales resources

1 0 | Canadian Lodging News

© 2015 Vantage Hospitality (Canada) Inc.

Top 10 global hotel company with over 1,200 properties

No duty to disclose pot smoking The obligation to accommodate is easy to identify if the employee discloses medical marijuana has been prescribed for a disabling medical condition. But what if the employee stays silent? There is no legal requirement for an employee to disclose the use of medical marijuana. However, an employee has a duty under the OHSA to report hazards in the workplace. As such, supervisors and managers should be alert to signs of possible impairment so steps can be taken to accommodate, if appropriate.

Accommodating the user

Navigating this new territory

When marijuana is used to treat a disabling medical condition such as epilepsy, chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder, an employer has a duty under human rights legislation to accommodate the employee, unless the accommodation would result in undue hardship for the employer. This means an employer must permit an employee to use marijuana during working hours if it is medically necessary to do so. However, an employer does not have to permit an employee to smoke marijuana while on the job or expose other workers to second-hand smoke. An employer may implement workplace rules regarding the use of medical marijuana so long as appropriate accommodation is provided to the employee.

This may include requiring the employee to smoke in a designated area during scheduled breaks or meal periods, and restricting the employee from smoking while in uniform, in public view, in company vehicles, or in the vicinity of other workers or customers who may come into contact with the smoke.

To help manage risk resulting from the anticipated increase in employee use of medical marijuana, employers should ensure their drug and alcohol policy is broad enough to address impairment not only from the use of illegal drugs, but also prescription medication such as marijuana. While there are many nuances to be addressed and tailored to the specific workplace, at a minimum the policy should:

Are there alternatives?

JoinVantageHospitality.com 888-316-2378

ties while impaired. Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”) an employer has an obligation to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of workers.

This includes identifying hazards that may result from an employee working while under the influence of medical marijuana. Bottom line: an employer must carry out its health and safety due diligence at the same time it accommodates an employee requiring medical marijuana in the workplace. In the case of a safety-sensitive position, this may mean considering whether the employee can be reassigned to a non-safety-sensitive position.

If there is a disability that requires the use of medical marijuana, an employer should not assume smoking the drug is the only option. To ensure both the employee and workplace are respected and served appropriately, an employer should explore suitable alternatives to smoking, such as ingesting marijuana in food. A modified work schedule or leave of absence during the period of treatment (depending on the frequency of administration, dosage and anticipated degree of impairment) may also be appropriate.

Impairment on the job Accommodation does not mean allowing an employee to carry out his or her du-

•

•

•

•

•

•

Prohibit an employee in a safetysensitive position from working while impaired Require an employee to disclose information about any prescription drug that may impair his or her ability to perform work safely Set out a process for obtaining additional medical information to facilitate accommodation Ensure the employee (and union, if applicable) participates in the accommodation process Identify restrictions on the use of medical marijuana in the workplace (e.g., where and when) Identify consequences in the event of a breach of the policy (i.e., discipline)

For information and assistance addressing drug and alcohol issues in your workplace, contact a member of Sherrard Kuzz LLP. Lisa Bolton and Andrew Ebejer are lawyers with Sherrard Kuzz LLP, one of Canada’s leading employment and labour law firms, representing management. Lisa and Andrew can be reached at 416-603-0700 (main), 416420-0738 (24 Hour) or by visiting www. sherrardkuzz.com.

S:10�

We’re redefining select service worldwide — and Canada’s our next stop.

Hyatt, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House names, designs and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. Š2015 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Scott Richer Vice President, Real Estate and Development Hyatt Hotels and Resorts (Canada) M: 416 300 8215 Email: scott.richer@hyatt.com hyattdevelopment.com

S:13�

Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands are thoughtfully expanding around the world, and Canada is the next market poised for major growth. With more than 215 Hyatt Place and more than 55 Hyatt House open locations, there’s an established distribution and strong brand presence from which to build. Each brand concept was developed through consumer insights and is strongly resonating with guests and gaining widespread industry recognition, while receiving the continual support of the dedicated Hyatt teams. Seize the opportunity to build the future of select service by contacting our dedicated developer for Canada today.

NEW BRANDS TO CANADA A-Z It’s hard to keep track of Canada’s burgeoning hotel brands. Each month, it seems like Canadian Lodging News carries a story about a new brand with potential in our country.

This article attempts to list those brands — if we have missed some, please let us know!

This list shows a few themes, as many of the new brands are in the extended-stay, upscale lifestyle, economy or soft brand sectors.

New extended stay options include two IHG brands, Candlewood Suites in the midscale tier and Staybridge Suites in the upscale segment, plus Hyatt House, which is billed as a select service extended-stay brand with a residential feel. There are no

Hyatt House properties in Canada so far, but plans call for 30 to 50.

Upscale, urban lifestyle brands are also entering Canada. AC Hotels

by Marriott is an upscale tier lifestyle brand that has nearly 80 properties in Europe and the U.S. Hyatt’s Andaz

is a luxury lifestyle boutique offering, with one property under construction in Ottawa’s Byward Market. Hilton’s Canopy is at the upper end of the upscale segment, featuring unique, urban properties showcasing all things local.

AC Hotels (Marriott)

Andaz (Hyatt)

Ascend Collection (CHC)

The Autograph Collection-Marriott

The BW Premier Collection

Algonquin Autograph Collection Hotel, St. Andrews, N.B.

By Colleen Isherwood, Editor

AC New Orleans. Photo: Robb Aaron Gordon.

Lobby of an Andaz Hotel. One Canadian Andaz is underway.

St. James Hotel, Toronto is part of the Ascend Collection.

Type/Sector: Upscale tier/lifestyle brand.

Description: With nearly 80 properties in Europe and the U.S., AC Hotels by Marriott provides innovative spaces of freedom and comfort, Spanish style and European soul. For travellers seeking a modern, designled hotel that carefully curates the things that are needed and strips away what is not.

Size and construction: 120-250 keys. New build, conversion Ideal locations: Metropolitan - Urban locations.

Number in Canada: None open at this time.

Target for Canada: A dozen.

Contact: Manlio Marescotti, manlio.marescotti@marriott.com.

Type/Sector: Luxury lifestyle/boutique Description: Global scale; local perspective. Andaz delivers an innovative hospitality experience and attentive, uncomplicated service geared to guests’ personal preferences. Hotels reflect the cultural scenes and spirit of the local neighborhood.

Size and construction: By market.

New build, adaptive reuse, conversion.

Ideal locations: Cultural hubs of global destinations.

Number in Canada: One under construction in Ottawa’s Byward Market, scheduled to open in 2016.

Target for Canada: 5-10 locations.

Contact: Scott Richer, scott.richer@ hyatt.com, 416-300-8215

Type/Sector: One-of-a-kind hotels.

Upscale sector.

Description: Network of upscale hotels with established local presence.

Member hotels share a passion for delivering attentive service to guests who seek a more experimental, individualized travel experience that gives them a sense of local flavour.

Size and Construction: Typically 30 – 200 rooms. Conversion.

Ideal Locations: Large urban markets including Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax, as well as top tourist destinations like Niagara Falls, Whistler and Banff.

Number in Canada: 9.

Target for Canada: 50.

Contact: Brian Leon, brian_leon@ choicehotels.ca.

Type/Sector: Upper upscale tier/ lifestyle brand.

Description: An evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels.

Each destination has a bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. Designed for independent minded travellers, this collection includes a 15-room boutique fishing lodge in Colorado and a 3,000-room luxury high rise on the Vegas Strip.

Size and construction: 100-300 keys. New build, conversion.

Ideal locations: Urban locations, resort destinations.

Number in Canada: One open; three under construction.

Target for Canada: A dozen.

Contact: Manlio Marescotti, manlio.marescotti@marriott.com.

Type/Sector: Upscale independent hotels in primary and destination markets.

Description: The BW Premier Collection provides independent hoteliers the opportunity to retain their local identity and individuality while harnessing the power of The World’s Largest Hotel Chain. With a pay-forperformance fee structure and a $4.1 billion global reservation system, the BW Premier Collection is a smart investment for independents looking to reduce their reliance on OTAs. Ideal Location: Primary and destination markets including Montreal, Ontario, Toronto and Vancouver.

Number in Canada: None to date.

Contact: Mike Muir, Mike.Muir@ bestwestern.com

Budgetel Inns & Suites (Budgetel)

Cambria Hotels & Suites (CHI)

Candlewood Suites (IHG)

Canopy by Hilton (Hilton)

Country Hearth Inn & Suites (Vantage)

The Budgetel Inn in Hearne, Texas.

Type/Sector: Upper economy for business and leisure travellers.

Description: For guests, Budgetel provides comfortable and attractive limited-service accommodations at affordable prices.

For the owners, Budgetel offers fewer mandated amenities and a new option in markets saturated by other brands.

Size & Construction: 30 to 150 rooms. Renovation or conversion of either exterior or interior corridor, as well as new build.

Ideal locations: Urban, suburban, or rural.

Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: 4 to 5 per year Contact: Azim P. Kassam, sjina@ aol.com.

1 2 | Canadian Lodging News

Exterior of a Cambria Hotels & Suites, Washington, DC. Type/Sector: Upscale hotel/suites for business travellers.

Description: At the new Cambria Hotels & Suites, guests have options at every interaction point. Hotels have large, open lobbies with soft, rounded front desks. Spacious rooms, with ample technology. Guests will notice larger vanity space in the bathrooms and will relax on updated furniture.

Size and construction: N/A. Ideal locations: Primary or secondary markets, airports or downtown.

Number in Canada: Three under construction, Two more planned.

Target for Canada: N/A. Contact: Guy Gridley, guy_gridley@choicehotels.com.

Guest suite at a Candlewood Suites hotel.

Type/Sector: Midscale extended stay hotel brand.

Description: Hotels provide a relaxed, casual, home-like experience for extended stay travellers. Spacious studio and one-bedroom suites each with a fully equipped kitchen, executive desk, DVD player, recliner and/ or sofa bed. The Candlewood gym, free guest laundry and Candlewood Cupboard are open 24 hours.

Size and construction: 70 rooms.

Ideal locations: Moncton, NB, Sherbrooke, QC; Kingston, Sudbury, Kitchener-Waterloo; Kamloops, BC. Number in Canada: 1.

Target for Canada: 40, incl. one in Canada’s nine urban markets.

Contact: Stuart Laurie, stuart.laurie@ihg.com.

Lobby of the Canopy by Hilton hotel in Portland, Oregon.

Type/Sector: Upper end of upper upscale segment.

Description: Each hotel’s love of local will be expressed through design, food, drink, art, and local knowhow. F&B includes artisanal breakfasts featuring fresh, local ingredients, Canopy Rise & Dine breakfast bag and lobby bar with local craft beers.

Rooms feature an open design and wardrobe.

Size and construction: Under 200 keys.

Ideal locations: Key urban neighborhoods and vibrant secondary markets around the world Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: N/A. Contact: Jeff Cury, Jeff.Cury@hilton.com.

Lobby at a BW Premier Collection hotel.

Exterior of a Country Hearth Inn & Suites property.

Type/Sector: Bed and breakfasttype feel. Upper economy/lower midscale sectors.

Description: Each property will evolve with a sense of Southern hospitality and country décor, and is ideal for the business or leisure traveller.

Guests will enjoy free WiFi and hot breakfast, including the brand’s signature biscuits and gravy.

Size and construction: 50-100 key properties. Reno, new build, conversion.

Ideal locations: Suburban, Roadside, Resort Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: Five hotels in 2016.

Contact: Bill Hanley, bhanley@vantagehospitality.com.

NEW BRANDS TO CANADA A-Z Still urban, but more moderately priced is Moxy by Marriott, compact but stylish, smart and flexible.

Similarly, Vib, from Best Western is an urban boutique hotel brand designed for today’s style-seeking, valuefocused traveller.

In between is Radisson Red, which will draw from upscale and beyond, delivering an urban, millennialfocused experience.

Upper economy options include Budgetel, a U.S. brand looking to make its Canadian debut. It offers

a fee structure that is different from that of conventional brands. Vantage Hospitality is bringing its newly-purchased Country Hearth Inn & Suites brand north to Canada, in the uppereconomy, lower midscale tier.

Collections include Choice Ho-

tels Canada’s Ascend Collection with nine members; the Marriott Autograph Collection, which has an inaugural Canadian member, the Algonquin in New Brunswick and three more under construction; Curio — A Collection by Hilton which seeks

upper upscale and luxury members; and The BW Premier Collection, which aims to fill in the gaps in Best Western’s portfolio, seeking independent hotel members in primary and destination markets throughout the country.

Curio — A Collection by Hilton

Hyatt Centric (Hyatt)

Hyatt House (Hyatt)

Hyatt Place (Hyatt)

Lexington by Vantage (Vantage)

Entrance to Curio — A Collection by Hilton.

Lounge at the Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami.

Exterior of a Hyatt House extended stay hotel.

Exterior of a Hyatt Place select service, upscale hotel.

Exterior of a Lexington Hotel

by Vantage.

Type/Sector: Upper upscale and luxury hotels.

Description: Launched in June 2014, Curio is a hand-picked global collection of independent properties embodying the distinct culture and spirit of their local communities.

From the magic of Las Vegas to the beaches of Florida to the Southern charm of Dallas, these hotels are oneof-a-kind.

Size and construction: Varies.

Ideal Locations: Hilton hand-picks hotels and allows them to maintain their own unique stories.

Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: No confirmed, planned hotel openings for Canada.

Contact: Thomas Lorenzo, thomas. lorenzo@hilton.com.

Type/Sector: Upper upscale/lifestyle.

Description: Centric puts its guest at the centre of the action in the best destinations. Modern explorers are a multigenerational group of travellers who view their hotel as the hub of their experience, connecting them to the best of what the destination has to offer – experiences that lead to great stories.

Size and construction: By market.

New build, adaptive reuse, conversion.

Ideal locations: Urban core of primary markets and central locations within global destinations.

Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: 15-20.

Contact: Scott Richer, scott.richer@ hyatt.com.

Type/Sector: Select service/extended stay.

Description: Designed to welcome residents rather than guests and offer services, amenities, upscale spaces and a casual, comfortable environment. Residentially inspired studios, one- and two-bedroom suites, contemporary full kitchens, living space with flat-panel HDTVs. Size and construction: 128 keys.

New build, adaptive reuse, conversion.

Ideal locations: Primary and secondary markets with upscale extended stay demand.

Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: 30 to 50.

Contact: Scott Richer, scott.richer@ hyatt.com.

Type/Sector: Select service/upscale.

Description: Launched in 2006, the brand brings Hyatt hospitality and style to the upscale service hotel category. Inspired by multitasking travellers’ 24/7 lifestyle, it has spacious guestrooms with the Cozy Corner, free WiFi everywhere, the 24/7 Gallery Menu, Coffee to Cocktails Bar, and free hot breakfast for guests.

Size and construction: 137 keys.

New build, adaptive reuse, conversion.

Ideal locations: Primary, secondary markets, select service demand.

Number in Canada: None so far.

Target for Canada: 30 to 50 locations, 2 under construction in Alberta.

Contact: Scott Richer, scott.richer@ hyatt.com.

Type/Sector: Collection of inns, hotels & suites. Midscale to upscale sectors.

Description: Lexington offers hotel owners the option to design services and amenities around the demands of their customers and market niche.

Soft branding is available for independent properties that wish to maintain their established identity.

Size and construction: 100 keys.

Reno, new build, conversion.

Ideal locations: City centres, airports, suburban, resorts.

Number in Canada: 1 (Windsor, Ont.).

Target for Canada: Three hotels in 2015.

Contact: Bill Hanley, bhanley@vantagehospitality.com.

Moxy (Marriott)

Radisson Red (Carlson Rezidor)

Sleep Inn (Choice Hotels Canada)

Staybridge Suites (IHG)

Vib (Best Western)

Typical guestroom at a Moxy Hotel: small and stylish.

Type/Sector: Moderate tier/lifestyle brand.

Description: Moxy Hotels offers a new way of travelling in which smaller means concentration, not reduction.

In which affordability is not sacrifice of style, nor a loss of comfort. From the communal NOW public space to smart, flexible bedrooms, Moxy is a bold, surprising design for the socially extroverted, energetic consumer. Furiously fast and free WiFi throughout.

Size and construction: 100-225 keys. New build, conversion.

Ideal locations: Urban locations.

Number in Canada: None open at this time.

Target for Canada: A dozen.

Contact: Manlio Marescotti, manlio.marescotti@marriott.

Stylish, bold designs are featured in Radisson Red. Type/Sector: It will draw from upscale and beyond, providing a relevant millennial lifestyle experience.

Description: The lobby is artistic, energetic, proactive and welcoming.

The rooms are stylish and multifunctional, where the wall is a canvas for movies, for art, for work. There’s a great bar, simple food done well, a connected concierge, and space to work, play or simply be.

Size and construction: 80-150 keys. New build and conversions.

Ideal locations: Hi-density urban.

Number in Canada: None Target for Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Quebec City, Ottawa.

Contact: Sean Shannon, sshannon@carlsonrezidor.com.

Sleep Inn Regina East Emerald Park guestroom.

Type/Sector: Fresh, innovative design; affordable, stylish. Midscale sector.

Description: A cost-effective new construction opportunity. In a segment dominated by older properties, the Sleep Inn squeezes efficiencies from every square foot. The building layout was designed with improved efficiency and functionality in mind.

Warm neutrals, fresh graphics, and soothing colours, provide guests with a simply stylish experience.

Size and Construction: Typically 50-100 rooms. New build.

Ideal Locations: Secondary and tertiary markets, highway locations.

Number in Canada: 3.

Target for Canada: 40.

Contact: Brian Leon, brian_leon@ choicehotels.ca.

Exterior of a Staybridge Suites hotel.

Type/Sector: Upscale extended stay.

Description: An innovative, allsuite hotel brand designed to meet the needs of extended-stay guests seeking a warm sense of community in a home-like environment that is perfect for business, relocation and vacations.

The brand entered the extended-stay segment in December 1998 Size and construction: 85 rooms.

Ideal locations: Ste. Foy (Quebec City), Kanata, ON, Calgary NW, South Edmonton, AB, Grande Prairie, AB, Burnaby, BC. Number in Canada: 8.

Target for Canada: 30, incl. each of Canada’s nine urban markets.

Contact: Stuart Laurie, stuart.laurie@ihg.com.

Lobby of a Vib urban boutique hotel.

Type/Sector: Urban boutique hotel designed for today’s style-seeking, value-focused traveller. Midscale.

Description: Vib is a hip, chic, boutique hotel for travellers who seek innovation, technology and style with an authentic, local flavour, offered at a great value. Minimal footprint, cost effective to build, efficient to operate, a highly profitable business model.

Size and construction: 112 rooms, five-storey prototype.

Ideal locations: Urban centres in top tier markets incl. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver.

Number in Canada: None to date.

Target for Canada: Top-tier markets, other markets based on demand.

Contact: Mike Muir, Mike.Muir@ bestwestern.com.

April 2015 | 1 3

PRODUCTS 1. Scotsman’s Prodigy Plus line Built off the company’s Prodigy line released in 2006, the Prodigy Plus ice machines include some key upgrades: a relocated auto-alert indictor light; a self-aligning front panel for easier access; a front-located air filter that eliminates the need for side clearance; and built-in antimicrobial protection. www.scotsman-ice.com

1.

2. Dyson Airblade Tap Hand Dryer The Dyson Airblade Tap hand dryer’s infrared sensors pinpoint hand positions and release water from the tap stem. Once hands are wet, integrated circuitry computes the information and activates the Dyson digital motor, creating two high-velocity sheets of unheated clean air that dry hands in 14 seconds. www.dysonairblade.ca

2.

3. Champion’s reduction system The Foodwaste Reduction System by Champion can reduce organic waste volume by as much as 95 per cent. The system transports waste through a grinder, into a centrifuge and then into a dehydrator. The remaining product resembles sawdust. The system guarantees no harmful emissions. www.championindustries.com

3.

4. IPSO Front Load Washer The new IPSO front-load washer’s Dynamic Balancing System manages and redistributes unbalanced loads, resulting in faster, quieter cycle times.

A 1,200 rpm spin speed delivers 440 G-force, to remove more moisture from loads and reducing dry times. www.ipso.com

4.

5. Hatco plate warmer Hatco has also released the Portable Heated Glass Shelf Modular. The unit is made from food-safe black ceramic glass that creates uniform heat across the top surface. It can be set from 130 F to 200 F and can hold a 12- by 20inch food pan. www.hatcocorp.com

5.

6. Brute’s vented garbage pail Venting channels along the sides make Rubbermaid’s Brute refuse container 50 per cent easier to pull bags out by reducing suction. The line also carries integrated cinches, so you no longer have to tie a knot to keep the bag inside the pail. Rounded handles make lifting and moving easier. www.rubbermaidcommercial.com

6

April 2015 | 1 5

Mo Jessa: Leadership aids retention every Sunday for three hours. It goes out on Monday, and people read it. You’ve got to live [leadership] or people won’t do it.”

New model for recruitment

From left: Mo Jessa, president, Earls Restaurants Ltd., Sean Lyons, professor, University of Guelph, and Jan van der Hoop, president, Fit First Technologies.

GUELPH, Ont. — Eighty per cent of business success is your ability to understand what it takes to be a leader, Mo Jessa, president of Earls Restaurants, told a symposium titled Getting and Keeping the Best, held at University of Guelph on March 4 as part of its Sustainable Restaurant Project.

Jessa started as a dishwasher at Earls 25 years ago, and rose through the ranks, becoming executive chef in 2000, vice-president of operations in 2004 and then president two years ago. Today, Earls has 67 restaurants and more than 5,000 employees.

He presented a case study in employee engagement, pointing out that in 2008, only 500 people filled out Earls’ employee engagement survey, rating satisfaction at 76 per cent. In 2014, Earls received a similar satisfaction rating, but more than 4,000 people answered the survey. In one year, from 2013 to 2014, participation rose from 74 per cent of staff to 91 per cent — a huge jump in employee engagement in an area where one to two per cent is considered good progress.

Jessa credits his obsession with leadership as the key, and his conviction that every person at Earls can be a leader.

“You have to live certain aspects of leadership,” he said. Earls bases its leadership on four foundations:

1. Integrity. You can build trust if you do what you say, and people can count on you. It’s also important to empower people to make decisions.

2. Authenticity. Catch yourself when you are faking it. Being yourself is OK; if you’re genuine, you’re allowed to have some personal flaws.

3. Believe in a cause bigger than yourself. If you can identify what that is, it allows people to feel part of something.

4. Take 100 per cent responsibility for all outcomes.

All 300 managers and general managers at Earls have taken a three-day course on leadership.

But leadership is not limited to management. Jessa found an example of leadership development for hourly employees at Lululemon developed by leadership advisor Susanne Conrad, stressing the need for dialogue, listening and self-reflection skills, and the idea that when you create a future, you do it for yourself.

This year, Jessa is implementing Earls’ Developing Leaders: Vision and Goals program, and is committed to training 1,500 employees in 2015. It asks employees to consider a 10-year vision, to decide what’s important in their lives.

“I personally blog about these principles

Sean Lyons, professor of leadership and management at University of Guelph’s College of Business and Economics, told the audience there’s a new recruitment model.

“In the old model, you assumed employees want to work for you; that jobs are static and don’t change with the employee; that the best people are local; and that recruiting is advertising focused.

“In the new model, focused on generation X and millennials, [the candidate asks], ‘What do you have to offer me?’” The job marketing strategy must be compelling, the offer designed to be competitive, and it’s important to “fish in the right pond” to get qualified candidates.

“Use employer branding because brands have power,” Lyons added. Be known for your corporate social responsibility, or be named one of the Top 50 Employers by Aon Hewitt. “You are your unique value proposition,” Lyons said.

Four critical aspects of “fit” Jan G. van der Hoop, president and organization performance expert with Fit First Technologies, has devoted his career to helping people and organizations find better ways to work together. He told the symposium being fit for the role is the leading indicator of business performance, and set out four critical aspects: 1. Screen for fit — find out who employees are as individuals, what their standards are and their best and worst managers.

2. Measure what matters — how they learn and think. Ask, “What’s the funniest thing that ever happened at work?”

3. Check your standards — you attract what you tolerate. If you tolerate mediocrity, you will get mediocre staff.

4. Take a ruthless look in the mirror — would you work for you?

New directions at Centennial College include an eight-storey, 740-room SCARBOROUGH, Ont. — Prehotel, 20,000 square feet of event paring a business plan, presenting spaces, seven kitchen labs (using ideas, making a pitch and working the equipment installed a few years with staff are every bit as essential back in the original building), eight to today’s hospitality graduates as additional classrooms, a teaching learning skills in the classroom. restaurant and café.

They also need to know how Centennial’s courses will focus to present themselves, dress for an on a broader range of career opinterview and talk about their own tions. “Before the focus was on strengths. James Smith, newly mintdowntown bakeries and fine dined chair, culinary programs and oping,” said Caine. “Now we are erations at Centennial College, calls also looking at chain restaurants it “roundedness,” and Centennial and commercial bakeries. We are aims to graduate more well-roundopening the doors to all parts of ed students. the industry to come in and say hi, Smith’s position is a new one, From left: James Smith, culinary chair, Joe Baker, dean, and and talk to the students. and it reflects a change in culinary Michelle Caine, chair, Centennial School of Hospitality, Tour“Bakery and Pastry Arts stufocus for the School of Hospital- ism and Culture. dents won’t just be bakers. They ity, Tourism and Culture. The procan be food writers, recipe testers, Barclay as chair last May. gram has seen some changes at the Centennial is in the process of building a entrepreneurs, product developers, food blogtop end, with Joe Baker taking over as dean a year ago following Shyam Ranganathan’s re- residence and Culinary Arts Centre to house the ger, stylists, or they can work in Hollywood protirement, and Michelle Caine replacing Verona entire School of Hospitality and Tourism. It will ducing cakes.”

1 6 | Canadian Lodging News

Resorts of Ontario — Time to Connect

WANT TO ADVERTISE? We want to hear from you.

Email inquires or advertising information to:

From left, Kristie Anderson, Michelle Duff and Mary McIsaac at last year’s conference.

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, Ont. — When Resorts of Ontario meets at Blue Mountain Resort for its annual conference April 27-28, the question for delegates will be: Are you on the right path... time to connect?

Andrew Wiens, international DMO manager North America for TripAdvisor, will kick things off with a practical session on the importance of online reviews and how to manage them, along with information on best practices and free assets.

The rest of the day will feature concurrent sessions.

“The sessions all play to the theme because it includes marketing, operational elements and human resources,” said Grace Sammut, managing director, Resorts of Ontario.

Keith Simmonds, general manager of Great Wolf Lodge, will talk about resort culture and how it relates to employee recruitment and retention. Paul Brunt,VIP Energy president, will speak about energy conservation, while Susan Benson of Royal LePage will offer 10 top real estate tips for resort owners. Online channels and accessibility round out the topics to be covered.

In the afternoon, rotating round table sessions will enable suppliers to share their knowledge and expertise with resort owners. Topics include pest management, sewage treatment, body care and maximizing your waterfront to improve your business. The late-afternoon trade show will be followed by receptions, the president’s dinner and a hospitality suite. “The trade show has been sold out with 32 booths,” Sammut noted.

The next day, Kevin Forget, travel promotion officer with OTMPC, will speak to delegates on how to get noticed by the media, followed by sessions on the online health of you business and allocation of marketing staff.

“Last year we concentrated on diversity, but this year we are trying something a little different,” Sammut told CLN. “Our program is framed around the results of a survey of our members.”

sales@canadianlodgingnews.com

POWER OF A GLOBAL BRAND BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL 4,000 Hotels in 100 Countries*

Best Western International EXECUTIVE RESIDENCY

CCFCC’s Ontario chef of the year named TORONTO — The Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) central region has named Tony Fernandes chef of the year.

Fernandes is the executive chef and food and beverage manager for Royal Equator Inc., which owns and operates Crowne Plaza Toronto Tony Fernandes Airport, Four Points by Sherton Toronto Airport and Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Mississauga.

Fernandes and his chef teams have won more than 45 medals from culinary competitions around the world, including a gold medal at the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup 2014 and a silver at the 2012 IKA Culinary Olympics.

MORE

SM SM

BRAND-WIDE

INDUSTRY AWARDS

RevPAR

THAN ANY OTHER BRAND

11% ABOVE COMPETITION

DEVELOPMENT

INCENTIVES FIRST TIME EVER FOR CERTAIN MARKETS

Discover everything Best Western International can bring to your investment portfolio – talk to us today.

bestwesterndevelopers.com | 800.847.2429 Leader in Website Performance

Leader in Website Performance

4x Best Hotel Website

4x Best Hotel Website

*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.

Best Western and Best Western marks are service marks or registered service marks of Best Western International, Inc. ©2015 Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved.

500.1011.15 Canadian Lodging April BWI Brand.indd 1

3/12/15 12:39 PM

April 2015 | 1 7

S U P P LY L I N E S

SGS a one stop shop for hospitality GENEVA — Metrics are crucial to hotels. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And the types of measurements hotels require are mind boggling.

There are so many standards to be met, ranging from food safety to security and risk management; from energy usage to sustainable food management; and from guest service scores to TripAdvisor ratings. On top of that are brand standards for everything from sheet quality to wastebasket specifications.

Geneva-based SGS Group Management Ltd. is one of the world’s largest inspection, verification, testing and certification companies, with 80,000 employees and 1,650 offices and testing laboratories.

Their range of services goes far beyond hospitality, and includes oil and gas, consumer and medical testing, sustainability and the environment.

With such a broad, global reach, they are able to offer many services through one company. Their hospitality clients include McDonalds, Coke, Unilever and Nestlé on the foodservice side, and IHG, Accor and Starwood on the hotel side.

“It’s a one stop shop,” Peter Hvidberg, global business manager for travel and hospitality, told CLN in a telephone interview. “There are a lot of players out there, including B&V, Intertek, Diversey, LIA and hotels with their own consulting companies, but very few can offer a one stop shop.”

DON’T MISS OUT, SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Safety

www.canadianlodgingnews.com

Travellers’ safety at all times has to be

the number one priority for any hospitality business. Any issues with the management of confidential customer information, food intoxication, water or air contamination as well as infrastructure or security incidents can negatively affect a hotel’s brand and operations.

SGS has developed its own Hospitality Excellence Program, built around the HACCP program, with modules dealing with all aspects of food sourcing, management and preparation, plus hygiene and cleanliness of storage, preparation and serving areas.

SGS can offer swabbing of restaurant and hotel surfaces, swimming pool water testing, and testing of water pipes. They can test food from suppliers, and can drill holes and test for asbestos.

“Managers and chains get a lot of complaints regarding outbreaks, and everyone blames the hotel general manager even if it didn’t come from them,” said Hvidberg.

Sustainability Sustainability is often a deciding factor when travellers choose service providers, destinations and hotels. Environmental impacts such as the energy and water used and the approach taken to employee welfare, waste management, and integration with local communities all play a key role in influencing customer and stakeholder perceptions of brand value.

SGS services include environmental auditing. There is a social-environmental package for new hotels in remote areas,

showing how to work with the community and where to source suppliers.

Sustainability can also include ways to minimize the amount of food that goes out at a buffet and that goes b a c k to the Peter Hvidberg kitchen.

Service SGS also looks at service, providing training, performance assessments, mystery guests, and analyzing social media ratings and evaluations. They have developed their own performance checklist, or can provide second party audits using systems such as Medallia.

“Nobody else is trying to bundle, and nobody has the global reach that we do,” said Hvidberg.

Some big chains require services in several regions. That’s where SGS’s global reach can come into play.

With a presence in nearly every single region around the globe, SGS experts speak the local language, understand the culture of the local market and operate consistently and reliably, the company stressed in their promo brochure.

Gray is the new green — and more About the Author

He commenced his marketing career with Procter & Gamble, working as a brand manager.

Next, he spent several years at a Top 10 advertising agency where he lead a hospitality specialty team with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts as its key client.

It was the era of giant agency mergers and Larry made the decision to hang his own shingle, founding LMA in 1991. As one of its first assignments, he was charged with the role of strategic planning for Preferred Hotels and Resorts.

read the Whole Series!

Hotel Llama is the third anthology book in Larry Mogelonsky’s series following Are You an Ostrich or a Llama? (2012) and Llamas Rule (2013). Together, they give a detailed picture of the present hotel business landscape, outlining how to best navigate new technological issues shaping our industry in addition to the need for a perpetual commitment to exceptional service.

All three books draw from Larry’s extensive experience in the field as well as the prudence of other senior managers and corporate executives active in the hospitality industry. Offering creative and effective solutions to today’s problems, this collection will give you the tools you need to thrive in the modern hotel world.

Hospitality Services

the LLama DigitaL educational Program In tandem with the publishing of this book, Larry Mogelonsky has created an online educational program for hoteliers to sharpen their skill sets. Entitled Llama Digital, this interactive web portal allows executives, managers, staff members and hospitality students to access all the articles from the three books in the series.

Cleaning for

Today, LMA works with hoteliers across the world.

Larry’s knowledge of hospitality marketing and operations has been demonstrated through the accumulation of 70 awards from HSMAI. LMA was also awarded the distinction of ‘Worldwide e-Marketing Agency of the Year’ by TravelClick.

Larry is one of the most frequently published writers in the field of hotel marketing, with weekly contributions to many of the world’s top industry publications. He was recognized by HSMAI as one of the ‘Top 25 Minds in Hospitality’ for 2013.

Guest Retention

Attached to each article are several complex questions designed to give a more detailed analysis of the issues through the form of written responses so that hoteliers will improve their writing proficiency in addition to honing their managerial skills.

To learn more about the Llama Digital educational program and how it can enhance your skillset in the hospitality field, go to www.lmadigital.ca.

Partner with Jani-King’s hospitality cleaning experts today to develop a customized cleaning program to fit your needs.

You can reach Larry at larry@lma.ca to discuss any hospitality business challenges or to review speaking engagements.

eSSAyS in hotel mArketing & mAnAgement

HOTEL LLAMA • LArry MOgELOnsky

Larry Mogelonsky is the president and founder of LMA Communications Inc., a Toronto-based hospitality advertising and consulting agency.

He earned an Honors Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and a Masters of Business Administration from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

He holds a Professional Engineering accreditation in the Province of Ontario.

The hotel world is evolving. The proliferation of new mobile technologies, online travel agencies, social media and third-party review websites represent four great disruptors for any hotelier’s business. And these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Customer behavior is changing too rapidly for traditional hospitality marketing and operations textbooks to keep up. The modern traveler is highly intelligent and incredibly discerning when it comes to hotel purchases.

In order to understand this consumer revolution, you must arm yourself with the latest resources.

Enter Hotel Llama, the third book in the series written to give hoteliers the best tools in their arsenal to prosper in these changing times.

This is not an introductory textbook on the hospitality industry, but rather a compilation of selected topics that highlight both modern success stories as well as the blunders to avoid.

This book will strengthen your management skills by explaining many of the sales, marketing, branding, technological and psychological principles at work behind such contemporary facets of hotel operations as proper website design, channel distribution and emerging technology applications in addition to the more traditional aspects like onsite amenities, guestroom features, F&B, housekeeping and the front desk.

lArry mogelonSky

Above all, it is stressed that the success of a property – even with all that has changed in recent years – nonetheless depends on the relationship a hotel fosters with its guests.

This is the hotelier’s guidebook that recognizes future developments while celebrating the past.

The seven habits of highly effective hoteliers

By Colleen Isherwood, Editor

Front of house cleaning services leave your restaurant, lobby, front entrance and common areas sparkling.

still has the most money to spend and the trips into their lives before it’s too late.

“As millions of baby boomers are realizing, with no mortgage and kids’ college educations paid, travel opportunities previously forgone to accommodate these gross expenses are now more easily realized. Add in the recognition that long distance travel will come with an age limitation sometime in the future adds an impetus to act quickly.

“Hoteliers that recognize these facts will show good return on their investment.”

Why you desire toNeed cram This Book

Back of house cleaning services target hard to clean areas including kitchens, loading docks and laundry services.

Deep cleaning services target carpets, drapes and upholstered items and give them a new lease on life.

800.565.1873 | www.janiking.ca 1 8 | Canadian Lodging News

Hey! Boomers aren’t totally irrelevant after all! That’s one of the lessons I learned while reading Larry’s Mogelonsky’s Hotel Llama, the third book in the series that began with Are You an Ostrich or a Llama? and continued with Llamas Rule!

In six chapters titled, “Gray is the new green,” Mogelonsky explores the need to take another look at the generation that

Mogelonsky starts his book with a nod to Steven R. Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” providing a version for hoteliers. Along with common sense advice like, “Know thy customer: and “Survey the competition,” habit number six is, “Technology is good” and number seven is, “Technology is bad.”

The explanation: while social media, big data, smartphones and website tracking are all useful tools, the flip side is that

they are, at best, adjuncts to the hotel’s physical presence and bona fide guest service.

One interesting chapter looks at Mogelonsky’s proposed hierarchy of communications.

He ranks the one on one meeting as the highest form of communication, followed by group meeting, hand written note, quiet office phone call, video chat, and traditional personalized letter. At the bottom of the list are private tweets, group Facebook messages and, bringing up the rear, public tweets.

Holidays and slower times Other chapters deal with holidays and occasions such as Earth Day, Labour Day Halloween, Black Friday and the year end holiday season. And Mogelonsky doesn’t neglect the problematic times of year, addressing the fall lull and the midweek holiday.

At the end of the book are examples of excellence, including interviews with Paul Berry of ARIA hotels in Las Vegas, and Canada’s own Charles McKee, who was until recently vice-president of marketing for Delta Hotels and Resorts.

OPENINGS, SALES AND RENOS First hotel in the Yukon for Realstar

Le Méridien Versailles Montreal renovated guestroom.

Méridien Versailles, completes reno MONTREAL — Le Méridien Versailles, Montreal announced on March 3 the completed renovations to its 105 guestrooms and suites.

Designed to complement the aesthetic of the hotel’s Golden Square Mile neighborhood, the project includes a topto-bottom refurbishment of guestrooms and suites. Renovated rooms feature new Le Méridien beds, casegoods, wallpaper, seating, lighting, mirrors and carpeting.

Guestrooms include new 32-inch flatscreen televisions, plug and play docking stations and an enhanced wireless Internet platform. Renovations also added, to bathrooms, low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets. Public corridors and hallways feature new floor and wall finishes.

Located in the heart of the Golden Square Mile, Le Méridien Versailles is also home to Branzino Restaurant, where executive chef Alexandre St-AmandTremblay offers Mediterranean inspired cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The restaurant seats 100 people and features a full-service bar and private dining room with views of the onsite wine cellar for groups of up to 12.

Choice Hotels opens 478 properties in ‘14

property. On that same day, all Marriott Rewards guests checking into any Courtyard worldwide will receive 1,000 points as the brand’s milestone gift — an estimated 50 million points.

TORONTO — Late last month, Realstar Hospitality announced the debut of its first hotel in the Yukon Territory, Days Inn - Whitehorse.

The 99-room hotel offers a full range of facilities and services including complimentary airport shuttle, an on-site restaurant and fitness centre. The franchised property is managed by Holloway Lodging Corporation.

The 100 per cent smoke free hotel features on-site amenities such free WiFi Internet access, pet friendly rooms along with meeting and banquet facilities for up to 110 people. Free parking with vehicle plug-ins is available for all hotel guests.

Days Inn - Whitehorse is located at 2288 Second Avenue.

Days Inn Whitehorse is the first Realstar property in the Yukon Territory.

Delta Toronto officially opens Ken Greene, above, Delta Hotels & Resorts president and CEO, spoke to attendees at the official opening of the Delta Toronto on Feb. 26. Toronto mayor John Tory and Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International were on hand for the celebrations. Sorenson welcomed Delta to the Marriott family of hotels, while Tory noted that he had once lived for a year in a Delta hotel. Greene said that the best recognition for Delta is to have Marriott, which he called the world’s best hotel company, acquire them.

Jean-Luc Barone, managing director, Delta, noted that while the new SoCo district, where the new Delta Toronto is located, is now trendy, the hotel is located on the site of a former vehicle impound lot.

WE HAVE IT COVERED FROM COAST TO COAST...

ROCKVILLE, MD — Choice Hotels International, Inc. opened 478 domestic and international properties in 2014.

The outlook for future growth is also robust, according to the company, based on the 566 new domestic franchise agreements signed by the company last year.

Additionally, 159 of the signed contracts were for new-construction hotels, a more than 70 per cent increase over the same period in 2013.

Courtyard opens its 1,000th property BETHESDA, MD — Courtyard by Marriott announced in late February that it is celebrating its 1,000th hotel milestone.

Customer events covering a six-week span kicked off with the opening of the Courtyard Agra, in India. Topping the festivities will be the designation on March 31 of the Courtyard Walla Walla, in Walla Walla, Wash., as the brand’s 1,000th

With 10 editions annually, Canadian Lodging News gives you the national news, trends and data you need to make informed decisions.

DON’T MISS OUT, SUBSCRIBE NOW! www.canadianlodgingnews.com April 2015 | 1 9

PROVINCIAL NEWS TIAPEI’s 34th conference & gala CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. (TIAPEI) celebrated the industry’s best at its 34th Annual Tourism Conference and Awards Gala, held March 4 at the Red Shores Racetrack and Casino.

Featured on the conference program was keynote speaker Corrine Sandler, whose presentation focused on her book, Wake Up or Die. The semi-annual business meeting featured the election of the TIAPEI board.

Also presenting were Booking.com, Insight Marketing and The Centre for Tourism Research. Another session, themed Managing Your Reputation with Customer Experience, also unfolded.

During the morning tradeshow, more than 16 exhibitors networked with attendees. There was also a silent auction fundraiser supporting the TIAPEI scholarship fund.

The evening gala, for which Kerri Wynne MacLeod served as MC, saw the tourism industry recognize individuals who have displayed a high degree of professionalism and/or support. A total of 10 awards were handed out.

Honoured for their contributions to tourism for 2014 were: Gary Craswell, Rodd Charlottetown — Lieutenant Governor’s Tour-

Lieutenant Governor Frank Lewis (left) presents the Lieutenant Governor’s Award to Gary Craswell, of Rodd Charlottetown. ism Award; Karen Hatcher, The College of Piping — Hospitality Award for Prince County; Shawna Grandjean, Comfort Inn — Hospitality Award for Queens County; Charlene Belsher, The Old General Store — Hospitality Award for Kings County; Welcome PEI — Walt Wheeler Media Award; Rachel Vidito, Murphy Hospitality Group — Operator of the Year; Prince Edward Island Lighthouse Society — Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award; Linda & Gary Lowther — Dr. Kent Ellis Quality of Excellence Award; Mitchell Rennie — President’s Award; Canadian Potato

Museum — Premier’s Award.

Special recognition was given to three certified emerit professionals who completed their certification process during 2014.

TIAPEI president Kevin Mouflier awarded the President’s Award to Mitchell Rennie, while Minister for Tourism and Culture Robert Henderson presented the Premier’s Award to the Canadian Potato Museum.

The final presentation of the evening saw Lieutenant Governor Frank Lewis present the Lieutenant Governor’s Award to Gary Craswell, of Rodd Charlottetown.

Radissons win President’s Award MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Each year, Radisson presents The President’s Award to the properties that achieved top scores in guest satisfaction as measured by guest feedback for cleanliness and consistency in meeting (and often exceeding) the brand’s product quality standards.

This year, only 34 Radisson Hotels received the President’s Award out of 150. Five Canadian hotels were among the winners this year. They are: Brian Munson, GM Radis• Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre Calgary son Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan holds another award, Airport, Alberta for CAA Four Diamonds.

• Radisson Hotels & Suites Fort McMurray, Alberta • Radisson Hotel & Suites Fallsview, Ontario • Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan, Regina • Radisson Hotel Saskatoon, Saskatchewan This award recognizes those hotels and resorts that have consistently provided exceptional guest satisfaction and brand engagement with top scores the following areas: service performance index, product performance index, loyalty performance index, problem resolution rate and cleanliness and conditions. The President’s Award has become the symbol of outstanding quality for Radisson.

The Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan are long standing winners of this award, winning the President’s Award or its predecessor, the Gold Award every year but two since 1998.

“Our goal is for each and every guest to have an excellent experience. This award is a testament to the exceptional teamwork demonstrated by the caring employees of the Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan,” said Brian Munson, general manager on receiving the award.

Carlson management changes at the top

DON’T CUT CORNERS, CLEAN THEM! BR 35/12 C Bp - 14” Walk-Behind Battery Scrubber J Agile, lightweight, quiet J Outstanding technical innovation J Roller brush head rotates 200o in both directions J Eco!efficiency mode reduces energy consumption www.karcher.ca J 1-888-705-9444

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — There are big changes afoot in Carlson’s executive suite as the company announced on March 5 that president and CEO Trudy Rautio will retire on May 1, and Carlson chief operating officer David P. Berg will assume duties as chief executive officer for Carlson Hospitality, reporting to the Carlson board.

In addition, Carlson announced on March 2 the appointment of Greg O’Stean as chief development officer, reporting directly to Javier Rosenberg, chief operating officer and executive vice-president, Americas.

During Rautio’s tenure as Carlson CEO, the launched the Radisson Red and Quorvus Collection hotel brands; sold the TGI Fridays brand; and acquired 100 per cent ownership of Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT).

Following Rautio’s retirement, Carlson will implement a new leadership structure. There will be dedicated chief executive officers two key business platforms: travel and hospitality. Incoming CEO Berg will have responsibility for leading and managing the global hotel business and also assumes responsibility for the Carlson corporate centre and its functions.

Trudy Rautio and David Berg.

2 0 | Canadian Lodging News

PEOPLE

Ken Gruber, chair, board of directors, Downtown Yonge BIA.

Cindy Simmons, Four Points

by Sheraton Toronto Airport.

Philip Mondor is the new president, CTHRC.

Dale Nichols is now executive chef of the Algonquin Resort and Spa in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB. Hotelier Robert Gagnon passed away on Feb. 25 in Sherbrooke, Que., after a long illness. He had been a “spark plug” and active owner of the highly regarded Auberge Hatley, in North Hatley, Que., that sadly burned down in 2006, and member of the Relais & Châteaux, symbol of excellence in the hospitality, hotel and restaurant industry.

Vince Ambrico, director, global sales Canada, Choice.

Heather Blackburn, regional sales, Atlantic, Choice Hotels.

The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto announced on March 10 that director of marketing Ken Gruber has been appointed chair, board of directors for the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Gruber will create a culture of continuous improvement for the Downtown Yonge BIA. The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto has been an active member for approximately 20 years.

Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport announced on Feb. 24 the appointment of Cindy Simmons as director of sales and marketing. She has been a corporate sales manager and director of sales and marketing for major hoteliers, including Deerhurst Resort & Conference Centre, Marriott and Hilton.

of service provided to franchisees, Choice Hotels Canada announced the promotion of Vince Ambrico to director, global sales Canada. As leader of this team, Ambrico will oversee the full

Robert Gagnon of Auberge Hatley has passed away. range of Choice Canada’s sales functions.

Following his promotion, one of Ambrico’s first tasks was to search for top industry talent as Choice expands its sales footprint.

Kevin Sinclair has joined Thompson Toronto’s kitchens.

These new additions to Choice’s sales team are: Brian Vaughan, global account manager; Heidi Fleming, global sales manager, West; and Heather Blackburn, regional sales manager, Atlantic Canada.

Thompson Toronto announced on Feb. 27 that chef Kevin Sinclair has joined its kitchen brigade. Sinclair spent time at the Hotel Plaza Athénée, in Paris, where he worked under world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, and at Fabbrica, in Toronto. Most recently, he served as executive chef of Marfraing Group, in Paris.

A sign travellers look up to.

CTHRC has promoted from within, after an extensive search and selection process, unanimously selecting Philip Mondor as the new president, replacing Wendy Swedlove who is retiring. He will assume his new role on March 16, 2015. Mondor joined the CTHRC in 1996, and has held the title of senior vice-president for fourteen years. During his time at the CTHRC, he has led a number of initiatives that have been instrumental in the council’s success.

Dale Nichols, has been appointed executive chef of the Algonquin Resort and Spa in St. Andrews, NB. Nichols previously was the executive chef at the New Castle managed Digby Pines Resort and Spa in Nova Scotia. Following a decade in Toronto, Nichols has led the food and beverage operations of the Delta Hotel Halifax and Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa in Ingonish, N.S. Following an internal reorganization to better align resources and elevate the level

Travelodge Weyburn

As one of Canada’s largest hotel franchisors, we can provide unmatched support and service for your hotel – driving room rates and increasing your bottom line.

Let’s talk about how Travelodge can help grow your business 1-800-646-2435

Follow us on

April 2015 | 2 1 TL-Canadian Lodging Ad 'A sign travellers...'-7.5 x 6-2.2015.indd 1

2/11/15 2:41 PM

BEFORE AND AFTER

Changes added $30/night to hotel rate

Lobby before.

Lobby after.

TOP 10 LIST Ten ways to save $$ by going green

Jeff White, Amy Mcmahon and Sarah Evans of The Westin Ottawa, with Lindsay Culbreath of STR receive the Green Key Meetings Award.

TORONTO — Jeff White, director of engineering at The Westin Ottawa, spoke at the recent Hotel Association of Canada conference on 10 ways to save money by going green. At the conference, his hotel received the HAC’s inaugural Green Key Meetings Award. Here is what he said:

Guestroom before.

By Colleen Isherwood LONDON, Ont. — Palm Holdings is a third-generation hotel company headed up by Anil, Anish and Rajan Taneja, that likes to purchase hotels, add value to them, and then sell.

The renovation and rebranding of the Travelodge London to a TownePlace Suites by Marriott is an example of how Palm operates. They bought the 125-room hotel from Royal Host in March 2014, and opened as a TownePlace this January.

By renovating, they retained some of the previous customers, but raised the

Utilize energy star ratings when replacing appliances: For example replacing 500 in-room fridges with energy star rated ones amounted to a 46 per cent decrease in energy consumption and $10,000 per year in savings.

2.

Install motion/daylight sensors throughout the hotel: They are pre-programmed and use infrared technology to detect body heat or a west-facing window flooded with light.

3.

Low-flow aerators on faucets, showerheads and toilets: This is important since water costs for 2015 are going up. At the Westin Ottawa, these measures reduced water costs by 30 per cent.

4.

Variable speed drive kitchen ventilation system: The payback for this is less than three years.

5.

Pre-set thermostats based on seasonal change: These can be state-of-the-art and tied into a hotel’s property management system. If the room is unoccupied, the temperature returns to the preset.

6.

Maintained and up-to-date BAS (billing automation system): Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) are your highest energy costs and a billing automation system can help lower costs.

7.

Install LED bulbs at the front and back of the house: The Westin Ottawa replaced 4,000 bulbs with ones that have a five-year life expectancy. The project has a 1.6-year payback.

8.

Instantaneous hot water system: This saves up to 50 per cent of water heating charges.

9.

Effective preventative maintenance program: If even a single piece of equipment is not properly maintained, this can lead to costly repairs.

Guestroom after. price per key from $70 to $100.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott London is close to White Oaks Mall and Tillsonburg Golf Course Trails. This hotel is within the vicinity of Parkwood Hospital and Labatt Brewery Tour.

While some of the renovations to the hotel were mandated by the TownePlace Suites brand, others were initiated by Palm Holdings.

“The modern lighting is our touch,” Anil Taneja told CLN. “There are local touches, including an artist’s map of Canada carved in wood.

“Anish saw it on a trip. He bought it and

then figured out what to do with it.”

In the “after” lobby photo, above, the map is just visible behind the blue chairs.

The feature wall in the lobby is the work of another local artist, while the staircase is the same one as before “with a little love added,” Taneja said.

The rooms are all to spec with optional upgrades, including the kitchenettes that are part of the TownePlace Suites brand requirements.

Taneja believes in spending the money on public areas, rather than the rooms. “If you customize the rooms, you can spend so much money on changes”, he said.

COMING EVENTS April 27-28, 2015: Resorts of Ontario Trade Show, Blue Mountain Resort Conference Centre, Blue Mountains, Ont. Contact: Michelle Duff. Tel.: 1-800-363-7227; Fax: 705325-7999. Email: Michelle@resortsofontario.com. Website: resortsofontariopreferredsuppliers.com.

May 4-5, 2015: Canadian Hotel Investment Conference 2015, Hilton Toronto Hotel. Contact: Orie Berlasso. Tel.: 866-887-4453. Email: Orieberlasso@bigpictureconferences. ca. Website: hotelinvest.ca.

May 5-6, 2015: GE Capital’s Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit, Hilton Toronto Hotel. Contact: Orie Berlasso. Tel.: 866-887-4453. Email: Orieberlasso@bigpictureconferences.ca. Website: restaurantinvest.ca.

May 20-21, 2015: TIANB Annual Conference, Fredericton, NB (venue TBA). Contact: Jean Bertin. Tel.: 506-4585646; Fax: 506-459-3634. Email: Jean@tianb.com. Website: tianb.com.

June 18, 2015: Choice Hotels Canada Charity Golf Tournament, Piper’s Heath Golf Course, Hornby, Ont. Proceeds go to the Aga Khan Foundation, Canadian Feed the Children and Sleeping Children Around the World.

2 2 | Canadian Lodging News

1.

Contact: Laura Armstrong. Tel.: 905-206-7346; Fax: 905642-7796. Email: Laura_armstrong@choicehotels.ca. (No website.)

Sept. 9-10, 2015: Canadian Resort Conference, Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver. Contact: Sharon Mattimoe. Tel. 321948-1319; Email: Sharon@perspectivegrp.com. Website: pespectivemagazine.com.

Oct. 18-19, 2015: CONNECT Food + Drink + Lodging.

Vancouver Convention Centre West. Contact: Nora Cumming. Tel.: 604-628-5655. Email: Nora@connectshow.com.

Website: connectshow.com.

Oct. 19-20, 2015: Western Canadian Hotel & Resort Investment Conference. Hyatt Regency Hotel Vancouver.

Contact: Orie Berlasso. Tel.: 866-887-4453. Email: Orieberlasso@bigpictureconferences.ca. Website: hotel-resortinvest. ca.

Oct. 20, 2015: MHA ‘15 Tradeshow, Manitoba Hotel Association. Victoria Inn Hotel, Winnipeg. Contact: Jerry Weir, show manager or Ryan Kirkness, sales manager. Tel.: 204942-0671 or 888-859-9976. Email: info@centrex.ca. Website: www.ManitobaHotelAssociation.ca/mha15.

10. Engaged “Green Team” and associates: In spite of the financial benefits, don’t make the mistake of tying programs into monetary savings. People are far more motivated by their belief that going green is the right thing to do. If they believe in the program, the rest will take care of itself.

CANADIANhotel INvestMeNtCoNfereNCe HOSTED BY

MAY 4+5, 2015

HILTON TORONTO HOTEL

ProGrAM hIGhlIGhts BIG CoUNtrY, BIG ChANGes, BIG DeAls

2015

B1 tertIArY tIMe

How much is really enough?

Review the current CAPEX study.

Learn about how smaller markets provide strong investment opportunities and significant returns that are appealing to lenders.

Jonathan Nehmer + Associates

In an ever-evolving Canadian hotel landscape, top industry leaders look at recent events and upcoming trends.

SPEAKERS

A1 IshC CAPeX sessIoN

A2 the PerfeCt fIt

SPONSORED BY

Time to Build or Reposition?

What are brands doing to stand out and be innovative?

Drew Coles, InnVest REIT Steve Giblin, SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts Lyle Hall, HLT Advisory Bill Stone, CBRE Hotels

Curtis Gallagher, Cushman & Wakefield Luke Scheer, CBRE Hotels Jeff Cury, Hilton Worldwide Joe Daly, Wyndham Hotel Group Scott Duff, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Stuart Laurie, Intercontinental Hotel Group Brian Leon, Choice Hotels Canada Manlio Marescotti, Marriott Hotels of Canada Scott Richer, Hyatt Hotels

the hIGh Cost of loW oIl This session is aimed at understanding oil’s weakness both from an economic and political perspective. What is the impact of the oil and gas industry on hotel operations and development moving forward?

A3 NAtIoNAl MArKet UPDAte

Himalaya Jain, ScotiaMcLeod Eric Watson, MasterBUILT Hotels Craig Shannon, Trimaven Capital Advisors

Brian Flood, CBRE Hotels Paul Murphy, D.P. Murphy Monique Rosszell, HVS

This leading panel walks us through the major markets and will explain why their jobs are tough in this low oil and interest rate environment.

Brian Stanford, PKF Consulting Akbar Manji, First Canadian Management Paresh Raja, Brock Hotels Jeff Hyslop, Pomeroy Lodging

B2 MoNeY tAlKs! Understand how lenders are evaluating deals and sort through which deals make the grade.

Jason Arbuck, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Abid Gilani, Wells Fargo Bank Mark Kay, CFO Group Edward Khediguian, GE Capital Marc-Aurèle Mailloux-Gagnon, BDC Robin McLuskie, Colliers International Hotels Chantal Nappert, InnVest REIT Michael Rapps, Clarke Inc.

B3 MY versIoN of CoNversIoN Case studies detailing re-positioning of hotel assets.

Doris Hager, Hager and Associates Sandeep Gupta, Sunray Group Anil Taneja, Palm Holdings Farhan Kassam, Sterling Hotels

A vIeW froM the toP

CANADIAN EXCLUSIVE

This panel provides us with their compelling insight into the state of the capital markets.

the leGeNDArY

BIll MArrIott INtervIeWeD BY hIs DAUGhter DeBBIe hArrIsoN

SPONSORED BY

Chuck Henry, Hotel Capital Advisers Rai Sahi, Morguard Jon Love, Kingsett Capital

PLATINUM SPONSOR

reGIster toDAY HOTELINVEST.CA reGIster toDAY

CONFIRMED SPONSORS TO DATE

SILVER

GOLD

BRONZE

Designlink INTERNATIONAL

BREAKFAST

AM BREAK

COFFEE

PARTNERS

STAYING AGILE IS CRITICAL. FORTUNATELY, OPENING MORE THAN 1,100 NEW* HOTELS HAS KEPT US IN SHAPE. In the past six years, Hilton Worldwide has opened more than 1,100 new hotels around the world, bringing us to more than 4,000 hotels in 90 countries today.* In Canada, we have 104 hotels open from coast to coast with a growing pipeline of over 40 signed projects. Impressive growth, made possible by our ability to adapt to the world’s increasingly complex business environments. As a result, we’ve developed a wealth of experience creating and operating the most award-winning portfolio of hotels in the industry. Not a bad workout for a 95-year-old.

For development opportunities in Canada, please contact Tom Lorenzo, Vice President and Managing Director of Development (+1-203-463-3407, thomas.lorenzo@hilton.com), and Jeff Cury, Director of Development (+1-514-695-6798, jeff.cury@hilton.com).

STAY AHEAD

hiltonworldwide.com

*From January 2008 to January 2015

© 2015 Hilton Worldwide