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LodgingNews January 2015 Vol. 11 No. 10
c a n a d a ’ s
l o d g i n g
b u s i n e s s
n e w s p a p e r
Vantage vows to expand in Canada
Expedia conference doubles in size
By Colleen Isherwood, editor
Left to right, Dara Khosrowshahi, president and CEO, Expedia; Laurens Leurink, president, Expedia Lodging Partner Services; Henrik Kjelberg, president, Hotwire; Guangfu Cui, CEO, eLong; Rob Greyber, president, Egencia; and Johan Svanstrom, president, Hotels.com.
Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152
By Colleen Isherwood, editor LAS VEGAS—Expedia welcomed 3,700 travel partners from around the world to its annual partner conference at Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas Dec. 1012—more than twice as many as last year. This year’s conference added more entertainment to the usual menu of trending technology, updates on Expedia affiliates and global statistics. Hotels.com “spokesperson” Captain Obvious was everywhere! He joined chief financial officer Mark Okerstrom (who hails from Vancouver) on stage. And six Expedia company presidents decked out in Captain Obvious gear answered questions from the audience at the Town Hall Session
that ended the formal part of the conference. Guangfu Cui, CEO of eLong, Expedia’s Chinese affiliate, added some humour too, while driving home his message that the U.S. needs three things to attract its share of Chinese travellers—visas, visas and more visas. The U.S. is currently attracting only 2 per cent of the enormous Chinese travel market. That share is projected to rise to 7.2 per cent by 2021—but that could happen in just three years if President Barack Obama fixed the visa situation. Cui told CLN that the situation is much better in Canada, adding that he personally likes travelling to Vancouver and Whistler, BC. Chinese travellers are among the highest per capita spenders, at $11,700
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per visitor. The best price point for hotels is $100-$200 per night. The Chinese like to travel during summer with their children, during the Chinese national holiday Oct. 1-7, Chinese New Year in January/February and for their Spring Festival just after that. Among their requirements are Chinese language (90 per cent of travellers); free WiFi (70 per cent); and a hot water kettle. Contrary to popular belief, only 30 per cent of Chinese travellers come in a group; 70 per cent come on their own. There are 200,000 Chinese grad students in the U.S., and another, little known market is the 10,000 Chinese who come to the U.S. to deliver babies, usually second children, as children born in the U.S. will be U.S. citizens. Continued on page 9
LAS VEGAS—Bill Hanley, group president, international development for Vantage Hospitality Group, told CLN in an exclusive interview at its recent conference, that the company will focus on development in the Prairie provinces and Atlantic Canada in the coming year. He added that Vantage’s Country Hearth brand could be a good fit for Canada. Much of Vantage’s 15th Annual Conference, held in Las Vegas Dec. 8-12, dealt with integrating the six brands they purchased earlier this year and sorting them in to “swim lanes” or “segments.” This past summer, Vantage entered into an agreement to acquire America’s Best Franchising, Inc.’s hotel brands – America’s Best Inns & Suites, Country Hearth Inns & Suites, Jameson Inn, Jameson Suites, Signature Inn, and 3 Palms Hotels & Resorts. Hanley said that the Country Hearth brand has been singled out as appropriate for Canada. Country Hearth is an upper economy/lower midscale brand with an extended stay component.
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From containers to completion
New Sioux Lookout hotel design suitable for construction in remote, high-cost locations.
CLN’s Annual Buyer’s Directory for hotels
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From towels to technology; bed bugs to bathroom amenities, this year’s buyers’ directory has your needs covered.
Continued on page 3
Aloft Calgary U’s fun factor
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Style at a steal and sassy decor created with a diverse clientele in mind. Bill Hanley
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.
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Days Inns - Canada 416.966.8387 daysinn@realstarhospitality.com A Division of Realstar Hospitality
2014-10-22 3:40 PM