Canadian Lodging News - February 2014

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LodgingNews February 2014 Vol. 11 No. 1

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Wya Point—a dream to rival Wickaninnish Lodge with house post at Wya Point.

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

UCLUELET, BC—It’s been a vision of the Ucluth community for 50 or 60 years, and now the vision is becoming a reality. The Ucluelet First Nation started in 2008 with a master plan for the 600-hectare property on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Ucluelet, on the other side of Long Beach from Tofino, which boasts the

renowned Wickaninnish Inn. “We have approximately 15 kilometres of coast, with five small pocket beaches, the longest one kilometre,” says Trevor Jones, CEO of the Ucluth Development Corporation since 2008. “This is unique to the area, which is not known for its beaches.

There’s nice white sand, cobbly sand

Maplewood brings Cambria to Canada NORTH PALM BEACH, FL; BEDFORD, NS—Pacrim plus Driftwood equals Maplewood, and that’s the joint venture chosen by Choice Hotels International to bring Cambria Suites hotels to Canada in an agreement signed late last month.

Pacrim, a Bedford, NS-based hotel company headed by Glenn Squires, and Driftwood Hospitality

and black sand beaches. We want to show, host and provide guests with an experience similar to Tofino,” he told CLN. Ucluth Development Corp. is responsible for creating economic development opportunities for the government of the Ucluelet First Nation, focusing on sustainable development Glenn Squires.

in their treaty settlement lands. The master plan set out objectives for development of the property: it must be community-focused, eco-friendly and promote First Nation culture .

Jones expects full build-out of the property to take 10 to 15 years. At this stage, the band is halfway through a five-phase program. The first phase cost $2.5 million, and included building a campsite and 15 yurts—domed canvas tents with comfortable beds, futons and gas fireplaces. The floors are tongue-and-groove made from local milled cedar. Each yurt has French doors and a veranda leading down to its own private beach. Rates for camping are $27-$60 per night, while yurts go for $125-$175 a night depending on the size, amenities and time of year.

There is a common bathhouse in “a beautiful, off-grid cedar building.”

Jones describes the surroundings as “1,000 to 1,200-year-old forest, similar to Cathedral Grove.”

This summer, they constructed four 650 to 2,000-square-foot post and beam lodges as part of Phase 2, which is expected to cost $3.8 million.

Another five lodges will be opening late this month.

The lodges are located in an ancient village site one kilometre from Continued on page 3

International investors attracted to Canada

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Harrison Hot Springs resort is just one example of overseas investors buying Canadian assets.

The changing face of hotel foodservice

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Are picnic baskets the new room service? How about graband-go markets or a social hour to boost revenue?

Carlos Rodriguez.

Management, LLC, based in North Palm Beach, FL and represented by Carlos Rodriguez, announced their partnership in mid-2013. Each group has around 40 hotels, with Pacrim’s assets mainly in Canada and Driftwood’s mostly in the U.S. Rodriguez had already established a relationship with Choice Hotels Continued on page 7

This is Extended Stay.

This is Studio 6.

New owner for Nova Scotia’s Quarterdeck

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Greg Whynot, who just bought The Quarterdeck,near Summerville, NS, is “überexcited” about the purchase.

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F E B R U A RY 2 014

Forage: Covers up, energy costs down VANCOUVER—Covers are up, energy costs are down and Forage restaurant executive chef Chris Whittaker has a lot to smile about.

A little over a year ago, Forage restaurant opened on Robson Street in the Listel Hotel space formerly occupied by O’Doul’s restaurant. The space was gutted, renovated and rebuilt, keeping energy efficiency in mind.

The project was a key element of The Next Course Project with BC Hydro and LiveSmart BC. Using the baseline established from kitchen metering at O’Doul’s, Forage has achieved energy savings of 30 per cent in natural gas and 18 per cent in hydro, for an average of 24 per cent over its first full year of operations.

In dollars and cents, that’s more than $4,300 in gas (about 600 gigajoules) and $4,000 (66,000 kWh) in electricity costs saved using ENERGY STAR rated gas and electric cooking equipment and refrigeration.

Or to look at it another way, the energy cost per meal served at Forage is only 45 cents, down from over 60 cents previously.

Those efficiency numbers improve further with the healthy bump in covers, with 12,000 additional meal occasions served at Forage last year versus O’Doul’s in the year prior.

And when you factor in the additional catering and banquet business drawn to the ‘long-on local’ menu created by chef Whittaker, the full value of the Listel’s investment in sustainable operations is measurably clear for both the short-term and the long run.

Built-in savings Changes made during the renovations contributed to the savings. Some existing kitchen equipment was replaced with more energy-efficient models and other equipment was set up to work more efficiently.

An on-demand exhaust system has made a difference in savings. The exhaust hood is typically the largest energy user in a restaurant kitchen and most restaurants operate their exhaust at full speed all day long. A variable-speed

Visits up in Calgary and Windsor

Forage executive chef Chris Whittaker (right) and Listel Hotel general manager Jim Mockford show off their energy management award from BC Hydro.

This ‘smart sizing’ and serving strategy has not only been popular with diners, but has produced a sizable reduction of 80 per cent in food scraped from plates into the organics bins, as compared to the previous conventional menu at O’Doul’s, which featured many of same high-quality local ingredients. o Zero thirst—the ‘unbottled’ and ‘bottomless’ filtered and carbonated water program on tap at Forage has pulled more than 2,500 one-litre bottles from recycling, and saved a truckload of transportation impacts on the environment. o Iron and wood—by using reusable boards and cast-iron pans to serve its creations, Forage has also reduced by 30 per cent the amount of chipped and broken china (which is not readily recyclable) going to landfill.

Continued from page 1

Tyson Touchie, Ucluelet First Nation, manager of economic development

BR I E FS

LOS ANGELES—New research from hibu, a leading provider of digital marketing services to small and medium businesses, has found that the hospitality industry comes top in a ranking of 10 business sectors for providing mobile friendly websites. The hotel and B&B industry led with 63 per cent of websites being mobile-friendly, while the restaurant industry took second position with 52 per cent of their websites being mobile-friendly.

Operational changes Whittaker’s goal, shared by The Next Course Project, is the energy efficient production of deliciously local meals. As a result, 80 per cent of the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced in British Columbia and the rest come from other parts of the Pacific Northwest and Alberta.

To make the most of local produce, the kitchen staff preserve foods when they’re in season, freezing berries for jams and chutneys, and making pickles and other preserves.

Whittaker says with Forage, the menu can change on the fly depending on what is locally available. “We can respond quickly if nettles or wild watercress come into season, because the customers don’t have an expectation of having the same meal every time,” he says.

Some strategic operational decisions and their benefits include: o Zero waste—though a certified ‘zero-waste’ program (i.e. comprehensive composting and recycling) supports both Forage and its home at the Listel Hotel, one of the other strategic goals of Forage’s ‘made to share’ menu concept was to prevent food waste.

NE W S

Hotels most mobile-friendly

motor can cut fan energy by 50 per cent and heating and cooling energy by 25 per cent. Forage’s new system automatically powers down when the kitchen is not cooking intensively.

The restaurant’s gas-fired griddles were replaced with electric induction griddles that have impressed the staff with their consistency and versatility. And there are new fryers that offer more than energy savings. The oil lasts longer because these fryers don’t burn oil as quickly, so Forage is saving oil as well as energy.

Stand-up fridges, which each had an independent compressor, were replaced with a second walk-in cooler. Now, there’s just one highefficiency compressor located in the parking lot.

It uses less energy and water, and does not create unwanted heat in the kitchen.

Staff used to store dairy and juice in a cooler on a lower floor, so the new configuration has reduced trips in the elevator.

Wya Point Lodge one kilometre from Ucluth Beach. Every lodge has its own house post (similar to a totem pole) carved by Clifford George, a local, traditionally trained wood carver.

In a special deal that runs until April, rates for a one-bedroom lodge that sleeps four are $175 per night, and two bedroom units go for $275 per night—about half the cost of regular rates.

Foodservice currently consists of the Kwisitis Feast House located on the beach, with expansive

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views of Long Beach.

The Feast House offers food with a First Nation flair, including seasonal items, seafood, deerburgers and elk. They cater for special events, and bring meals down to the lodges between midTrevor Jones, CEO, Ucluth March and the end of Development Corporation.

December. The restaurant opened under its current management last summer. Chef Ken see the same architecture and cultural lines,” he Furey was hired to work with sous chefs from noted. the community and develop their culinary skills.

Phase 4 is a restaurant and spa with a projected cost of $5 million, and the final phase would be a conference centre to accommodate Next steps Next comes the most ambitious and costly 600-700 people at an estimated cost of $8 milpart of the plan; Phase 3 calls for a 70-room ho- lion.

“It’s more than just economic d e v e l tel with an estimated cost of $12 million.

“It will be a boutique hotel that will com- opment,” said Jones. “It gives us pete with Wickaninnish Inn,” said Jones. “I think pride at our membership level— there’s room in the marketplace for another five- a feeling of accomplishment. It’s plus-star hotel that will rival anything on the been just a pipe dream for many years. In 2010, coast, with two private beaches.”

Jones added that they would like to start con- we became self-governstruction in 2014 and are talking to a couple of ing—it’s all been different investment groups. “We would like to really positive.”

TORONTO—Which Canadian cities had the biggest increase in visits from international travellers? The answer, according to a survey by hotels.com, is surprising—Calgary and Windsor.

After a catastrophic summer due to province-wide flooding, Calgary launched a tourism campaign to let travellers know the doors were open, and according to the survey (up two spots to number five), it worked.

Windsor went up three spots to number 14.

Although there was a surge in travellers to Calgary, nearby Canmore fell to number 17 after the floods. The city continues to work on reconstruction and strategies to address future floods.

The top three Canadian cities for international visitors remain unchanged for the fourth year in a row: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Hotels get on board with Google 360-degree feature NEW YORK—Google is expanding its hotel business, with two hotel groups getting on board with its Street View-like feature to showcase hotel interiors.

A series of panoramic photos are stitched together to create a 360-degree experience.

Best Western is rolling out photos of its 2,200 North American properties with the goal of having them all online by the end of this year.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is also working to get photos online of its Country Inn and Suites and Radisson hotels in Canada and the U.S. A Google Maps feature, which offers consumers the opportunity to virtually walk into hotels and get a 360-degree tour, targeted the service to hotels and restaurants starting in 2012. Provence Hotels in Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA were some of the first to test out the service.

Carlson is also testing out a Google Maps feature that will allow guests to navigate a floor plan of the hotel.

Free iPads to meeting planners RICHMOND, BC—Marriott Hotels is offering a free iPad Mini to meeting planners as part of an incentive program.

The iPads will be handed out to planners who book 75 cumulative rooms or more at participating hotels during select dates until April 30.

In part, the incentive program aims to connect planners to the recently launched Marriott Meeting Services App, designed to help planners through the entire planning process. Services through the app include requests for more coffee, thermostat changes, and A/V assistance. The requests are dealt with in real time by hotel staff.

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LodgingNews www.canadianlodgingnews.com Editor Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 cisherwood@canadianlodgingnews.com Senior Contributing Editor Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com Contributing Editors Marni Andrews marni@trolltales.com Don Douloff ext. 232 ddouloff@canadianrestaurantnews.com Larry Mogelonsky larry@lma.ca Kristen Smith ext. 238 ksmith@canadianlodgingnews.com Jonathan Zettel ext. 226 jzettel@canadianlodgingnews.com Senior Account Manager Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 dmcgilvray@canadianlodgingnews.com Account Manager Kim Kerr ext. 229 kkerr@canadianlodgingnews.com Production Stephanie Giammarco sgiammarco@canadianlodgingnews.com Circulation Manager Don Trimm ext. 228 dtrimm@canadianrestaurantnews.com Controller Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 tammy@canadianlodgingnews.com How to reach us: Tel (905) 206-0150

Com m e n t

By Alison Peever Chemistry Consulting Group, Victoria

Reduced options for TFWs In early November 2013, the federal government announced changes to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) of immigration – one of the only immigration classes applicable to hospitality workers wishing to make Canada their permanent home.

In addition to announcing caps for the numbers of applications it would accept through this program, the government also restricted the occupations eligible for the CEC. Under the new program, cooks and foodservice supervisors are now no longer eligible to participate in the CEC. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has received a disproportionate number of applications from these two occupation categories (along with administrative officers, administrative assistants, accounting technicians and bookkeepers, and retail sales supervisors), so in order to ensure more equal distribution among occupations, they decided to make these six occupations ineligible.

Further, a cap of 200 applications has been placed on all “B” class occupations, which include technical, administrative and skilled trades occupations.

These changes effectively remove any opportunities for cooks and foodservice supervisors, here in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Insight into these changes was provided by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA).

It appears that the government was concerned that individuals were leaving the restaurant industry as soon as they gained permanent residency status and that the large number of applications in these two occupation categories suggested that they were being used in a fraudulent manner.

It is difficult to understand the government’s decision-making regarding its immigration policies.

On one hand, they continue to reinforce the

mandate that Canadians have priority access to available job opportunities and that hiring foreign workers can only happen in situations of extreme and temporary labour shortages. On the other hand, research continues to confirm that labour shortages already exist, and are only going to worsen, in many sectors of the economy and regions of the country.

For now, in terms of meeting employer needs in the hospitality industry, the recently expanded provincial programs – the PNP in BC, and AINP in Alberta – are still available and continue to accept applications for the two discontinued NOC categories.

Unfortunately, these provincial programs involve a longer and more difficult application process and many workers find that they are unable to meet the more rigorous criteria.

Finally, the CRFA was also advised by government that changes to the TFW are not complete, with “further rounds of changes to come.”

We will keep you posted.

spot lig h t

By Larry Mogelonsky, P.Eng. www.lma.ca Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianlodgingnews.com

Volume 11 No. 1 Canadian Lodging News is published 10 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd. which also publishes Atlantic Restaurant News, Ontario Restaurant News Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News, and Canadian Chains Directory and Canadian Lodging News Buyers’ Directory Address: 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201 Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Tel: (905) 206-0150 Fax: (905) 206-9972 In Canada (800) 201-8596 Subscriptions: Canada & USA: 1 year $39.57, 2 years $63.43 (PLUS APPLICABLE TAX) Single copy: $5.00 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jason Cheskes, Above The Line Solutions Vito Curalli, Hilton Worldwide Justin Friesen, Western Financial Group Philippe Gadbois, Atlific Hotels & Resorts Mark Hope, Coast Hotels & Resorts Elizabeth Hueston, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc. Dave Kaiser, Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association Brian Leon, Choice Hotels Canada Inc. Chris Lund, Deerhurst Resort Brian Stanford, PKF Dr. David Martin, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality Christine Pella, Serta Mattress Company Tony Pollard, Hotel Association of Canada Sarah Segal, Informa Canada Andrew Chlebus, LG Electronics Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1710-145X GST number R102533890

Checking in with Charles McKee at Delta What’s the latest with Delta Hotels and Resorts? With the recent Four Seasons and Fairmont IPO dominating much of the media buzz, it may seem as though Delta is flying under the radar. But there’s a lot happening Charles McKee as this hotel chain is wholly underway in a dynamic company wide rebranding. To shed some light on this, I interviewed Charles McKee, Delta’s VP of marketing.

Q: Can you give readers a quick update on the current status of the Delta chain?

A: It’s a big time of growth for Delta Hotels and Resorts. Armed with a new strategic roadmap, we are transforming the brand into being Canada’s leading hospitality player. Our guests see this at the property level as we enter new markets like Kingston, Waterloo, Prince George and Thunder Bay, while also exiting properties like the Delta Chelsea and Delta Centre-Ville as well as massive renovation projects. Behind the scenes there is a lot of work on new brand positioning, new technologies, new advertising campaigns and new loyalty propositions—all to emerge over the next few months.

The biggest symbol of this change is the majestic 46-storey Delta Toronto that is being built in the dynamic new South Core neighbourhood, ringed by Union Station, CN Tower, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the arenas (Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre) and the new Ripley’s Aquarium. The SoCo neighbourhood (as we’re calling it) is a great metaphor for the growth and energy of Delta’s brand transformation.

Q: You’ve been brought in as the VP of marketing, yet you’re an airline guy and a tourism

guy. Do you see your lack of hotel experience as a roadblock or an opportunity?

A: It’s pure opportunity! Aside from loosely sharing an industry that is dogged by the same constraints, whether it’s airline, destination or hospitality marketing, many of the issues of the day are universal. What do I sell, who do I sell to, how can I get folks to talk about my brand —the path to purchase is consistent across these sectors. While I am constantly learning and take nothing for granted, it has been rewarding to carry perspectives gained in one sector to another.

Q: Delta recently said goodbye to the flagship Delta Chelsea in Toronto, and the replacement downtown property has a grand opening scheduled for 2014. How is Delta coping with no property in Toronto for a period of 12 to 18 months?

A: The Greater Toronto Area is indeed a critical market for Delta. We currently have four hotel properties in the GTA and we can’t wait to complement our presence with a downtown flagship property. Toronto has seen so many luxury condo and hotel combinations built in the last decade. What we bring to the mix is the first four-star hotel in two decades built exclusively as a hotel property. It will be our flagship brand standard. Our team at Delta is already working hard to entice travellers from around the world to stay, play and meet in Toronto.

Q: Some of Delta’s properties are older and may be in need of upgrades. How are you setting compliance standards so that guests are not confused?

A: As part of the brand transformation, all guest touch points are being redefined—what they see, what they eat, how we speak. Consistency with a nod to sense of place is key to doing this. Every property will be touched by a multitude of changes that are defining the new Delta.

The transition is iterative and won’t be visible overnight but it will be complete at journey’s end.

Q: What are Delta’s plans for the implementation of the new ModeRoom across the chain?

A: We are driving huge customer acceptance, RevPAR penetration gains and brand advocacy from our new ModeRoom. The success is based, I think, on the design approach, which set out to adapt the room to the needs of modern travellers instead of the other way around. Simple things like plenty of well-placed electrical outlets, exposed coat hooks in entryways for cold weather gear and an ergonomic desk layout to facilitate handheld device hook-ups to the TV. Thousands of rooms have been upgraded to ModeRoom standard and more are on the way.

Q: What are your expansion plans for the U.S. and other regions?

A: Our journey is far from over. Delta has become a household name in Canada through strategic growth and satisfying our loyal guests.

Right now we are very focused on leading our transformation in Canada. We are extremely close to accomplishing that goal. At that time, it will be appropriate for us to look at ways we can grow and expand beyond Canada.

Q: If you had to look at the Delta of today and look at the Delta of three years from now, what would be different?

A: Growth will continue to be a common theme. We intend to grow in every way possible —from new properties to new markets to new guests. What will remain consistent is our commitment to delivering the best hotel experience for our guests. We will continue to put our passion for guest experience to work by being the perfect Canadian host from coast to coast!

Larry Mogelonsky (larry@lma.ca) is the president and founder of LMA Communications Inc.

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Auberge des Gallant rises from the ashes in Quebec STE-MARTHE, QC—When much of the Auberge des Gallant was destroyed in a fire nearly two years ago, the owners were faced with whether to rebuild.

Not only did they rebuild; the Gallants upgraded and expanded.

The Gallant restaurant opened in 1972, after Gerry Gallant bought 400 acres in a maple and cedar forest near the Quebec/Ontario border. The hotel was built in 1988, followed by the Sugar Shack in 2000 and the spa six years later.

Situated between Montreal and Ottawa on Riguad Mountain, Auberge des Gallant is located in a wildlife sanctuary with more than 25 kilometres of trails.

With 40 on staff, co-owner Linda Gallant allocated portions of her hotel team to work security keeping people out of the fire-ravaged areas, clean up smoke and water damage and perform some wedding duties.

The restaurant business was temporarily transferred to the on-property Sugar Shack, a log building which offers a maple menu during the spring and brunch year-round.

No one was hurt in the fire, but the inn’s 24 rooms were lost and the recently renovated 150-seat, two-room fine dining restaurant had to be redone.

Gallant said the fire was caused by a cigarette in a pillar ashtray, which someone moved too close to a cedar wall outside. She said it was likely the top came off when it was shuffled— allowing in oxygen—and there was

probably some garbage inside, which ignited.

“When we noticed there was a fire, the flames were actually coming out of the roof,” said Gallant. “We knew it was a goner.”

The April 2012 fire occurred at the start of the wedding season. “We had quite a few panicked brides and grooms,” said Gallant, noting the inn didn’t cancel any weddings and one was held four days later; Gallant said they bused people to other hotels and were able to maintain wedding business throughout the renovation.

“The one good thing about the fire was we didn’t have to question ourselves on whether we were going to rebuild. We were planning on expanding for an opening in 2014,” said Gallant.

In the late ‘80s, easy access was in higher demand than extraordinary views and the original rooms faced the parking lot. Now, they are in a separate wing with a better view.

Half the new rooms were being rented in January 2014, and the 42 rooms were all slated to open by the end of the month.

The Gallant family turned the portion that burned down into a large banquet room, which is beside the kitchen, and accommodates 250 people. The Phoenix Hall was unveiled in October. “It rose from the ashes,” explained Gallant.

According to the Family Business Institute, the majority of current family business owners believe the same

From left: Executive chef Neil Gallant, Sugar Shack manager Steven Gallant, Linda and Gerry Gallant and Michael Gallant.

family or families will control their business in five years, but succession statistics indicate that about 30 per cent of family and businesses survive into the second generation, 12 per cent are still viable into the third generation, and only about three per cent of all family businesses operate into the fourth generation or beyond.

Gallant noted that many independent hotels are up for sale; it seems the next generation isn’t interested in taking the torch because of the sacri-

fices they saw their parents make. The three Gallant sons, Neil, Steven, and Michael, work within the company.

“When my son [Neil] came home from school to announce to us that he was going to the hotel institute for cooking lessons, he could have told us that he wanted to be a doctor and he had been accepted at Harvard. I don’t think we would have been any happier,” said Gallant. “It was the best day of our lives, because we did not expect it.”

Westin Whistler eatery rebranding pays off

Tony Cary-Barnard (left) and Brad Cumming

WHISTLER, BC—Westin Resort & Spa in Whistler, BC, is home to a newly renovated and rebranded eatery, Grill & Vine, whose $600,000 refurbishment cost paid immediate dividends. The renovated restaurant opened Nov. 29.

“We wanted to increase our inhouse and external capture,” Westin Whistler general manager Tony Cary-Barnard told CLN, adding Grill & Vine aims to attract hotel guests, the local Whistler population and guests at other hotels in the village, in order to grow overall revenue.

Since the late-November launch, “cover growth in December yearover-year was, overall, 60 per cent

(including breakfast, après ski, dinner and the Grab & Go area offering Starbucks espresso-based beverages, sandwiches, salads and fresh fruit) and dinner covers grew by 80 per cent,” according to Cary-Barnard. He added that internal and external capture, for the month, grew by 25 per cent, and capture with families also increased. Average food check at dinner, for December, was $34 per person, he said.

In addition to increasing revenue, the Starwood/Whistler team wanted the new restaurant to complement Westin’s lifestyle branding.

“We didn’t want just another hotel restaurant—we wanted something

unique,” said Cary-Barnard.

The restaurant had operated under the previous brand of Aubergine Grill since the hotel’s launch in 2000.

The team looked to the Grill & Vine at the Westin San Francisco Airport in California, which opened in 2012, for inspiration. Components of the San Francisco restaurant incorporated into the Whistler eatery include a design that updates the classic grill: varied seating options, including communal tables; a farm-to-table menu highlighted by grilled items and small, shared plates; and a wine program featuring bythe-glass vintages dispensed from an Enomatic system, augmented by flights and tastings.

For Whistler, the team sought to “take the Grill & Vine concept to the next level,” Cary-Barnard said.

To that end, they added several new features: a stone pizza oven turning out Neapolitan-style pies; an open kitchen along the back wall and Grab & Go, which also offers the full Grill & Vine menu for takeout, said CaryBarnard.

Pizza is important to attract families (a key demographic at the Whistler property), said Cary-Barnard.

Overseeing the kitchen is Vancouver-born executive chef Brad Cum-

ming, who favours putting a modern, local spin on traditional dishes, Cary-Barnard added. Wherever possible, food is sourced from local suppliers.

Menu items include a margherita pizza, wild boar lasagna with smoked mozzarella and Lois Lake steelhead salmon with pickled shallots.

As a complement to the food, there’s a 100-label wine list, half of which includes Canadian labels. The Enomatic system—which preserves wine for up to 30 days via inert gas— dispenses 16 vintages by the glass.

Eight draft and 12 bottled beers, along with 24 cocktails, round out the drink menu.

The Grill & Vine team worked with Vancouver’s B+H CHIL Design to create an open, 3,300-square-foot, 105-seat space. Design elements include white oak accents, stone pillars and dark slate tiles.

Looking ahead, Cary-Barnard said Westin parent company Starwood Hotels and Resorts, is exploring additional options and more Grill & Vine locations are “in the works,” but none have been finalized.

From beginning to launch, the Westin Whistler Grill & Vine rebranding was a two-year process that involved the Starwood team, the hotel’s food and beverage manager, Jeff O’Brien, executive chef Cumming and CaryBarnard, who joined the property just over two and a half years ago.

When Steven decided to study banquet and service, she was “over the moon.” The couple had always believed that inheritance of the business would have to come with a diploma.

The renovation cost about $7.5 million—the inn shareholders investing $3.5 million with the remainder financed by government and credit union—and Gallant noted that putting everything back into the business and starting over again required faith her boys would carry on the business.

Wyndham to franchise HoJo in Canada PARSIPPANY, NJ—Howard Johnson hotels in Canada will now be franchised by Wyndham Hotel Group rather than Full House Franchise Systems Limited.

“We greatly value our partnership with hotel owners and franchisees and always strive to be the hotel company to be with and stay with,” said Christine Da Silva, vice president, marketing communications, Wyndham Hotel Group.

“At the start of the year, we assumed the role of franchisor for all Howard Johnson franchisees in Canada. However, the master license agreement with Knights Inn Canada Franchise Systems Limited for the Knights Inn brand in Canada remains in effect.”

“Full House will continue to grow and service the Knights Inn system across Canada,” president and CEO Glen Blake told CLN. “We’ve launched an aggressive program that will see immediate expansion in Alberta and Ontario. We feel that there is a great opportunity to achieve 40 Knights Inn franchised locations by end of 2014.

“We’re also expanding Preferred Alliance Group, our procurement company. We’re working closely with our vendors and suppliers as we introduce our PAG program to new markets outside of the hospitality umbrella,” Blake said.

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

International investors expand Canadian hotel footprint r e al

WESTIN PORTFOLIO (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa)

estat e

By Luke Scheer CBRE Toronto International investors continue to leave their expanding footprint on the Canadian hotel market. In 2013, not only did the volume of trades increase for this buyer group, they also completed some of the most substantial or “game-changing” trades across the nation.

These transactions included the $765 million Canadian Westin Hotel portfolio (with hotels located in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton) which sold to U.S.-based Starwood Capital Group in September; the 711-room Delta Centreville in Montreal, purchased

by European-based Beaumont Partners and U.S.-based Campus Crest Communities in June for $51.25 million; and the 337-room Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa in Harrison Hot Springs, BC, which sold in April to China-based G&Q International Trading Group Ltd. for $32.3 million.

It is important to note that since the Westin portfolio represented approximately 40 per cent of total transaction volume in 2013, it had a meaningful impact on trending.

With this portfolio included, nonCanadian buyers accounted for 55 per cent of total transaction volume for the year, compared to just six per cent in 2012.

When the Westin portfolio is excluded, foreign buyers represent 14 per cent of total transaction volume, which is still a significant increase year over year.

Momentum in 2014 International interest in Canada’s hotel space is expected to gain momentum in 2014 for a myriad of reasons that have extended beyond Canada’s currency value to that of

the U.S. dollar and perception [of Canada] as a cost effective place to allocate resources.

Investors are turning attention to the country’s strong economic fundamentals and “safe” investment reputation across the globe.

Although higher returns may be available in other, higher-risk markets, Canada continues to be viewed as a place where stable returns can be achieved, growth is anticipated and there are sound opportunities for brand expansion, locational diversification and mitigation of geographical risk.

International investors now view many Canadian markets as key targets in their long term growth strategies and consequently, willing to pay market pricing to be here.

‘Hockey markets’ favoured From a target market standpoint, foreign investors will continue to gravitate towards the “hockey markets,” particularly Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver as these are internationally the most visible and most understood markets in the country given their size and economic profile.

Tertiary markets in BC However, with a limited number of acquisition opportunities in major urban centres, tertiary markets, particularly in British Columbia, will continue to be of strong interest for foreign investment, specifically Asian-based groups.

This was evident in 2013 by the previously mentioned Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa transaction, as well as the Comfort Inn Richmond and Brentwood Bay Resort trades which were also purchased by

Rooms: 2,925

Asian investors.

Future of this buying segment Although there are many reasons to remain optimistic regarding the future of foreign investment in the Canadian hotel market, there are, of course, many questions to reflect upon when considering the future of this buyer segment.

Availability of domestic financing—Is there enough of an appetite from domestic lenders to work with groups without a proven track-record in Canada?

Rising interest rates—How much of the existing foreign investment momentum and interest can be attributed to our low interest rate environment?

Repatriation of funds—Can foreign investors forecast and execute exit strategies with relative ease?

The door remains open for international investment in Canadian hotels. Although the mechanics for completing transactions are generally more complex for foreign groups, especially when it’s their first foray into the country, the trailblazing efforts we’ve seen over the last 12 months from non-domestic groups will no doubt swing the door open a little wider allowing for a more diverse buyer pool moving forward.

Luke Scheer is director of hotels, Eastern Canada for CBRE. He joined CBRE in 2011 as a consultant to the hotel brokerage and advisory teams.

He comes from Delta Hotels & Resorts where he was director of development.

Scheer has also worked for Legacy Hotels REIT, InnVest REIT, Coast Hotels & Resorts and PKF Consulting. Contact: luke.scheer@cbre.com.

Purchase Price: $765M $/room: $262,000 Seller:

PSP Investments

Buyer:

Starwood Capital Group

DELTA CENTREVILLE (Montreal, QC) Rooms: 711 Purchase Price: $51.25M $/room: $72,000 Seller: Buyer:

InnVest REIT Beaumont Partners and Campus Crest

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS RESORT & SPA (Harrison Hot Springs, BC) Rooms: 337 Purchase Price: $32.3M $/room: $96,000 Seller:

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts

Buyer:

G&Q International Trading Group Ltd.

Hilton opens four DoubleTrees, four Hamptons in 2013 TORONTO—Hilton Hotels Canada could top 100 Canadian hotels in 2014, says Vito Curalli, executive director, Canada, Latin America & International.

New hotels since January 2013 include DoubleTrees in Regina, Gatineau-Ottawa, Toronto and Kamloops, and Hampton Inns by Hilton in Chilliwack, BC, at Calgary Airport North and at Winnipeg Airport.

One of the latest openings is the 129-room Hampton Inn & Suites

by Hilton St. John’s Airport, located at 411 Stavanger Dr. It is the first Hampton property in St. John’s.

The hotel is owned and operated by Manga Hotels, an Ontariobased private company that acquires, builds and manages properties in Canada and the U.S. Owner Sukhdev Toor notes that he is excited to bring a Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton to St. John’s

and says, “this brings an estimated 50 new jobs to the St. John’s area so we are glad to add that to the local economy.”

Hilton’s current tally is 91 hotels in Canada. Hampton is the largest Hilton brand with 39 hotels. Hilton also has 10 Homewoods, 21 Hilton Garden Inns, 14 Hiltons, two Embassy Suites and five DoubleTree by Hilton hotels.

DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Downtown opens DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto, formerly The Metropolitan, is now open following a multi-million dollar renovation.

At present, 60 per cent of the hotel’s guest rooms have been refreshed, with further upgrades underway to guestrooms, suites, lobby and meeting space. Renovations will

continue this spring, and include modern updates across the landmark 26-storey, 486-room property.

The transformation is being led by the hotel’s new ownership and management company, Bayview Hospitality Group.

DoubleTree by Hilton has opened four new hotels in Canada in just three months, John Greenleaf, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, pointed out. “With its central location and upscale offerings, this hotel is ideally-suited to accommodate both business and leisure guests in Toronto.”

Long recognized as an iconic property for business and leisure travellers, the hotel has 13,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities and 18 flexible meeting rooms, including a 3,484 square-foot ballroom.

Hemisphere’s Restaurant Bistro, the CAA Four Diamond rated

on premise restaurant, is debuting a refreshed food and beverage concept led by 30-year culinary veteran, chef Raymond Cheung. Menu offerings will include a range of gourmet meat and seafood such as seafood linguine with smoked coral sauce, cider glazed Atlantic salmon, smoked paprika marinated steak salad and

garlic and thyme brined chicken.

“We are excited to open our doors and welcome guests to DoubleTree

by Hilton Toronto Downtown, and are thrilled to become part of this globally-recognized and respected brand,” said Umesh Srivastava, general manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Downtown.

King guestroom at DoubleTree Toronto Downtown.

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Cambria Suites—a new brand for Canada

Hilton tackles “Vacationitis”

Continued from page 1

International and the Cambria brand, Squires explained.

“We have been working diligently for most of 2013 to put a number of deals together,” he told CLN. “This is the first of a couple more announcements.”

Both Squires and Rodriguez noted that while they will do some projects together under the Maplewood banner, each company will also pursue projects independently.

For example, Driftwood is working with the Millbrook First Nation in Truro, NS to develop their first Canadian hotel (see page 14 for details).

Squires noted that the deal with Driftwood gives him access to their platform—he doesn’t want to develop one hotel at a time. And Rodriguez said that Pacrim gives him access to the Canadian market.

“Plus we’ve known each other a long time,” said Squires.

Rodriguez said the 50/50 Maplewood joint venture “takes advantage of their strengths and our strengths.

We each have a portfolio of about 40 hotels across all brands, we’re well-known and teaming up makes a lot of sense when going into a new country like Canada.”

Lifestyle brand plus first in Canada for the brand Squires said he was attracted to Cambria because it is a lifestyle brand with no Canadian counterpart. “If we are first in, we get to create a standard for the brand in Canada,” he added. “We did that years ago for Super 8s. People would ask why we were doing Super 8s, but we could build them from scratch to a Canada Select 3.5-star rating—that completely changed investors’ views of Super 8.

“With Cambria, we will be top rate right out the gate.” In a cluttered playing field, the potential for Cambria Suites is wide open.

Asked about the potential for the brand in Canada, Squires anticipates 25 in the next five to seven years.

Cambria Suites is a new-build brand, though Squires can foresee a rare exception for adaptive reuse of an apartment building into a downtown property. “We’re certainly not thinking of conversions.”

High quality yet affordable Rodriguez told CLN Cambria Suites is a good product, very high quality, good value for the money and a good size. “It is easy to operate and filled with the types of services customers visiting Canada would want—a bar, nice amenities, and the rooms are beautiful.”

Depending on the season and location, rooms at a Cambria Suites would go for $100 to $150, he added.

“Choice Hotels is excited to share the Cambria Suites experience with Canadian travellers– both for business and pleasure,” said Michael Murphy, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels International. “The unique blend of style, smart design and sophisticated technology that represent the Cambria Suites experience is sure to resonate well within this market.

“The brand continues tremendous growth in top-tier markets including New York City, Washington DC and Miami—and Canada is another ideal location. Our preliminary focus is Eastern Canada, where we have initial plans for five Cambria Suites properties.”

CaMBria SUiteS Brand featUreS Description: Modern design and sophisticated, upscale amenities, Lifestyle segment. Cambria Suites delivers one of the best designed hotel prototypes in its segment, says the Choice International website.

Avantages for developers: Economical development cost and efficient operational model. As a 100 per cent new construction, all-suites hotel brand, Cambria Suites is suited for urban, airport, and mixed-use markets.

Competitive set: Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn. More information: franchise_sales@choicehotels.com More photos: Go to www.canadianlodgingnews.com.

Rob Palleschi

MCLEAN, VA—Hilton Hotels & Resorts has identified an epidemic among its employees and potential guests, and is taking steps to treat the problem.

The disease is “Vacationitis,” which Hilton defines as “an epidemic creating high levels of stress and claiming countless hours of unused vacation time as it spreads among employees who have not taken enough time off.”

Vacationitis has a number of symptoms. Some sufferers have acute retinal monitoritis—caused by staring at a computer screen to long. Others have commuteritis, due to excessive time spent travelling to and from work.

Severe cases have interpersonal drone disorder—they make it through the day in a zombie-like manner.

The cure? Hilton is encouraging working professionals everywhere to use their hard-earned vacation days and enjoy leisure time with friends and family.

Use it or lose it Hilton Hotels & Resorts launched Vacationitis in January 2013. The most recent activation was “International Use It or Lose It Week,” Nov. 18-22, 2013, which encouraged people to use up their vacation days.

“Visitors to the Hilton Urgent Vacation Care Center (http://www.vacationcarecenter.hilton.com/) will find a short quiz that will diagnose vacation needs and provide customized prescriptions urging people to take breaks, weekend getaways and longer vacations,” Rob Palleschi, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts told CLN. “Needs are matched with leisure recommendations across the globe for working professionals to get away.

Working professionals are advised to seek aid immediately if they show signs of 14 distinct symptoms of Vacationitis, including ‘Straight to Voicemailaria,’ a chronic avoidance of client calls, or ‘Replyallgia,’ the result of a flood of ‘reply all’ e-mails.”

Hilton Hotels & Resorts along with its agency partner Murphy O’Brien developed the “Vacation Diagnostic Test.”

Humorous illustrations developed

by Onion Labs, the in-house creative team of The Onion, run alongside each symptom on the Hilton Urgent Vacation Care Center website and can be shared on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

incremental leisure revenue, build brand awareness among leisure customers and strengthen brand social engagement, according to Palleschi.

In advance of “Use it or Lose it Week,” a Hilton survey of 2,000 professionals, conducted by OnePoll in November 2013, found that, while the average Brit is entitled to 23 days of leave each year, 40 per cent rarely, or never, use their full allocation.

“Professionals are more stressed than ever,” Palleschi added. “The traditional working week has evolved well beyond 40 hours evenly distributed between five days and traditional longterm vacations are rare.

“Hilton is the champion of short breaks and longer vacations—from after work cocktails at rooftop bars to city weekend getaways, country escapes and exotic resorts. We are the vacation experts and are making it easy for people to make leisure time a priority.”

Humans need recharging too According to Joe Robinson, a stress management and work-life balance consultant and author of Work to Live, “A vacation is as important as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise.

An annual vacation can cut the risk of heart attack in men by 30 per cent and in women who take two vacations a year by 50 per cent. No health food can give you that benefit.”

Robinson continued: “Vacations also cure burnout, the last stage of chronic stress. They are a crucial balancing tool, not just for your health, but also for your work. They increase performance and reaction times. It turns out humans are like cell phones - we need to be recharged, too.”

Building awareness

Customer service benefits

The goals of the campaign were to support wider brand efforts to drive

on

As an industry built customer service,

there is no question that these benefits are important to the hotel industry, Palleschi noted. “Customer service sits at the heart of our Hilton brand promise to ensure every guest feels cared for, valued and respected. Hilton believes in the power of a great guest experience. A positive guest experience increases the likelihood of a repeat visit to a hotel, which leads to long-term brand loyalty.”

Media success Palleschi shared numbers from the campaign, from Jan. 14, 2013 through Nov. 24, 2013.

“We’ve seen great media success of 160 total placements and a total audience reach of 919,434,974,” he said.

“Additionally, the Hilton Urgent Vacation Care Center has received 64,532 overall visits to the website (January 14 through June 30, 2013), 22,654 visitors completed the quiz and 8,136 people signed up for the HiltonVIP newsletter.

“This campaign resonated with our target audience because it was unique and approached an important workplace concern with humor,” Palleschi said. “If companies are looking to build brand awareness among leisure customers and strengthen brand social engagement, creating innovative marketing campaigns tied to the brand can yield great results.”

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Don Cherry’s seeks hotel locations, plans expansion

By Colleen Isherwood, editor PARRY SOUND, ON—Don Cherry’s Sports Grill added three locations last year: one in a converted fish restaurant in Whitby, ON; one in a brand new arena in Stoney Creek, ON and one in the Howard Johnsons in Strathmore, AB. There’s also a 65seat Don Cherry’s in the Ramada in Jordan Station, ON housed in a converted conference room. The concept is flexible, noted Chris Painter, who together with brother Darrel and father Bill have been licensors for the 15-unit coast-to-coast chain of restaurants since 2007.

The Painters started with 16 restaurants when they took over, and decreased to 12 in the years following the recession. But things turned around starting last year.

Clarenville, Goose Bay and Torbay.

Sydney, NS is home to a Don Cherry’s as well.

Painter says that Don Cherry’s wants to add to the five restaurants already located in hotels. In addition to the Strathmore HoJo location, there are Don Cherry’s restaurants in two Ramadas, one in Jordan Station and one in Niagara Falls, ON, and one in the Quality Inn Downtown Ottawa. The Painters’ hotel property, the Knights Inn in Parry Sound, ON has included a Don Cherry’s since 2001.

“The concept applies to a brand new build or a conversion,” says Glen Blake, president and CEO of Full House, master franchisor for the Knights Inn brand, which includes the Painters’ hotel in Parry Sound. “It can be applied to any non-revenue producing space.”

New units in NL, SK

In Coach’s Corner

In addition to the three units that opened in 2013, plans call for three more units next year in Paradise and Conception Bay South, NL and in a new casino to be built in North Battleford, SK. John Lake, who owned a Don Cherry’s in Brampton, ON, is licensee for the Paradise and Conception Bay restaurants. Existing Newfoundland locations include Grand Falls/ Wi n d s o r,

The Painters’ relationship with Don Cherry goes back to 1999 when Parry Sound started hosting the annual Bobby Orr Golf Tournament.

Orr’s good friend Cherry always attended, and the Painter brothers took care of the two each year during the tournament. At the 2001 tournament, Cherry thought he would take a look at the new Don Cherry’s restaurant at the Knights Inn. The Painters steered him away, noting that if he went, Cherry would be besieged by 300 tourists at the restaurant. “They had my welfare in mind,” Cherry noted six years later when the Painters were chosen over 13 groups who wanted to buy the license.

“We were a couple of guys working as bartenders and cooks—we put everything we had into that investment and we’ve never looked back,” Painter told CLN.

Greatest growth area seen in hotels “I see the greatest growth for us in the lodging industry, in hotels with 50 rooms or more,” Painter said. “You can put Don’s brand along with your hotel brand on the signage.

It’s thumbs up for Eric Fex, chef, Bradford Don Cherry’s; Glen Blake, president and CEO Full House Franchise Systems; and Chris Painter, licensor, Don Cherry’s Sports Grill Inc. They are at the Bradford, ON Don Cherry’s in front of a mural showing Boston Bruins’ Bobby Orr airborne after scoring the goal that won the Stanley Cup for the Bruins, May 10, 1970.

The idea is to draw people in from the local neighbourhood as well as off-road. For people visiting family or friends, or at weddings, you would also have the restaurant onsite.”

While “cities are a bunch of small neighbourhoods,” secondary and tertiary markets are the target. “Don Cherry’s can be successful in a town of 6,500 people like Parry Sound. I like to see growth in small to medium-sized towns,” he said.

Licensees not franchisees Painter stressed that Don Cherry’s provides a license, not a franchise.

“Most of the money made stays local,” he explained. There is a set fee based on liquor licensing and size of operation, and that fee is constant even when the restaurant is making more money. “We give full autonomy at the store level. We’re not a head office that says, ‘here’s your menu and here’s your packaging,’” he added.

For example, 80 per cent of Don Cherry’s menu items are common

to all of the restaurants, while the remaining 20 per cent are local favourites. The 20 per cent can include items like pulled pork pizza, which is on the Bradford, ON menu. Prime rib is a specialty at the Parry Sound restaurant, including the prime rib meal, prime rib sandwich and even prime rib soup.

Every year, licensees are invited to a two-day meeting to determine which items will be among the 80 per cent. They try about 20 to 25 items created based on current food trends and vote on them—only items that get more than half the votes are put on the menu. Pricing is up to the licensee as well.

Just like Don’s jackets Decor elements common to all the Don Cherry’s are memorabilia available from Cherry’s daughter, Cindy Cherry, and a bank of quality televisions visible from every seat. The Bradford store is among those whose decor prominently features an enor-

mous hockey mask (shown at left) outlined in coloured lights. At the Niagara Falls location, the same hockey mask includes blinking red eyes.

“We give licensees a list of sources to outfit their spaces. At the end of the day, every store is different in colour and setup—just like Don’s jackets,” Painter said.

He added that the flexibility would likely appeal to franchised hotels who don’t want to deal with another franchise under the same roof.

Asked if he thinks the celebritybased chain will endure once Don Cherry’s show comes to an end, Painter had this to say. “As Don has matured over the last 35 years, he has skyrocketed to the 7th greatest known Canadian. Changes in his approach have come into the stores—while initially Don Cherry’s was a bar concept, his appeal now is to ‘kids and folks.’

It’s a place to celebrate who Don is.

Look at other icons like Tim Hortons —I’d be tickled pink if we went down that road.”

New look, restaurant and lounge for Coast Kamloops

By Kristen Smith, contributing editor KAMLOOPS, BC—The Coast Kamloops Hotel & Conference Centre got a $9-million facelift last year, which included two phases and the addition of a new restaurant and lounge.

The initial renovation phase completed in March included a refresh of all 202 guestrooms, expansion of the front entrance to include an 18-foot high porte cochère, redesign of the hotel lobby and exterior landscaping.

The second phase, completed in late October, included significant aesthetic upgrades to the conference and meeting space. Enhancements included transformation of 30,000 square feet of banquet facilities, a

complete remodel of the washrooms, paint, new carpeting, wall coverings, ceilings and light fixtures.

“We are proud to deliver a signature hotel and conference venue for Kamloops and the region,” said facility owner Ron Mundi.

“Our investment demonstrates our commitment to delivering excellence to our customers,” Mundi continued.

“We entrusted this project to a local contractor who took the vision of our designer and made it a reality.

On arrival, visitors will appreciate the richness of the beautiful millwork coupled with the unique angular ceilings in the foyer,” Mundi said.

The hotel also opened a second eatery, the Mama San Kitchen, Bar and Lounge to complement Prestons Restaurant, the Coast Kamloops sis-

ter eatery.

Executive chef Romeo Oloresisimo heads up the kitchen.

The Asian-inspired eatery offers duck confit pancakes, house-made spring rolls and samosas, sushi rolls, bowls and salads and a variety of Chinese, Thai and Indian dishes.

A group share menu encourages diners to partake in a traditional style of Chinese eating in which dishes are placed in the centre of the table.

The eatery has a custommade bar, with martinis and an extensive wine list. A fire pit, leather club chairs and banquettes scattered with cushions aim to create a relaxing dining atmosphere.

Mama San executive chef Romeo Oloresisimo. Photo: Aspect Arts Photography.

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Technology firsts at Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel Video wall at the Grand Winnipeg Airport hotel.

WINNIPEG—The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel, Winnipeg’s latest luxury property to open on the Airport Campus, is a 101-room, four star quality boutique hotel with the latest in hotel technology amenities.

It is the first hotel in Winnipeg to offer complimentary use of an in room iPad running an application in which guests can request items and services, a comprehensive city guide and much more.

“We created our own custom application specifically for the hotel,” said Janelle Robin, director of sales and marketing for Lakeview Hospitality, which owns and operates the hotel.

“We also offer Netflix as an application.

Guests can stream the movie right onto the TV. They can also get the movie onto the iPad and bring it down to the dining room, where they can have supper while watching a movie.”

The Grand Winnipeg Airport is the first hotel in Winnipeg to offer complimentary PVR service, which guests can access using the inroom 42-inch Smart TV or the iPad. The televisions are supplied by Samsung.

Guests can also read a complimentary digital newspaper, the Toronto Globe & Mail, on their in-room iPad. “People just love the iPad—and they’re definitely using it for room service,” said Robin.

Guests at the hotel include business travellers, and snowbirds heading south to escape the Winnipeg winter.

“We’re just 30 steps away from the airport,” said Robin.

Vivreau water and auto-barista Innovations at Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel are not confined to technology. The hotel uses the Vivreau purified drinking water system to provide pure and still water onsite in beautiWorkspace with iPad.

ful glass water bottles. The complimentary inroom water system keeps plastic bottles out of landfill, Robin explains.

The hotel also has a Per Dynamics auto

barista in the lobby, serving Starbucks products.

The hotel is encouraging non-guests dropping people off at the airport to stop in and use the Starbucks auto-barista, since the only Starbucks

at the airport is through security.

In addition to the 101 hotel rooms, the Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel has the Runway 36 lounge and observation area overlooking the new airport terminal, a fitness facility, and a restaurant named the Blue Marble Tapas and Lounge, featuring menu items that are locally grown in Manitoba and Tapas style cuisine.

Lakeview Hospitality also owns and operates The Four Points by Sheraton at the airport along with 25 other properties across Canada.

Lakeview continues to invest in Manitoba.

With the opening of the Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel, the recent acquisition of the Hecla Lakeview Resort, the Gimli Lakeview Resort, Lakeview Inns & Suites in Brandon, Lakeview Inns & Suites in Thompson, and the existing Four Points by Sheraton at the airport, Lakeview now has six hotels in Manitoba.

The company is looking for further development opportunities in Winnipeg.

The Grand Winnipeg Airport hotel is affiliated with the Preferred Hotel Group out of Chicago, Illinois as well as Aeroplan Rewards.

Guestroom showing 42-inch television and workspace.

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

By Marni Andrews, contributing editor

S

ince his return to Newfoundland in early 2012 to open the Fogo Island Inn, chef (and island native) Murray McDonald loves to forage for mushrooms in the woods with his son or pick wild berries on the hillside. He finds the abundance of nature revitalizing and brings that inspiration to the awardwinning kitchen of the 29-room luxury boutique hotel perched on the windswept, rocky shore. And he has not ever forgotten that the core of Newfoundland hospitality revolves around entertaining at home, specifically for supper.

“The [Fogo] kitchen’s culinary motto is ‘To find new ways with old things.’ We want to redefine the culinary identity of Newfoundland and Labrador by using the food this place provides through an exploration of the seven distinct seasons on Fogo Island,” he explains.

“I don’t treat the restaurant like a hotel restaurant. We’re doing New Newfoundland cuisine by looking at what we always did and moving it into the future. Without a foot in the past, connecting us to the land, you have soulless food,” adds chef McDonald. “We create food that is of this place, rock by rock, tree by tree, with a nod to the past but with a firm foothold in the future. A lot of travellers are looking for that now—food from the local area of wherever they are.”

It is just such an attitude—with

emphasis and punctuation on creativity, regionality and authenticity—that is rejuvenating hotel foodservice.

Experiencing local food is an important part of travel, agrees Steve Flagler, director of food and beverage at the 970-room Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, ON. Offering locally-sourced menu items is a

win-win for everyone, he explains because the guest receives fresh products, staff have a story to tell, the chefs have an intimate experience with the food they are preparing and the company supports the local business community.

For the year ending August 2013, foodservice traffic at Canadian hotels is up substantially over the past year

at seven per cent and accounts for more than $1 billion in sales, according to Joel Gregoire, industry analyst, foodservice at The NPD Group, Inc. Most of that growth is coming from breakfast and lunch with breakfast representing 42 per cent.

In the same period, hotel restaurants accounted for six out of 10 visits of total hotel food business, says

Fogo Island Inn Fisherman’s Basket for breakfast. Photo by Alex Fradkin.

Gregoire, but this has dropped over the past year from 65 per cent. He says room service is capturing more share (from four to six per cent), while beverage/snack stations are growing share from three to five per cent. Catering occasions represent 16 per cent of accommodation traffic (this is up by 12 per cent).

“The challenge for the accommodation sector is to grow traffic while incentivizing the consumer to spend more and drive incremental dollars in addition to foot traffic,” suggests Gregoire.

“The line between hotels and restaurants in foodservice is blurring,” says Garth Whyte, president and CEO, Canadian Restaurant & Foodservices Association. “Hotels are understanding what repeat customers like and how to make them happy.

People want smaller, quicker meals and flexibility. Some want 24/7 availability, others want snacks. Health and wellness is a huge trend, so are healthy kids’ meals.”

Moustafa ElGayar, food and beverage manager for the 119-room Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, says that health and fitness and special diets have become a large part of hotel foodservice offerings.

“For a concept to succeed a hotel needs to offer as much variety and creativity with special diets as possible, as they can sometimes account for 10 to 15 per cent of diners in a restaurant,” he explains.

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F E B R U A RY 2 014

Fogo Island dishes caribou moss, cloudberries, frozen partridgeberries, tamarack buds and stinging nettles. Photo by Alex Fradkin

Room service In their recent trends outlook, Kendall College’s School of Hospitality Management in Chicago notes that many hotels are reinventing

Prince George Hotel Halifax - champagne.

room service programs in the face of declining sales. Some properties like the New York Hilton have eliminated it entirely. Yet the Fogo Island Inn and others have found ways to make it work by upgrading food and emphasizing impeccable delivery. They know that guests are looking for great service.

The Fogo’s room service is included in the room rate, which also covers three meals a day and snacks. As a service it is treated equally with other foodservice options.

For example, at daybreak the Fisherman’s Basket is delivered to those guests who don’t want to rush to breakfast. A choice of coffee or tea, juice

and a scone or muffin can be left at the door or brought into the room as desired, says chef McDonald.

“Room service is all about comfort food,” says Marc Dorfman, director of food, beverage and catering for the 259-room Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, which offers a mobile phone app with menus from which the in-house guest can order. “We have geared our menu to create a mix of international street comfort food with great success. From pad thai to Greek souvlaki, the menu is very popular with Canadians and international travellers.”

Robert Hood, corporate food and beverage manager for Atlific Hotels’ 55 properties, says all of Atlific’s full service hotels offer room service (what they call inroom dining) because it is a guest expectation. It’s also experiencing a resurgence.

“Traditionally room service has been either really good or terrible.

We call it in-room dining, which gives it a little more panache and so the guest understands what to expect. The hotels with a market for it can develop in-room dining into a very profitable department.

It’s not just putting food on a tray

and transporting that to a room,” he says.

“Properties that are very successful at it understand one very simple principle: our guests aren’t idiots. They have a certain expectation of what the food and the service has to look like and feel like—from the initial phone call to food being presented to the follow-up call. A lot of properties that fall short don’t understand that.”

In-room dining is more about relaxation, says Hood.

“Certain cities full of restaurants still do very well with in-room dining. If it’s cold or the hockey game’s on, people will stay in. We’re able to measure the potential capture ratio for the number of rooms we’re selling. In-room dining never runs at a deficit because we charge a premium price,” he explains.

“Room service is a great concept but it’s very difficult to make it work smoothly,” says Dr. Gabor Forgacs, associate professor, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson University.

In hotels with the size and class to offer room service, For-

gacs cites the growing influence of asset managers looking to trim marginal operations as one of the biggest dangers for the program.

Previously, if an operation made enough in catering and banquet to cover losses in room service, the F&B division was left alone if budget was met. Not anymore. Room service now needs to stand on its merit, says Forgacs.

“Room service still has a value add in certain hotels but if a given hotel doesn’t cater to the high end of the affluent segment with timely and courteous service, even for unconventional requests, they will struggle to keep the lights on,” says Forgacs.

Holiday Inn Vancouver Downtown - in-room dining.

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Grab-and-go markets

Holiday Inn and Suites Mississauga Starbucks grab-and-go stand.

The 120-room Holiday Inn and Suites Mississauga made a wise decision to add a grab-and-go market to their lobby last year. The 12-year-old hotel was renovating their restaurant and added the quick market because many coffee shops and small stores had opened around the hotel and were drawing away guests for food purchases.

“We thought if we could keep that coffee and snack business without increasing labour, why not?

Our weekly corporate clients told us they couldn’t wait till the Marketplace opened,” said general manager Ash Constantine.

“Only 50 per cent of them were dining in

Shangri-La Vancouver tea.

Revenue streams There’s no question that, if run correctly, food and beverage can be a great revenue source. Robert Hood of Atlific Hotels says grab-and-go markets are great revenue-generating centres.

“Full service hotels have let themselves down. Guests can order from the menu but ask for a bag of chips and they have to leave to look for a convenience store. We’re getting rid of vending machines in favour of grab-and-go because people don’t carry cash anymore and the machines can be empty late at night if they’re serviced by a third party,” says Hood.

“We capture 10 to 20 per cent of room service business through the iPad and that number is growing.

Room service accounts for five per cent of our total F&B budget,” says Marc Dorfman of the Four Seasons Toronto, though he notes that room service is not a big part of the hotel’s business since most guests “enjoy going downstairs to dine.”

Moustafa ElGayar of Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver says a good room service menu needs variety in terms of comfort food, hotel signature dishes, dietary restrictions, creativity and value to be a large contributor to F&B revenue. The biggest contribu-

our restaurant, while the rest were running out to coffee shops, etc. to grab quick snacks.”

The unnamed shop, referred to as the Marketplace, offers Starbucks coffee, frozen dinners, muffins, pastries, snacks and sundries. Also microwaveable brand names such as Mr. Noodles and Kraft Dinner, says Constantine. The on-site restaurant (Motivity Café and Lounge) serves Mother Tuckers coffee as per the IHG brand standard.

The common expression we hear now is, “Charge this to my room!” says Constantine.

While guests previously might order pizza from their room, now they come down in pyjamas and slippers to the Marketplace for frozen dinners and stop at the front desk to chat. The positives also extend to the bottom line, says Constantine, with the Marketplace adding between 10 and 15 per cent to F&B. Coffee, muffins and pastries have at least a 70 per cent markup while other items are closer to 40 per cent.

“It’s a niche market that’s not

“Our biggest sellers are potato taking away from our restaurant. If anything, we’ve added sales to the chips, pretzels, etc. and water. One Motivity Café because many guests other option is grocery service,” says now get something from the Mar- Allemeier. “We have a welcome basketplace after dinner to take up to ket in the room with a bag of popcorn, a message from the manager their room,” he explains.

Steve Giblin, president and CEO and a grocery list with preprinted of SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts essentials. Bring the list to the front with 20 properties in Canada, likes desk in the morning and we’ll have to have a grab-and-go market on the groceries delivered and put away property where possible. In the new by the end of the business day at no DoubleTrees in Regina and West charge beyond the grocery cost. The Edmonton, the market was added to guest chooses the store.” the lobby.

“We train our people to tell the customer when they come in and want something quick to eat, ‘Let me go get that for you,’ even if it’s late at night and the kitchen is closed.” says Giblin. “People love options.”

The 201-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Vancouver Downtown is owned and operated

by SilverBirch. General manager Suzanne AlleElement Vaughan Southwest Gourmet Pantry. meier says the market next to the front desk is steadily busy.

The Four Seasons Toronto dbar by Christian Horan.

tor is usually the hotel’s signature restaurant or banquet operations, which combined can account for almost 70 per cent of F&B revenue. Bar revenue can contribute up to 20 per cent, especially if the bar concept is innovative. In-room dining comes next with about 10 per cent of total F&B revenue, he says.

Dan Young, public relations manager, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, says that less than two years after the debut of the Sheraton Social Hour, which offers guests a specially curated menu of premium wines and weekly tasting events, results have exceeded expectations. Participating hotels have higher bar RevPAR, better year-over-year performance in bar and F&B RevPAR, and saw an

CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

The Four Seasons Toronto Cafe Boulud by Christian Horan.

average 20 per cent increase in yearover-year beverage revenue at the lobby bar. For example, the Sheraton Kansas City’s wine sales increased 43 per cent in the bar and lounge, Sheraton Seattle saw a 39 per cent sales increase, and The Sheraton New York Times Square’s bar revenue is up 20 per cent since introducing the program.

Steve Giblin of SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts says his properties with a good mix of meeting and catering space and a restaurant/bar operation can get as high as 40 per cent margin with F&B. The DoubleTree West Edmonton, with a dinner theatre as well, has even higher profits.

“Local markets are important but when competing against local restau-

rants it’s critically important for us to provide what meets the customers’ needs. With the recently opened Wild Sage Kitchen & Bar at the DoubleTree in Regina, for example, a guest can have a small plate and glass of wine or a meal or come in with a group and have a couple of pizzas while watching the game. You have to have all those options now,” explains Giblin.

“In my opinion, the hotel business has lost a significant amount of revenue potential mainly because we weren’t competent in F&B. Products were overpriced and service was slow.

And we didn’t keep up with food and beverage trends throughout the world,” he says. “I’m a big believer in looking outside the hotel industry to see where we need to go.”

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Family trust buys The Quarterdeck SUMMERVILLE BEACH, NS—The Quarterdeck Beachside Villas & Grill, on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, have been sold for $2 million to Greg Whynot based in Kentville, NS. Whynot told CLN he is “überexcited” to have bought The Quarterdeck. “It’s one of those properties that you’ll never be able to repeat—it’s special in itself.”

Whynot realized the property was for sale one day when he went there for lunch.

“My father is from the Bridgewater area and he had been looking for opportunities like the Quarterdeck. We thought it would be a good fit for our family group of properties,” Whynot said.

The unnamed family trust is a group of companies that owns two Boston Pizzas and has a large residential rental company in the Annapolis Valley.

The property includes 12 luxury yearround villas, each featuring two bedrooms, two bathrooms (with Jacuzzi in the upstairs bath), fireplace, full kitchen and living room exiting to a furnished deck. Wireless high-speed Internet is also provided.

Other amenities include an award-winning restaurant, two one-bedroom suites, a three-bedroom cottage and about 30 acres of land available for development.

Sheila Sinnott, of Land & Sea Real Estate Services Inc., brokered the deal.

“One of the bonuses of The Quarterdeck is that it has a great reputation,” Whynot said, adding that the general manager, head housekeeper and chef are all long-term employees.

“It’s people who make the experience.

The Quarterdeck Beachside Villas and Grill. Inset: The Grill restaurant.

And when you combine it with the location, you get a wow experience.”

Whynot expects there will be some room for improvement. “We will look at all things to find ways of enhancing the guest experience—find out if there are pet peeves and fix them.”

They will make small changes now, and look at expansion down the road. The Quarterdeck purchase includes a property across the street from the Villas and Grill that lends itself to expansion.

Right now, the Whynot family is learning a new industry. “We know food and the rental side of things, but there’s so much to learn,” Whynot says. That learning process includes meetings with Destination South-

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Laundry and housekeeping.

Game rooms and recreational facilities.

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west Nova Scotia.

“We’re excited that the [Yarmouth] ferry is coming back, and the dollar is going in the right direction—we’re looking forward to a good 2014.”

The return of the ferry could also mean a rebound in the bus tour industry enabling tourists to drive onto the ferry and do a loop around Nova Scotia.

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Westin Blue Mountain.

O p e n i n g s , s a l e s a n d r e n O vat i O n s

Westin Blue Mountain gets extensive reno THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, ON—The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain announced the completion of an extensive, multi-million-dollar renovation to its public area and guestrooms on Jan. 20.

The Westin Trillium House features 224 newly renovated rooms, all with ski-in ski-out access to the slopes.

The refresh to the resort was to reflect the Westin brand and the focus on well-being.

On entering the renovated lobby, guests are greeted with soothing elements like relaxed lighting, natural botanicals and stimulating music. In addition, the lobby area features new furniture.

The 10,000-square-foot conference centre features new carpet, wall vinyl and furnishings and the fitness centre has a new look and equipment.

Themed Hôtel de Glace opens in Quebec City QUEBEC CITY—Built entirely of snow and ice, the Hôtel de Glace has opened for its annual season, taking the theme “myths and legends from around the world.”

Located about 10 minutes from downtown, the Hôtel de Glace features 44 guestrooms, including 17 suites. All of the suites, along with the bar, lobby and chapel, feature a decor inspired by the theme, which is designed to show visitors a world of wonders. Outdoor activities include new snowshoe trails, snow tube sliding and maple-product sampling at a sugar shack. Inside, guests can visit the ice bar to sample cocktails served in sparkling glasses made of ice, participate in festive evening events and take a behind-thescenes tour of the hotel.

The hotel is open to the public every day from 10 a.m. to midnight until March 23. As of 8 p.m. each night, guestrooms and suites are reserved for overnight guests only.

Fredericton’s Lakeview Inn sold to DP Murphy FREDERICTON, NB—Lakeview Inn & Suites Fredericton has been sold to DP Murphy Inc. for $3.4 million.

Located just southwest of downtown Fredericton, the property is situated on the western border of 400-acre Odell Park, a centerpiece for Fredericton’s parkland.

The hotel features 97 guestrooms including 44 suites, a breakfast area, exercise room and business centre.

CBRE Hotels acted as exclusive advisor to Lakeview Inn for the sale.

Driftwood Hospitality opening in Nova Scotia TRURO, NS—Driftwood Hospitality Management, a North Palm Beach, Fla.-based hotel management com-

pany, has announced it will be opening its first property in Canada, with the development of an upper-midscale hotel in Truro.

Built in partnership with the Millbrook First Nation—the local aboriginal community—the 94-room property will be located in the Truro Power Centre, which is comprised of retail stores, a restaurant and an entertainment centre.

Construction is expected to begin this spring, with completion planned for spring, 2015.

The hotel will feature an indoor pool with waterslide, complimentary hot breakfast and 700 square feet of meeting space. “With a booming economy, ideal location near Highway 102 and less than 40 minutes from Halifax Stanfield International Airport, this hotel will emerge as one of the leading properties in the area,” said David Buddemeyer, president of Driftwood Hospitality Management, in a release.

“We look forward to leveraging our experience in construction and new builds in collaboration with the Millbrook First Nation.”

Driftwood’s hotel portfolio consists of nearly 40 hotels and more than 8,000 rooms in the U.S., Bahamas and Costa Rica.

HoJo Edmonton launches renovation OAKVILLE, ON—Howard Johnson Canada has announced, on behalf of new ownership and management, that the HoJo Edmonton is undergoing extensive renovations throughout the 59-room property.

This major renovation program will see all guestrooms upgraded, public areas and guest elevators refreshed and upgrades completed for the lobby and reception areas.

Howard Johnson Hotel Edmonton is located near West Edmonton Mall and is close to shopping and sightseeing in the downtown area.

Westin Tremblant renovates guestrooms MONT-TREMBLANT, QC—A threemonth project has renovated all 122 guestrooms and corridors as well as the fitness studio at the Westin Resort & Spa Tremblant.

This completed first phase is part of a major transformation representing a $5 million investment in the interior design and guest experience at this Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. member property. Focused on warm, elegant tones, a variety of textures and a soothing neutral palette, the design draws from natural surroundings with an emphasis on eco-friendly materials. Overseeing the design was Starwood-authorized firm Robert J. Chaban & Associates.

Areas addressed in the second phase beginning late April include the lobby and front desk, as well as banquet and meeting rooms.

Travelodge Slave Lake joins Travelodge brand SLAVE LAKE, AB—Travelodge Canada has announced the opening of the Travelodge Slave Lake, Alberta. The newest member of the Travelodge Canada franchise system, the former Northwest Inn is owned by Holloway Lodging Corp.

“We are extremely happy with the addition of Slave Lake to our Western Canada portfolio,” said Travelodge Canada president Steven Robinson in a release. “We are excited to expand the northern border of the Travelodge brand in the Alberta market.”

“Holloway Lodging Corp. is very pleased with the change to the Travelodge Brand and its continued relationship as one of the largest franchisors of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts branded properties,” said Holloway chairman Michael Rapps in a release.

Situated near area recreational facilities and local shopping, the 100room hotel offers over 2,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space and provides amenities such as free Wi-Fi and a complimentary hot breakfast buffet.

The Travelodge Slave Lake will be part of the Wyndham Rewards guest loyalty program, giving guests the opportunity to earn Wyndham Rewards points or Aeroplan points with every qualifying stay.

Hôtel de Glace. Photo: Renaud Philippe.

Temple acquires Yellowknife property WINNIPEG—In a $21.68-million deal, Temple Hotels Inc. has acquired an extended-stay property known as Nova Court, in Yellowknife, NWT. The acquisition becomes the second property owned by Temple Hotels in Yellowknife, as the company already owns a Days Inn there.

“From our perspective it made sense to acquire a second property to add to our portfolio up there,” Temple Hotels executive vice-president Gino Romagnoli told CLN, adding the demand for rooms in Yellowknife continues to grow and there is a potential for cross-sales between the two locations.

Temple Hotels will spend an estimated $4.8 million to renovate and refurbish unfurnished apartments on two of the four floors of the hotel located at 476 Range Lake Road, next to the Stanton Territorial Hospital.

The renovations will add nine additional rooms (for a total of 115) and a 750-square-foot breakfast room.

According to Romagnoli, there will be no interruption of service during renovations and once they are completed, the company expects an estimated $6 million in revenue annually.

Temple is currently listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and according to Romagnoli the company is looking to buy several properties— two in the first quarter—to continue growth throughout Canada.

Lakeview Inn & Suites Fredericton.

Westin Mont-Tremblant.

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Sleeping in a prairie wagon at Texas Longhorn Ranch

By Katherine McIntyre STRATHROY, ON—The thunder crashed, lightning split the sky, but I was snug in my 21st century covered wagon. Fields away from a road and car park, my covered wagon was one of six, that were nestled in a grove of tall pine trees, at Texas Longhorn Ranch, in Southern Ontario farmland.

Their rounded roofs resemble those prairie wagons that brought settlers to Western Canada.

But that’s where the resemblance ends.

These wagons are firmly planted in the ground, set well apart from each other and are lit by solar lighting. Every wagon has a comfortable queen size bed, enriched with quality linen, an easy chair and a propane heater for chilly nights.

A set of bunk beds is tucked seamlessly at the entrance. With a décor of aqua blue and brown, the interior resembles a page in a homes and gardens magazine.

Each wagon has its own front deck with two deck chairs. There’s a glowing fire in my outdoor firebox, in the evening, and a thermos of hot coffee in the morning after the rain.

In the Hub, a welcoming pine-panelled dining room, Gail Cahill, co-owner with her

husband Fred, joined me for a full ranch-style breakfast in front of a massive stone fireplace.

Breakfast choices included fresh fruit, cereal, bacon, pancakes and eggs any style. “[Texas Longhorn Ranch] is not a party place and we don’t have a liquor license,” Gail said.

“It’s an adult-styled getaway retreat, where our guests, aged anywhere between 20 to 90, come to recharge their batteries. It’s a place where you can hear the birds during the day, see the stars at night and watch the fireflies in a calm, serene setting.” And, she adds, “there are some no’s: no pets, no amplified music and no cars—except to unload and load at arrival and departure.”

Twenty years ago, the Cahills ventured into the tourism business, specializing in two-day overnight school trips and a children’s camp.

They built the covered wagons for the kids to sleep in overnight and had a stable of 40 horses.

After 20 years, it was time for a change. They decided to use what they already had—the wagons and the horses. They renovated the wagons and opened their unique property as a seasonal bed and breakfast from May to November for adult-style getaway weekends.

“We had 45 horses, old fashioned quarter

horses, and they had never been stabled,” added Gail. “We are down to 20 horses now.”

In addition to the accommodation, there is trail riding along the Sydenham River, use of their classic swimming pool, or a trip in Fred’s

truck to view his herd of Texas Longhorn cattle in another part of the property.

Texas Longhorn Ranch, 1745 Melwood Drive Strathroy, Ontario N7G 3H5, info@texaslonghornranch.

P ROV I NCI A L

BC toasts liquor law changes VANCOUVER—Premier Christy Clark (pictured above) announced the B.C. government’s support of key recommendations following a comprehensive liquor policy review.

“These changes are about updating antiquated licensing rules to reflect what British Columbians actually want, while continuing to protect public safety,” Premier Clark said in a statement on Dec. 17.

Clark said the province will be opening the door to time-restricted drink specials, such as happy hours. Other changes include lifting the requirement for patrons to order food with their beverage at food-primary establishments and allowing customers to move with their beverage from one adjoining licensed area to another.

“If you ordered a drink in the lounge, you should be able to carry that drink that you’ve paid for to your table when you move to the restaurant section,” Clark said.

The B.C. government will also further increase flexibility around licensing by giving liquor-primary establishments and clubs, such as legions and spas, the option to accommodate minors up until a certain evening hour, for example, 9 p.m.

B.C. will extend the requirement for the Serving It Right (SIR) program to all hospitality industry workers who serve alcohol. This will include, for the first time, all servers in B.C.’s 5,600 licensed restaurants, as well as staff at BC Liquor Stores and rural agency and wine stores.

On Dec. 11, in the Okanagan Valley, Clark announced manufacturers of B.C. liquor will be able to sample and sell their products at farmers’ markets, festivals and off-site tasting rooms.

It is anticipated that Parliamentary Secretary John Yap’s Liquor Policy Review final report will be publicly released by Feb. 15, once Cabinet has had the opportunity to fully consider its more than 70 recommendations.

Licensee discounts for P.E.I. CHARLOTTETOWN—The Prince Edward Island Liquor Control Commission (PEILCC) introduced wholesale alcohol pricing for licensees in December.

“Key representative organizations such as the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association and the Tourism Industry Association of PEI, as well as other stakeholders and individuals have expressed concern about the pricing model, the timing of price increases and their impact on licensee business,” read a letter from PEILCC. “In addition, a request was made to set a price ceiling, which unfortunately cannot be accommodated, but in lieu of it, the PEILCC is offering a new pricing structure.”

Effective Dec. 2, licensees will receive a 10 per cent discount on draught, spirits and products in the ready to drink category and 13 per cent for products in the wine category. The wine discount will hold until March 31 and decrease by one per cent until it reaches 10 per cent on April 1, 2016. Licensees will also receive special

pricing on 24-pack bottles of beer.

“Through these pricing adjustments it is anticipated that all licensees will be able to remain competitive with the industry,” continued the letter. “The PEILCC recognizes that licensee business represents 17 per cent of total sales and that a strong partnership needs to exist for both parties to excel.”

Licensees from greater Charlottetown and Summerside areas as well as the Kensington area must order products from the Licensee Distribution Centre to obtain the discounted price.

Quebec holds off on minimum wage announcement QUEBEC—For the first time in five years, the province has postponed its minimum wage announcement from the holiday break to the beginning of the new year.

CRFA met with the Labour minister’s chief of staff in December to ask for a freeze on minimum wage given the current state of the economy, or at the very least, keep any increases in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The province’s minimum wage increases have all been based on CPI in the past four years.

Proposed bill complicates Ontario liquor licence system TORONTO—CRFA is closely monitoring NDP MPP Rosario Marchese’s new private member’s bill that seeks to allow municipalities to create different classes of licensed establishments.

Marchese also wants to enable municipalities to complain to the License Appeal Tribunal “on behalf of citizens,” regardless of whether a citizen has made a complaint.

As it stands, obtaining a new or amended liquor licence in Ontario is a long, complicated and costly process for members. If passed, this new bill would layer on more regulation, with

NE W S

the possibility of 400 different regulatory regimes across the province.

Alberta workforce info EDMONTON—If you are an employer who wants up-to-date information from the government of Alberta on labour force initiatives relevant to your industry, sign up to receive Alberta Workforce Information ABWorkforceinfo.com/ subscribe.

Alberta Workforce Information is an e-mail subscription service that provides accurate, useful and timely information and resources on labour attraction and retention.

By subscribing to Alberta Workforce Information, you receive: o Information and resources on labour attraction and retention o Tailored messages based on industry, company size, location and interest in receiving information on hiring and retaining workers outside of Alberta o Ability to communicate with the Workforce Strategies Division through a dedicated email address Alberta Workforce Information provides you with information and resources to help meet your workforce needs. Subscribe at: ABWorkforceinfo.com/subscribe

TIAPEI seeks nominations for Annual Industry Awards The Tourism Industry Association of PEI is now accepting nominations for the Annual Industry Awards which will be presented in March in conjunction with the TIAPEI Tourism Conference & Awards Gala.

Nominations for awards can be made on behalf of individuals, businesses and organizations representing excellence in the tourism industry.

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

PE OPLE

Saint John hospitality community mourns Margret Begner

Jason Trottier, GM, Four Points by Sheraton.

Nancy Champagne, GM, Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa.

Nagasundaram Ravi, GM, Residence Inn by Marriott Ottawa.

Patrick Scully, director of product strategy, hotel SystemsPro.

Carrie Larose, manager, global accounts, HelmsBriscoe.

Rita Tsang, Canadian Tourism Commission board of directors.

Jane Mackie, vice president, Fairmont Brand.

Brian Grosman, Levitt and Grosman LLP, Toronto.

Howard Levitt, Levitt and Grosman LLP, Toronto.

Most recently, Scully was director, Americas, sales and operations for a leading hospitality solutions provider and a former general manager of the Hotel Indigo in Athens, Ga. Based in Atlanta, hotel SystemsPro provides ASP-based enterprise hotel sales software, maintenance automation and guest service solutions.

Raymond Larivee, president/CEO, Palais des congres de Montreal.

Chris Ivy, chief development officer, Americas, Carlson Rezidor.

Atlific Hotels has announced a number of additions and promotions within its growing team.

In Western Canada, the company has promoted from within and hired new additions to its team of general managers.

Calvin Neal joined Atlific as GM of Econo Lodge in Fort St. John, BC. Dan McHale brings extensive hotel experience to his new position as GM of the Saskatoon Inn Hotel & Conference Centre, in Saskatchewan.

In July, Nuwan Edwin Eparatchy joined Atlific to manage Vantage Inn & Suites in Fort McMurray, AB. Also in Alberta, Warren Berg assumed the GM role at Days Inn & Suites Lloydminster, and Janice McDonald, already a member of the Atlific team, was named GM of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Sherwood Park.

In addition, Atlific has announced new general managers in the Capital Region, where Nagasundaram Ravi joins the

team at Residence Inn by Marriott Ottawa. Jason Trottier took on the GM role at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Conference Centre GatineauOttawa and Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa has welcomed Nancy Champagne as its new general manager.

Patrick Scully joins hotel SystemsPro as director of product strategy. Scully brings with him extensive hotel operations and hospitality software product development experience that enables him to serve the company’s clients and strengthen its solutions.

Scully will be responsible for the expansion of the hotel SalesPro sales and catering system and will oversee the thirdparty vendor interfaces that communicate with it. He will also work with hotel SystemsPro users and focus groups to identify the most valuable functionality and move these processes into the solution set.

Carrie Larose has joined Calgary-based meeting procurement and site-selection agency HelmsBriscoe as manager, global accounts. In her new role, she will help organizations and associations find hotel and resort venues for their meetings and conferences, negotiating rates and concessions and facilitating the contracting process. In addition, she will work closely with HelmsBriscoe’s full-service meeting-management group, ResourceOne, for incentive programs, product launches, sales and marketing meetings, conferences and conventions.

Larose will also work with the company’s team of cruise experts, managing ship-based meetings and participating in associated land excursions.

Immediately prior to joining HelmsBriscoe, Larose was executive director for Calgary’s Hotel Blackfoot, where she worked for just over two years.

Before that, she worked as director of sales and marketing at Hotel Le Germain Calgary.

SAINT JOHN, NB—Margret Begner, co-owner of the Dufferin Inn, passed away of cancer in early January, leaving behind a legacy of extensive involvement in both the hospitality and the broader Saint John communities.

Margret and her husband, Axel, came to Canada after working in the German hospitality industry for a decade.

They owned and operated the Opera Bistro and the Dufferin Inn. Margret was the founding organizer of the Fundy Food Festival and organizer of the Out of the Cold men’s shelter providing meals to the homeless. She was also a member of the immigration board and Tourism New Brunswick.

When the pair first came to Saint John, Ross and Willa Mavis, owners of Inn on the Cove and Spa, a competing inn and eatery, brought bottles of jams to welcome them. “We said, ‘we have just gone through

what you’re going through,’” Willa Mavis told CBC radio.

Ross Mavis recalls that Begner always had a can-do attitude, whether they were bringing a food-fest to Saint John or raising money for the local Boys and Girls Club, the hospice or the homeless shelter. Writing in Trinity Today, Herb Duncan recalls the Opera Oscars, an annual evening

of food and wine where the Begners paid tribute to their Opera Bistro patrons with humourous awards delivered in Margret’s trademark accent.

“They introduced fine dining at that level to Saint John,” Ross Mavis told CBC. “We lost a lovely spirit, someone who really added something to the community,” said Willa Mavis.

Rita Tsang has been appointed to the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) board of directors.

“Ms. Tsang has nearly 40 years of entrepreneurial experience in the travel sector, with a particular focus on Asian markets,” said the Honourable James Moore, minister of industry and minister responsible for the CTC. “Her expertise and extensive background will help to enhance the work of the Canadian Tourism Commission board, will help to increase Canada’s brand globally and will inspire more travellers to visit our beautiful country.”

Tsang is founder, chair and chief executive officer of Tour East Group, Canada’s largest travel service provider to China and Asia. In 2010, she was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Tourism and Hospitality category, and from 2001 to 2005, she was voted one of Canada’s top three women owners by PROFIT magazine’s W100. In 2004, she was named to the Order of Ontario.

gies to further enhance Fairmont’s competitive position in the luxury hotel segment. She will lead a team to set brand standards for product, service and communications and will personally lead Fairmont’s sustainability strategies.

Mackie brings over 20 years of hospitality experience, including work in sales and marketing, brand strategy, partnerships and revenue generation, to her new role. She began her career at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and held a series of progressive executive positions during her 11 years with the company, including vice president, advertising and promotions, North America and vice president, marketing, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.

successfully argued significant cases across Canada at every judicial level, including the Supreme Court Of Canada.

On Feb. 10, Raymond Larivée will step down as Delta’s regional vice president of operations for the Ottawa and Quebec region, as well as general manager of Delta Montreal, to become president and CEO of Palais des congrès de Montréal.

“We look forward to working with Raymond as he takes on his new role promoting the vital tourism and hospitality industry in Montreal,” said David Bird, senior vice president, operations, Delta Hotels and Resorts, in a release.

For 19 years, Larivée’s focus on customer-centric programs, talent development and promotion of Delta within communities regionally and nationally have contributed to the banner’s overall profile in Canada.

Prior to joining Delta, Larivée held senior leadership positions in progressive hospitality companies in Montreal, Laval, Ottawa and Quebec City.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has appointed Jane Mackie vice president, Fairmont Brand.

In her new role, Mackie will lead the Fairmont brand, developing brand strategy, focusing on refining and articulating the brand positioning and communicating Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ brand messaging.

As part of her responsibilities, Mackie will also define strate-

Employment and labour lawyers Howard Levitt and Brian Grosman are merging their practices to launch Levitt and Grosman LLP, based in Toronto.

“Employers are facing an entirely changed, continually evolving, global workplace, with new challenges emerging every day,” said Levitt in a release. “To ensure their ongoing security and growth, corporations, executives and entrepreneurs will need innovative, specialized legal advice and protections.”

Each principal partner brings over 35 years experience in advising corporate employers and executive employees.

Both have authored seminal employment law texts and

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Chris Ivy as chief development officer in the Americas, reporting directly to Thorsten Kirschke, president, Americas.

Ivy joins Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group from Interstate Hotels and Resorts, where he was executive vice president, acquisitions and development.

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T H E

Melynda Loder (centre), director of catering and responsible business for the Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan presents a cheque to Dawn Gutzke (left), executive director for Family Place in Weyburn, SK as Shelley Hoium, assistant to the executive director for Family Place looks on.

Radisson Plaza Hotel SK— seeing is believing REGINA—In May of 2013, Sean Frisky (CEO, Ground Effects Environmental Services Ltd.) led a group of 11 Regina business and community leaders to The Family Place, a social service agency based in Weyburn, SK. Marla Preston, general manager of the Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan, was part of this group.

The group travelled there as part of The Prince’s Seeing is Believing, an experiential program created two decades ago by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in order to engage corporate leaders on social issues and challenge them to action. This was the first Prince’s Seeing is Believing community visit day in Western Canada.

Frisky’s group looked at the unique challenges created by the resource boom in Weyburn particularly as they relate to at-risk children and low-income families.

The CEOs experienced the programming offered by The Family Place while meeting with the parents and children that they serve. After immersing themselves in the issues, CEOs were then invited to think strategically about the implications for their own business and the meaningful actions that can be taken in response.

Upon her return, Preston shared her experience with the management team at the hotel, and they decided to make The Family Place in Weyburn the hotel’s charity of choice for their fiscal year. A cheque for $2,700.00 was presented

to the Family Place on Jan. 21. This money was raised from 50/50 draws; plus $1.00 was donated by the hotel from each Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner buffet as well as $1.00 for each guest room sold for Grey Cup. Prince’s Seeing is Believing is organized by Prince’s Charities Canada in partnership with The Wellesley Institute.

Temple and Atlific fund Bob Leoppky Bursary NELSON, BC—Atlific Hotels and Temple Hotels Inc. have created the Robert Leoppky Bursary which will award four Selkirk College Resort & Hotel Management Program students $2,500 this month.

Leoppky passed away at the age of 59 last Bob Leoppky.

March after a brave battle with cancer. His career encompassed 40 years in the hotel industry and he was Atlific’s vicepresident operations, overseeing operations in Western Canada.

“Atlific is proud to extend Bob’s legacy by offering students the opportunity to follow in his footsteps with these four bursaries,” said Robert Chartrand, executive vice-president, Atlific Hotels.

W I NNE RS’

“His contributions to the hospitality industry were exemplary and this was the perfect opportunity to give back to the community. The Robert Leoppky Bursary will ensure that his legacy lives on for future generations.”

Atlific Hotels is one of the leading hotel management companies in Canada, operating more than 55 hotels with offices in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Temple Hotels Inc. is a publicly listed company trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange and owns a growing portfolio of 26 hotel properties (3,671 rooms) primarily in Western Canada.

Arni Thorsteinson, chief executive officer of Temple Hotels Inc. said, “Bob made a significant contribution to the growth and management of Temple Hotels and we are proud and honoured to be a part of the Robert Leoppky Bursary.”

Two Four Seasons, Trump make Forbes Five-Star list Forbes Travel Guide revealed its 56th list of Star Rating winners worldwide last month, including 15 new Five-Star hotels. They bring the total number of properties earning the top honours to 97 Five-Star hotels—the most in Forbes Travel Guide’s history.

Three of the new Five-Star hotels are in Canada. They are the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and the Trump

CI RCLE

International Hotel & Tower, Toronto.

“It is an honour to be one of the first hotels in Toronto to receive this prestigious industry award,” said Mickael C. Damelincourt, general manager of Trump Toronto.

“The Five-Star rating is a great honor both for our Toronto hotel and for the entire brand,” said Donald J. Trump, chairman and president of The Trump Organization.

Trump Toronto received a second honour last month as TripAdvisor announced its World’s Best Accommodations with 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards For Hotels. Trump Toronto was the only North American hotel to make the World Top 10. The announcement comes as Trump Toronto enters its second full year of operation.

Four Groupe Germain hotels voted best in Canada MONTREAL—Four Groupe Germain Hospitalité Boutique-hotels have been judged among the best in Canada according to the Readers’ Choice Awards published by Condé Nast Traveler. The hotels that made the 2013 awards list are: Hotel Le Germain Calgary, Hotel Le Germain Toronto, Hotel Le Germain Montreal, and Hotel Le Germain-Dominion. The awards come at an appropriate time—Groupe Germain also celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013.

A room at the Trump Hotel in Toronto.

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

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Mont Laurier Comfort—the real renovation front desk before.

Lobby before.

front desk after.

Lobby after.

3

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Technomic: why hotel drink sales are poised for growth CHICAGO—Hotel and lodging operators are optimistic about the future of spirits, wine and beer sales in their locations, according to Technomic’s recently released BarTAB Report.

Technomic Hotels account for 10.1 per cent of total on-premise food and beverage sales, and the segment’s food and beverage sales are projected to grow 4.4 per cent in 2014. Adult beverages are increasingly important to hotels, many of which are focusing on their bar and beverage programs.

“A number of hotel and lodging operations such as Fairmont, Marriott and Kimpton now offer unique drink menus including signature cocktails along with extensive spirits, wine and beer selections. It’s clear some hotels are prioritizing adult beverages as a way to differentiate their properties and drive traffic and sales,” says Donna Hood Crecca, senior director at Technomic.

Beer and spirits sales to grow.

The hotel and lodging segment generates 7.0 per cent of on-premise spirits sales, 7.2 per cent of beer and 16.0 per cent of wine sales. More hotel operators foresee growth in beer and spirits sales at their bars and restaurants than do operators in any other segment. Some key insights about hotels and adult beverages, according to BarTAB, include:

CORRECTION: Last month, Canadian Lodging News ran photos of the wrong hotel along with this story. The photos were of another Comfort Inn in Newmarket, ON. The correct photos appear on this page. CLN regrets the error.

MONT LAURIER, QC—Mont Laurier, QC is strategically located on a major highway in the Laurentians north of Mont Tremblant. With 40 rooms, it attracts sports teams, salespeople and business travellers. In November 2012, the owners contacted Patricia McClintock & Asso-

ciés Inc. They had already worked on the guestrooms—they were ready to address the lobby.

The results, completed in time for last month’s holiday season, included construction of a port cochère at the entrance, and a lobby that is almost double in size going from 480 to 775 square feet.

“Lobbies have become a focal point, an introduction to what a property has to offer,” said Patricia McClintock, principal of the Montrealbased hospitality design firm. “The traveller is more intent on making the lobby an interactive experience.”

By increasing the size, they also improved access to the front desk, improved the look of the front desk, and added more seating and a fireplace. The designers opened up the lobby by adding windows.

COMI NG

Feb. 22-25: Canadian Society of Club Managers Food & Beverage Conference, Delta Bessborough, Saskatoon. Contact: CSCM National Office, 416-979-0640 or 1-877-376-CSCM. Email: national@cscm.org. Website: www.cscm. org.

Feb. 26-28: Hospitality Newfoundland & Labrador, Conference & Trade Show, Gander, NL. Krista Sweetland at 709-722-2000 ext.

235/1-800-563-0700 ext. 235 or ksweetland@ hnl.ca or visit www.hnl.ca.

March 2-4: The CRFA Show, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto. CRFA Show: Mary Gazze, 416-649-4226 or 1-800-387-5649, ext. 4226. Email: mgazze@crfa.ca.

“Before, the lobby was small with not enough seating, darker and typical of a small town hotel,” said McClintock. The new design incorporates artwork consisting of glass panels with pine trees and snow caps, typical of the area.

“While hotels are looking at standard amenities for the brand, they also want people who are travelling to remember where they went. The investors wanted to introduce a sense of wow and a sense of place.

“Mont Laurier is on the road to Baie James [James Bay]. We created that sense of place through the artwork, through the type of colouring. Quebec has its own specificities; it’s more daring, with more of a Latin influence. We put in a fireplace, where before there was none.

It says, ‘come in, it’s cold, stop and see our welcoming fireplace.’”

E V E N T S

March 31-April 1: Resorts of Ontario Spring Conference and Tradeshow, Casino Rama, Rama and Fern Resort, Orillia. Contact: Michelle Duff, michelle@resortsofontario. com.

April 7-9.: Online Revealed Conference, Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites, Toronto. Contact: Patricia Brusha, 416-817-5595.

E-mail: pbrusha@onlinerevealed.ca. Website: www.onlinerevealed.com.

April 13-14: ApEx Show, Exhibition Place, Halifax. Contact: Peter Ridout at 416-512-8186 ext. 262 or 866-216-0860 ext. 240. E-mail: peterr@mediaedge.ca. Website: http://www.apextradeshow.ca.

April 14-15: Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association, Saskatoon, SK. Contact: Warren Nerby. Phone: 306-539-8286. Fax: 306525-1944. E-mail: wnerby@sasktel.net. Website: http://www.shha.co April 24-25: Alberta Hotel & Lodging Assoc. AGM & Trade Show, The Banff Centre, Banff, AB. Registration will open in late February. Website: www.ahla.ca.

May 5-6: Canadian Hotel Investment Conference, Eaton Chelsea Toronto Hotel, Toronto.

Contact: Orie Berlasso, Big Picture Conferences Inc., 416-924-2002 x229. E-mail: orieberlasso@bigpictureconferences.ca. Website: www. hotelinvest.ca.

1. Half say beverage programs grew in 2013. Half of hotel and lodging operators say their alcohol beverage programs have grown in 2013, compared to 41 per cent of all other operators.

2. Younger, more frequent drinkers. A greater proportion of 21- to 34-year-old consumers (33 per cent) visit hotels or other lodging establishments once a month or more often, compared to just 14 per cent of consumers age 35 and older.

3. More growth expected in 2014.

Overall, 37 per cent of on-premise operators anticipate spirits sales will grow in 2014. Lodging operators were most optimistic (47 per cent).

“Hotel operators see opportunity in adult beverages,” observes David Henkes, vice president at Technomic and leader of its Adult Beverage Practice.

“A creative and operationally-sound drink program executed across the various outlets of a hotel property can add both value and enhanced experience elements for guests, as well as high-profit sales, all of which are particularly important in this challenging environment.”

The 2013 BarTAB Report is part of Technomic’s Trends in Adult Beverage series, and provides in-depth volume and sales information on adult beverages in the on-premise channel, including performance metrics on categories, brands and on-premise segments, as well as menu trends, consumer and operator insights and projections. To purchase or learn more about BarTAB, BeerTAB, WineTAB and SpiritsTAB, please visit Technomic or contact Patrick Noone, 312-506-3852, or pnoone@technomic.com.

WE’RE LINKEDIN, ON FACEBOOK AND TWEETING DILIGENTLY. Canadian Lodging News has developed a social media strategy in an effort to foster conversation within the hospitality industry and get feedback from readers. Our editorial staff is out and about in the community, at industry events and conferences, getting in on the discussion and connecting with operators through social media. Focusing on targeted platforms – and using them well – is our key to providing real-time reporting at events, sharing relevant information and driving new readers to the website and brand. Go online for your fix of Canadian Lodging News, now with a fresh look, more photos, increased daily news updates and new interactive features. Read the magazine how you want and when you want with our smartphone and tablet-compatible digital edition. Reach the hospitality community in its inbox with our twice-monthly Canadian Lodging eNews, which provides dedicated content to the industry in an easy-to-read format. The e-newsletter is sent out the first and third Tuesday of each month and hits industry leaders with dramatic pass-along readership.

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