Canadian Lodging News - February 2017

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C A N A D I A N

LodgingNews February 2017 | Vol. 14 | No. 1

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Marriott Canada’s new digs

Sabrina Bhangoo relaxes in The Hub at Marriott Canada’s redesigned offices.

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — They tried it at Marriott head office in Bethesda, Md., to great acclaim and positive feedback. When Don Cleary, now president of Marriott Hotels in Canada, worked at Marriott’s Asian office, they implemented a similar open office layout. And now the idea of an open concept paperless office with cleaner lines, flexible space and right to light has come to Marriott Canada.

Cleary said they did a lot of research when they tried the new layout in Asia, and determined it actually enhances productivity. “There’s great engagement and collaboration opportunities,” Cleary told CLN during a tour of the new facilities. “We can have pop-up meeting rooms, or get together at The Hub over a cup of coffee. People who work here love it.”

Marriott needed to renovate and expand its office space on Matheson Blvd., in east Missis-

sauga, as staff has grown from 50 to about 200 with the acquisition of Delta and Starwood.

While the renovation has been in the planning stage for about two years, the actual construction took three to four months. During that time, staff relocated to the old Delta offices in downtown Toronto.

The new 14,000-square-foot office, designed

by Stantec Architecture, turns traditional design on its head. Where the old design had executive offices around the perimeter windows and service departments on the inside, the new office layout aims to provide natural light to all offices.

The service departments have desks lined up, with no dividers between them, to make the best use of light from exterior windows. The executive offices are the interior ones, but they have opaque glass doors so the president and VPs can also have their share of light.

Desks can be raised or lowered, depending on whether the employee wants to work in a sitting or standing position. Tanima Kazi, program specialist, said she likes to start her day sitting at her desk, but sometimes it is easier to type standing up. “I never thought I wanted it for myself, but now I think [the mobile desk] is just awesome.”

“Sitting is the new smoking,” added Sabrina Bhangoo, director of pubic relations for Marriott Canada, referring to the many studies that point out the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Another advantage of the open space is the opportunity to get to know people from different departments. “The design department never interacted with the P.R. department” said Bhangoo. “Now we can learn so much about other parts of the company.”

Beside each desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture that looks like bench seating with red upholstery. There’s a shallow drawer for employees to store personal belongings, and a one-drawer filing cabinet. That’s the sum total of the space allowed for storage — part of the drive towards a paperless office.

“We’ve completely digitized everything,” said Kazi. “Whether I’m at work or at home, it doesn’t make a difference.” Many of the employees are home based, and there are “hot desks” if they want to work at the offices.

Cleary noted that his favourite place is The Hub, an area with a kitchen, dining room and living room, where employees can come and chill out. There’s even a room with a long couch where employees can go and have a nap.

“Elements of what we are doing here are similar to what we are doing in our hotels and lobbies. People like the communal aspect — the new generation prefers that style of working,” Cleary said.

a DeSign DINOSAUR GETS IT MODERN HOTEL TRENDS RESONATE

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PROFILE: TONY TAMBURRO, GM, JW MUSKOKA

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FEATURE: PEST PRACTICES

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CLN’s GUIDE To Canadian Hotel Schools

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IHG sponsors NBA D-League Showcase

Michelle Dias.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — As part of its Game Changing Advantage and ongoing sports partnership programs, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) sponsored the 2017 NBA D-League Showcase in Mississauga, held Jan. 18-22.

Hosted by Raptors 905, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, at the team’s 5,000-seat Hershey Centre home arena, the 22-game, five-day event featured the league’s 22 teams playing two regular-season games each. The Showcase gives D-League players the opportunity to put their skills on display in front of scouts from all 30 NBA teams.

“We are very proud to sponsor the NBA DLeague Showcase in Mississauga,” said Michelle Dias, left, IHG marketing manager, PR and communications, Canada. “The players and their coaching staff are putting in hard work on the court, and need a comfortable night’s rest.”

Holiday Inn International Airport and Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport hosted the players and staff during the five-day showcase.

“This sponsorship highlights IHG’s commitment to sports in Canada, at the community and national level,” said Dias. “Through IHG’s Game Changing Advantage, sports guests can book block stays for tournaments and receive support with logistics and f&b from our hotels. In the past year, we have sponsored and supported organized teams and players in multiple sport disciplines at the grassroots and national level.”

Last September, IHG celebrated the second anniversary of its Game Changing Advantage in-hotel program in Canada and announced multiple sports partnerships nationally.

As part of this year’s D-League Showcase, a series of youth-focused programming took place throughout the week. Afternoon games featured youth from local schools as part of the NBA DLeague’s School Day initiative. In addition, Jr. NBA Clinics, held Jan. 19 and 21, featured more than 100 Ontario children, who were taught game fundamentals by current NBA D-League players and were provided tickets to that evening’s game.

BRIEFS How will Trump affect U.S. travel?

NEW YORK — What can help turn inbound travel headwinds into a potential perfect storm for the U.S. travel industry? A combination of high currency values, an unstable political situation, and a constant barrage of bad news coming out of the U.S., according to Brand USA, in a mid-December announcement.

Several of the destination marketing organization’s internal metrics for travel intent are showing signs of weakness, causing the group to revise its forecasts, said its leadership in a board of directors meeting.

What’s causing this decline? Brand USA’s research team thinks the high value of the dollar is mostly to blame, and that the election of Donald Trump as president is beginning to be a factor as well. A spokesperson said that Mexico and Germany are the two countries that have had the most negative reaction to recent U.S. political news.

First ski-thru ATM opens

Q&A with Tony Tamburro of JW Muskoka

By Colleen Isherwood Tony Tamburro has been general manager of JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka, located in Ontario’s prime cottage country, since it opened in 2008. Here are some of his thoughts on how Canada’s first JW has evolved since then.

CLN: How has JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka changed since the opening?

Tamburro: There has been a tremendous uptick in the volume of business throughout all of the seasons in both leisure and conference segments. The technical demands of our guests have changed dramatically since our resort opened and we have adjusted by being a leader in the area. We will be increasing our bandwidth to 300 Megs within the next few weeks to meet and exceed our guest expectations.

CLN: Are there any demographic trends you didn’t anticipate?

Tamburro: When we opened our resort, we never expected to have as many families booking their stays or vacations over the summer and other vacation times throughout the year. This has us now looking at enhancing the guest sleep experience as our sofa beds need to be better to accommodate greater usage. We hope to have this all in place price prior to summer 2017.

With the increase in the family leisure business, we revamped our recreation offerings after our first season to meet what our guests were looking for, which has been a huge hit (e.g. additional children’s activities – build a bear, craft activities, canoes, floating water slides, etc.)

Also, as the Canadian population has become more diverse we see many different cultures from around the globe visiting us.

CLN: How has the foodservice evolved since the opening?

Tamburro: With the increase in both adult guests and families, we have extended our outdoor deck overlooking Lake Rosseau with an authentic wood burning pizza oven for the summer, and carefully curated cocktails.

Our business volume has more than dou-

WHISTLER, BC — Canada’s first mountaintop ski-thru ATM, complete with ski pole and glove holders and heating lamps, opened outside the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain, it was announced. Jan. 12.

Operated by CIBC, the ski-thru ATM is one of many experiences CIBC will offer as part of a new, five-year partnership with Whistler Blackcomb.

The standalone ATM allows skiers easy access to cash for things like making purchases at cash-only vendors before journeying back down the slopes, and offers the same range of banking services available at all CIBC ATMs.

Hilton joins TripAdvisor

bled since we began to offer our thin crust wood burning oven pizza. For our adult guests, we added our Muskoka Chophouse, which has also had a significant impact on driving revenue.

Our crab cakes and certified angus beef are outstanding, and our award winning wine list features only consignment wines. We continue to look for ways to enhance this with a renovation coming in the next year or so.

CLN: What is the breakdown in business: conference vs. leisure.

Tamburro: Our mix has grown to pretty much an even 50/50 split between conference and leisure business. Our business as a whole has increased dramatically and we continue to see both our conference and leisure segments continue to grow.

The growth continues to be over our shoulder seasons. We are now beginning to see conferences wanting to “buyout” our resort for exclusivity, which is something which continues to grow year over year.

CLN: What is JW doing to attract more business?

Tamburro: We continue to look to offer experiences which are unique and educational for all of our guests, which for the most part are not able to be accommodated in the city centres.

One of our most popular activities in the winter is dog sledding, which has become a huge hit. Our conferences have also now become very aware of how unique this is and many times request exclusive bookings for this during the weeks.

There is a great passion from our guests in experiencing the area which we are so very fortunate to be a part of. Some of the educational experiences include unique team building exercises designed by our recreation partners. These include personal hikes, and power walks where our recreation team members speak and educate our guests on the area re: wildlife etc.

CLN: Is it hard getting and retaining staff in a resort location?

Tamburro: Our associates all go through a very thorough recruitment process. We have been told “they have never gone through” the depth of interviews which they are part of.

We continue to attract associates from all over the world as well as Canada. I’m fairly certain we pay the top wages in the Muskoka region, while encouraging each of our team members to be responsible to enhance each and every guest’s experience at every step of the guest’s stay. We train our associates to be ambassadors to our brand and own the guest interaction.

MCLEAN, Va. and NEEDHAM, Mass. — Hilton and TripAdvisor announced on Jan. 9 a partnership to make the hotel company’s portfolio of 13 global brands accessible in the TripAdvisor instant booking marketplace. Beginning in early 2017, travellers will be able to make a reservation at any Hilton property without leaving the TripAdvisor site or mobile app.

Hilton, comprising nearly 789,000 rooms across 104 countries and territories, is the latest major hotel company to join TripAdvisor instant booking.

Users tap or click ‘Book Now’ to initiate an instant booking. During the process, TripAdvisor will prominently feature text and branding to let the user know that Hilton will handle the transaction and customer service.

Wyndham: best rewards program NEW YORK — For the second year in a row, WalletHub selected Wyndham Rewards as the best hotel loyalty program for travellers at every price point, it was announced in December.

This year, the company evaluated 12 of the largest U.S. hotel chains based on 21 metrics, including point expiration policies, the average value of a point, and availability of hotel properties. Of all the major hotel loyalty programs, La Quinta offers travellers as much as $14.17 in rewards for every $100 spent—the most of all other brands in the survey.

Best Western’s loyalty program is the only major program where points do not expire due to inactivity.

February 2017 | 3

C A N A D I A N

EDITORIAL

A design dinosaur now gets it!

I’ll admit that I’m not exactly on the cutting edge when it comes to home, office and hotel design.

My taste tends toward antiques and floral patterns, butter coloured walls and pale wood. Here’s a confession — once in a while, I look at the before photos in design magazines and ask myself, “what was so wrong with that?”

I’m not keen on sofas with no back support. I don’t really like sitting at elevated tables with my feet dangling. And when I heard that Marriott was considering guestrooms with no desks — well, that just blew my mind.

Popular Gray and Alabaster White are nice, but not quite my taste. And Greenery 15-0343, the Pantone colour of the year, is not really my fave either.

You might call me a design dinosaur.

But there are elements of modern design that I’m starting to appreciate.

The huge shift in my attitude came as I toured Marriott’s renovated office in late January. The space features some of the same trends hotel companies are incorporating in their lobbies — open concept layout, use of natural light where possible, lots of informal gathering places and mobile desks that can be raised or lowered.

A year ago, I went to ROW NYC hotel in New York City, saw people standing at a raised communal table in the lobby, working on laptops. At the time, I thought it was edgy, but also kind of weird. But now, the benefits of a desk with adaptable height make more sense. I have arthritis and get stiff if I sit for long periods of time. Having the option of standing at my desk might provide some relief. And besides, everybody now knows that too much sitting is bad for your health!

Just as hotel lobbies are opting for more open spaces and communal work areas, and hotels are moving workout areas from dingy basements to spaces with lots of light, the

Marriott offices work to give everyone access to natural lighting. Many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder — and during our long Canadian winters, access to natural light is very important.

There is a stark, linear beauty in much modern design with its clean lines paired with rough surfaces. Both the Marriott office and the Retro Suites Hotel in Chatham have graffiti walls. While not a beautiful, classic look, such rustic walls are cheeky, and signify a more casual, relaxed approach to the space.

Maybe some of my design preferences are so retro that they’re finally back in style. In the Marriott head office common area, I saw some butterfly chairs — where the seating area fabric is suspended from a wire frame in the shape of a butterfly. I have some of those in my backyard — my parents bought them in the 50s, and they are very comfortable.

Maybe there’s hope for this design dinosaur after all!

— Colleen Isherwood, Editor

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Customer service is dead!

By Bradly Sax We’ve all heard tales of great customer service from companies like Nordstrom’s and Zappo’s accepting returns on items they don’t even sell and their random acts of customer delight such as sending flowers to customers having a bad day.

After all, customers have a choice.

Most of us have competitors. Even if we don’t, the customer can simply choose not to buy at all. There are many great stories of great customer service.

But customer service is dying a slow and painful death. In some cases, it stems from having lost sight of taking care of our customers in the wake of operating our dayto-day business (now there’s some irony for you). In other cases, it’s because today’s experts in customer care are focused beyond the interaction and on the whole customer experience.

What’s the difference? Customer service is about a transaction between your associates and your customer. It might be over the phone, in person, via email or online.

Get it right and you might even leave a positive impression. But is it a lasting one?

Customer service is all about the transaction; the few moments or minutes of that interaction. But those on the forefront of customer care are focused on customer experience — the customer’s total engagement with your company from the moment

of considering doing business with you until long after the purchase is made. Often known as CX, customer experience is defined as the product of the interactions between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship.

Common touch points in a customer’s experience life cycle include attraction, awareness, discovery, cultivation, advocacy and purchase and use of an item or service.

Success is measured by the customer’s experience during all points of contact compared to their expectations.

There are several components involved in moving from customer service to customer experience. Many of them happen long before the customer enters your business, your website or purchases a service.

Many of the components of a successful customer experience process are sciencebased and based on years of research and study.

Before you can delve into a strategy of becoming a CX leader, however, you need to critically examine several key fundamentals of your business. They are Executive Attitude, Associate Centricity, Customer Centricity and Measuring Outcomes and Continuous Improvement.

Let’s look at Executive Attitude for a moment. This fundamental is critical to a successful customer experience process in your organization. We have all heard senior leaders speak of customer centricity and creating value for the customers in order to earn their lifetime loyalty. A recent study from Booz & Company found

that the key differences between companies with winning customer-centric efforts and those not, were centered in the boardroom.

They included an executive predisposition for process and culture change, a clear and communicated leadership vision that is backed by strong leadership skills, clearly defined goals for the business and customer results, an open leadership style that breaks down functional boundaries and that responds to customer feedback.

Executive Attitude is closely aligned with company culture. It is stronger than anything else. Dynamic and engaged leadership that lives the values of the organization and demands that others do so by empowering them and holding them responsible and accountable demonstrate the central element of a leading Executive Attitude.

So, celebrate success and more importantly celebrate failure so that the organization can learn from them. Leaders who communicate, are transparent and share the good news and the bad are poised to set up their organization for a successful customer experience process. If leaders don’t tell associates their story, associates will make up their own, which will be far worse than the truth.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, leaders must invest in their people. How can you expect them to invest in their customers if you aren’t investing in them?

Bradly Sax is a Hospitality CX and Operations leader and expert in driving customer experience. Contact him at: BSax@SHGonline.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD JASON CHESKES Above The Line Solutions VITO CURALLI Hilton Worldwide PHILIPPE GADBOIS Atlific Hotels & Resorts MARK HOPE Coast Hotels ELIZABETH HUESTON Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc. BRIAN LEON Choice Hotels Canada Inc. ROBIN MCLUSKIE Colliers International Hotels BRIAN STANFORD CBRE DR. DAVID MARTIN Ted Rogers School of Hospitality CHRISTINE PELLA Serta Mattress Company ANDREW CHLEBUS LG Electronics

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Courtyard Cold Lake is latest Crescent property

Courtyard Cold Lake

By Colleen Isherwood, Editor TORONTO — On Dec. 21, Courtyard by Marriott Cold Lake, owned by CLFN Hotel Limited Partnerships and managed by Crescent Hotels and Resorts, opened its doors in Cold Lake, Alta.

Featuring an innovative lobby space as well as Courtyard’s latest contemporary room design, the new hotel provides flexibility and choices that allow guests to optimize and elevate their travel experience. Located at Route 28 and Highway 897, the 120-room hotel will operate as a Marriott franchise.

Next to open will be another Courtyard by Marriott in Mississauga, Ont., at Burnhamthor-

Tony Cohen

pe and Dixie Roads. This will be the third Canadian Courtyard to be managed by Crescent. Last June, they were hired to manage The Courtyard

by Marriott Saskatoon Airport, a 140-room hotel, located less than 1 km from Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport.

The first Canadian hotel in Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, Hotel PUR Quebec, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, is owned by Hotel PUR Quebec LP and managed by Crescent. Located in the burgeoning Saint Roch neighbourhood in Quebec City, the hotel is fully renovating all 242 guestrooms and suites before joining the Tribute Portfolio system in mid-2017.

“This brings us to over a dozen hotels in Canada and 80 in the U.S.,” said Tony Cohen,

executive vice-president and partner, Canada.

“It’s good, strategic growth. We’re happiest about the fact that we are in six provinces even though Canada is so geographically siloed — B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, we’re hoping for Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.”

An independent third-party “Crescent remains a non-conflicted, independent, third-party management company,” said Cohen. “It does not own anything at all.

When you look at it, a lot of companies in the U.S. and Canada do both. If we’re not the only one, we are one of just two or three purely independent management companies.

A new revenue stream for hotels

Hops Pizza creators Angelo Paletta, Terry Davison and Anthony Paletta.

By Bill Tremblay WINNIPEG — Canada’s first beer and pizza delivery company is offering a new revenue stream for hotels.

Hops Pizza launched its first location at Winnipeg’s Polo Park Holiday Inn in November.

Terry Davison, who owns a software development company and hotelier Angelo Paletta, created the company to capitalize on beer delivery.

“Unless you charge a significant delivery fee,

it’s not profitable,” Davison said. “Putting the two together was kind of a marketing made-inheaven concept.”

The first step to launching Hops Pizza was to create a business model that would operate within the regulations of the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba (LGA), as well as regulatory bodies in other provinces.

“If it wasn’t done with the right steps, you basically turn into a bootlegger,” Davison said.

“We started off with the idea of being extremely transparent and putting everything on

the table, so there were no surprises at the end when we launched.”

The business concept requires Hops Pizza to operate out of a location with an established liquor licence, as well as have their delivery drivers complete the alcohol serving training required by the LGA. As well, all orders are completed online, creating a paper trail of who has purchased alcohol.

“In order to ensure we stayed onside with the liquor laws, we had to take payment at the

“Our competitors do both. For our clients, if you ever have a parting of the ways, we have a cleaner contract — 30 days at the owner’s discretion and no financial penalties. We are an employee. If the ownership group doesn’t feel they are getting value...”

Cohen said the other advantage is that management companies with their own hotels tend to put more resources into the ones they own.

“All our hotels are equal and performing for our client. We are totally client centric — 100 per cent aligned with our owners’ interests — every decision we make is ultimately for their benefit.

“Our ultimate report card is financial performance of the asset — sometimes we perform ourselves out of a job!”

time of ordering,” Davison said. “With an online transaction, the age category is somewhat validated.”

After solving issues of legality, Davison and Paletta recruited several chefs to create their pizza recipe.

“When we find new franchisees, we can give them a solution where even if they weren’t chefs, they could still reproduce our product,” Davison said.

Since its November launch, Hops Pizza has expanded to three hotels, with four more in development.

Opening a Hops location requires a portion of the hotel’s kitchen be retrofitted for the pizza oven, prep area, beer cooler and delivery section. Hotels are also using the service to feed their guests.

“Hops Pizza is the facilitator of the order, but we’re not actually processing the order. The actual vendor licence holder is ultimately processing the order and delivering the product,” Davison said.

“All of the finances go directly to the license holder, and they’re ultimately responsible for delivery of the product.”

Hops Pizza launched offering only extra large pies, potato chips, six types of beer and two coolers.

“We went out to Twitter and ran a survey to find out what kind of beer people wanted,” Davison said.

Now, the company is looking to expand its menu and beer selection.

“We may look at wings and salad as well,” Davison said.

“For the launch we wanted to keep it really, really simple.”

February 2017 | 5

Think globally, drink locally

By Don Douloff In an effort to boost their food and beverage offerings, Canadian hoteliers are tapping into local craft beers in new and creative ways. With the ongoing (and seemingly unending) craft-beer boom, there is no shortage of top-notch brews, or novel ways in which to feature them.

For example, Holiday Inn Peterborough-Waterfront, in Peterborough, Ont., incorporates beers from local brewery Publican House in a number of menu features throughout the year, said general manager Grant Zwarych.

Examples include mussels cooked in a Publican House broth; Publican House High Noon beer can chicken, “which we then shredded and used in a quesadilla”; and Publican House Square Nail Pale Ale, incorporated into a Welsh rarebit that “was the main topping for the Shealand Farm lamb burger that won our annual Kawartha Choice Burger Challenge this year.”

Currently, the property is experimenting with Publican House Henry’s Irish Ale as a marinade for an Ontario smoked beef brisket sandwich.

Beyond that, the hotel plans to hold, in 2017, a beer maker’s dinner pairing a different brew with each course, including dessert, said Zwarych. “We collaborate with the brewmaster, myself and the chef, to see what we think would go best. With my experience with wines and winemaking dinners, I use my same bridging principles with matching beer profiles with the food dish.” Two local craft breweries have expressed interest.

Holiday Inn Sudbury, in Sudbury, Ont., uses Stack Saturday Night cream ale to flavour the barbecue sauce adorning its prime rib. On top of that, the hotel’s culinary team “is developing seasonal craft beer pairings that we aim to launch in spring,” said general manager Karim Khamisa.

Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver stocks its in-room mini-bars with local brews such as Fuggles & Warlock’s Beam Me Up Espresso Milk Stout.

The Trump Champagne Lounge will devote 75 per cent of its beer list to B.C. brands. (At the time of writing, the hotel’s soft opening was planned for the second half of January, with the grand opening slated for late February.)

A number of FRHI properties are incorporating local labels. The Raw Bar at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim, at weekend brunch, partners the Beer Makes Miso Happy cocktail (Grand Marnier, wheat beer, ginger and lemon) with bacon and sablefish miso soup.

Also in Vancouver, ARC restaurant, at Fairmont Waterfront, in partnership with Whistler Brewing, brews Fairmont Stinger Lager made with honey from the rooftop apiary. (In 2012, Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York pioneered the practice when it began selling Royal Stinger, brewed, in partnership with Mill Street Brewery, with honey harvested from the hotel’s rooftop hives.

Following a 2014 naming contest, Royal Stinger was rebranded as Apiary Ale.) ARC offers monthly Chef ’s Bench dinners, including cicerone dinners featuring beer pairings.

Q at the Empress, at Fairmont Empress, in Victoria, B.C., bakes a rye loaf, made with Tofino, B.C.’s Tuff Session ale and served with black tapenade and sweet butter.

Every Saturday, Alpine Social, at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, in Lake Louise, Alta., hosts a party featuring a special 20 liter cask — from Grizzly Paw brewery, of Canmore, Alta. — opened on the bar itself, usually by the evening’s first guest. Adding to the fun: The type of cask is always a surprise.

Through an exclusive partnership with Grizzly Paw, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise created the P6 Pilsner, brewed exclusively at the property. Made every six to eight weeks, the pilsner is the hotel’s highest selling beer, according to a spokesperson.

Boom times for Panorama Mountain Resort

PANORAMA, B.C. — It’s boom times for Panorama Mountain Resort, as the four-season destination plans to rebrand one of its hotels, adds new activities and amenities throughout the property and marks the first anniversary of the launch of 1000 Peaks Lodge.

Rebranding Pine Inn Rebranding is in the cards for 90-room Pine Inn, “to position it for the millennial market as a mountain adventure property,” Steve Paccagnan, Panorama’s president and CEO, told CLN. The rebranding will evolve as a phased renovation of the restaurant and guestrooms, with completion expected in fall, 2017.

Pine Inn is one of the resort’s nine lodging accommodations that, combined, offer 310 rooms. Joining that roster last winter was 1000 Peaks Lodge, pictured above, offering 35 condo and hotel units.

“We’re seeing demand for product, and for this winter, there will be more demand than supply,” said Paccagnan. On the residential side, there’s Trappers Ridge, a development of 26 ski-in/ski-out single-family homes, 18 of which have been built.

On top of this, the resort, in October, was named North American Resort of the Year in the 2016 World Snow Awards presented by The Telegraph Ski and Snowboard magazine.

Panorama was selected over three other finalists for the award, which recognizes continued improvement in service.

“Over the past couple of years, Panorama has injected more than $10 million of improvements into the resort, but it’s the work our team does to take care of our guests that really impressed the panel of judges,” said Paccagnan. “This World Snow award shows we are on the right track, and we’re more determined than ever to keep improving.”

The panel of judges considered improvements that were made

by the property during the preceding 12 months. Throughout the year, the resort undertook enhancements to infrastructure, signage, mountain access and the beautification of public areas, and changed the way customers interact with the resort online and through central reservations.

Other improvements at the resort, located in the Purcell Mountains of Southeastern B.C., include expanding Taynton Bowl’s 750 acres of former heli-ski terrain to encompass more than 16 acres of new expert, black double diamond terrain. Panorama is looking to further develop more terrain in this area. In total, the resort offers almost 3,000 acres of skiable terrain.

For the first time, Panorama will host an alpine music festival.

Taking place March 17 to 19, 2017, the festival will kick off Panorama’s popular spring event series, which includes The Easy Rider Snowboard Cup, Easter Fête and Super Hero Sun Fest.

Enhancements are also planned for the Discovery Zone, Discovery Quad and Little Ripper Carpet, which were installed for winter 2014/15 as a stress-free introduction to the snow targeting first-timers, families and learners. For 2016/17, greater animation will be introduced to add more excitement into the learning experience. This includes development of 12 local wildlife characters that will appear on chairlifts and children’s bibs, as well as throughout the Canadian Discovery Trail, Panorama’s signature kids run that was created in 2015 and takes families on a playful route through the forest around the Discovery Zone.

On the mountain, the resort team improved the trail network, debuted a new quad lift and invested in snowmaking equipment.

Peering in his crystal ball, Paccagnan said plans call for the fourseason resort to boost its summer activities. “We see that as a growth area.”

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February 2017 | 7

Pest Practices

New equipment and technology, and improved procedures, are helping hoteliers combat pesky critters.

By Don Douloff

P

ests remain a pesky problem. For operators, the stakes are high, since even a single instance of nasty critters can fuel a social media tirade by the disgruntled guest(s), potentially going viral and damaging a brand’s reputation.

“Having run hotels across Canada over the last couple of years, I would say the consistent challenge for hoteliers continues to be bed bugs,” said Aodhan Sheahan, vice-president operations, MasterBUILT Hotels. “Regionally, neighbourhood by neighbourhood and literally hotel by hotel, a variety of other pests would be a challenge, but bed bugs definitely rank first, not in frequency, but certainly in terms of guest impact and the seriousness of any infestation.”

Sheahan notes that “for mice or other rodents, regular inspections; humane, or more humane, traps; as well as sonic devices and poison, where necessary, are employed.”

He added that “a key consideration today is that any control method not be harmful to guest health or the environment.”

Sheahan characterizes bed bugs as “invasive, persistent and hardy little bugs. You have to literally declare war on them if they show up.”

8 | Canadian Lodging News

To that end, MasterBUILT follows what the brand calls its ‘9 Room Policy’.

So, for example, if a room in the middle of the second floor has a bed bug, “we immediately quarantine the room, the rooms on either side, the three rooms above and the three rooms below. All nine rooms are treated with effective but people-safe products right away. The affected room is held out of inventory for a week and then inspected again after its bed linen, box spring and mattress have been disposed of in a safe manner. The other eight rooms are returned to inventory after a professional inspection. Should a bed bug be found in one of those rooms, we begin the nine-room count and treatment all over again. You have to be aggressive to ensure these pests do not get ahead of you.”

Sheahan noted that pest control measures such as the 9 Room Policy entail “significant” cost, but said, “we do it because it’s the right thing to do for our guests and because this cost is much lower than the cost of a major outbreak and the reputational impact that can result.”

CHOICE HOTELS CANADA Choice Hotels Canada provides pest control information and other resources to franchisees, said Brendan Gibney, senior director, franchise services.

Typically, the brand’s efforts focus on bed bugs, he said. Preventative measures include bed wraps, and if bugs infest a mattress, then the hotel discards it. Housekeeping undertakes proactive inspection of headboards, mattresses, etc., and vacuums areas such as rugs, bed and upholstered chairs with a machine outfitted with a HEPA filter. If necessary, heat treatment is undertaken.

At each property, the general manager and head of housekeeping receive certification in the online Room Condition Journey training, which outlines best practices, said Gibney.

Each time a guestroom is cleaned, a full inspection is expected.

Helping in the fight are suppliers, who are stepping up their game, offering an array of products and services hoteliers can employ in their battle against pests.

MAGICAL PEST CONTROL Magical Pest Control, a Terminix Canada company, services more than 200 hotels in Canada and the U.S. Rick Chard, Ontario regional sales manager, said bedbugs and cockroaches are the top two pests affecting Canadian hotels.

Pest control companies are “trying to avoid the use of insecticides with the introduction of new baits,” and are implementing integrated pest management (IPM) techniques such as vacuuming and steaming, said Chard. IPM is a broad-based approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests.

Magical Pest provides K9 (dog) inspection, which “offers close to 100-per-cent effective rate, as opposed to the 35 per cent accuracy rate of even the best trained human inspector,” according to company information. Through their keen sense of smell, dogs can detect bed bugs (and even termites) behind walls.

The company offers non-poisonous Cryonite treatment, which uses extreme cold to kill pests via frozen carbon dioxide snow sprayed from a specially designed nozzle. Through an optimal combination of snow particle size and speed, the cooling is swift enough to ensure that bugs, including eggs and larvae, will not survive.

At the other end of the temperature scale, Magical Pest offers non-chemical, non-toxic heat treatment, which penetrates wall cavities, mattresses, etc. to reach and kill bed bugs, including the all-important eggs. Bed bug monitoring devices are also effective.

“With K9 Services as well as bed bug monitoring devices, it allows for the pest control companies to narrow down the rooms which may be affected,” said Chard. “Also with the heat and

Cryonite services, it allows for a single treatment for bed bugs,” reducing the time the room has to be shut down.

“The cooperation of the pest control company and the hotelier is a must, and the implementation of proactive programs such as K9 and monitoring devices will allow for control,” concludes Chard.

PROTECT-A-BED Over at Protect-A-Bed, which specializes in mattress and box spring encasements and interceptors, Marc de Grave, vice-president of the company’s Canadian office, confirmed that bed bugs “are always at the top of the list (of hotel pests)” due to issues of liability and level of difficulty needed to control them. “Roaches and ants would be in the top three.”

With the major explosion of the bed bug problem, “most licensed professional pest managers are well versed in control, but it is requiring more of an IPM approach, including use of more tools such as vacuuming, steaming, mattress protectors, monitoring and also the use of properly labeled and registered pest control chemicals.”

Protect-A-Bed’s products, which include Box Spring Plus, Bug Lock (Economy and Plus) and AllerZip, “help the hotelier be proactive by protecting their investment (mattress and box springs) from being infested. It also reduces the cost of problem solving should the room have bed bugs, and proves that (hoteliers) are diligent in protecting their guests. It also cuts down on mattress inspection time and helps detect any concerns by staff much faster.”

As de Grave observes, “as long as the managers and/or property managers work together to formulate a plan of action, such as a sanitation plan of the facilities, coupled with proactive monitoring, most bed bug problems can be controlled. With the added use of monitoring and IPM, there is an added cost, as there is no ‘silver bullet’ for bed bugs and other insects.”

CASE STUDY: AIRLINE HOTELS In October 2015, Airline Hotels purchased Thermal Heat Remediation Equipment, and conducted its first treatment in November 2015.

Airline’s COO Jaret Waddell explains why the brand bought the equipment and how it has benefited its operations.

“Airline had a couple of key associates that identified this opportunity in one of our internal management entrepreneurial challenges. These associates were thorough, built a compelling business case and the rest is history. Airline purchased the equipment due to rising instances of bed bug infestations across the industry and our dissatisfaction with not being able to preventatively handle the matter on our own terms. Chemical treatment sometimes works – sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes you call a pest control company to come in and treat for you and they can get there soon and sometimes they can’t. We observed that risk existed in this area and was growing. The life safety component of risk management in Airline Hotels is important and we take it seriously. We perceived that this matter was escalating in prevalence and severity and needed our attention to do something different.

“We started with Saskatoon, as we have three hotel properties in that city. There was the greatest economy of scale in that city and so we wanted to prove our business case assumptions before considering acquisition of additional equipment for other properties/ cities. We have identified that necessary cost recovery efficiencies exist when we have more than one hotel in a city. Over the course of the next 18 months, we will pursue acquisition of additional treatment equipment for those cities in which we have multiple hotel properties.

“The equipment is designed to eradicate bed bugs and bed bug eggs from the treated area. We do both preventative (proactive) treatment of our rooms and responsive (reactive) treatment when there is suspicion of their presence. Proactive treatment is important to us because it shows the care and responsibility we should be taking as hoteliers to prevent, as opposed to “deal with,” these situations when they arise.

“Thermal heaters are placed in the guestrooms that super-heat the room to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. These units heat the entire room and its contents to this temperature and hold the temperature for four to eight hours. The time depends on the size of the

space being treated and the R-value of the room insulation. At that temperature, neither bed bugs nor their eggs can survive. Another benefit of Thermal Remediation equipment is that the heat treatment can permeate the walls. Often times, chemical treatment is topical only, meaning that it will only eradicate what it touches. If the bed bugs have retreated to a place in the room where chemicals cannot touch them (very small holes in walls, behind baseboards), you run the risk of the chemical treatment not effectively eradicating the pests. Once the room is held at the treatment temperature for the required period in time, the room is inspected and returned to service within hours.

“Airline hotel properties were spending as much as $15k per year to preventatively and responsively treat guestrooms. In addition to this, heat remediation equipment is in high demand and it can take longer to reserve a treatment than we were prepared to wait. Where responsive treatments are concerned, any amount of time that lapses between diagnosis of a potential problem and treatment can cause the location of the pests to potentially expand to other areas/ rooms. Having our own equipment has allowed us to retain all of the costs we were spending in this space outside the company and allowed us to treat our properties on our own schedule – without delay. We are currently preventatively treating our own rooms four days per week, continuously throughout the entire year.

“The payback on the equipment was projected to be approximately four years and our assumptions on treatments and costs are on track, so no reason to assume that it won’t be three to four years for full ROI.

“The most significant pest threat facing Airline in the hospitality business is bed bugs. With the acquisition of our own Thermal Remediation treatment equipment, we have been able to take control of the most challenging component of pest management. There are other factors that need to be considered, however, including treatment of spaces larger than our equipment can treat (our equipment can treat up to a maximum of 1,800 square feet). Also, there is both a science and an art (as bizarre as that sounds) in bed bug detection. We are now looking to further develop our capabilities in becoming certified to handle and administer chemicals used in the eradication of bed bugs. Further, we have worked with many partner companies to help us understand the most effective means of inspection and diagnosis.

“By the time our certification is complete, we will have the ability to handle all steps in the process of bed bug management. We will have capacity to inspect, diagnose, treat guestrooms and larger spaces. Currently, we still rely on others to help us in the areas we do not have capacity – chemical treatment and inspection/ diagnosis

“Airline will continue to acquire this equipment in cities where we have more than one hotel. In cities where we do not have multi-hotel presence, we have strict standards in how we deal with this threat when using outside companies. Many times, this topic is somewhere between voodoo and “icky” to hoteliers, and

they do not want to know more about it, just want it gone and dealt with. If this is the case, hoteliers are putting the wellbeing of their guests and the maintenance of their buildings FULLY in someone else’s hands. That’s simply not a risk we’re willing to take.

“The direct costs associated with certification, acquisition of chemical and proper administration and storage do not amount to being material in nature. Dedicating the time of our associates to focus 100 per cent on this is a real material cost. We are prepared to make that investment, as we believe strongly that this issue for hoteliers will get worse before it gets better. As we have learned in our industry, you can be in the news for the right reasons or the wrong reasons in this matter; hopefully, we have chosen a path that leads to better well-being for our guests and noise in the community for the right reasons.”

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February 2017 | 9

OPENINGS, SALES AND RENOS Modular hotel in Fox Creek FOX CREEK, Alta. — Developer Billy Coles of BCP Construction has captured the construction of his 45-room modular Econo Lodge on time lapse video. The hotel is made out of concrete and steel modules, and will complement the 83-room Fox Creek Comfort Inn and Suites.

“It’s all modular, complete with TVs, air conditioning, fridges, beds and draperies made in Three Hills, Alta., 500 km away,” Coles told CLN. “There are showers with rain heads, a La-Z-Boy chair — and the cool thing is we made all the furniture and casegoods as well.”

BCR is the company in Three Hills that manufactured each module, and BCP is the construction company. Coles owns and operates both companies. The next modular hotel they will build is a six-storey Comfort Inn with 105 rooms in North Battleford, Sask., which broke ground last fall.

Boutique hotel next to waterpark VANCOUVER — Executive Hotels & Resorts announced Jan. 11 that it is developing a boutique hotel concept adjacent to the renovated Big Splash Waterpark that the company expects to re-open this summer in Tsawwassen under a new name, Splashdown Waterpark.

“We are pleased to have established a 99-year lease for the continued enjoyment and development of the 20-acre Splashdown development site in Tsawwassen,” said Joe Ennis, director of services at Executive. “We have established an exciting mixed use commercial/residential development plan, which includes a complete refurbishment of the waterpark, which is already underway, plus a new Executive hotel. We will be open for business this summer and look forward to welcoming back all of the waterpark’s loyal guests, as well as thousands of new guests to experience the rejuvenated Big Splash waterpark experience.”

The project is expected to open across from the new 1.2-million-square-foot Tsawwassen Mills.

Choice opens three economy hotels TORONTO — Franchisor Choice Hotels Canada opened three economy brand properties during the fourth quarter of 2016, increasing the total number of hotels in the system to 322, it was announced Jan. 12.

“The growth of our economy brands in Canada is a strong indication of travellers’ needs for comfort, convenience and value while on the road,” said Brian Leon, managing director, Choice Hotels Canada, in a release.

“We have no doubt these new additions will serve as fantastic representatives of our Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands in Canada.”

Fourth-quarter Choice Hotels Canada openings include Econo Lodge, Fox Creek, Alta. (45-room new-build — see story above); Econo Lodge, Sudbury, Ont. (34-room conversion); and Rodeway Inn, Trois Rivières, Que. (101-room conversion). The company expects to open four hotels in the first quarter of 2017.

Group Germain to launch new Alt+ brand in 2018 BROSSARD, Que. — Group Germain Hotels plans to launch a new banner, Alt+ Hotel, in the Quartier DIX30 commercial lifestyle centre, in Brossard, Que., in 2018, it was announced Jan. 24.

Construction has begun on the building, which will house the four-star Alt+ Hotel Quartier DIX30, offering 168 guestrooms and meeting rooms. Located in the Square close to shops such as David’s Tea, Apple, hr2 and WilliamsSonoma, and surrounded by an urban park, the 15-storey building will include a restaurant on the ground floor as well as rental office space.

The hotel represents a $35 million investment from Group Germain.

“For nearly 10 years we have witnessed firsthand the growing popularity of Quartier DIX30 and have also been attentive to the needs and demands of our guests,” said

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Christiane Germain, co-president of Group Germain Hotels, in a release. “We are therefore convinced that the Alt+ Hotel Quartier DIX30 concept, combining spacious rooms and a number of services to enhance customer experience, will appeal to visitors.”

New Hyatt Place located close to West Edmonton mall EDMONTON — Hyatt Place Edmonton-West, the second Hyatt Place hotel in Canada, opened in Edmonton’s Westside area late last month. The hotel joins Hyatt Place Edmonton/Downtown, which opened last October.

Hyatt Place Edmonton-West offers 161 guestrooms with separate spaces to sleep, work and play, as well as a sofasleeper.

Daily, the Gallery Kitchen serves a free hot breakfast featuring rotating hot items, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal and fresh-baked pastries. The 24/7 Gallery Menu & Market serves freshly prepared meals anytime, day or night, and packaged sandwiches and salads. A bar offers Starbucks specialty coffees and premium beers, as well as wines and cocktails In addition, the property offers 2,750 square feet of meeting space, a pool, hot tub, and 24-hour gym featuring cardio equipment with LCD touchscreens and free ear buds.

Unique to the Hyatt Place brand are Gallery Hosts, who are available 24 hours a day for guests.

The hotel is close to West Edmonton Mall, TELUS World of Science, Fort Edmonton Park, the Edmonton Valley Zoo and North Saskatchewan river valley.

Fox Creek Econo Lodge: see time-lapse video on the CLN website.

IHG dual brand debuts in Edmonton TORONTO — InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced on Jan. 3 the opening of the Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express dual-brand property near the West Edmonton Mall, the company’s first dual-brand in Canada.

The 77-room Candlewood Suites West Edmonton – Mall Area and 137-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites West Edmonton – Mall Area hotel debuted on Dec. 20.

The Holiday Inn Express property features a 24-hour fitness centre, business centre, meeting space capable of seating 130 people, indoor pool and hot tub.

The Candlewood Suites offers suites with fully equipped kitchens and the Lending Locker, from which guests can borrow common household items such as a crock pot, blender and extra lighting. Amenities shared between the two brands include outdoor gazebo grills, an indoor pool, fitness centre, game room and business centre.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites offers guestrooms and suites equipped with Keurig brewers, microwave oven, mini-fridge, kettle, work desk and free Wi-Fi. Standard with the brand is the complimentary Express Start breakfast bar.

Owned by Perfect Hospitality Inc. and PHI Hotel Group, the property is close to the West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton’s downtown area and the University of Alberta.

Three B.C. resorts sold for $10.7M VICTORIA, B.C. — Oak Bay Marine Group has sold three of its Vancouver Island resorts for $10.7 million in a deal brokered by Colliers International Hotels.

The resorts included the 94-key Painter’s Lodge, 56-key April Point Resort & Marina and 46-key Canadian Princess Resort.

The properties are located on Vancouver Island and presented an opportunity for a new owner to acquire three unique resorts with mixed-use facilities and premier amenities in one of the most popular salmon fishing destinations in the world. The resorts were marketed on a flexible portfolio basis and were purchased by two buyers in separate transactions.

Canadian Princess was acquired for $1.9 million by private investors Bob and Sue Se, who took over operations in

King guestroom at Hyatt Place Edmonton-West.

Exterior of Painter’s Lodge, Vancouver Island.

May with their daughter Michelle Se as manager. According to the Canadian Princess website, the Ucluelet, B.C., property is being updated under the new ownership with the majority to be complete this year.

In the 1980s, the Oak Bay Marine Group rebuilt and reopened the historic Painter’s Lodge after it had been destroyed by fire. In the 1990s, the company bought the smaller April Point Resort on Quadra Island, just across Discovery Passage. A private investor, Alan Lu, under his company DHI, purchased these two properties for $8.8 million in a deal that closed in December.

According to a statement from Oak Bay Marine, the new owners of Painters Lodge and April Point plan to continue operations in the coming season.

“They have expressed that they have the utmost respect and admiration for the rich history, tradition and guest experience that makes these two resorts so exceptional, and we are excited that the tradition will continue,” read the statement.

“Moving forward, the Oak Bay Marine Group will focus on reinvesting in our continuing business areas, which include our marinas, resorts, restaurants and attractions,” said the company.

Its remaining resorts portfolio includes Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort and Villas, in Bahamas and Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina, in Victoria, B.C.

OPENINGS, SALES AND RENOS Parkbridge buys 3 Central Ontario properties

Westin Ottawa to debut rooftop ballroom

BOBCAYGEON, ON — Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities has completed the acquisition of Nestle In Resort, Heron’s Landing and Glenway Village, all located in Ontario’s Kawartha region, it was announced Jan. 17.

With the acquisition of these retirement, family and cottage RV resort properties, Parkbridge now owns and operates over 115 land-lease properties across Canada.

Located on a lakeside setting of 172 acres, and providing boat access to Sturgeon Lake and the Trent Severn Waterway system, these three properties offer onsite amenities including a 4,000-square-foot community gathering centre and entertainment hall, beach volleyball and basketball courts, fitness rooms, swimming pools, marina slips and grocery store.

“Acquiring these three properties is a perfect opportunity for us to continue delivering on our commitment to provide quality land-lease communities with topnotch amenities and services, at an attainable price point for our customers.

“Our Parkbridge customer experience is what really differentiates us and we look forward to sharing these properties with our existing and future customers,” said Lachlan MacLean, vice-president of property operations, in a release.

TORONTO – The Westin Ottawa plans to open a 3,000-square-foot rooftop ballroom in spring, it was announced Jan. 23.

Located on the 22nd floor, the new function space, TwentyTwo, will feature a video wall display and sound system that can be customized for events.

Adjacent to TwentyTwo, a specialty suite will host pre-event activities. The ballroom will also offer a dedicated bar with the option of a customized beverage menu.

Handling the food and beverage is the hotel’s executive chef Kenton Leier, who will offer menu consultations and tastings during the booking process, along with a specially created wine list and pairing suggestions.

From the 22nd floor, the ballroom will provide near-panoramic views of Parliament to the west and the Gatineau Hills to the north and east.

Sheraton Toronto Airport completes renovation TORONTO — Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel and Conference Centre has completed a multi-million-dollar renovation that upgraded guestrooms, the Club lounge, meeting space, lobby and Olio Mediterranean Grille, it was announced Jan. 26.

The 249 upgraded guestrooms were designed with a residential look and feature a moveable desk, custom-designed ergonomic chair and chaise lounge.

Rooms also feature refrigerators, inroom safes, flat-screen LCD televisions, new artwork, Starbucks coffee makers and the new Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience.

As a part of the renovation, the hotel has introduced a deluxe guestroom category with additional space on higher floors featuring views of the airport and golf course. The Hotel has also expanded the capacity of the Club Lounge and increased the number of Club Level guestrooms.

The hotel’s lobby now features communal seating. Off the lobby, Olio Mediterranean Grille has been renovated with new furniture as well as a new colour scheme of grey with teal and plum accents.

Sheraton Club guests now receive upgraded amenities, as well as complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, beverages and evening hors d’oeuvres in the improved Sheraton Club Lounge.

The hotel’s 26,000 square feet of meeting space, in 12 conference and function rooms, have been upgraded with new carpet, vinyl, artwork and lighting throughout.

Moosomin Motel 6 installs solar panels for sustainability MOOSOMIN, Sask. — The Motel 6 in Moosomin, Sask., has installed roof-mounted tube panels, utilizing the sun as a natural heat source, it was announced Jan. 12.

“We are very proud to see our franchise partner’s commitment to finding innovative ways to help our environment,” said Dean Savas, executive vice-president, franchise and international development at G6 Hospitality, in a release.

“This solar initiative aligns with our desire to embed sustainability into every part of our business

Motel 6, Moosomin, Sask. has installed solar panels. operations.”

Josef Tesar, the owner of the property, oversaw the hotel’s development, including its green initiative and solar panel installation.

Each solar panel consists of 20 tubes, which are vacuum formed and allow for the wind and cold Canadian temperatures to have minimal effects on the efficiency of the evacuated collector.

“The 76-room Motel 6 in Moosomin, Saskatchewan is making major strides in decreasing its carbon footprint with the use of a solar water heating system that reduces the hotel’s natural gas usage seasonally and has resulted in an aver-

age 30 to 40 per cent cost savings,” said Tesar.

“We believe using a solar water heating system will have an impact on operational costs and therefore expect to see a reduction on hot water expenses and overall environmental emissions after the initial installation.”

Recently, the Motel 6 brand also undertook a renovation to implement its Phoenix room design, which includes environmentally-friendly features such as fluorescent light bulbs in all rooms, low-flow shower heads, high efficiency toilets, and high efficiency heating and air-conditioning units, across most of its properties.

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February 2017 | 1 1

CANADIAN HOTEL SCHOOLS British Columbia

Program Types: BA, Global Tourism Management; BA International Hotel Management.

What’s New/Focus: These programs are undergraduate completion degrees that include years three and four in a 12 or 24-month oncampus program. Pathway options for undergraduate programs, including years one and two, are available at RRU for international students.

SELKIRK COLLEGE

CAPILANO UNIVERSITY North Vancouver, B.C. www.capilanou.ca/tourism-management Dixie Golins Divisional Assistant Tourism Management Programs tourism@capilanou.ca 604-986-1911 ext.3645 Program Types: Bachelor of Tourism Management, Bachelor of Tourism Management Hotel & Resort Concentration, Bachelor of Tourism Management Adventure Concentration, Tourism Management Co-operative Education Diploma, Tourism Marketing Citation What’s New/Focus: Bachelor of Tourism Management degree can be specialized to fit high-demand careers in either the competitive and expansive field of hotel & resort management, or the growth sector of Adventure Tourism. Students gain specific skills and knowledge to immediately impact their workplace and develop a career path that takes them beyond the front line. The accredited, paid co-op work term enables students to gain valuable experience in the field, adding to their competitive advantage upon graduation.

DOUGLAS COLLEGE Coquitlam, B.C. www.douglascollege.ca Mark Elliott, Program Chair, Hospitality Management elliottm@douglas.bc.ca 604-777-6209 Program Types: 2-year Hospitality Management diploma or Post Baccalaureate Diploma Hospitality Service Management programs or 1 year (minimum) post-degree diploma program offered in Hospitality Marketing.

What’s New/Focus: Guest and colleague expectations are evolving so that internal and guest relationship management strategies are increasingly important in customizing experiences and value. Distribution and revenue management strategies becoming more complex and dynamic.

Number of Hospitality Students: 250

ROYAL ROADS Victoria, B.C. www.royalroads.ca Dr. Pedro Márquez, Vice-president, Global Advancement, Marketing and Business Development Pedro.marquez@royalroads.ca 250-391-2511

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Nelson, B.C. www.selkirk.ca Kate Pelletier, Dean info@selkirk.bc.ca 250-352-6601 x13207 Program Types: 2-year diploma Resort and Hotel Management; 2-year diploma, Post Graduate diploma in hospitality.

What’s New/Focus: First year focuses on hospitality courses in Nelson. Second year includes core business courses in Accounting, Management, Marketing and Economics in Castlegar. The Post Graduate diploma in Hospitality Management includes a paid 4-month work term from May-August.

THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY Kamloops, B.C. www.tru.ca Rob Hood, Dean, Associate Professor and Chair, Tourism Management rhood@tru.ca 250-371-5988 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Resort and Hotel Management.

What’s New/Focus: The program is designed to provide the theory and practical skills essential to begin a career in Resort and Hotel Management. Before graduating, and in order to receive the diploma, students must complete a minimum of 500 hours of relevant work experience in the tourism industry.

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY Nanaimo, B.C. www.viu.ca Stephen Burr, Department Chair stephen.burr@viu.ca 250-740-6158 Program Types: Bachelor of Hospitality Management; 2-year diploma, Hospitality Management.

What’s New/Focus: Designed to provide the hospitality industry with future management personnel, the Hospitality Management diploma and degree programs combine handson practical experience with academic courses.

Alberta NAIT (NORTHERN ALBERTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) Edmonton, Alta. www.nait.ca Leroy Russell, Academic Chair, Hospitality Management leroyr@nait.ca 780-491-1396 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality

Management.

What’s New/Focus: As part of the JR Shaw School of Business, Hospitality Management focuses on a strong business foundation as well as developing service skills for food and beverage and front-desk. The second year features marketing, financial management and advanced courses in hotel, restaurant and catering operations. A 400-hour work experience term is also included.

Number of Hospitality Students: 90 – 100

OLDS COLLEGE Olds, Alta. www.oldscollege.ca Bob Van Someren, Coordinator, Hospitality and Tourism Management bvansomeren@oldscollege.ca 403-556-4620 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality and Tourism Management.

What’s New/Focus: This innovative program leverages mobile technology to bring the learning to the students in order to engage front-line workers, engage students across the province through a high school dual credit program and invest in middle managers.

CONESTOGA EXPANSION

UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY Vancouver, B.C. www.ufv.ca Nancy Barker, Associate Professor Nancy.barker@ufv.ca 604-847-5460 Program Types: 1 year post graduate, Hospitality Event Planning.

What’s New/Focus: For students who already have a Bachelor’s degree, UFV’s one-year Hospitality and Event Planning post-degree certificate can help fast-track a career in a diverse and flourishing industry.

VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Vancouver, B.C. www.vcc.ca Graham Webber, Dean, School of Hospitality and Applied Business gwebber@vcc.ca 604-871-7000 x8396 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality Management; Bachelor Degree, Hospitality Management.

What’s New/Focus: Trends include advances in technology, employee empowerment, decision-making and analytics.

Photo credit: Office of Bryan May WATERLOO, Ont. — Elected representatives from the federal, provincial, regional and municipal governments joined members of the Conestoga community at the college’s North campus in Waterloo, Ont. on Dec. 19 for the announcement of a joint federal-provincial government investment of $15.8 million to support a major expansion project for the campus.

Elected representatives joined members of the Conestoga community for the announcement of government support for a major expansion at the college’s North campus in Waterloo.

L-R: Regional Chair Ken Seiling, MPP Daiene Vernile, Conestoga President John Tibbits, MP Bryan May, Government House leader and MP Bardish Chagger, MP Marwan Tabbara, MP Raj Saini, Waterloo

Mayor Dave Jaworsky.

The funding will support Phase 1 of Conestoga’s Pathways to Prosperity initiative. The project includes the development of three primary components.

• A new Institute for Culinary & Hospitality Management will greatly expand capacity for programming and applied research.

• The Centre for Advanced Learning will focus on the delivery of new and expanded programming for information and communications technology and other high-demand areas.

• A new Access Hub will provide students, newcomers to Canada, job seekers and area employers with access to information, programs and services in a single location.

CENTENNIAL’S NEW DIGS

204-725-8700 x6213 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hotel and Restaurant Management What’s New/Focus: Hotel and Restaurant Management program provides a solid foundation for marketable skills and management training in food and beverage, marketing and sales, human resource management and accounting. Students train at the college’s beautiful North Hill Campus with the program being housed in the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts, a building with provincial heritage status.

Students work together to host premier events throughout the year, including Harvest on the Hill, the Holiday Buffet, the International Wine & Food Festival and the Grey Owl Restaurant. http://assiniboine.net/hotel Number of Hospitality Students: Capacity for 50 students

RED RIVER COLLEGE SCARBOROUGH, Ont. — While its students are well into their first semester at Centennial College’s new Culinary Arts Centre, the school is beginning to introduce the public to its state-of-the-art hospitality facility.

Planning for the $90-million facility began about three years ago.

Following two years of construction, the building opened its doors in September and includes a 742-bed residence, classrooms, labs, offices, a restaurant, café and conference centre.

“It feels like natural growth. Centennial has a long history of hospitality.

Some of these programs were here in 1966 when the college started,” said Joe Baker, dean of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. “We’ve been growing ever since then. This was just the next evolution.”

With more than 353,000 square feet of floor area, the culinary centre is the largest construction project completed by the college.

The Local, the 90-seat restaurant and café, as well as the 20,000-square-foot event centre and four in-school hotel rooms, serve as hands-on learning centres that allow students to learn their trade by serving the public.

Winnipeg, Man. www.rrc.mb.ca Graham Thomson, Dean, School of Business and Applied Arts gthomson@rrc.ca Jeannie Wong 204-949-8514 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Hotel and Restaurant Management.

What’s New/Focus: After successfully completing the first year of Hospitality and Tourism Management, students can choose the Hotel and Restaurant Management major to focus their studies on two of the eight tourism sectors: food and beverage and accommodation.

Ontario ALGONQUIN COLLEGE

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Calgary, AB www.sait.ca Margaret Walsh, Acting Chair margaret.walsh@sait.ca 403-284-8514 Program Types: Two-year diploma, Hospitality Management What’s New/Focus: During this two-year diploma program, students learn about hotel operations, wine and spirits appreciation, special event planning, marketing, human resources, accounting and entrepreneurship. Students use leading industry software and learn what it’s like to work as a member of a hospitality team by participating in group projects, serving in the renowned Highwood restaurant, and executing special events on campus.

Restaurant Management.

What’s New/Focus: Students can use their diploma to enter the third year of four-year degree programs at Husson University/University of Fredericton in New Brunswick (Business Administration) and Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C. (Int’l. Hotel Management).

Number of Hospitality Students: 60

Manitoba

Saskatchewan SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC (SIAST) Saskatoon, Sask. www.saskpolytech.ca Nancy Dill, Dean, School of Hospitality and Tourism Nancy.Dill@saskpolytech.ca 306-765-1554 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hotel and

ASSINIBOINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Brandon, Man. www.assiniboine.net Kyle Zalluski, instructor, Hotel and Restaurant Management Zalluski@Assiniboine.net mica@assiniboine.net

Ottawa, Ont. www.algonquincollege.com Altaf Sovani, Chair, School of Hospitality & Tourism sovania@algonquincollege.com 613-727-4723 x7406 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management; 4 year Applied Degree, Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management (Honours).

Honours Degrees include: Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management (Honours). PostGraduate Certificates include: Event Management; and Retirement Communities Management.

Diplomas include: Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management; and Tourism – Travel Services.

What’s New/Focus: The perfect blend of academics & hands-on learning. All courses are offered hybrid traditional in-class Face to Face Theory & Practical hands-on learning (The Degree program has two mandatory paid cooperative education (Co-op) Work Term(s). Total 1,000 hours. E-text is available for all programs.

Bring Your Own Device(BYOD) This four-year program was designed from extensive industry input and was developed with a focus on progressive learning in four key hospitality and tourism industry areas, including management, finance, human resources and marketing. Throughout, students are provided with opportunities to learn and develop teamwork, leadership, communication, critical-

thinking and problem-solving skills. A strong experiential component provides the context in which to integrate theory and practice, enabling students to apply their learning in a variety of real business situations.

Graduates are equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience required to succeed in hospitality and tourism careers. Graduates are also prepared to pursue further academic study in business administration, management and hospitality/tourism fields.

Number of Hospitality Students: 1,115

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE Toronto, Ont. www.centennialcollege.ca/hospitality Joe Baker, Dean, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts jbaker@centennialcollege.ca 416-289-5000 x3557 Program Types: Food Media, 1 year Graduate Certificate; Food Tourism, 1 year Graduate Certificate; Event Management, 1 year Graduate Certificate; Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Management, 1 year Graduate Certificate; Hotel Operations Management, 2 year Diploma; Special Events Planning, 2 year Diploma; Food and Beverage Management, 2 year Diploma; Culinary Management, 2 year Diploma; Baking and Pastry Arts Management, 2 year Diploma What’s New/Focus: The School has a brand new building featuring an experiential learning environment that includes The Local Cafe and Restaurant, the Centennial College Event Centre and Hotel style guestrooms. New programs include Food Media, Food Tourism and Special Events Planning.

Number of Hospitality Students: 1,000

CONESTOGA COLLEGE Kitchener, Ont. www.conestogac.on.ca Keith Müller, Chair School of Business and Hospitality kmuller@conestogac.on.ca 519-748-5220 x3245 Program Types: 2-year diploma Hospitality Management — Hotel & Restaurant (Co-op).

What’s New/Focus: The program is designed to combine theory and practical experience in the specific skills involved in people management, hands-on preparation, customer service, and financial controls needed in the hospitality industry. Co-op terms can be completed in a restaurant, hotel, catering or other approved food and beverage facility either local or across Canada.

FANSHAWE COLLEGE London, Ont. www.fanshawec.ca Anne Pearson, Program Coordinator agpearson@fanshawec.ca 519-452-4430 x4793 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality — H Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality — Hotel & Resort Services Management.

What’s New/Focus: Students learn about guest and reservation management systems and get hands-on experience in food and beverage service operations, both front of the house and in the kitchen, as well as a wide variety of courses in the foundations of the business side of Hotel and Resort Management. They also conduct in-depth research and planning with a managerial project centred on the hospitality industry.

Number of Hospitality Students: 165

CANADIAN HOTEL SCHOOLS HUMBER’S CULINARY OLYMPIC TEAM

provides some of the most extensive paid coop work experiences in the Canadian college system, along with experiential opportunities, including one week applied field experience, practical labs, workplace certifications, and study and travel abroad.

HUMBER COLLEGE

TORONTO – A team made up of Humber graduates, faculty and students has taken home a gold medal at the international Culinary Olympics, held in Erfurt, Germany.

Competing against 54 other teams, Humber was one of only two Canadian teams to win gold in the Regional division.

Established in 1900, the Culinary Olympics are held every four years in Erfurt. This year, 59 nations with 148 teams competed in a range of divisions including National, Junior National, Regional, Community and Individual.

During the event, which ran from October 22 to 25, competitors prepared eight servings of: three

different appetizers; a five course meal; petit-fours (four pastry varieties); four different dessert plates; a buffet platter with 3 different varieties of terrines plus garnishes, again for eight people; and four types of finger foods “We couldn’t be more proud of our Humber Culinary Olympic team, made up of talented faculty, graduates and students,” said Rudi Fischbacher, associate dean, Humber School of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism, who accompanied the team to Germany.

Shown from left are Alysha Muir, Vincent Capitano, James Bodanis, Annalisa Lattavo and Jonathon Brum.

GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE Toronto, Ont. The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management www.georgebrown.ca hospitality@georgebrown.ca 416-415-5000, ext. 2225 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Food & Beverage Management – Restaurant Management; 2-year diploma Tourism & Hospitality Management; 2-year diploma Hotel Operations Management Program; 2-year diploma Special Event Management; 4-year Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Hospitality); Advanced Wine and Beverage Business Management (Postgraduate — 3 semesters).

What’s New/Focus: The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management acts as the bridge to connect students to industry, and exposure to premier restaurants, hotels and event planners.

The relationships we’ve established with leading industry partners provide students with local, international and work/study abroad learning opportunities.

Number of Hospitality Students: 1,800​

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Toronto, Ont. www.humber.ca / hrt.humber.ca Susan Somerville, Dean, School of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism Susan.somerville@humber.ca 416-675-6622 x4550 Program Types: New Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management Program; 2-year diploma Program.

What’s New/Focus: New 14-week Hotel Management Leadership Program started March 26, 2016. It allows students to work fulltime while developing essential leadership skills to move into senior management positions.

Subjects include communication and presentation skills, marketing, accounting and hotel technology.

Number of Hospitality Students: 200

NIAGARA COLLEGE Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. www.niagaracollege.ca Damian Goulbourne, Associate Dean (Acting) dgoulbourne@niagaracollege.ca 905-641-2252 Program Types: 1-year certificate, Hospitality & Tourism; 2-year diploma, Hospitality - Hotel and Restaurant Operations; 4-year degree, Bachelor of Business Administration (Hospitality) What’s New/Focus: Full culinary labs, wine tasting rooms, Benchmark restaurant, front desk with Opera PMS system to access virtual 50room hotel. Paid co-op. Setting up a centre of excellence in tourism, hospitality and business innovation in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Number of Hospitality Students: 400

What’s New/Focus: Diploma Students are eligible and may qualify for work placement positions in South Africa; or to study abroad at the Swiss Hotel Management School, Montreal, Switzerland. All diploma students are available to complete a six-month paid externship between May and October each year.

Graduate Certificate Students: are engaged in work integrated projects with Hospitality business leaders on business issues from the perspective of business development, operations, and sales. These are projects the Graduate Certificate students take on for a period of 8 months.

They work closely with the organization to provide relevant recommendations and an implementation plan.

Number of Hospitality Students: 550

Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson University Toronto, Ont. www.ryerson.ca/tedrogersschool/htm/ Frederic Dimanche, Director fdimanche@ryerson.ca 416-979-5041 Program Type: Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Hospitality & Tourism Management What’s New/Focus: Canada’s premier program turns 65! The four-year Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) program contains a blend of experiential professional, professionally related, and liberal studies courses. Business skills applied to hospitality, event, and tourism management are developed through research assignments, tutorials, case studies, simulations, internships, and off-campus applied projects in Toronto’s busy hospitality and tourism sector. Students are required to complete a total of 1,000 hours of documented work experience in the hospitality and tourism industry. A strong alumni association helps make this the program of choice for future international leaders.

Number of Hospitality Students: 725

ST. CLAIR COLLEGE

Seventeen students from the Georgian Hotel and Resort, Culinary and Tourism programs left Oct. 13 to spend 10 weeks in Strasbourg, France under the guidance of faculty member Anne Green.

GEORGIAN COLLEGE Barrie, Ont. www.georgiancollege.ca Arthemise Lalonde arthemise.lalonde@georgiancollege.ca 705-728-1968 x5357 Program Types: Hospitality Administration Hotel & Resort — Ontario College 3-Year Advance Diploma; Hospitality Management Hotel & Resort - Ontario College 2-Year Diploma What’s New/Focus: Georgian’s program

Windsor, Ont. www.stclaircollege.ca Ken Reynolds kreynolds@stclaircollege.ca 519-972-2727 x4422 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Hospitality Management (Hotel and Restaurant Management).

What’s New/Focus: Student work and earn programs are available through recruitment visits by Fairmont Resorts and Hotels through the Disney College Program, and internally by the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts.

Students from Guelph’s Hotel Association of Canada student chapter tour the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto.

SENECA COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

Markham, Ont. www.senecacollege.ca Angela Zigras, Academic Chair, School of Hospitality and Tourism Angela.zigras@senecacollege.ca 416-491-5050 x77531 Program Types: 2-year diploma Hospitality Management — Hotel and Restaurant Services Management. 8-month graduate certificate programs in Global Hospitality Operations Management and Global Hospitality Business Development.

Guelph, Ont. www.uoguelph.ca/hftm Statia Elliot statia@uoguelph.ca 519-824-4120 Program Types: Bachelor of Commerce major in Hospitality and Tourism Management with specializations in: Hotel and Lodging; Restaurant and Foodservice; and Tourism Management. MBA, Hospitality and Tourism Management; MSc, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, Services Management.

What’s New/Focus: New in fall 2017, the Bachelor of Commerce program prepares graduates to assume positions of responsibility in hotels, resorts, restaurants, convention centres, food services and related industries. Graduates gain skills not just in hotel and food service operations, but in human resource management, marketing, accounting and communications.

Specialized Masters programs prepare graduates for teaching and leadership roles. The PhD tourism services focus is unique in Canada.

Number of Hospitality Students: 100

UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK

Quebec

N. L

Saint John, N.B. www.unb.ca Lee Joliffe, Professor ljolliff@unb.ca 506-648-5993 Program Types: Bachelor of Applied Management in Hospitality and Tourism (BAMHT).

What’s New/Focus: The BAMHT is available as a certificate and a degree, if entering from high school, or as a diploma and a degree, if entering from college.

ESG UQAM ECOLE DES SCIENCES DE LA GESTION

COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC

Montreal, Que. www.bgth.esg.uqam.ca Professor Dominic Lapointe, Programme Director bac-gth@uqam.ca (514) 987-3650 Program Types: BComm in Tourism and Hotel Management.

What’s New/Focus: The Bachelor of Tourism Management and Hospitality (BGTH) of ESG UQAM is offered in collaboration with the ITHQ. UQAM is the only university in Quebec, via the GSS, to offer an honours degree in this field.

Number of Hospitality Students: 400

St. John’s, N.L. www.cna.nl.ca Brenda Tobin, Dean-Academic, Applied Arts & Tourism Brenda.tobin@cna.nl.ca 709-292-5636 Program Types: 1-year certificate, Hospitality Services and 2-year diploma, Hospitality Tourism Management.

What’s New/Focus: Students can earn a certificate after year one and a diploma by completing one additional year. Year one: core skills and characteristics of hospitality tourism industry. Year two: supervisory and management skills. Alternate year intake.

ITHQ (INSTITUT DE TOURISME ET HOSPITALITE DU QUEBEC) Montreal, Que. www.ithq.qc.ca Sylvie Carrière Carrier-sylvie@ithq.qc.ca 514-282-5111 x4315 or 800-361-5111 x4315 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Techniques de gestion hôteliere.

What’s New/Focus: As a centre of tourism education excellence specializing in hotels and restaurants, the Institute relies on a distinctive educational approach of applied research activities and collaboration with the industry. Collaborates with UQAM.

New Brunswick NEW BRUNSWICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE Moncton, N.B. www.nbcc.ca Jeff Dempsey, Dean of Business, Information, Technology and Hospitality Jeff.dempsey@nbcc.ca 506-444-3974 Program Types: 1-year diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Operations (Saint Andrews); new 2-year diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management (Moncton).

What’s New/Focus: The new 2-year Hotel and Restaurant Management program located in Moncton started in September, 2016.

Number of Hospitality Students: 20 in year 1 and 16 in year 2 in the new Management program and 16 students in the 1 year Operations program.

NIAGARA ICEWINE PICKING

Niagara College students embarked on Icewine harvest on Jan. 14 starting at 3 a.m.

The Icewine harvest has become an annual rite of passage for students in Niagara College’s wine programs.

Students met in the dark early morning hours at the Niagara College Teaching Winery (Niagara-on-theLake Campus), before setting out into the vineyards. Their mission: to pick frozen grapes from the vines that will soon be transformed into one of Niagara’s sweetest treasures.

Nova Scotia

MOUNT SAINT VINCENT UNIVERSITY Halifax, N.S. www.msvu.ca Peter Mombourquette, Department Chair, Associate Professor Peter.Mombourquette@msvu.ca 902-457-6724 Candace Blayney, Tourism Coordinator, Assistant Professor Candace.Blayney@msvu.ca Program Types: Tourism and Hospitality Management program, with four credentials ranging from bachelor’s degree to certificate.

What’s New/Focus: In Nova Scotia, the tourism and hospitality industry is worth an estimated $2.6 billion per year. Students in the MSV program benefit from small class sizes, and faculty who have a wide range of research interests and industry experience.

This year, Niagara College’s Icewine harvest coincided with the 2017 the Niagara Icewine Festival (weekends from Jan. 13 to Jan. 29). Wineries across the Niagara region, including the NC Teaching Winery, are taking part in this event to celebrate this bounty of winter.

slmackenzie@hollandcollege.com Culinary Office: 902-894-6805 Program Types: 2-year diploma, International Hospitality Management.

What’s New/Focus: Special emphasis is placed on preparing students for globalization which will be prevalent in the tourism and hospitality industry’s future.

CAPE BRETON UNIVERSITY Sydney, N.S. www.cbu.ca Daniel Francois, Instructor Daniel_francois@cbu.ca 902-563-1494 Program Types: BA, Hospitality and Tourism Management.

What’s New/Focus: The three-year Bachelor of Hospitality and tourism Management Degree program includes two four-month paid internships and is built on a 30-year reputation for educating highly qualified personnel for the hospitality and tourism industry.

Students from the College’s wine programs (Winery and Viticulture Technician, and Wine Business Management), were joined by interested students from the College’s Ecosystem Restoration program to share the unforgettable learning opportunity like no other.

NOVA SCOTIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Kentville, N.S. www.nscc.ca Donna McRae-Murphy, Curriculum Consultant Donna.mcrae-murphy@nscc.ca 902-491-5241 Program Types: 2-year diploma, Tourism Management What’s New/Focus: A key focus of this program is connecting students to tourism professionals on- and off-campus so they learn by seeing, doing and experiencing — in a vineyard, a restaurant, on a hiking trail, at an industry conference, a festival, or in a hotel simulations program.

Number of Hospitality Students: 30

P.E.I. HOLLAND COLLEGE Charlottetown, P.E.I. www.hollandcollege.com Sandra Mackenzie

UNIVERSITY OF P.E.I. Charlottetown, P.E.I. Office of the Dean business@upei.ca 902-566-0564 Mary Whitrow mawhitrow@upei.ca 902-566-0686 Program Types: Bachelor of Business in Tourism and Hospitality.

What’s New/Focus: The Bachelor of Business in Tourism and Hospitality (BBTH) is a two-year post-diploma degree. Students normally enter into the program with a diploma from an accredited college in a tourism or hospitality related topic. Students completing a BBA at UPEI can also complete a specialization in Tourism and Hospitality.

S U P P LY L I N E S

Francois Lussier, Montreal Neon: Signs of Success

MONTREAL — Signage is crucial for any type of business. For hotels it is also very important to be well-identified, said Francois Lussier, president of Montreal Neon and the Sign Association of Canada.

“I have this comparison that I use a lot. If you’re driving down the road with your family looking for a night stay, and you get to two hotels, one in front of each other: at one, the hotel sign is half lit and rusty, while the other has bright signs. Which one would you choose?

“Hotel owners and the brands try to make your stay an enjoyable one, from the time you look for the property and the minute you drive in. They are trying to create an experience with a well-identified parking area, lobby, reception etc.

“We are an extension of the experience they want to create, a part of their success. We always take pride when I see our signs go up on a new property or a conversion.”

Lussier told CLN his company partners with hotels, working to achieve the desired end results. They are involved right from the start of the process when building a new hotel.

“There is a lot to look at when proposing new signage: permits with governing bodies for different cities; technical details to look at with the designers, engineers and architects; installation details, access and timelines,” Lussier explained.

“We have a just-in-time approach. With new builds, sometimes we need real partners to make it happen — it has to be an open book.

When delays occur, we have to be on the same page, so that we can co-ordinate the fabrication and installation aspect of new signage. We have a project manager on every one of our hospitality accounts to help in making these processes a clear success for all involved.”

LEDs evolving quickly Signage has changed since Montreal Neon began as a company 23 years ago.

“One of the most important changes in our industry has to be LEDs. This lighting source has been evolving so quickly that it has been a challenge for manufacturers and end users to keep up with the rapid changes. The longevity of the LEDs reduces maintenance cost, but the bigger benefit is the energy savings of the LEDs. There are also the environmental benefits of eliminating mercury found in other types of lighting. We build 90 per cent of our signs with LEDs,” Lussier said.

One other trend has also been retrofitting existing signage from H/O [fluorescent] lamps to LED. Lussier said his customers usually see an ROI within the first two years. This new lighting source is also helping design of signage to be shallower, he added. “We see this trend coming out of Europe a lot more, and it is definitely part of changes we have and will be part of.”

Anticipating client needs Lussier said he has worked closely with designers over time, making sure their signs reflect their intent. “We work closely with them to achieve to best sign possible with the most innovative design and technology the world of signage has to offer.

“I have participated in a lot of those brainstorming sessions. The the one that keeps coming back in my memory was working with the designer Future Brand out of New York. They had the design done on paper; now we had to bring it to life — from the type of materials, colours, vinyl, paints and light sources. Going from prototype to final conception, these aspects are really important to some of our customers. In this case, John Marriott wanted to make sure firsthand the signs reflected his vision, so we brought the prototypes to Washington so that he could have his final say. It was quite an experience.”

Next up — 3D printing?

Finally, Lussier sees more and more printing being done in the sign industry — large surfaces are now being printed. “We also see a lot more printing on different material, wood, metals, plastics. Let’s not forget 3D printing that will

play a bigger role in our industry soon. There have always been changes, the big difference today is how quickly it happens.”

Lussier takes great pride in making sure his company follows specs from the various hotel brands.

“Brands put a lot of effort into establishing an image that will best represent who they are.

We work and respect those brands’ standards: we are the gatekeepers, we make sure that owners and franchisors respect the brands and we usually have no issues at all making this happen in partnership with the brand and the owners.”

Sign Association seeks hoteliers Lussier is currently president of the Canadian Sign Association, and has been involved for several years. Prior to that, he was involved with the Quebec Sign Association.

“We would welcome [the users of the signs] as members. They would benefit from our government relations we have established with all major cities in Canada, working in improving relations with city planners to make sure they fully understand our industry and the product we have to offer, and understanding the importance for our business community to be well identified.”

The Sign Association of Canada (SACACE) has served the sign industry in Canada since 1955. It has over 600 members, including sign companies, industry suppliers, distributors, and end users of all finished commercial images and installation.

SAC-ACE is also the host of the annual Sign Expo Canada Trade show, which will take place Oct. 27 – 28 at the International Centre in Toronto.

TECHNOLOGY Hotels using beacon technology NEW YORK — Increasingly, the hotel industry is employing beacon technology to push notifications to guests about offerings on-property and in the surrounding neighbourhood.

From guests’ GPS-enabled cellphones, hotels can track their locations and customize their experiences based on their preferences.

One useful tool is wayfinding, an interactive map that offers step-by-step directions to and from a destination. For instance, guests who enable an app on their phones and visit a local tavern might receive push notifications about a craft beer tasting and directions to the hotel bar.

Red Lion Hotels Corporation is testing beacon technology at one of its RL properties, and plans on rolling it out to its other brands based on the results of the test, according to Hotel News Now.

Travel startups stress convenience NEW YORK — Convenience with technology, customer service and accommodations is crucial to keeping travellers happy. These five startups keep convenience front and centre.

Tagible integrates with travel brand websites to provide travellers with content about the destinations they’re searching for.

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Totebox is a concierge service that sources local goods such as chocolates and wines and delivers them to Airbnb guests.

InnSpire helps hotels with in-room entertainment and lets guests stream content from their own services and devices.

Soundwalkers is a GPS-powered audio tour mobile app that also helps travellers find nearby things to see and do.

AwardAce helps travellers look up redemption rates for miles on several global airlines. It also explains which credit card programs transfer to which frequent flyer programs.

Maestro PMS buys Navicom software and service assets MARKHAM, Ont. — Maestro PMS has agreed to acquire the guest feedback software and service assets of Navicom Inc., it was announced Jan. 11.

Navicom’s online Guest Experience Measurement (GEM) system captures guest feedback and is a key tool for improving both operational and reputation management strategies.

The system helps hotels learn more about their guests’ on-site experience, provides insight into operational changes that improve the guest journey, and enables a prompt personal response by property staff.

All guest feedback in GEM is instantly avail-

able on Maestro’s guest profile for personalized guest service and management analysis.

D-BOX Technologies focuses on innovative VR MONTRÉAL — D-BOX Technologies Inc.’s latest innovative virtual reality (VR) technology has a social responsibility angle, it was announced Jan. 4.

D-BOX’s newest project is a campaign for Johnnie Walker brand, Diageo. Created in collaboration with Vayner Media, the intense virtual reality experience, syncing motion technology with jarring visuals, utilizes a terrifying car crash to underscore the consequences of drunk driving.

Analysts are expecting the VR industry to experience substantial expansion in the coming years, with sales projected to reach $120 billion by the end of the decade. As a result, more companies are focusing on the quality of the experience and are searching for ways to deal with the discomfort sometimes associated with VR.

Solatube: Natural lighting with smart LED System VISTA, Calif. — Solatube International Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of tubular daylighting devices (TDDs), offers commercial

property owners of hotels and resorts hammered by the rising cost of electricity, a way to protect their pocketbooks.

Daylighting directs natural daylight far into the building via inconspicuous rooftop domes and highly reflective tubing in place of costly electrical lighting.

Now daylighting has become even more attractive with the addition of an LED-powered nighttime lighting capability. This LED lighting system unites advanced LED technology with a proven daylighting design to deliver a sustainable lighting option and energy-efficient commercial lighting solution.

Starting at the roof level, patented dome technology captures daylight and transmits it indoors through the reflective tubing to spaces once thought impossible to reach, like interior hallways, with natural lighting. Proprietary SunSense Technology monitors daylight levels in the system and automatically triggers the LEDs when daylight levels get too low.

During the day, the Smart LED System lights interiors using no-cost, natural light. As the sun starts to set and light levels fall, energyefficient LEDs activate automatically to provide illumination for early morning and evening use.

The result is a commercial daylighting solution that significantly cuts electricity use and delivers up to 94 per cent in light energy savings.

PEOPLE

Ron Pohl, SVP and COO, Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

AccorHotels announced on Jan. 9 the creation of a lifestyle division comprising the Jo & Joe, Mama Shelter and 25hours Hotels brands, headed up by Cédric Gobilliard.

Gobilliard will report directly to Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels. Gobilliard joined AccorHotels group in 2009 after 10 years with Club Med, where he was CEO of North America. At AccorHotels, he was successively responsible for Internet activities, the launch of the Le Club AccorHotels card, global sales in France and Novotel and Mercure brand operations in the French provinces. For the last two years, Gobilliard has also managed relations with the Mama Shelter teams.

Chip Conley, who has held the role of global head of hospitality and strategy at Airbnb since April 2013, is reducing his involvement with the short-term rental company, it was announced Jan. 16. In his new role, Conley will continue to focus on hospitality, as well as the newly launched Airbnb Trips, and other verticals.

One such vertical could be Airbnb Lux, a new category focused on luxury accommodations and experiences.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced in late December the promotion of Ron Pohl to senior vicepresident and chief operations officer.

Pohl serves on the company’s executive committee and leads the brand’s operations and development efforts for North America and Asia.

During his time with the brand, Pohl has significantly improved revenue management systems, implemented new and innovative education and training resources and launched the Best Western I Care program.

Pohl also created Best Western International University – Best Western’s online education website for hotel staff and corporate employees – which includes a partnership using AHLEI courses and certifications, Rosetta Stone and the University of Phoenix.

Ross Cronin, Cathay Pacific, director Sales and Marketing.

Cathay Pacific Airways has promoted Ross Cronin to director, sales and marketing, Canada, with overall responsibility for the airline’s passenger sales and marketing communication strategies in Canada, it was announced Jan. 4. Cronin has spent over 22 years with Cathay Pacific, most recently as sales manager, Eastern & Central Canada, overseeing passenger sales in this region. He will relocate to the airline’s Canadian regional office in Vancouver.

Choice Hotels Canada has appointed Juan Duran director, membership development, Ascend Hotel Collection, a newly created role. Previously, Duran focused on development strategy at Thomas Consultants Inc., where he led real estate advisory projects and created development strategies for mixed-use assets. Prior to that, he served as an associate, consulting and valuation at HVS, where he assisted with feasibility studies, valuations and consulting services to stakeholders in the lodging industry.

Also at Choice, Peter Sellick has been named regional sales manager, Western Canada, it was announced Jan. 4. Sellick brings extensive experience to the position, with a proven track record of exceeding targets, working most recently as a sales manager at the Hotel Arts Group, in downtown Calgary. He also worked at the Westin Edmonton and spent nine years in food and beverage and conventions services with several Fairmont properties.

Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, announced in December the promotion of Jeremy Buffam to vice-president of capital projects and facilities for the company’s growing portfolio of hotels in the U.S. and Canada.

Buffam’s current projects include the renovation of the Westin Nova Scotian and the redesign and renovation of the Algonquin Golf Course, in St. Andrews, N.B. A career project manager, Buffam began working in the construction/ project management field in Chicago. He held project management

Juan Duran, Choice director membership development.

Peter Sellick, Choice regional sales manager, Western Cda.

Daniel Bibby, new GM, Spirit Ridge/NK’MIP Resort.

Christina Poon, general manager, W Montréal Hotel.

positions at Stone & Webster Engineering (currently CB&I), ENSR International (currently AECOM) and Walsh Associates, managing a diverse portfolio of projects in New York City and throughout the Northeastern U.S. The Priceline Group has named Glenn Fogel its new CEO after an eight-month search. With Fogel, 54, ascending from his longtime position as the Group’s executive vice-president and head of worldwide strategy and planning to the CEO position, effective Jan. 1, interim CEO Jeff Boyd transitions from non-executive chairman to executive chairman. Fogel is credited for identifying Active Hotels and Bookings B.V. in 2004 and 2005 as acquisition targets. Those acquisitions helped create the Priceline Group, changing it from U.S.-oriented Priceline.com into a global company.

Daniel Bibby is the new general manager/executive director of operations at Spirit Ridge at NK’MIP Resort. Bibby comes to the resort from the Delta Grand Okanagan, in Kelowna, B.C., where he has served as general manager for more than eight years.

Bibby’s appointment is in tandem with ongoing work undertaken by Mike Campol of MJC Hospitality Solutions Inc. — in the capacity of special consultant to the Spirit Ridge Owner Association (SROA) board — to develop a partnership with a professional resort operator of SROA’s choosing. After securing full control of the Spirit Ridge property in October 2016, the ownership group directed MJC Hospitality Solutions to assist in a search for a corporate partner to help the resort realize its full potential as a five-star property.

Campol will continue his contract with SROA to secure this partnership and assist in Bibby’s transition.

Jeremy Buffam, VP, Capital Projects, New Castle.

W Montréal Hotel has appointed Christina Poon general manager. Bringing with her more than 15 years of hospitality expertise, Poon will focus on elevating guest satisfaction and managing operations tied to the programming of W Hotels.

Poon joins W Montréal after having held various senior leadership roles throughout the city of Montreal. Her most recent post was CEO of Evo Residences, where she oversaw the operations of two high-end student housing properties. Prior to that, she held the position of general manager of the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel, and held management positions with Delta Hotels across the city.

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February 2017 | 1 7

D E S I G N F E AT U R E

Restoring the Empress’s former lustre

The old restaurant.

The new restaurant.

By Don Douloff VICTORIA, B.C. — “The goal of the project was to lift the hem of the skirt of the old lady and respect the beauty of the building and restore it to its original lustre.”

Those words, from Rob Polacek, chief creative officer of San Francisco-based design firm The Puccini Group, refer to the renovation undertaken at some of the key public spaces at the storied Fairmont Empress, in Victoria, B.C. All told, the project updated the veranda and dining spaces, including the restaurant and bar, and the tea lobby in which the afternoon Tea at the Empress is served.

Evolving over about six months, and unveiled in summer, 2016, the $2 million project coincided with The Empress’s stra-

tegic repositioning as a beacon of vitality and an iconic luxury destination.

The design of the restaurant and bar — formerly the Empress Room and, postrenovation, renamed Q , after Queen Victoria — centres on the space’s heritage, the natural bounty of Victoria Island, and the hotel’s setting on the Inner Harbour. Paying special attention to the Edwardian interior, Puccini Group paired legacy with modernity, adding an elegant yet inviting air to the historic spaces. The original hardwood floors — for years, hidden beneath carpeting — have been resurrected. Silver highlights the coffered ceiling, and sculptural overhead lighting accents a quartzite central bar, while the back bar features satin brass detailing and a collection of glass decanters. Patterned wallcoverings recall the

reflected light on the harbour, while a large artpiece made from antique mirrored panels depicts a Pacific Northwest range. Completing the space is a host stand and leather banquettes.

In the tea room adjacent to the veranda, Puccini Group worked within the existing architectural framework to brighten the space. Using a colour palette sourced from the original Empress tea-service china — lavender, periwinkle and gold, with pops of pink — the design team created a modern Victorian parlour. A new central bar and built-in refrigeration stocks tea, macarons and other offerings during the day and, for the evening, transforms into a champagne bar.

The original chandeliers have been enhanced with new shading, while fabrics reminiscent of tweed and boucle play off the marquetry flooring. Puccini Group reupholstered the original tea tables with leather insets complemented by rattan-backed Thonet chairs. Seating capacity has been increased by around 20 per cent, to about 100, and now features lounge-style chairs, small sofas and tea-appropriate tables that are approximately 25 inches high. References to the City of Gardens abound, with lush plants incorporating the property’s gardens into the interior. The Empress tea-service china palette is echoed in Q restaurant and bar, providing visual continuity with the tea lobby.

In addition to redesigning the public spaces, Puccini Group developed the tea experience’s brand identity by introducing whimsical packaging and branding for the tea offerings. “When creating the look and feel for the branding and packaging, we were inspired by the Empress’s signature china pattern, which is essential to the tea experience. Building upon this visual foundation, the team reinterpreted the supporting graphics and modernized the colour palette,” said Kiira Mancasola, vice-president of marketing and branding.

Although some locals expressed concern the renovation would affect the hotel’s ambience, the refreshed property has drawn enthusiastic reviews, said Polacek. More significantly, business at the tea room and restaurant/bar has increased, post-renovation.

COMING EVENTS March 22-24: 29th Annual Hunter Hotel Conference, Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Contact: Jillian Dahlquist.

Tel. 770-916-0300. Fax: 770-916-0301.

E-mail: Jillian.dahlquist@hunterhotels. net. Website: hunterconference.com March 26-27: ApEx 2017, Cunard Centre, Halifax. Chuck Nervick. Tel. 416-512-8186, ext. 227. Fax: 416-5128344. E-mail: Chuckn@mediaedge.ca.

Website: apextradeshow.ca April 3-4: B.C. Hotel Association

1 8 | Canadian Lodging News

and ABLE B.C. Summit 2017, Victoria Conference Centre, Victoria, B.C. Website: summit2017.ca April 9-11: Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association Convention and Tradeshow, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper, Alta. Contact: Jordan McKay. Tel.: 780-436-6112, ext. 248; E-mail: Jmckay@ahla.ca. Website: ahla.ca May 15-16: Canadian Hotel Investment Conference and HOTELNEXT Student Competition. Westin Harbour

Castle, Toronto. Contact: Vicki Welstead. Tel. 416-924-2002, ext. 233.

Email: vickiwelstead@bigpictureconferences.ca. Website: hotelinvest.ca May 30-31: Saskatchewan Hotel & Hospitality Association Convention & Trade Show, Delta Regina hotel, Regina, Sask. Contact: Warren Nerby.

Tel.: 306-522-1664, ext. 2. Fax: 306525-1944. E-mail: Wnerby@sasktel.net.

Website: shha.co

TOP 5 LIST Top 5 Pesticide Best Practices

By Don Douloff Below is a list of suggested best practices for pest control provided by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), which is headquartered in Fairfax, Va., but has international membership.

1. Be proactive. Work with a pest management professional to develop a written, customized action plan with specific policies, direction and responsibilities. This plan should include information on how to detect and report bed bug evidence, how to respond to a complaint from a guest, and how to respond to a guest questioning hotel practices concerning bed bugs and pest control. Additionally, hotel managers and staff should take regular action to detect bed bugs early and prevent their spread.

2. Consider scheduling regular bed bug inspections of all rooms and public areas by a pest management professional. Inspect for bed bugs during every room service. Eliminate bed bug hiding places where possible, such as peeling wallpaper and paint, cracks and holes in walls and floors, crevices around headboards, baseboards, molding and heating and A/C units.

3. Vacuum rooms thoroughly, including often overlooked sites such as drapes, the reverse side of pictures, and the underside of furniture, all known hiding spots for bed bugs.

4. Provide training. Front desk, maintenance and housekeeping staff members should be trained and understand: how bed bugs are introduced and spread in hotel and lodging facilitates; how to look for and identify signs of bed bugs; what to do if they find evidence of bed bugs; and how to avoid spreading bed bugs from one room to another.

5. Respond quickly. Should a guest report finding bed bugs, or evidence of bed bugs in their room, hotel staff should be prepared to respond quickly and appropriately to ensure guests are satisfied. All reports of bed bugs should be treated with the highest priority and at minimum, staff should offer to move the guest to a new room. The suspected room should then be taken out of service and a pest management professional should be called to do a full inspection of the room in question, as well as rooms adjacent to, above and below the suspected room. Any rooms found to have an infestation should be scheduled for treatment and re-inspected following the treatment.

It is also essential not to ignore guest complaints and to consult a pest management professional for treatment.

For more information, visit http://www.pestworld.org

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bestwesterndevelopers.com | 800.847.2429 * Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate and include hotels currently in the development pipeline **For certain markets Each Best Western branded hotel is independently owned and operated. Best Western and the Best Western marks are service marks or registered service marks of Best Western International, Inc. ©2016 Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved. ®

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