Canadian Lodging News - June 2013

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LodgingNews June 2013 Vol. 10 No. 6

C A N A D A ’ S

L O D G I N G

B U S I N E S S

N E W S P A P E R

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Choice Hotels International: the Power of Performance

By Colleen Isherwood, Editor

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

LOS ANGELES—“I’ve got to get me one of those,” said Steve Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International, after he opened the hotel company’s 59th annual conference by conducting the Santa Cecilia Orchestra based out of Los Angeles, as Irish tenor Ronan Tynon sang an inspiring rendition of The Impossible Dream.

“There are seven basic notes in all of Western music,” Joyce told the audience of developers, owners and franchisees. “It’s all about knowing what part to play.”

A musical score rises above noise when everyone performs to the best of their abilities, he added.

In the past year, Choice Hotels International added properties and pruned some—for a net gain of 90 domestic and international hotels.

Actual numbers showed 6,264 hotels in the first quarter of 2013 versus 6,174 during the same period in 2012.

Joyce noted that 2012 was a watershed year, with total revenue up 8 per cent and RevPAR up 6 per cent.

$40 million for Comfort Joyce pledged $40 million to help Comfort Inns achieve the transformation of properties outlined at last year’s conference. Right now, the funds apply only to the approximately 1,900 Comfort-branded properties across the United States.

He added that 2012 was a year of powerful performance, and that Choice should finish 2013 in a very strong position. “The economy in the U.S. is improving and I see steady growth for both the economy and the hotel industry,” Joyce said.

Continued on page 6

Conducting business at the Choice conference

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New headquarters, mobile, and big data on company’s agenda for the coming years

Family Ties panel, l to r: Anil Taneja, Palm Holdings; Ryan Pomeroy, Pomeroy Lodging; Jean-Yves Germain, Groupe Germain Inc.; Bob Pomeroy, Pomeroy Lodging; Ash Taneja, Palm Holdings; Reetu Gupta, Easton’s Group of Hotels; Hugo Germain, Groupe Germain; Monique Rosszell, HVS (moderator); and Steve Gupta, Easton’s Group of Hotels.

CHIC looks at Family Ties TORONTO—Special issues crop up in family-run hotel businesses that don’t occur anywhere else. One of the panels at the 17th Canadian Hotel Investment Conference held at the Hilton Toronto May 28-29, took an up close and very personal look at the dynamics of family businesses.

Monique Rosszell of HVS moderated a panel composed of four pairs of family members, fathers and children, who shed light on what it means to work in a family business.

Rosszell started by quoting statistics on family businesses. She said that 60 per cent of the Canadian GDP comes from family businesses, and they employ more than six million people. Only 30 per cent of those

businesses make it to the second generation. Of those, only 15 per cent make it to the third generation, and just 3 per cent to the fourth generation.

At least one of the pairs—Groupe Germain—is now on generation three. And patriarch Bob Pomeroy has his eyes on his two-year-old grandson as the one who will take over as the third generation of Pomeroy Lodging.

Most of the younger generation started working in the family business at an early age. As a small girl, Reetu Gupta remembers her dad pointing to a parking lot and saying, “One day, we will have a hotel here.” Anil Taneja started working at the hotel at the age of 12 (for $1 an hour!). Ryan Pomeroy

started bussing tables—and hustling for tips—at the age of five.

Panellists agreed that a position in the company had to be earned. For example, Hugo Germain got external work experience before joining Group Germain, by working through the rise and demise of Krispy Kreme.

When asked how much harder family members had to work than non-family employees, answers ranged from 100 per cent more to “a number with a one and many zeros” (Anil Taneja’s answer).

Senior members of the panel were unanimous on one thing—they’re not likely to retire. “As long as I can contribute to Canada, I’ll continue to work,” said Steve Gupta.

This is Extended Stay.

This is Studio 6.

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Doing good in Canada’s badlands

Eco-lodge planned for dinosaur country near Drumheller, Alberta

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New Castle named Top Atlantic employer

New Castle Hotels & Resorts ranks as one of Atlantic Canada’s top companies for employees

Studio 6 Canada 416.966.8387 studio6@realstarhospitality.com A division of Realstar Hospitality

Opening soon in downtown Toronto!

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STAYING AGILE IS CRITICAL. FORTUNATELY, OPENING MORE THAN 1,100 NEW* HOTELS HAS KEPT US IN SHAPE. In the past five years, Hilton Worldwide has opened more than 1,100 new hotels around the world, bringing us to more than 3,900 hotels in 90 countries today.* In Canada, we have 86 hotels open from coast to coast with a growing pipeline of over 40 signed projects. Impressive growth, made possible by our ability to adapt to the world’s increasingly complex business environments. As a result, we’ve developed a wealth of experience creating and operating the most award-winning portfolio of hotels in the industry. Not a bad workout for a 93-year-old.

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

STAY AHEAD

hiltonworldwide.com

*From January 2008 to January 2013

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© 2013 Hilton Worldwide

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SHHA: Private liquor store rules unfair REGINA—T h e province of Saskatchewan announced it is allowing the addition of private liquor stores in Regina and Saskatoon. Both cities will see existing retail stores build Tom Mullin, SHHA or expand their brand with the addition of liquor outlets, not operated by Saskatchewan’s Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), according to the SLGA. Both Sobeys and Co-op will build one liquor store across the parking lot from their respective stores or fuel stations in Saskatoon. Co-op and Sobeys—both currently operating private liquor stores in Alberta—were granted the right to the stores through an open Request for Proposals (RFP) put out by the SLGA. In Regina, two standalone stores will open,

one by Sobeys, the other an expansion of the Willow Park Wine & Spirits brand. Also selected through an RFP, the two operators will build new stores, both set to open mid-2014, according to a release.

The move drew mixed reactions from the Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association, whose members include owners of the province’s off-sale outlets.

Saskatchewan currently has 79 public liquor stores, and the province has said it will not build any more of them. Otherwise, liquor is sold at approximately 185 private rural liquor franchises and 440 private off-sale outlets, according to the release.

Off-sale outlets include hotels, motels and bars in some communities. The Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association (SHHA) reacted to the new liquor sale announcement saying that off-sale outlets contribute positively to the province.

“Private retailers are good corporate citizens who pay their taxes, employ staff and make

generous contributions to their community,” SHHA president Tom Mullin said. “In many cases, hotels are the main gathering point in a community and their owners volunteer their time and energies to support worthwhile local initiatives.”

At the same time, the association is concerned that the private stores are getting some advantages not available to off-sale outlets.

Mullin told CLN that existing private sellers of alcohol are strictly regulated when it comes to pricing of alcohol, and said their profit margins are lower, compared to the margins of SLGA stores.

“Our position is that we want to get treated the same way as the new private stores,” Mullin said. “The new stores get 16 per cent commission on all products, and they can set their own pricing provided it is not lower than a minimum price. They carry a full range of products, and they can sell cold domestic beer, which has always been our domain. We get an average of 12 per cent on beer, and nothing on liquor.”

A national accommodation program EDMONTON—It doesn’t have a name yet, but the working description is “HAC-approved accommodation program.” And the goal is a truly national accommodation program that provides a directory of approved properties, with the ability to book on each property website.

Last November at its annual board meeting in Lac Leamy, QC, the Hotel Association of Canada agreed to back a national program with substantial funding.

The project will start with a pilot project in Alberta and possibly Manitoba.

The four western provinces, under Alberta’s leadership, had earlier initiated the Canadian Star Quality Accommodation Rating system.

The new program will be based on much of their work.

The Star Quality ratings will be moved to the new platform, Dave Kaiser, president and CEO of the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association told CLN. “The benefit of the new program is that it is much broader. It helps support the website and booking systems with JackRabbit. Star Quality will still be an option, offering a search function

by star. The new program will provide greater exposure at a reduced cost.”

Alberta is in the process of approving properties for the pilot, and trying to work with different provinces across Canada to create their program and directory. Directory users will be able to search by place and date, get results and rates, and book directly with the property.

“Every province is to encourage the different tourism associations to participate—for example Travel Manitoba and Travel Alberta.

“There is huge potential for the industry in Canada to work with provincial governments and also DMOs,” said Kaiser.

“This is a new chapter. It’s not our program, but it will start with our province because we are in a position to transition easily. We can go right into the national program. We have had good response with governments.”

One of the biggest differences from the Canadian Star Quality program, is that the properties don’t have to be quality rated. Green Key ratings are included, and consumers can search properties by number of keys.

“We learned a lot by doing Star Quality,”

said Kaiser. “Before you go live, you need critical mass. Otherwise, you lose credibility with consumers.”

The program will include a booking widget that will show up on provincial marketing sites.

It will pull up information for consumers to search by region and by date. “By using the provincial marketing sites, the new program can deliver a much more comprehensive consumer experience,” said Kaiser.

“It sounds really ambitious, but if we continue to work with industry and government, it makes all kinds of sense,” Kaiser added.

“Having the national HAC brand gives legitimacy, showing the industry that the program is national in scope. It allows us to build in Green Key and a lot of other things they have Dave Kaiser, AHLA achieved.”

Big Picture and CRDA to host VO-CON TORONTO, VANCOUVER—Big Picture Conferences has joined forces with the Canadian Resort Development Association to produce the only national event focused on resort development and vacation ownership.

Dubbed VO-CON, it will be the Canadian Vacation Ownership industry’s premiere business conference.

Big Picture is a natural partner. Since 2007, the company has produced over 28 events within the Canadian hospitality sector including the flagship Canadian Hotel Investment Conference and the Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference.

VO-CON will be held in conjunction with the Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference (WCHRIC). It starts on October 22 with an opening reception, followed by educational sessions taking place on October 23 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Vancouver.

The two events will overlap: the closing reception for VO-CON on Oct. 23 will also be the opening reception for WCHRIC. WCHRIC sessions will continue on October 24 in the same location.

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Jon Zwickel and Orie Berlasso

“We have a long history of working with Jon Zwickel and members of the CRDA board,” said Orie Berlasso, director, Big Picture Conferences.

“VO-CON is a perfect fit in our stable of hospitality conferences and we look forward to providing a rich experience for the delegation,” Berlasso told CLN. “We are thrilled to shoulder CRDA’s Conference with the Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference and pleased that the BC Connect Show is right around the corner. Looks like everyone will be in Vancouver this October.”

One of the first things Jon Zwickel did when he took over as president and CEO of CRDA in January, was to survey members in order to develop a strategic plan.

“They wanted the conference to be business to business oriented as well as networking oriented,” Zwickel said. Hence the conference tagline, ‘Exploring the Business of Vacations.’

“The markets for the two conferences have a great deal of overlap in terms of suppliers, management companies and developers—they all serve the same consumer,” said Zwickel.

“The difference is that the Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference is investor-driven, while VO-CON is focused more on networking within the two sectors— transient lodging and vacation ownership. At the end of the day, the guest or vacation owner purchases exactly the same thing, an exceptional vacation experience.”

Registration for both events will open soon.

For speaking opportunities at VO-CON and/ or the Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference, contact Orie Berlasso at Big Picture Conferences at 416-924.2002 ext 229.

NEWS

BRIEFS

Manitoba modernizes liquor laws WINNIPEG—The provincial government’s move to modernize liquor laws is welcome news to Manitoba’s $2-billion restaurant sector. On behalf of the province’s licensed restaurants, bars and caterers, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) has been calling for a wholesale rewrite of the antiquated regulatory regime for many years.

Licensed restaurateurs will benefit from: o the simplification of liquor licence classes from 12 to three (manufacturing, sales and service); o the ability of restaurants to serve a drink without a meal; o significant reductions in red tape and reporting requirements (e.g. removing the food-liquor ratio reporting requirements); and o the move to a risk-based inspection system.

As Manitoba’s fourth-largest privatesector employer, the restaurant industry directly employs more than 42,400 people at over 2,200 establishments. Twenty-two per cent of Canadians were first employed by the restaurant industry, making it the number one source of first jobs.

Best Western first in Myanmar PHOENIX, AZ—Best Western International has become the first U.S. hotel brand to operate in Myanmar. The brand has taken over management of the Green Hill Hotel, a new property in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. The company now has a presence in nine of the ten countries that form the ASEAN region.

“Best Western International wants to form long and lasting partnerships in Myanmar; we want to be here for the longterm, to help grow the country’s tourism industry,’ said Glenn de Souza, VP of International Operations for Asia and the Middle East

Study of smoke-free rooms LONDON, UK—Tobacco Control, an international peer reviewed magazine for health professionals, reports that staying in a non-smoking room in a hotel that allows smoking elsewhere, does not prevent exposure to tobacco smoke.

Researchers examined 10 hotels with complete smoking bans and 30 with designated smoking rooms, the New York Times News Service reported. They analyzed air and surfaces for tobacco smoke pollutants, took finger wipe samples to measure the presence of tobacco carcinogens and tested urine of non-smoking occupants after they had stayed in the rooms.

Some non-smoking rooms were quite low in pollutants, but at their worst, levels of tobacco air pollutants were almost five times as high as those of non-smokers who stayed in non-smoking hotels. In some cases, non-smokers who stayed in nonsmoking rooms had signs of nicotine exposure in their urine that were more than twice as high as those of non-smokers who stayed in non-smoking hotels.

Designated smoking rooms do not work, according to the study’s lead author, Georg Matt, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

“Smokers leave a legacy behind that they cannot control, “ he said. “The physical reservoirs—in the fabrics, the blankets, the upholstery, the drywall—are very deep, and you can’t just take them out.”

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By Colleen Isherwood, Editor

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

The great bandwidth debate Here’s one way to get a lively discussion going— ask hoteliers about WiFi and bandwidth.

On the one hand, consumers want and expect free WiFi. They want to be able to take their own equipment—iPods, Blackberries, iPads, laptops and more—and use them in the room.

They’re used to downloading movies, music and videos—and they expect to be able to do that at the hotel as well.

All of this has implications for hotels. It’s all about a new “B” word—“bandwidth”. And these demands can leave hoteliers caught in an endless cycle of adding bandwidth to deliver the speed guests require.

At a recent CLN editorial advisory meeting, Vito Curalli of Hilton Worldwide noted that WiFi has become very complicated, involving detailed discussions with IT people. Guests generally travel with three mobile devices and want to be active on them right away, whether they are in the lobby, the guestroom or the meeting rooms.

At the Hilton Toronto Airport, a 455-room hotel, you take 600 guests per day times three

HOTEL

Germaphobia Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianlodgingnews.com

Volume 10 No. 5 Canadian Lodging News is published 10 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd. which also publishes Atlantic Restaurant News, Ontario Restaurant News Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News, and Canadian Chains Directory and Canadian Lodging News Buyers’ Directory Address: 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201 Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Tel: (905) 206-0150 Fax: (905) 206-9972 In Canada (800) 201-8596 Subscriptions: Canada & USA: 1 year $39.57, 2 years $63.43 (PLUS APPLICABLE TAX) Single copy: $5.00 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jason Cheskes, Above The Line Solutions Vito Curalli, Hilton Worldwide Justin Friesen, Western Financial Group Philippe Gadbois, Atlific Hotels & Resorts Mark Hope, Coast Hotels & Resorts Elizabeth Hueston, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc. Dave Kaiser, Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association Brian Leon, Choice Hotels Canada Inc. Chris Lund, Deerhurst Resort Dr. David Martin, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality Christine Pella, Serta Mattress Company Tony Pollard, Hotel Association of Canada Sarah Segal, Informa Canada Andrew Chlebus, LG Electronics Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1710-145X GST number R102533890

The long and the short about what I am about to delve into is this: Dirty guestrooms are nothing short of poison for hotels. If you disagree, perhaps I can sway you. And if you already concur, then I hope you are doing everything you can to make this a non-issue. Because the truth is that dust, germs, grime or soot are now more aggravating to guests than ever before.

One look at a travel review website and words like ‘dirty’ and ‘unclean’ pop off the screen, angrily wrought into a reviewer’s prose to justify extremely low appraisals. Too often I see comments on TripAdvisor and similar sites where the authors deem everything agreeable but then give a lousy one-star rating because of two or three marginally untidy aspects of the room.

Moreover, the recent spate of hotel-centric reality television shows have all inculcated the need for clinical sterility in guestrooms as well as an abstinence from unsightly lobby and corridor aesthetics. The nail in the coffin has been credible reports like the one the CBC put out late last year, focusing on hidden contaminations in some of the finest downtown properties across the country. Need I mention that pocket-sized UV flashlights – a quintessential stain finder – are available practically everywhere these days.

Culture of Germaphobes With all this, it’s easy to assume that we are edging towards a culture of germaphobes. But there’s a double standard at play. Without any reservations, I attest that every hotel room I’ve traversed for the past five years of business and leisure travel has been cleaner than almost every home I’ve visited. Some people go weeks on end without doing an official cleanup of the bathrooms in their residence, and yet one smudge on the mirror in a guestroom and the gloves are off. It appears the problem isn’t our own germs; it’s other people’s germs.

I chalk this up to a rapid rise in consumer expectations. What was once considered just a ‘minor stain on the rug’ or a ‘hair in the shower drain’ is now a single-handed cause for sweeping

devices and that adds up to 1,800 devices per day.

“More sophisticated guests don’t event want to see a splash page and log in. Their expectation is that they are paying X dollars per night, and they want to get in right away,” Curalli said.

The fact that free WiFi is available in airports everywhere helps fuel travellers’ expectations.

At Deerhurst Resort, the problem is amplified by the fact that there are often three to four guests travelling together, with mobile devices for everyone down to the kids who are four years old, general manager Chris Lund told the meeting. “And then someone downloads a 10 gigabyte movie...”

So how do hoteliers meet guests’ expectations for seamless technology, equal to and/or better than what they get at home, and still balance their budgets?

Claude Sénéchal, senior vice-president, sales and marketing for Intello, knows the problem well. “Five years ago, people came to hotel rooms with one device. Now they have four devices— iPads, iPhones, kids’ playstations and more.

“Five or six years ago, only 20 per cent of guests used the Internet, and a regular dial-up Internet cable would suffice, but that’s not true any more.”

Intello’s i-Hotel provides hotels, motels and convention centres with high-speed Internet access to guests, promising a fast, a safe and easy Internet experience. i-Hotel is compatible with many wireless and wired solutions, including hybrid networks (wired and wireless).

Sénéchal recommends using tiered pricing— offering a basic free service, then raising the price to $4.95 or $9.00 depending on the class of service.

He compares bandwidth to a pipe—if you don’t a big enough pipe, you can’t force more water to go through it.

Monitoring usage is very important—for example, making sure kids don’t download illegal stuff.

“If you put a filter on the bandwidth, you can recover 40 per cent of the bandwidth,” he says.

It’s also important to note that if a child does download something illegal, the responsibility does not fall on the guest, or the Internet service provider, but on the hotel.

“If you have an open web system, how do you know? We can provide logs for all guests for the last 10 years—we know who did what.”

Installing a proper WiFi system today is not the job of a jack-of-all-trades, Sénéchal adds.

“You need someone with experience and knowledge, and a good and reliable software. Otherwise you are at risk.”

Are You An Ostrich or a Llama?

By Larry Mogelonsky, P. Eng. www.lma.ca demerits in online assessments. This increased sensitivity to guestroom filth only means more work on our part to maintain spotlessness, as a lack thereof can radically sully a hotel’s reputation. In this age where anyone can besmirch a property with a briskly written negative review on one website or another, there’s simply no room for error.

Take the CBC’s investigative report on this topic, eloquently titled “Hotel Germ Spotlight” for your reference. They not only examined what’s on the surface, but used hidden cameras, UV flashlights and an array of other gadgets to find all kinds of unsanitary microbes – especially on the usual culprits such as the telephone receiver or television remote. With the Internet written in permanent ink, many prestigious hospitality brand names have been tarnished by CBC’s findings for years to come. And yet, using equipment that detects microscopic germs may be paradoxical because if we are to discredit hotel rooms for cultivating such Petri dishes, then we might as well excoriate cars, buses, trains, airplanes, movie theatres, shopping malls and anywhere else where people congregate.

It’s unjust, yes, but it’s nonetheless where we are headed. Vilifying reports like these come at a time when customers are increasingly relying on travel websites to verify a property’s worth.

Many travellers won’t even book a hotel that doesn’t have enough ‘online legitimacy’ – that being a sizeable quantity of third-party reviews.

And that quantity had better be positive.

It’s all just another reaffirmation that cleanliness is next to godliness, with the imperative need to eliminate negative online appraisals all the more salient. This upswing in hotel germaphobia means that before you attempt to satisfy a guest’s higher desires for a magical vacation or a breezy business trip, you have to first meet the more fundamental hygiene requirements.

A good first step is to hire an unannounced, independent, external auditor capable of elucidating your housekeepers’ shortcomings and suggesting more sanitary cleaning procedures.

From there, it all boils down to training and reassessing for improvement. This falls on your

executive housekeeper, so ensure that this manager fully understands the imperative of ongoing vigilance and continuous improvement towards hygiene perfection.

One particularly prickly matter: For their wages and what is required of them on an hourly basis, housekeepers are often too rushed to perform their duties entirely up to code. If they are cutting corners, it is more likely due to time constraints than malicious intentions against the hotel. Say you set a quota of 14 guestrooms per shift and with proper technique a maid can only finish 12. Fearful of reprisal, this maid then hurries through the latter half of the day to stay on target. Part of the staff education should include not only a fair allotment of rooms, but also a long chat that stresses quality (meeting standards) over quantity (sacrificing standards).

Housekeeping theatre Another tactic worth consideration is what I classify as ‘housekeeping theatre’. It’s not just about making the rooms spotless, but ensuring that guests know the rooms are spotless. Chocolates placed on pillows during turndown service are a nice touch here, but you can go a lot further. How about weekly room audits by managers during prime hours so guests see with their own eyes that cleanliness is taken with the utmost of seriousness by top level employees? Or, how about pamphlets in each room that explain the meticulousness of your cleaning process?

Another important countermeasure is to write managerial responses to travel website reviews. If a user points you as unclean, get on there and politely state your case. Just as consumers are seeking websites with online legitimacy, they are looking for how staff responds, which very often augments the overall impression of a hotel. Regardless of all this, in the end it boils down to customer satisfaction. Clean rooms leave guests content, while the rise of hotel germaphobia can have very dire consequences.

You’d best step up your housekeeping game to ensure that you stay in stride with expectations.

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Doing good in Canada’s Badlands

Photos: Glenn Cameron for the Canadian Badlands.

By Elaine Anselmi, Assistant Editor

Is your equipment polymer-ready?

Contact your supplier.

The Canadian Badlands in southeastern Alberta are rich with tales of the history of their people, places and things, and these stories are integral to a new eco-lodge development planned to open in 2015. The eco-lodge is situated on a ranch and former town site at the northern border of Dinosaur Provincial Park—a UNESCO world heritage site.

“There are four stories going on here,” said Deneen Allen, president of Pure North Canada, developer and owner/operator of the Badlands project to CLN. “There’s the most ancient—the paleontology. The next layer is the history, heritage and culture of the Blackfoot people. The next layer after that is the ranching and agricultural history of the area, and the fourth layer is a new way to experience the first three stories.”

The footprint of the planned project is approximately 30,000 square feet, containing a main lodge, a spa building, another outpost Allen refers to as the “expedition barn,” and 24 individual cabins that can house 48 people at full capacity.

Sustainable development projects are at the core of Pure North Canada and this is carried on throughout the Badlands project. While specifics such as foodservice for the resort are still in preliminary talks, Allen said they are looking into the best way to bring local and sustainable food and beverage into their program. “We’re starting to understand what’s available in the region and who the existing suppliers are. Also, what kinds of suppliers we can incubate and support in terms of small business development,” said Allen. “We are quite optimistic and excited about some of the economic spinoffs.

“This has taken six years to get to this point,” said Allen. “It’s all finally coming together.” A key aspect of the project has been local support and a partnership with Dinosaur Provincial Park, Canadian Badlands Limited – a not-for-profit regional partnership of the municipalities within the Badlands – and The Canadian Badlands Foundation.

“It’s a pretty exciting project because one of the mandates of the Badlands Foundation is being involved in sustainability,” said Cindy Amos, executive director of the Badlands Foundation.

“With this developer, it is all modular products; low impact but luxury accommodation.”

The structures will be brought to the site prefabricated, in order to minimize the ecological disruption to the site, said Allen. “We’re using all kinds of renewable energy sources and these are all still in the design works.”

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These include a rainwater catchment system and reservoir, solar thermal and photovoltaics that convert solar radiation into useable energy, and passive solar building which optimizes the use of the local climate and elements in the design.

With economic benefits for surrounding municipalities as well as the park, Amos said the project will be accessible for tourists from abroad, as well as from within the province—with Calgary located just over an hour away and Edmonton approximately four hours away.

“Any kind of emerging destination knows they have amenity gaps and this certainly helps us fill one—to offer a luxury experience,” said Amos.

“We have other franchise hotels that are fantastic in quality. This is a different type of experience; a niche market.”

The experience provided by the eco-lodge will incorporate its unique environment; from day trips into the park, to visits to any one of the 38 different rodeos among the towns of the Badlands, said Amos.

One of the best-known features of the Badlands – being one of the world’s richest sites for dinosaur bones and fossils – will also be a distinct draw to the lodge. “Pure North is in discussion with the Royal Tyrrell Museum [of Paleontology in Drumheller, AB] to host a paleontologist in residence for the summer,” said Allen. “They’ll be housed at the lodge and we’ll also have this amazingly knowledgeable scientist in our midst who can provide interpretation for the guests.”

Allen said in finding the right location for this project they sought out an emerging destination, rather than some of the tried-and-true iconic locations in Canada. “What we’ve been searching for are the relatively undiscovered [areas] that have the potential to draw visitors. We like to say that these have the potential to inspire a pilgrimage. We think the Canadian Badlands has that power and that draw,” she said. “There’s a profound sense of place in the Badlands and we intend to honour that.”

COMING IN NOVEMBER

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Contact your supplier.

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Canada home of Ascend Hotel No. 100 LOS ANGELES—Choice Hotels International announced its 100th Ascend Collection property at the Choice conference in Los Angeles last month—and it’s in Canada. Choice Hotels Canada, which has eight of the 11 Choice brands—has added the Hotel Elan in Calgary.

It will become the eighth Ascend Hotel in the Canadian collection.

Names of the 100 Ascend hotels were porTim Oldfield presents longtime employee Cheryl Warner with a bouquet of flowers.

trayed on stars mounted on the wall of the meeting room as part of a Hollywood-themed brand session celebrating the fast-rising brand. In just four and a half years, Ascend has grown from nothing to the current 100-property total, and has set a goal of achieving 100 more properties in just half the time, according to Michael Murphy, senior vice president, Cambria Suites & Ascend Collection.

Since its debut in 2008—at the beginning of the recession—The Ascend Collection has quintupled in size, adding new properties on three continents and five countries, further establishing its position as a leader in the growing trend toward affiliation for independent hotels.

In 2012, the collection added nine hotels between May and December. This year’s tally—as of May—is 30 hotels and resorts internationally.

Canada’s total of eight Ascend hotels is expected to rise in the near future, as the brand looks to expand, particularly in Quebec.

“Quebec has 60 per cent independent hotels, while the rest of Canada has only 40 per cent,” explained CHC managing director, Tim Oldfield.

“We are so excited to add Elan, in beautiful Calgary, to our Ascend family of hotels,” he added.

Hotel Elan was not the only CHC property to open during conference week. The others were

two Comfort Inns—one in BC and the other at Calgary Airport.

Choice Hotels International is also planning to launch the first Cambria Suites in Canada soon, likely in Calgary.

Choice Hotels Canada currently has 308 hotels, and plans to have 315 by the end of 2013, according to Oldfield.

Charitable initiatives Managing director Brian Leon outlined some of the company’s philanthropic initiatives—all based on shelter and education with a focus on children. Charities supported include the Aga Khan Foundation, Canadian Feed the Children and Sleeping Children Around the World. A raffle at the end of last year’s conference raised enough money to supply 100 bedkits to Sleeping Children around the World. Each bedkit consists of a mattress, mosquito net, school kit, books and more, all locally made.

Leon pointed to the Quality Inn, Red Deer, AB, which raised $7,500 during the month of April with initiatives such as bar karaoke, coin boxes, and a calendar featuring hotel wait staff.

“Guests were swept up in it and there were some good sized cheques,” said Leon, adding that progress was charted on a thermometer at the front desk.

In other news, Choice Privilege Club members grew to 923,000—a number that has doubled in the last three years. The goal in the coming year is to top 1 million members.

At the conference, the Comfort Inn Bayer’s Lake was named Hotel of the Year.

And the conference also paid tribute to longtime Choice employee, Cheryl Warner, manager of franchise support, who has worked for Choice Hotels Canada for 25 years. In a video, colleagues and former colleagues spoke of Cheryl’s contributions since she started as a management trainee at what was then called Journey’s End Downsview in 1988. Tim Oldfield also presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

Choice Hotels 2013: Comfort dollars, new headquarters Continued from page 1

Earlier this year, Choice Hotels International shifted its corporate headquarters to Rockville, MD from Silver Springs, to a larger building with more light and space.

The Cloud, mobile, big data Pat Pacious, executive vice president, Global

Strategy and Operations, opened the session on technology with a video from Microsoft. In it, a hotel guest navigated seamlessly through travel decisions and hotel arrival using a paper-thin hand-held device.

The interesting part about this impressive video is that the technology already exists, said Pacious. The Cloud, mobile and big data are already part of our lives.

Pacious talked about an application called Shazam that can identify a song that’s playing, provide you with the singer and lyrics, and even an opportunity to buy the music online.

Choice has been retooling the back-of-the house computer systems. They have a brand new data centre, that was packed up and moved to the new offices over a period of eight weeks, without any downtime.

Choice Hotels president and CEO Steve Joyce conducts the orchestra.

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Their loyalty program, Choice Advantage, has a new look, and the rate centre has improved rate management.

He gave an example of how big data can help hotels operate more effectively. The Comfort Suites in Greensboro, NC was missing one of its key accounts. By diving deep and mining the data, they discovered that the account was still active, but had gone with the competition. Digging deeper still, they found that those guests felt that the customer service was fine at the Comfort Suites, but that the rooms were dated. The hotel took action and improved the rooms. They have seen a 17.5 per cent rise in occupancy in March, along with a 16.5 per cent increase in RevPAR. At the conference, Choice’s Franchise Services team provided hotels with a snapshot of their performance, along with recommendations as to which education sessions would be most helpful.

There’s also an enhanced search feature that uses previous guest searches to provide suggestions regarding marketing to those guests. “The idea is to help manage social media, leaving nothing on the table,” Pacious said.

For the first time, sales of tablets exceeded those of desktop or laptop computers last year.

Mobile business was up 200 per cent in 2012 compared to the previous year. It now constitutes 13 per cent of Choice’s business—three years ago it made up less that 1 per cent.

Choice now has a Rapidbook process that makes it easier to book on any platform—just a search and one click to make a reservation.

“Success rests on your willingness to embrace these technologies,” said Pacious. “If you’re not using all we have to offer, your competition is leaving you in the dust.”

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Coast paints the town purple

VANCOUVER—Coast Hotels is painting the town purple with the release of its new brand identity and the launch of its new interactive website.

The fresh look and feel epitomizes the Coast Hotels’ friendly, authentic spirit and celebrates the hotel group’s four decades of success in the North American market.

“We felt the need to update our brand mark with a look and feel that better reflects the spirit and personality of our brand,” president and CEO Robert Pratt told CLN. “This new mark respects our history and provides a fresh, contemporary look that shows more depth and warmth which more closely aligns with the personality of our people and our hotels.

“Our ‘refreshingly local’ tag line articulates the uniqueness of our hotels and the engagement our ambassadors have with our guests to enrich the

quality of their stay by sharing their knowledge of the neighborhood.”

This year marks Coast Hotels’ 40th year of business. Each Coast property has a personality as distinct as the cities they’re located in. The farthest thing from cookie-cutter, the road warrior, business traveller or leisure experience seeker can experience the differences, from urban to suburban, historic 100 year-old classics to modern steel and glass, intimate lodges to larger conference houses.

Consistency still has its place.

While distinctly different, Coast hotels are united in their commitment to deliver a full-service experience and host of amenities including complimentary WiFi. Coast Hotels’ consultative brand development process included extensive stakeholder and customer engagement.

“We took the time to involve our customers and understand what really made Coast special to them. This new brand is about honoring our 40 years of history, while building for the next 40 and attracting new generations of travellers,” said Sarah Kirby Yung, executive director, marketing and communications.

The new website, coasthotels.

com, highlights the new look and feel of the brand and provides enriched functionality such as a streamlined booking process, improved Coast Rewards loyalty member dashboard, and a new availability calendar. The new website provides functionality across platforms from desktop to tablet to smartphone. In addition, new features such as a local guide and local events calendar for each hotel connect the guest to each destination.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 14, 2013

Coast Hotels Paints the Town

International hotel group debuts its new b

Vancouver, B.C. – Coast Hotels is painting the identity and the launch of its new interactive we Coast Hotels’ friendly, authentic spirit and celeb in the North American market.

Robert Pratt, president and CEO

More room nights goal of RTO4 WATERLOO, ON—Proximity to Toronto, North America’s fourth largest city, can be both a blessing and a curse.

The blessing is that there are lots of visitors; the curse is that it’s so close that visitors don’t usually stay overnight.

David Peacock, CEO of Regional Tourism Organization Four (RTO4) wants to get those tourists’ heads in beds. And the region has developed a tourism plan to do just that.

RTO4 is an Ontario tourism region that takes in everything from Guelph to Goderich and Bayfield, and Mount Forest to Cambridge. It represents the regional tourism for the Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington areas.

“We include a number of brands: Elora, Fergus, St. Jacob’s, Stratford and Ontario’s West Coast,” said Peacock.

But, according to the Sorbara Report on Tourism released a few years back, the region underperforms economically.

RTO4’s mandate is to increase tourism revenue for its member regions by 25 per cent by March 31, 2015. The strategy is to increase overnight stays in regional accommodations by reaching further afield with experiential marketing and packages and to convert daytrippers to overnights. After all, the average overnighter spends four times what a day-tripper spends, Peacock noted.

The average ratio of trip time to destination time is 1:4, i.e., a person will travel one hour to do four hours of activity. They need to spend six hours, including two mealtimes, before they will consider staying overnight.

He gave an example of Toronto area residents going to Stratford for a play—they would spend 1.5 hours driving there, 2 hours seeing the play

With 2013 marking Coast Hotels’ 40th year of bu tagline showcases the sense of place and uniqu guests across its portfolio of hotels. Each Coas cities they’re located in. The farthest thing from or leisure experience seeker will delight in the d from urban to suburban, historic 100 year-old c lodges to larger conference houses.

Map of RTO4

Consistency still has its place. While distinctly d commitment to deliver a great full-service exper complimentary Wi-Fi.

Coast Hotels’ consultative brand development p customer engagement.

The Little Inn at Bayfield

and another 1.5 driving back. If you could extend that trip to include a lunch and dinner, then staying at a B&B starts to look attractive.

The RTO4 model has already achieved some success. From September 2012 to March 2013, RTO4’s Regional Reservation System, representing more than 300 properties and products, has already generated more

than a quarter million dollars in direct sales. As part of the strategy, the RTO4 has outlined theatre, outdoors, Canadian small towns, agri-culinary and motorsports as powerful tourism segments that can cut through the marketing clutter.

They have a website, www.betterweekending.ca, that establishes interests and suggests possible itineraries.

“We took the time to involve our customers and them. This new brand is about honoring our 40 and attracting new generations of travelers,” sh marketing & communications.

The new website, coasthotels.com, highlights th

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Accent Inns: new look, more Bike Love, and a fire the rooms, and is also encouraging cyclists with a program called Bike Love.

“We’re just expanding our Bike Love program for the serious cyclist.

They can bring their bikes into the room, and we have bike washing stations.”

Accent Inns has just launched Bike Love II, which includes a priority bicycle circle with bolts and locks to secure the bikes, and covers to put over them.

The fire at abc Country Restaurant adjoining Accent Inn Victoria.

Fire

VICTORIA, BC—Mandy Farmer, president and CEO of Accent Inns, is heaving a sigh of relief. Over the last four years, the company has been rejuvenating its hotel exteriors, and now it’s all done.

“We always renovated our rooms, but not the exteriors of the hotels. We wanted a more West Coast contemporary look, in a blue-green colour blocking scheme,” Farmer told CLN. “We replaced metal railings with glass. The columns have real stone on the outside, and there are hundreds of hanging flower baskets. It took a while and a lot of dollars.”

The final step for Accent’s new

look is tweaking the logo. “We had a focus group and found that our customers and our internal stakeholders knew how great we are, but people on the outside didn’t have the same view.

It was eye-opening,” Farmer said.

“Tweaking our brand has been the most exciting thing I’ve ever done,” she added. The process will culminate in a new advertising program, a new website, a new tagline—plus new amenities in the rooms to include the new logo.

Accent’s website calls it a “pintsized, boastfully BC hotel chain with five locations.”

The company welcomes pets in

The Accent Inn in Victoria experienced a fire recently. The adjacent abc Country Restaurant was burned to the ground.

“It’s a pretty major event over here,” Farmer told CLN. “It was weird pulling up at midnight. My Dad built the place, and our staff had their meals there, and I took clients there.

It was strange watching them clear up the debris.”

But the blessings were that no one was hurt, everyone pulled together to help, and the hotel was not damaged due to a “beautiful, excellent, solid firewall,” Farmer said.

Accent Inn Victoria’s new exterior look.

Transition Farmer took over leadership of the family-owned firm five years ago from her father, Terry Farmer, who is still involved. “Dad is essential to our culture—if I’m considering something I’ll run it by Dad. It’s been the loveliest transition,” she said.

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J U N E 2 013

The future of television—from LED to Smart TV

LOS ANGELES—Jake Benner, nationTo LED from LCD al account manager hospitality for LG Benner noted that television Electronics USA, provided a workshop screens are transitioning to LED, on The Future of Television at the reand the LCD lineup is being cent Choice Hotels conference in Los phased out. LED is thinner, the Angeles. televisions use 30 per cent less enThese days, brand standards generergy, and they have better picture ally require a 32-inch minimum new, quality. The 30 per cent energy hospitality grade, LED television with savings can work out to about $16 HD encryption. LG is generally recomper television per year—or $1,600 mending Pro:Idiom. per year for a 100-room property.

The “Pro:Idiom” digital technolTypes of screens available inogy platform was developed to provide clude thin edge, ultra-thin edge, hospitality and health care markets LCD and backlit LED. While fivewith a robust, highly secure Digital star brands are definitely looking Rights Management (DRM) system. at the ultra-thin televisions, backDRM ensures rapid, road deployment lit LED is a bit thicker, but much of high-definition television (HDTV) cheaper, Benner said. and other high-value digital content to hotels and health care facilities.

What is Pro:Centric?

Benner noted that a lot of hoteliers Pro:Centric technology is are confused regarding the differences embedded in the TV, and albetween commercial and consumerlows the hotel owner to totally grade televisions, and wonder why customize their offerings to they can’t just go an buy a TV for the the guest. It is compatible with hotel at Walmart. There are many difmany televisions up to three ferences, said Benner. (See Top 12 dif- At the Choice Hotels Conference: Jake Benner, left, national account years old. There’s a server and manager, hospitality, LG Electronics USA and Andrew Chlebus, senior ferences at right.) an electronic program guide. It’s national sales manager, hospitality division, LG Electronics Canada.

One of the big differences is the a platform that is evolving, and The television stands provided are a safety installer menu, which means that only allows the hotelier to download the general manager/owner has access. Each one feature to prevent theft. They are metal rein- apps such as AccuWeather. comes with a master remote, which enables that forced from the bottom with a full steel plate, person to set the televisions to start on a cer- and the neck is steel-reinforced. There is also a What is a Smart TV? tain channel, set maximum volume settings, and bolt to attach it to the desk.

Benner explained that a Smart TV is one that And finally, warranties on commercial tele- can be connected to the Internet using an RJ45 have a volume setting for start-up.

The key lock feature is important, so that visions are generally for two to three years ver- or wireless connection. New TVs can run Twitsus one year for consumer televisions. guest access can be restricted. ter, Facebook and AccuWeather. Smart TVs can Commercial televisions also have power savalso connect to mobile phones and laptops. ing modes. If the televisions are set at different Benefits of Pro:Idiom One challenge of Smart TVs is that consumer Pro:Idiom provides a way to prevent guests Smart TV technology ships with 25 pre-loaded brightness levels, power savings are substantial.

Too-bright television levels are overkill—and from pirating HDTV channels. If hoteliers don’t apps, and those apps often update themselves. have Pro:Idiom, they are stuck when they want This occurs on the commercial TVs as well, waste power.

Commercial televisions enable the hotelier to upgrade to HDTV pay-per-view movies. which is an inconvenience for the guest. That’s Pro:Idiom works with a basic broadcast cable why commercial Smart TVs purposely limit the to set different program lineups.

And the clonability feature is a real time- with an analog cable feed, which takes HDTV all number of apps to four, and are programmed to saver. The hotelier can use a USB to download the way to the room. There’s a premium cable/ update when the TV is powered off. settings to all the TVs in the hotel at the click satellite cable or satellite transcoder. This allows When a Smart TV tries to pair a guest’s phone of a button. The televisions can even be cloned for videos on demand at the digital high end. with the TV in their room—it may also uninHome televisions are already encrypted at tentionally produce a message on the TV in the from a central location thanks to a remote manthe cable box level, but hotels don’t want to have neighbouring room. Privacy can become an issue. agement feature.

Commercial televisions are pay-per-view cable boxes in each room. That’s one of the rea“At the end of this year, Smart TV apps will sons Pro:Idiom is so popular. compatible. probably start to take off,” said Benner.

In-room iPads at Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel WINNIPEG—When the 101-room Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel opens this fall, it will feature some technology not available at other hotels in the city.

The boutique airport hotel will be the first in the city to offer an iPad in every room with customized mobile connection for all the hotel services.

The Grand will have free WiFi, HDTV and PVR service on the televisions.

The iPads, from a company called GuestDriven, provide an interactive website with maps, directions, landmarks and more.

They can also communicate guest requests ranging from towels to roll away beds to wake-up calls and room service.

“This alleviates pressure on the front desk,” says Neil Fishman, hotel GM. There are consequences for guests who think they can walk off the property with an iPad. The minute the iPad leaves the building, it will shut down. Then the offending guest will receive a notification that the iPad is meant to be left in the room, and if it is not there, they will be assessed a fee of $800. Finally, a very loud alarm will sound until the iPad battery runs out.

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“The hotel is literally steps from the airport, right next to the parkade,” Fishman told CLN. We have very good sight lines from some of the rooms, and the sixth floor observation deck provides fantastic panoramic views.”

The hotel’s target market is business professionals, due to its proximity to the airport, but on weekends Fishman is expecting families.

“There’s food and beverage on the first floor, including a tapas-style restaurant called The Blue Marble Restaurant and Lounge, ”

Fishman said.

The chef will be Anthony Kucera, who comes to the hotel from Winnipeg’s iconic Restaurant Dubrovnik and The Manitoba Club. The hotel will also feature an urban cultivator, so that the chef can grow herbs in the restaurant for use in salads and as garnishes. And the 15 foot by eight foot wine cellar will be visible as soon as a guest enters the restaurant.

Other F&B features will include an autobarista bar with Starbucks coffee. Guests can swipe their credit cards and their coffee will brew in less than 30 seconds.

Keith Levit, president of Lakeview Management, the owner and developer of the hotel, said in a Winnipeg Free Press article that the whole idea behind the development of the Grand was to be able to distinguish the property from everything else in the market.

“There are a lot of cookie-cutter hotels being built,” he said. “This is not a cookie cutter.”

Lakeview has 36 hotels in Canada and the U.S. including a resort in Hecla, MB which opened last month. The Grand will bring the total to 37.

TOP

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LIST

The differences between consumer and hospitality TVs 1. Pay-per-view compatibility via BLAN PPV and MPI port in select Pro:Idiom models only.

2. Pro:Idiom Chip which is necessary to receive HDTV PPV movies and also premium HDTV channels without the need for an expensive/cumbersome box (Pro:Idiom models only).

3. MPEG4 which is necessary to receive all of DirecTV’s, World Cinema’s and Dish Network’s new HDTV free-toguest programming (Pro:Idiom models only).

4. Smart TV. Although available in consumer models, commercial models have limitations on what guests can access as it relates to Internet and apps.

5. Pro:Centric server and FMA (free-toguest management appliance) compatible. Allows the hotel to make changes to all of their TVs at the same time from a central location. No need to visit each room to set-up, update and make changes to the TVs. (Pro:Idiom models only.)

6. Pro:Centric—the ability to have an interactive channel guide, real-time weather updates, menu options to highlight hotel amenities and area attraction and advertising options.

(Pro:Centric models only.)

7. Remote jack pack compatible. Guest connectivity device that allows them to use their portable AV devices (iPod, laptop, DVD player, etc.) easily with the LCD. 8. Clonability. Set one TV the way you like it and then clone it to all other TVs at the property with the press of a button. Done via USB stick or clone box.

Low-cost alternative to Pro:Centric and FMA servers mentioned above.

9. Installer set-up menu which allows the installer to change several hotel specific settings including: o Set TV to start on specific

channel; o Set minimum volume; o Set maximum volume to prevent

neighbour disturbances; o Set start volume at power-up; o Power management—program

TV to turn off after a specified

period of inactivity; o Key lock to prevent guests from

accessing the menu of the TV

where picture settings can be

disrupted; o Channel labelling—label

channels with specific network

labels regardless of location.

(Pro:Idiom models only.) o Channel mapping—assign

network logo, channel numbers,

set line-up; o Several more settings can be

found in each commercial TV’s

owner’s manual.

10. Ability to secure table stand to desktop using hardware that ships with each TV. The purchase of a third party desk mount is not required. (Pro:Idiom models only.)

11. Commercial service centre network and dedicated commercial support. In most cases, an authorized service centre would be only a few miles from the hotel.

12. Longer warranties are usually found on commercial sets. They are usually two to three years, versus one year for consumer sets found at retail. Extended warranties are available for purchase as well.

For more information, go to LG Commercial Products website, www.lgsolutions.com.

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T H E

Kevin Toth, Skyline, Jeff Waters, GM King Edward Hotel and Gil Blutrich, Skyline.

The King Edward marks 110 years with photos and menus TORONTO—The King Edward Hotel has seen many celebrities pass through its rooms. Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth Taylor there in the 1960s, and several years later John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their bed-in for peace at the hotel. The King Edward has paid tribute to both these events with special drinks served at the hotel during the month of May. ‘The Proposal’ honours Taylor and Burton.

It’s a Brandy Alexander, “the perfect nightcap for Liz Taylor and Richard Burton’s celebratory night.”

‘I Met the Walrus’ is a name of the drink that refers to the bed-in. John and Yoko Ono reportedly toasted with a Tequila Sunrise at dawn.

The King Edward was built in 1913 at a cost of $3 million, a staggering amount for the day.

Rooms went for $1.50 a day.

Skyline Investments founder and president Gil Blutrich, general manager of the King Edward Jeff Waters, and Toronto city councillor Pam McConnell were on hand to unveil a wall of historical photos in honour of the hotel’s 110th last month. The unveiling was followed by high tea in Victoria’s Restaurant at the hotel.

Skyline recently spent $50 million to renovate three floors of the hotel as condos.

W I N N ERS’

CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

CIRCLE

GTHA Spirit Awards celebrate service in Toronto hotels

Quality Inn Val D’Or wins both brand and regional awards

TORONTO – Last month, 420 members of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association (GTHA) gathered, to honour exceptional ambassadors in the region’s hotel industry. The second Annual Spirit Awards Luncheon hosted by the GTHA recognized 173 nominees and 19 award winners for their outstanding contributions to the industry.

“The Greater Toronto Hotel Association is very proud of these individuals and the contributions they make to the visitor experience in the Greater Toronto Area,” said GTHA President & CEO Terry Mundell.

GTHA members represent 170 hotels with 35,600 guest rooms and 32,000 employees.

For a complete list of winners go to, www.canadianlodgingnews.com/people.

GATINEAU, QC—Quality Inn Val D’Or has been raking in the awards recently. The hotel’s assistant manager, Alexandre Audet, won a Gold award at Quebec’s Provincial Tourism Gala “Grands Prix du Tourisme Québécois” held at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau on May 14th.

The young manager won first place as “Relève touristique” in the human resources category, which translates to “Upcoming Tourism Leader.”

That same night, the hotel won the Bronze award in the category “Accommodation 40 to 199 units.”

This award is in addition to the 2013 Platinum Award from Choice Hotels Canada, 2012 Val-d’Or Chamber of Commerce “Special Jury Michel Dubois, operations manager, bonPrize” award, 2011 “Rookie of the year” & “Spirit jourquébec.com, Bell Business Markets, and of hospitality” awards by Choice Hotels Canada, Alexandre Audet, assistant manager, Quality Inn & Suites Val-d’Or

and the hotel’s 2013 nominations as “Canadian” & “International” Hotel of the year by Choice Hotels Canada and “Best New Company” by the Val-d’Or Chamber of Commerce.

AHLA honours Betty James and Brian Denham LAKE LOUISE, AB—The Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association gave out two Awards of Distinction at its annual conference held in Lake Louise recently.

Betty James, owner and operator of the Dunvegan Inn in Fairview, AB, has been in the hospitality industry for more than 40 years.

“Her property has always been a good supporter of the AHLA, as well as the Kinsman and Rotary Clubs,” Dave Kaiser, president and CEO of AHLA told CLN. “For Betty, family comes first, and at the Dunvegan Inn & Suites, her employees are like family. Betty operates her property with a hands-on and in-the-now approach to business.

She always works with her employees – she still washes dishes in the dish-pit, makes beds in housekeeping, answers telephones at the front desk, clears tables in the pub, makes Irish Stew, and pours coffee with a smile,” said Perry Wilford, AHLA chair, in presenting her award.

Denham is president/owner of Denham Hospitality, which includes the Best Western Wayside in Wetaskiwin, Best Western Plus in Leduc, Days Inn Edmonton Airport, and Super 8 Wetaskiwin, all in Alberta.

“For 30 years, Brian has been involved in pubs, liquor stores and a number of different hospitality ventures, growing all the time,” said Kaiser.

“Brian’s properties are firmly entrenched as market leaders. His organization has received TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence, over 25 AHLA Housekeeping Awards, 18 Best Western Director’s Awards, four Best Western Chairman’s Awards and two Best of the Best Awards in Customer Care, again from Best Western International,” said Wilford.

Some of this year’s GTHA Spirit Award Winners

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Betty James and Brian Denham

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Simcoe ORHMA’s first hospitality awards RAMA, ON—Municipal Leaders, hospitality professionals, educators and students gathered on April 25 to celebrate the stars of Simcoe County hospitality and to raise scholarship funds for hospitality and tourism students at Georgian College.

Simcoe County includes the towns of Collingwood, Midland-Penetang, Orillia, Barrie, Borden, Alliston and Bradford.

“Creating the Simcoe Hospitality Awards spoke to a need to bring us together as an industry, and raise scholarships, and recognize people in the industry,” ORHMA Simcoe Branch chair, John Cunningham of Georgian College, told CLN. The celebration attracted 160 people, cost $150 a plate, and raised $15,000 in scholarships.

The Silver Nightingale Ballroom at Casino Rama was the setting for the inaugural awards presentation, with Shawn Turner from Barrie radio station CHAY Today 93.1 FM as the master of ceremonies. “Rama really rolled out the red carpet for us,” Cunningham said.

The celebration started with a cocktail reception, and the meal featured seven serving stations with seven top local chefs.

Guests voted on their favourite station for the Silver Plate Award, which was won by Marco Ormonde of The North Restaurant in Barrie.

The award candidates were nominated and voted on by both the public and industry peers through a web and social media

Co-chairs Sylvia Biffis, Nottawasaga Inn and Daniel Clements, Georgian College.

campaign. Over 3,000 ballots were cast this year.

“The ultimate goal is for the region to have a voice and identity for hospitality and tourism,” said organizer Daniel Clements of Georgian College. Plans are already afoot for future Hospitality Awards dinners, moving the venue around the region to keep it inclusive, Clements added.

CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Chefs honour Josef Vonlanthen, longtime executive chef at Regal Constellation who worked at ‘the Connie’ over the 30 plus years that Vonlanthen was there.

“He was a real professional with whatever he did,” Shapiro told CLN. “‘Make it perfect,’ that was his motto.” Whether in the kitchen or at his cottage in Campbellford, ON, where he sometimes invited apprentices to stay, Vonlanthen was always willing to share his knowledge about cooking. “He didn’t keep secrets,” said Shapiro.

For the last 10 years, an annual Constellation Hotel reunion has gathered chefs to reminisce.

The next reunion will include golf and fishing tournaments in honour of Vonlanthen’s interests in those activities, said Shapiro.

Industry Awards

MISSISSAUGA, ON—Chefs and other members of the foodservice industry turned out to honour the memory of chef Josef Raymond Vonlanthen on May 11.

Vonlanthen, who passed away on May 3, served as a mentor to many chefs in Canada during his time as executive chef at the Regal Constellation Hotel in Toronto, including Mike Shapiro, owner of Sweet Angel Chocolates, Glen Gardner, executive chef, Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel, Peter George, executive chef, 360 Restaurant, CN Tower, and Mark McEwan, chef and owner of the McEwan Group. Gardner estimates that there were “over 300 apprentices and countless professionals, cooks, and chefs

These awards are nominated and voted on by those in the hospitality and tourism Industry. o Manager of the Year: Frankie Emerson, F&B - Nottawasaga Inn Resort, Alliston o Chef of the Year: Dylan Tulloch Horseshoe Resort, Craighurst o Industry Recognition: Patrick Cappa Casino Rama, Rama o Food Supplier: Jim Richards - Gordon Food Service o Simcoe ORHMA Legacy Award: Judy Benzies for 37 years of excellent service at the Nottawasaga Inn Resort o 2013 Silver Plate Award: Chef Marco Ormonde, The North Restaurant.

Left to right: Glen Gardner, executive chef, Sheraton Parkway, Grant Carson, executive chef, Lionhead Golf & Country Club, Ana George, Peter George, executive chef, CN Tower, Mark Jachecki, chef, Barik Consulting, Hans Christian, executive chef, Mike Shapiro, CEO Sweet Angel Chocolates Ltd, Tony Andrady, executive chef, Terrace on the Green.

People’s Choice Awards The candidates for these awards are selected and voted on by the public. o Favourite Server: Melanie Barrett, Groovy Tuesday’s , Barrie o Favourite Bartender: Brandon Clark, Kenzington Burger Bar, Barrie o Favourite Restaurant: Painters Hall Bistro, Barrie

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16 |

CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Keeping your hotel

safe and secure

By Marni Andrews It took a Regina broomball tournament a few months ago for GM Ryan Urzada to fully realize that the Saflok RT Lock system installed a year earlier was a very good investment. Since the teams knew each other, and they were staying at the 200-room Travelodge Hotel & Conference Centre Regina for a full week, it wasn’t long before the practical jokes started.

One room ended up with significant damage (approximately $1,200) and the guests claimed another team had done it. They went so far as to say that a guest had misrepresented himself by saying he was locked out of his room and that front desk staff had wrongly given

him a key.

Urzada was suspicious and knew that the radio-frequency identification (RFID) guestroom locks would tell the

story of what had happened through a feature called Door Ajar. An audit of the guestroom lock provided 10 pages of openings over the course of the week. He knew that all four of the guests’ keys had been used and, on the night in question, that the door had been propped open from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., which clearly left the room’s occupants culpable for the damage that had occurred. In addition, Urzada knew that no additional keys had been issued, nor had any staff keys been used during the time in question.

“At that point, it was case closed,” he says. “They paid for the damage and we were done with it. The onus was on them to have closed the door.”

The most common reason hoteliers are making the switch to RFID is because the keycards don’t demagnetize, says Robert Sydor, vice-president business development, Kaba, which offers the ILCO and Saflok brands.

“With RFID technology, front desk staff no longer have to deal with frustrated customers returning for replacement keycards. This means hotels can save valuable time and resources,” explains Sydor.

“Definitively, the latest trend in guestroom locks is the application of RFID technology,” agrees Jean-Guy Groleau, national sales manager, Loc International Inc., which offers electronic door locks and in-room safes.

RFID is a fairly new trend but has gained widespread market acceptance due to its advanced security features and user friendliness, says William Oliver, president, North America for ASSA ABLOY Hospitality,

which offers VingCard Elsafe products. He adds that it has replaced magstripe as the industry standard and has been mandated for new construction projects among some major hotel chains and groups. Recent advancements have increased the system reading speed by almost 50 per cent and enable RFID locks to read keycards from more than twice as far away.

“RFID is rapidly becoming the global standard of technology,” says Steve Switzer, global product manager, Onity, which offers electronic locks, electronic safes and energy management systems to the hospitality industry. “Europe and Asia have been the leaders in adopting RFID technology but we are starting to see this trend develop in North America.”

“The more sophisticated HT RFID technology allows guests to take advantage of room access methods other than keycards. These include wristbands, key fobs and other portable devices.”

NFC—no lock hardware One of the most exciting trends we’re seeing right now is the shift toward Near Field Communication (NFC), explains Oliver. NFC is a short-range wireless communication standard that facilitates the exchange of encrypted data between devices over approximately 10 cm.

“Virtually all VingCard RFID locks come equipped with NFC functionality. We believe it will be commonplace in a few years.”

Design-forward hotels will be interested in the possibilities of a completely invisible door lock. VingCard’s new Essence technology eliminates all lock hardware by encasing electronic components inside the door itself, says Oliver.

“In recent years we have made strides by minimizing the hardware and incorporating new technologies such as RFID and NFC, but visible card readers had remained on the door exterior, giving hotels a distinctly commercial feel in the hallway.”

Sydor of Kaba mentions a number of trends he is seeing in the industry. They include remote check-

in o p tions to bypass the front desk, RFID loyalty programs where member keycards can be used to access assigned rooms in any hotel worldwide within a chain, cellphone room keys with time-sensitive audible tones or an NFC chip that operates like a keycard, and self check-in kiosks where guests can receive their room key.

“Tablet computing adds flexibility to hotel operations as keycards can be created anywhere in the hotel, allowing front desk personnel to move around to welcome guests individually,” says Sydor. “Messages can be sent to the locks and the locks can be managed from anywhere in the hotel.

Additionally, energy management systems for room temperature and smart rooms customized to the tastes of the individual guest are becoming a popular feature in high-end guestrooms.

Kaba along with our key partners can offer all of these services.”

Security cameras and safes The 93-room Grande Colonial La Jolla in California recently changed their

J U N E 2 013

guestroom locking system to the VingCard RFID keycard system. According to GM Terrence Underwood, this has improved the guest experience compared to the older magnetic stripe system. They also updated inroom safes and upgraded surveillance cameras to ensure clearer resolution under different lighting conditions.

The Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa is another property that recently upgraded their security cameras to a digital system with better clarity, motion sensing and data storage that can be easily transmitted to the police. GM Kimberly Hughes says that this investment, in addition to an upgrade to the fire protection system and new Saflok RFID technology, can play an important role for guests in where they choose to stay.

“We believe that investment in guest security will be the deciding factor for guests in choosing hotels in the future,” says Hughes. “Are there processes in place to make sure that, day or night, I am safe and secure?”

Still, no matter how high-tech a hotel’s security systems are, Hu g h e s thinks that it is team memb e r training that can make t h e ultimate differ-

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ence for guest security. She cites her hotel’s policy of not giving guests access to their rooms if they have lost their key.

Unfortunately, they will have to return to the front desk to verify the room number and produce ID in order to get a new key, explains Hughes. This has been a tough message for the team with situations where a wife has decided to upgrade the room and changes rooms but the husband does not receive the message.

He goes to the old room, the key doesn’t work. Without a strong policy in place, he may see the room attendant on the floor who recognizes him and may let him in to the old room now occupied by another guest.

“Our team is a critical part of protecting our guests’ security and we take this responsibility very seriously,” Hughes said.

Another potential security issue is the in-room safe. According to Oliver of VingCard, the growing popularity of top-open safes such as Zenith

by Elsafe is due to their ability to be placed inside drawers, enhancing security and eliminating guestroom clutter. The Zenith’s design is spacious enough for larger sized computers and tablets, and the top opening door improves visibility of personal belongings to reduce the frequency of guests forgetting valuables in the room.

Ron Daniels, president and CEO, Millennium Lock, is the inventor and manufacturer of the Ultimate Lock.

He claims that the five-time world’s strongest man has tried to break open his lock and could not. With the addition of the Liberty Lock technology, Daniels says the lock’s computer chip can be keyed to work in specific areas

Parking safety crucial

or floors to limit access.

He gives the example of a janitor who may have access to Level 1 of a hotel. If he thinks his room key is a master and tries to use it on Level 2, for example, the Liberty Lock technology registers this and reports the attempt at the end of the day when the employee must turn in his key to management who can see where everyone was and when.

As technology continues to evolve, intelligent systems will link directly with other electronic devices and systems, including hotel property management systems, building management systems and security monitoring, says Switzer of Onity.

The real plus is that intelligent systems can pay for themselves within a few years due to energy savings and operational efficiency. They’ll also provide real-time management reports, room environment monitoring, demand response, HVAC trouble detection and predictive maintenance that all help with higher guest satisfaction levels, he adds.

The future seems to be already here.

Photos: Far left, Ryan Urzada, GM, Travelodge Regina. Top left, Onity locks. This page left and above, Ultimate Locks from Millennium Lock. Below: Travelodge Regina.

“The parking lot is the first and last experience that the guest will have and safety procedures are designed to identify threats to personal safety as well as vehicle safety,” says Mary Sheridan, director of marketing and communications, Precise ParkLink Inc., which offers a 50-point check of parking facilities with their ParkSafe program. Their iPass system is a cloud-based subscriber system that registers guest vehicles upon arrival or pre-arrival.

Parking safety encompasses the physical structure as well as the equipment used by the guest. Both the equipment and the physical lot represent an expense to hotel ownership. The revenues to maintain them are supposed to be offset by the parking guest, however it is often a delicate matter from the customer perspective, says Sheridan. State-of-the-art lighting, equipment and parking lot services can help to alleviate this issue.

“The equipment must provide safe and easy access to your hotel,” she explains. “There is nothing worse than the gate arm not opening after numerous intercom attempts.”

The reality is that hotel parking can be as challenging for front desk staff as it is for hotel guests, conference attendees and visitors. ParkSmart’s integrated guest parking validation system (called SmartIssue) can help convert parking from a problem area into a source of revenue and convenience for guests.

ParkSmart’s unattended pay and display devices operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing a combination of pay-for-use parking, validation for short-term visitors and seamless registration for hotel guests. Hotel guests register their vehicle by providing a license plate number when they check in. They can proceed directly to their room with no need to return to their vehicle to place a permit on the dash.

“Since changing to ParkSmart’s wireless Pay & Display system and SmartIssue guest parking registration software, our revenues are up and our parking complaints are nearly nonexistent,” said Ferdinando Miranda, who was general manager, Four Points Sheraton Toronto Airport, when the ParkSmart system was put in about eight years ago. “ParkSmart’s enforcement, collection and equipment maintenance has contributed to smooth parking operations for our hotel.”

www.canadianlodgingnews.com

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

Junior Suite at Crowne Plaza Kitchener

O P E N I N G S , S A L E S A N D R E N O VAT I O N S

L to r: Irwin Prince, President & COO, Realstar Hospitality; Mark Heyck, mayor of Yellowknife and Tim Tindle, regional vice president, Western Canada, Atlific Hotels.

Days Inn & Suites Whitecourt, AB WHITECOURT, AB—Realstar Hospitality will open a new franchised property under their Days Inn & Suites portfolio, in Whitecourt, AB. The 76-room hotel is pet-friendly and has fitness and laundry facilities on-site.

Located approximately two hours from Edmonton and three hours from Grand Prairie, the Whitecourt location is just off of highway 43.

“This hotel is a sign of our commitment to expanding the Days Inn cus-

tomer base and establishing a strong presence in Western Canada,” Realstar Hospitality president and chief operating officer Irwin Prince said in a release. “We expect to increase the number of hotels across Western Canada from 34 to more than 50 in the next few years.”

Official opening of Days Inn—Yellowknife YELLOWKNIFE, NT—Days Hotel & Suites—Yellowknife recently celebrated its official grand opening with a reception and ribbon cutting

ceremony. Special guests in attendance included Mark Heyck, mayor of Yellowknife; Tim Tindle, regional VP, Western Canada, Atlific Hotels and Irwin Prince, president & COO, Realstar Hospitality.

“Located in downtown Yellowknife, our uniquely northern hotel is an excellent choice for an overnight or extended stay,” said Ibrahim Neviri, GM of the 80-room property.

Speaking at the event, Prince congratulated the hotel and noted that for the Days Inn brand in Canada, the official grand opening ceremony signifies their dedication to investing in the social and economic development in Yellowknife.

The franchised property is owned

by Temple Hotels Inc. and is managed

by Atlific Hotels.

IHG’s new Crowne Plaza for Kitchener KITCHENER, ON — InterContinental Hotels Group plans to open a Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Kitchener, Ontario, in late 2013, after a multi-million dollar renovation which began last month.

The Crowne Plaza KitchenerWaterloo Hotel & Conference Centre will feature contemporary design touches by Jolanta Lukus of Royal Design Inc. that reflect a stylish and

The Prime Minister’s Suite, Sheraton Hamilton

relaxed vibe.

It also has 15,000 square feet of meeting space, with nearly 15 different venue options, including outdoor courtyard spaces, catering to almost any event style or size.

“Because we’re in such a vibrant and exciting location, our hotel will serve as a hub for business and leisure travelers, international or domestic,” said general manager Yari Khan.

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PM Suite unveiled at Sheraton Hamilton HAMILTON, ON—Vrancor Hospitality Corporation is proud to unveil the most recent renovation at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, the 18th floor Prime Minister Suite. This suite has hosted many prestigious guests from politicians (including First Lady Laura Bush), actors, musicians, comedians and, of course, the Prime Minister of Canada.

“After completing a three-month renovation, we were excited and pleased to welcome Oprah Winfrey to Hamilton and the hotel as our first guest in the newly renovated Prime Minister Suite. It was an amazing opportunity to showcase the hotel and hospitality in Hamilton. We hope to welcome many more guests, celebrities and superstars to the city and to the Prime Minister Suite to enjoy ultra modern comfort and a superior night sleep,” said Syed Gardezi, general manager.

Renovations to the 1,200 square foot suite were completed by the Vrancor Hospitality Corporation, while interior design, including all staging and décor, was created by Jolanta Lukus of Royal Design Inc. based in Newmarket, ON. The Prime Minister Suite upgrade includes metallic wallpapers, a granite bar, plush carpet, a custom dining room table with studded oversized chairs and crystal chandeliers—all in cool metallic, green and blue hues that tie the room together and create a calming, peaceful sanctuary.

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STAMFORD, CT—Four Points by Sheraton has a thriving global pipeline, and should reach a milestone 200th opening in 2014.

A recent $1-billion brand-wide rejuvenation has spurred its popularity and is helping to drive Four Points’ growth.

In North America, Four Points will surpass 120 hotels this year, representing a 20 per cent increase since the beginning of 2008. With 17 new properties set to open in the U.S. and Canada over the next 12 months, the brand is on track to have Starwood’s largest North American pipeline.

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New Castle named one of Atlantic Canada’s best places to work

New Castle winners, l to r: BeckyAnne Brydon, David Rowe, Susan Malana, Raj Gupta, Guido Kerpel., Susan Wilson, Graham Hyson, Randall Wyse, Denise McNeil, Glenn Bowie and Rick Norman.

as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood, waterslide targeted towards today’s families.

It’s the latest in a series of historic hotel because we help them improve their operarescues dating back to 1995 when David tions,” Gerry Chase, president and COO told Buffam, founder and CEO of New Castle CLN in a recent interview.

“New Castle Canada is committed to Hotels and Resorts purchased the Nova Scotian as part of an overall expansion strategy. long term development and management in Based in Shelton, CN, New Castle now Canada. We are excited about growing our operates seven properties in Canada. These portfolio. Hospitality is what Canada is all include three Nova Scotia Signature resorts, about, and we are engaged only in the hospiDigby Pines, the Liscombe and Keltic Lodge. tality field and the hotel business.”

Chase also sees New Castle as a leader in Other properties managed by New Castle are the Residence Inn in Moncton and the e-commerce and social media, and was delighted to be a speaker at the recent Online Hampton Inn and Suites in Dartmouth.

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HALIFAX—New Castle Hotels and Resorts, (NCHR) a leading hotel developer, owner and operator, has been named one of the 27 Best Places to Work in Atlantic Canada by Progress magazine and Best Companies Group. The awards presentation was made at a luncheon held late last month at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax.

Now in its seventh year, this survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honour the best employers in Atlantic Canada, benefitting the region’s economy, workforce and businesses.

Only companies from across the region, (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador) were eligible for consideration.

This month, Atlantic Canada’s icon, the Algonquin, will reopen its doors after an eight-month, $20 million renovation led by NCHR and its partner, Southwest Properties. The comprehensive renovation includes modern updates to guest rooms that reflect the hotel’s elegant past, dining room revelations focusing on locally sourced ingredients and a new, indoor pool and

Two new faces at Ishcom Publications Steven Isherwood, Kim Kerr publisher of Canadian Lodging News, Ontario Restaurant News, Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News, and Atlantic Restaurant News, is pleased to announce two new members of the team.

Kim Kerr is a new account manager, covering territories across Canada for Ishcom Stephanie print and digital prod- Giammarco ucts. Her sales experience includes nine years at W.T. Lynch Foods Ltd. and nine years at Intercorp Excelle Foods Inc. (Renee’s), in account manager roles. In the course of her career, Kim has dealt with a wide variety of clients in the foodservice industry, from chefs to distributors on a national scale.

Stephanie Giammarco is production co-ordinator, handling daily advertising design and client interaction for the production of all Ishcom magazines.

Stephanie’s experience includes graphic design and production pre-press roles with small and medium sized businesses, including restaurant branding, as well as freelance work for external clients. She has an advanced diploma in graphic design from Humber College.

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20 |

CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

PEOPLE

Bill Burns, OAA director, has passed away after a battle with cancer.

DomInique Malaterre and Normand Laprise. Laprise won a James Beard award for his book, TOQUÉ! Creators of a Quebec Gastronomy.

Matthew Phillips, GM, Pinestone Resort & Conference Centre

Todd Folbrecht, VP development, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotels

Daniel Louvet new director of F&B, The Hotel Omni Mont-Royal

Cody Milch, OPL Plus product manager, Laundrylux

Ken Lambert, director, HLT Advisory Inc., Toronto

Jasmin Kobajica, executive chef and director F&B, The Algonquin

Thomas Michaud, director, project management, Pivotal Projects

Mary D’Alton, chair, Smart Serve Ontario and president Waterloo Inn

John Kiszla, VP demand account management, Pegasus Solutions

Mark Swetman, general manager, North America, Pegasus Solutions

Bill Burns, a director of the Ontario Accommodation Association board, passed away April 12, 2013 at the age of 77 after a valiant battle with cancer. He went peacefully surrounded by family and friends at his home in Wellington, ON. With his wife Frances, Burns owned and operated the Iron Bridge Motel, in Iron Bridge, from 1988 until they sold it in 2012. Burns joined the OAA Board in 1998, and chaired the Education Task Force for many years.

in the Photography category, adds her vote of satisfaction and high esteem for the work of chef Laprise. The laureates were announced during a ceremony at New York’s Gotham Hall before an audience of numerous authors and food critics.

Cody Milch recently joined Laundrylux as OPL Plus product manager.

“I am delighted that Cody has joined the Company,” states Neal Milch, CEO, “and particularly pleased that we have initiated entry of the third generation into the commercial laundry business following myself and our founder Bernard Milch. Cody’s sister, Julia, may be joining too after completing her MBA.” Milch will focus on the On Premise Laundry (OPL) market which is experiencing rapid growth under the leadership of Kim Shady, senior VP of OPL and national accounts.

Chef Normand Laprise won the James Beard Foundation award in New York recently as author of TOQUÉ!

Creators of a Quebec Gastronomy in the book category, Cooking from a Professional Point of View. Dominique Malaterre, who was also nominated

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has named Todd Folbrecht as vice president, development, Americas. He will report directly to Bob Kleinschmidt, chief financial officer and chief development officer. Folbrecht joined Carlson in 1999 as an information technology audit senior. In 2006, he was promoted to director of Investments, strategy and analysis, and most recently senior director, business development.

Jasmin Kobajica has a new position as executive chef, director food and beverage for The Algonquin Resort.

New Brunswick’s landmark seaside re-

sort will reopen in the summer of 2013 as the first Autograph Collection hotel in Canada. Kobajica will oversee two primary restaurants; Braxton’s which will emphasize local fish and seafood, and a premium steakhouse. Prior to joining the Algonquin team, he served 10 years as executive chef of the Chateau Lacombe in Edmonton, where he established the award winning restaurant, LaRonde, as a provincial dining destination and the champion of Alberta regional cuisine. Earlier in his career, he enjoyed a three-year tenure in increasingly responsible positions at The Algonquin and was opening chef for the Fox Harb’r golf resort in Nova Scotia.

The Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, a newly-renovated luxury four-star hotel located in the heart of downtown Montreal, has appointed Daniel Louvet as director of food and beverage.

Louvet brings more than 10 years of global hospitality experience to the property. He has worked in England and South Africa, and has managed the beverage departments aboard cruise ships for companies such as Seabourn and Holland America. Louvet’s more recent experience includes Disneyland Resort Paris in France, where he worked in management for five years.

Ken Lambert has joined HLT Advisory Inc. as a director. Lambert has over 25 years of senior management experience in the Canadian hotel, airline and tourism sectors. He started with Wardair in 1988 followed by a stint at Canadian Airlines. He took the helm of Ottawa Tourism (1994-1996), and then the Americas division of Hong Kong Tourism during its tumultuous repatriation era in the late 1990s.

From 1998 until recently, Lambert served as VP, marketing and sales for Delta Hotels and Resorts.

Thomas Michaud has joined Pivotal Projects as director, project management in its Toronto office. Michaud is a seasoned manager of complex construction and renovation projects for the commercial and hospitality sectors.

He joins Pivotal from Advent PDS Inc. where he was director, project management. In 2005, Michaud founded Capex, a consultancy offering market

research and analysis, international business management, design, development, and construction services to hotel ownership groups. His recent multi-million dollar hotel projects include: Delta Ottawa City Centre Hotel; Intercontinental Hotel in Tampa, FL; the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA; and the Courtyard by Marriott in Miami, FL. Mary D’Alton is the new chair of the board of Smart Serve Ontario.

D’Alton is the president and managing director of the Waterloo Inn Conference Hotel, and has served on the Board of Smart Serve Ontario for more than a decade. She has 25 years of experience in the hotel industry, including the Valhalla Inn, and has also worked on food and beverage at events such as the Montreal Grand Prix.

Matthew Phillips recently took over as the new general manager of the Pinestone Resort & Conference Centre in Haliburton, ON. In his work with Pinestone owner, Vrancor Hospitality, Phillips also oversees the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Huntsville, ON, a position he has held since August, 2011. During his first year at the Holiday Inn Express, he increased RevPAR by 9.3 per cent. Phillips has also been general manager at Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Guelph, ON, Breadalbane Inn & Spa, and Elora Mill Inn & Spa, all in Ontario.

Pegasus Solutions has named John Kiszla vice president, demand account management, where he will help drive room sales for Pegasus hotel clients by working directly with the demand community. Kiszla brings nearly two decades of hotel leadership to the role in which he will also be managing a global team of account managers.

Mark Swetman is now vice president, global sales, Americas, for Pegasus Solutions. Swetman previously served as global director of sales for Open Hospitality, a division of Pegasus Solutions. Before that, he was complex director of sales and marketing for Hilton Hotels of Parsippany in New Jersey.

He has also served as the regional director of sales and marketing for Dolce International Hotels & Resorts.

J U N E 2 013

P ROD U CT S

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Kärcher introduces the new KM 90/60 R Bp ride on sweeper, the strong belief that one latest model in a line up that now includes five walk-behind and size does not fit all, three ride-on models. This battery operated compact sweeper has a 36” cleaning path with the side broom engaged. It is Canadas Best Value Inn extremely quiet, has great sight lines and is very easy to use. and Lexington by Vantage The KM 90/60 R Bp has excellent dust control capabilities by way of a 4 square metre polyester self-cleaning filter. It is offer the most flexible, designed for hard floorTiffany sweeping can be equipped withcreate inspiring, inviting atmospheres Industrial vintage, fresh andbut transitional designs customized brand an antistatic carpet broom for the surface cleaning of affiliation in the industry. commercial carpets. The KM 90/60 R Bp can clean from 40,000 to 54,000 square feet per hour.

Both wet cell D – May 15, 2013 – Kichler’s decorative indoor lighting collections offer on-trend designs that welcome guests and AGM batteries are available.

• Top reservation/revenue performance rm spaces into stunning environments.

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hler ® Collections Feature Fashion-Forward Lighting for Hospitality Industry

• Reasonable brand standards ell as industrial vintage and transitional styled products, Kichler offers designers lighting solutions that exceed y and help create a memorable experience. Simmons’ new Recharge Beautyrest • Member-driven fees – highly

The new Recharge Beautyrest features a proprietary EverNU ranked by HVS for franchise fee value replaceable mattress top and EnduroTECH foundation, protecthazam™ and Louisa™ collections follow the popular trends of shade-in-shade, natural and bold accent colors, and ing the mattress from the ground up to ensure exceptional mat• Short-term agreements; no liquidated damages ng geometric patterns. The combination of Art Glass with translucent slicestheir of real stone creates natural variations tress durability.

Most hotels replace mattresses every seven years, with most occurring because the mattress™replacements ™ • Comprehensive resources of Vantage Hospitality d texture. For a more urban look and feel, Kichler’s Everly, Lytham and Saddler families point to the growing es’ comfort levels have deteriorated over time, causing the beds - the 8th largest hotel company worldwide! dustrial vintage and transparent styles. to lose their initial plush feel. Designed to help hotels get the most out of their mattresses, the EverNu zip-off topper allows hotels (#3333) to refresh at their experience by replacing the 15-17 in will find the following fixtures in the Kichler booth theguests’ 2013sleep Hospitality Design Expo, May mattress’ top upholstery layer without replacing the bed’s PockBay, Las Vegas. eted Coil springs, saving them from having to invest in a new fleet of models while the beds’ structures are still in their prime.

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Cascades’ Antibacterial paper towel has received Gold honours in the Edison Awards Consumer Packaged Goods: Cleaning Solutions category. The award, named after Thomas Edison, was bestowed to Cascades in a special gala held in Chicago recently, and came by way of an -international more - judging panel of more than 3,000 business executives, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science and medicine. The company’s novel paper towel was launched October 2012 in the North American market as a simple, safe and effective way to reduce bacterial contamination and transmission. Dry to the touch, the green-colored Cascades Antibacterial paper towel has been confirmed in third-party testing to kill over 99.99 per cent of harmful bacteria on contact with wet hands. Studies also show that paper towels are the best choice for hand hygiene; the antibacterial version is therefore an even safer option.

Cascades Tissue group, www.cascades.com, 450-444-6400

collections offer on-trend designs, featuring Art Glass and cut stone for an updated Tiffany style, as well as industrial vintage and transitional styled products. The new Shazam and Louisa collections follow the popular trends of shade-in-shade, natural and bold accent colours, and geometric patterns. The combination of Art Glass with translucent slices of real stone creates natural variations in colour and texture. For a more urban look and feel, Kichler’s Everly, Lytham and Saddler families point to the growing trends of industrial vintage and transparent styles.

Kichler Decorative lighting, www. kichler.com.

JoinCBVI.com JoinLexington.com 888-316-2378 1,000 Hotels Worldwide

© 2013 Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc.

HDbulb Expo his industrialCascades vintage collection a modern twist to a classicKichler look. The at Edison features a classic winsbrings Edison Kichler’s decorative indoor lighting downrod. aged” filament surrounded by a clear glass shade that hangs gracefully from a Polished Chrome Award for innovation

www.canadianlodgingnews.com

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CANADIAN LODGING NEWS

TOP BE F OR E

&

A F T E R

Total renovation: from rooms to uniforms ENTRANCE AFTER

CALGARY, AB—

STAFF WITH ENTRANCE UNIFORMS BEFORE (AND BODY PAINTED MODELS)

10

LIST

Ten reasons why you want to create loyalty How do you create loyalty? Continue to give your clients what they want most and do it well...

1. Acknowledging your repeat guests will encourage them to come back. Remember what they like and dislike and be attentive to this when they come back.

2. It costs six to seven times more to acquire a new client then to retain an existing one.

3. Look to your loyal guests for suggestions on where to improve—they will be honest and more open to sharing their thoughts as you have a relationship. This will also build rapport as they will feel that you value them.

SITTING AREA AFTER

Carrie Larose, Hotel Blackfoot

CALGARY—“Contemporary with Aboriginal flare.” That’s the image the Hotel Blackfoot projects now that it is almost finished a year-long renovation that encompasses the hotel’s name, guestroom decor, new menus in the restaurant, and dramatic new uniforms for staff.

Carrie Larose, executive director, is the visionary behind some of the changes to the 40-year-old, 194-room hotel, located a short drive from Calgary Airport.

“Our maintenance people are awesome, and we’ve won numerous housekeeping awards, but the last time we renovated was in the late 1990s,” Larose told CLN during a tour of the hotel.

The hotel’s name changed from the Blackfoot Inn to Hotel Blackfoot.

Guestrooms now include 413-squarefoot executive king rooms, all designed with the location and history in mind. Pictures from the Glenbow Museum add colour tones to the rooms. Bathrooms have lots of space, and high-end fixtures, including big shower heads.

In addition to the executive king rooms, there will be two suites per floor on the two executive floors.

“We are moving to 47-inch TVs in the executive rooms, and are trying to get 55-inch ones for the suites,” Larose said.

The executive rooms feature Herman Miller desk chairs, which are ergonomically friendly and made specifically for the hotel.

“Our clientele is changing,” Larose noted.

“The goal with the executive floors is to look at upper and mid-level management. During the Stampede, we’ll get entertainers in the full-sized suites. We’re looking at people in film and television production, and Calgary is also a corporate city.”

Downstairs in the 70-seat Greens Lounge and 210-seat Greens Restaurant, the menu has been changed to include vegetarian, healthy choice, sustainable and gluten free food. GM Scott Warner has a strong F&B background, and executive chef Jason Pederson has also worked at the Valley Ridge Golf Club. Other dining alternatives at the hotel include a sports bar (with a tempting popcorn aroma), and the Laugh Shop Comedy Club, which features 350 seats and buffet dining.

At Hotel Blackfoot, even the uniforms have received a makeover. Working with an image consultant, Larose requested uniforms that are contemporary with Aboriginal flare, made with comfortable, fitted high-quality material. “You don’t have to have stuffy, conventional uniforms.”

Uniforms start with basic black, but each hotel department has colourful accents and logos. Food and beverage has orange accents, accommodations has blue, entertainment has yellow and administration has green.

Uniforms feature silk with leather trim.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘I’d wear that out afterward’,” Larose said.

4. Existing customers are less sensitive to price. Once they’re conquered, price is less of an issue as they see value in what you do.

5. Word of mouth is free advertising. If your clients are satisfied, they will tell their friends to use your services. You can even have an incentive program for referrals.

6. Repeat customers spend 67 per cent more than new ones.

7. Remind customers of everything you offer. That is what we call the benefits... and benefits sell!

8. Think long-term value, not transactional value. If you focus on the sale, you will lose the customer.

9. A successful company typically sees 80 per cent of its business come from 20 per cent of its customers.

10. Communicate regularly with your clients. Whether it is a promotional flyer, a holiday greeting card or an e-mail newsletter, let your clients know you are there for them when they need your services.

For comments or suggestions, contact: info@ signaturecanada.ca

C OM I NG

Oct. 8: The Manitoba Hotel Association Tradeshow, Victoria Inn Hotel, Winnipeg. Website: www.centrex.ca.

Oct 10-12: Travel Gay Canada’s 4th Annual Conference, The White Oaks Resort & Spa, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Contact: Darrell Schuurman. Website: http://www.tgcconference.com.

Oct. 21-23: Boutique Lifestyle International Leadership Symposium (BLLA), Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles, CA. Contact: Frances Kiradjian. Website: www.boutiqueleadershipconference.com.

Oct. 22-23: VO-CON, Canada’s only event focused on resort development and vacation

E V E N T S

ownership, Fairmont Waterfront Centre Hotel, Vancouver, BC. E-mail: info@crdaconference. com.

Oct. 23-24: Western Hotels & Resort Investment Conference, Contact: Orie Berlasso.

Phone: 416-924-2002 or 866-887-4453. E-mail: orieberlasso@bigpictureconferences.ca.

Oct. 27-28: Connect, BC’s first food, drink and lodging expo, Vancouver Convention Centre West. Contact: Cailey Murphy, director of communications, British Columbia Hotel Association. Tel: 604-443-4751. E-mail: cailey@ bchotelassociation.com. Website: http://www. crfa.ca.

Oct. 28-29: Shared Ownership Invest-

ment Conference, Eden Roc Renaissance, Miami Beach, FL. Phone: 305-668-3495. Website: http://www.regonline.com/2013SharedOwner shipInvestmentConference.

Nov. 9-12: International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show, Javits Convention Center, New York, NY. Contact: Phil Robinson. Phone: 513-263-9331. E-mail: phil.robinson@stmediagroup.com. Website: www.ihmrs.com.

Dec. 4-7: Vantage Hospitality Group’s annual International Educational Conference and Trade Show. Co-hosted by the D Las Vegas Casino Hotel and Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino.

Contact: Al Cohen, Vantage Hospitality Group.

Phone: 888-316-2378. Fax: 440-247-2294.

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