Hotelier November/December 2023

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CONTENTS VO LU M E 36 , N O. 8 | NOV. /DEC . 2023

FEATURES 8

CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE Common themes characterize great leaders

9

SWEET DREAMS Hotels adapt to low-sugar trend to enhance the meal experience

SWEET TREATS Dessert and pastry play an important role in hotel F&B strategies

47 38 MANAGING REVENUE Automated revenue-management systems help drive profitability

40 CULTURAL CONNECTION ITAC leads the sustainable restoration of Indigenous tourism

12 COMPANY OF THE YEAR SUNRAY GROUP

Sunray Group is a beacon of success in the hospitality-and-tourism industry

18 REGIONAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR BASECAMP RESORTS

44 LOBBYING FOR CHANGE Hotel lobbies have become more than just a place to check in

50 BE OUR GUEST Hotels integrate guest-facing apps to enhance the guest experience

Basecamp Resorts offers a home away from home in mountain destinations

22 HOTELIER OF THE YEAR TIM REARDON

Tim Reardon strives to make a difference for future hotel leaders

26 SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR NESPRESSO CANADA

Nespresso Canada grows it’s role within the hospitality industry

29 SHOW AND TELL Avendra holds annual Supplier Showcase at Westin Harbour Castle Toronto

COVER PHOTO BY MARGARET MULLIGAN

30 INNOVATE, INTEGRATE AND CELEBRATE

KML and Sequel Hotels & Resorts host the seventh-annual WITH Summit

36 POD PEOPLE Garden Pod takes the shipping container hotel concept in new directions

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DEPARTMENTS 2

EDITOR’S PAGE

5

CHECKING IN

52 HOTELIERS

Paula McFarlane and Jake Tayler, Hotel Julie, Stratford, Ont.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 1

EDITORIAL

THE EPITOME OF EXCELLENCE

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CONNECT WITH US HotelierMagazine @RCaira_Kostuch @rosannacaira

PHOTO BY NICK WONG

ith the sudden arrival of December, it’s time to cast our eyes to the year ahead, but not until we take one last look at the past year and acknowledge the various highlights and achievements of those who have managed to break ground, who have moved past the setbacks and, in doing so, have crafted a narrative that reflects the epitome of excellence.

While it’s clear that the hotel industry has not been able to totally put the pandemic behind it, and the impact of COVID-19 continues to reverberate across all industry segments ― and undoubtedly will continue to do so for many years ― it’s reassuring to see that an increasing number of hoteliers have moved valiantly forward, breaking free of the pandemic’s stranglehold, all the while learning valuable life lessons along the way that will serve them well in their next chapters.

Once again, this year’s Pinnacle Award winners are a testament to hard work, creativity and dedication. This year’s winners also share another common trait — they’ve not let the pandemic define them. Despite the ongoing challenges and the various ups and the downs, they’ve been able to stand out from the pack by daring to believe in themselves and by daring to dream big. Perseverance and resilience are part of these companies’ playbooks, sprinkled with creativity, imagination and tenacity.

While the past few years have been a rollercoaster ride, filled with unexpected twists and turns, and global geo-political events are once again forcing us to navigate through uncertainty, we’ve learned that in life all we can do is adapt to new circumstances.

Along the way, the pandemic has forced us to learn many important lessons that will undoubtedly shape our future actions and decisions. Certainly, challenges test our resilience and resourcefulness, but they also force us to dig deep within ourselves to find strength and new opportunities for growth.

As we close out the year and look forward to celebrating the holidays with family and friends ― while also taking a much-needed pause in our daily frenetic lives ― we hope you get to enjoy the wonder of the season. We’d like to wish all our readers and advertisers alike the very best of the holiday season. Though the world continues to spin faster every day it’s more important than ever to pause, reflect and cherish what we have, while always hoping for better in the world.

On behalf of the entire KML team, we wish you good health, happiness and, as always, a touch of magic during this holiday season. And, with a new year upon us, we hope it holds great promise and potential, while continuing to dream big in order to realize a brighter future filled with hope, fulfilment and the ability to fuel positive change.

Happy New Year!

ROSANNA CAIRA rcaira@kostuchmedia.com

2 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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ROSANNA CAIRA Editor & Publisher AMY BOSTOCK Managing Editor NICOLE DI TOMASSO Assistant Editor ROSELINE VICTORIA VIJAYAKUMAR Editorial Assistant COURTNEY JENKINS Art Director JENNIFER O'NEILL Production Manager TYLER BECKSTEAD Web Manager JANINE MARAL Social Media Manager WENDY GILCHRIST Director of Business Development DANNA SMITH Account Manager ZACK RUSSELL Sales & Marketing Assisstant DANIELA PRICOIU Senior Accountant CIRCULATION PUBLICATION PARTNERS kml@publicationpartners.com

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Andrew Weir, Destination Toronto; Anne Larcade, Sequel Hotels & Resorts; Anthony Cohen, Cresent Hotels — Global Edge Investments; Bonnie Strome, Hyatt Hotels; Christiane Germain, Germain Hotels; Don Cleary, Marriott Hotels; Gopal Rao, Conestoga College; Hani Roustom, Friday Harbour Resort; Laura Baxter, Co-Star Reetu Gupta, Easton's Hotels; Ryan Killeen, The Annex Hotel Ryan Murray, The Pillar + Post Hotel; Stephen Renard, Renard International Hospitality & Search Consultants HOTELIER is published eight times a year by Kostuch Media Ltd., Mailing Address: 14 – 3650 Langstaff Rd. Ste. 33, Woodbridge, ON L4L 9A8, (416) 447-0888. Subscription rates: Canada: $25 per year, single issue $4, U.S.A.: $30 per year; all other countries $40 per year. Canadian Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement #40063470. Member of Canadian Circulations Audit Board and Magazines Canada.

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2023 HOTELIER OF THE YE AR

Congratulations, Tim Reardon!

Congratulations to Tim Reardon, General Manager of Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, for being named the 2023 Hotelier of the Year. Tim’s leadership has revolutionized the hotel, making it a modern and vibrant destination.

Avendra is proud to have partnered with Marriott Hotels of Canada for over two decades, offering exceptional pricing, quality assurance, customer service, and innovative solutions to help deliver the best guest experience.

We congratulate Tim on this well-deserved recognition!

CHECKING IN THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS FOR HOTEL EXECUTIVES FROM CANADA AND AROUND THE WORLD

HANGING UP HIS HAT Don Cleary, president of Marriott Hotels of Canada, announces his retirement

Throughout his 34-year career with Marriott, Don has served as a strategic leader and an exemplar of Marriott’s culture, while overseeing significant growth for Marriott in Canada - Liam Brown group president, United States and Canada, Marriott International

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DON CLEARY is hanging up his hotelier hat effective February 2024. The long-time executive, who has served as president of Marriott Hotels of Canada since 2015, announced his retirement at the end of October.

“Throughout his 34-year career with Marriott, Don has served as a strategic leader and an exemplar of Marriott’s culture, while overseeing significant growth for Marriott in Canada,” says Liam Brown, group president, United States and Canada, Marriott International. “We’re grateful for Don’s service and the incredible legacy he leaves behind. Marriott remains committed to investing in a dedicated senior leadership team to oversee our operations in Canada as we continue to build on the valuable relationships Don has developed over the years with owners, management companies, government officials, and industry organizations.”

Cleary started with Marriott in 1989 and held multiple leadership positions during his career, including area vice-president, Western Region, Americas; vice-president, International Hotel Development, where he focused on development in Central and South America; and assistant general counsel, responsible for all development-related legal activities in those regions. In 2010, he moved to Hong Kong to assume the role of Chief Financial Officer, Asia Pacific, where he led the continent finance function, and later became Chief Operations Officer, Asia Pacific, where he had operating responsibility for the region’s hotels.

In 2015, Cleary assumed the role of president, Marriott Hotels of Canada, overseeing the acquisition and successful integration of Delta Hotels, which established Marriott as the largest hotel company in Canada, as well as the integration of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Canada. Under his leadership, total hotel room count in Canada more than doubled to more than 56,000 rooms and more than 270 hotels, with more than 100 in the pipeline.

He served for six years on the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Board and was a member of the Tourism Roundtable.

“Leading Marriott Hotels of Canada has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” says Cleary. “I am incredibly proud of the strong team we’ve built and all that we’ve been able to accomplish. Canada will remain an important place for me and my family, and I look forward to continuing to enjoy the natural beauty, the dynamic culture, and the warmth and hospitality of the people — all of which make this country so special.”

Marriott is currently conducting a search for a new head of Canadian business operations. ◆ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 5

Property Count

The Grand Reveal

The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto has completed a $25-million refurbishment. The investment – the most extensive since 2013 – included 600 guestrooms in the Executive Tower, hotel corridors throughout the hotel and the modernization and refurbishment of the Executive Tower elevators.

Additionally, there was a revamp of Market Garden Restaurant, including new carpet and furniture, while its full-service restaurant, Elm Street Bar & Lounge, has undergone an expansion to double seating capacity while also updating its furniture and lighting.

The re-design of the hotel’s executive guestrooms includes new carpet, wall covering, drapes, lighting, mattresses, televisions, artwork, case-good surfaces covered with a stone cap and bathroom lighting and tub glazing. Starting at 325 sq. ft., guests can select from a king or two double beds. Room amenities include private balcony access in the majority of rooms, Nespresso coffee machines, 50-inch flat-screen televisions, in-room safe, electric kettle, minifridges and views of the downtown core.

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Top Honour The Bruce Hotel in Stratford, Ont. has received the coveted CAA/AAA Five Diamond designation, making it the only boutique hotel in Canada to hold the honour. The hotel previously held CAA/ AAA Four Diamond since opening.

To earn the designation, hotels and restaurants must pass a rigorous evaluation that includes unannounced, inperson inspections, anonymous overnight stays for hotels and review by a panel of experts as an additional step to ensure credibility.

Germain Hotels has opened its 19th property in Canada, Alt Hotel Calgary University District. This is the group’s third hotel in Calgary, following the opening of Le Germain Hotel Calgary in 2010 and Alt Hotel Calgary East Village in 2018, marking the group’s first property inauguration in Canada since 2019.

Alt Hotel Calgary University District offers 155 guestrooms and more than 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting-and-event space across four meeting rooms, two boardrooms and one creative lounge. Guests can enjoy a complimentary 24-hour gym, onsite underground parking and pet-friendly rooms. The property is Germain Hotels’ first Silver LEED-certified hotel, employing innovative techniques to reduce waste and promote resource conservation. Also part of the hotel’s sustainable efforts is its strong focus on celebrating all things local, with 100 per cent Canadian-made beds, locally sourced bath products in each room and a rich tapestry of local art featured in its lobby.

Germain Hotels’ 20th property, Alt Hotel Ottawa Airport, has started construction. First announced in 2019, the project was halted due to the pandemic. The new scaled-down version of the hotel will consist of 178 guestrooms, meeting rooms and gym, as well as a fullservice restaurant. A pedway will connect the hotel directly to the airport terminal and will be the company’s third establishment in Ottawa.

Estimated to cost $55 million to build, the hotel is expected to open in 2025. hoteliermagazine.com

Addressing the Gap

Rising to the Top The AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), honoured Julienne Smith, Chief Development Officer, Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts, as the 2023 recipient of the Peggy Berg Castell Award. The award highlights women trailblazers who are paving the way for more women to rise to the top of the hospitality industry.

Smith actively supports women through mentorships and sponsorships and partners with organizations that help women navigate the hotel ownership process. She spearheaded IHG LIFT, an owner growth program focused on creating more hotel-development support for historically under-represented groups within IHG and across the hospitality industry. Smith’s roles include serving on the IHG’s Global and Americas Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Boards, AHLA Foundation Board of Trustees and industry conference advisory and planning committees, including AHLA’s ForWard.

IHG Hotels & Resorts is actively expanding its extended-stay offering with Atwell Suites, Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites. There are currently more than 15 extended-stay properties in the pipeline in Canada.

Additionally, IHG plans to increase dual-branded locations in Canada, offering hotel guests more variety in their hotelstay experience with both an extended stay and a traditional hotel component at select locations.

IHG Canada recently opened Staybridge Suites Port Elgin on October 31 and Candlewood Suites Collingwood on November 21 in Ontario, both adjacent to high-performing Holiday Inn Express properties.

“We’re prioritizing the growth of the IHG Hotel & Resorts Suites portfolio, forecasting a 45-per-cent increase in its current system size globally, with Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites accounting for 12 new property openings and 34 new signings globally in the first half 2023,” says Scott T. Duff, VP, Development – Canada, IHG Hotels & Resorts.

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LEADERSHIP

Dissecting

Common traits characterize great leaders

BY CAYLEY DOW

I

n my experience, the path to greatness in leadership is far from straightforward. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula.

In fact, leaders can possess vastly different approaches and personalities, yet be equally effective, inspiring and influential.

In Warren Bennis’ book, Leaders, he reveals that more than 850 unique definitions exist for the term leadership. This raises a question — do exceptional leaders come into the world pre-destined for greatness, or is it possible to identify and nurture great leaders?

While leadership may not have a single universal definition, I’ve noticed common traits that characterize great leaders.

1 SERVITUDE

The world’s most admired leaders embody this principle. They are devoted to their values, principles, stakeholders and teams. They exhibit selflessness, embrace diverse perspectives and foster a culture that encourages everyone to take a leadership role in some capacity.

Today, autocratic leadership is no longer accepted. Leaders act as coaches, facilitating the flow of diverse input and aligning talent to task. They also provide feedback to their employees, nurturing ongoing growth.

2 CURIOSITY

Successful leadership is underpinned by curiosity. Great leaders are highly intelligent but recognize they don’t have all the answers. They thrive on learning and growth, fuelled by genuine interest, a willingness to ask questions, a readiness to change opinions and the ability to apply new information to drive initiatives forward.

3 ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is a vital trait that ensures clarity, shared goals and individual ownership within a team. It serves as the cornerstone for trust, mutual respect and collaborative goal achievement. Holding oneself and others accountable is often a challenge for new leaders, but it’s an indispensable factor in unlocking the full potential of a team.

4 GRIT

Leadership is hard. It involves balancing

8 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

responsibility with the risk-taking required for innovation.

This demands courage, boundary-pushing, a willingness to try and learn from failure and the ability to maintain energy, presence and an inspiring attitude that motivates and influences others to do the same.

With these themes in mind, effective leadership can be cultivated. Here’s how: Begin by incorporating these leadership themes into your hiring, performance reviews and succession-planning practices. Hire and promote individuals who exemplify these qualities to build a solid leadership foundation for future.

Next, offer formal leadership development opportunities such as a suite of progressive training courses. Reinforce learning with practical application to encourage innovation and feedback in your operation. Create a leadership-acceleration program, allowing high- potential or emerging leaders to express interest in growth and gain experiences and exposure to diverse leadership functions.

Finally, offer a culture that encourages informal leadership. Offer mentorship, peer coaching, and opportunities for employees to take on responsibilities beyond their typical role, yet aligned to their unique interests and talents.

By investing in leadership development, you can foster a culture of excellence and secure a promising future for your team. Leadership is not a privilege reserved for a select few, it can be nurtured within anyone who chooses it. ◆

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Cayley Dow is the founder and CEO of Thrivity Inc., a human-resources consulting and coaching firm that helps service-oriented businesses to thrive in the ever-evolving world of work.

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F&B

Sweet Dreams

Designing a hotel restaurant framework for low-sugar healthy indulgences ensures consumer satisfaction

BY ADAM AND LARRY MOGELONSKY

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/KASIA2003

W

hereas fat was the scourge of dieting in decades past, today’s nutritional plans and trends such as keto or paleo espouse low-carb and low-sugar regimens as the foremost method for weight loss and maintaining insulin sensitivity. In particular, refined or added sugar has been singled out as the one food to eliminate to achieve a wide array of health benefits.

Adding to this is the science around circadian-based eating, wherein consuming sugar at night compounds the ill effects of a sugar rush on the body by potentially disrupting sleep. Fashionable dietary systems such as intermittent fasting or mantras such as ‘don’t eat within three hours of going to sleep’ reinforce the awareness for the health benefits of not consuming dessert or curbing evening sugar intake.

All this leaves restaurants and hotels in a predicament.

If these trends continue, the entire dessert course may be on the chopping block, along with a good portion of the digestif or post-meal alcohol sales. Psychologically speaking, meal satisfaction is largely a product of the time spent at a table; any reduction here due to the modern customer’s distaste for dessert may impact how an overnight guest eating in-house perceives their overall hotel stay.

Ultimately, this is a challenge to be treated like any other, and hotels will persevere by adapting just as they’ve done countless times before. Undoubtedly the low-sugar trend is already on the minds of every pastry chef. What we can offer is a simple framework or operating territory for healthier indulgences that are lower in sugar through which to focus the team’s attention. Just as artists of previous eras often produced their most seminal work when commissioned by a patron with a very specific agenda, by limiting your chefs’ field of view onto just a handful of ingredients, they will deliver masterful results. hoteliermagazine.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 9

The five dessert components that we’ve singled out based on our own nutritional and wellness research are fruit, nuts, honey, dark chocolate and cheese. The first and third may at first glance contradict our low-sugar creative brief, so best to read on.

In describing what you can do with each of these, one other characteristic of note with the low-sugar craze is that it overlaps with a steady increase of customer knowledge and curiosity around specific compounds within certain foods. As an example of this progression, recall the word ‘anthocyanin’ which is now commonly known to denote a prominent class of antioxidants found primarily in dark berries (and promoted as such), yet this level of awareness was hardly the case a mere five years ago.

Therefore, it’s our belief that alongside your restaurant’s adaptation to healthier times comes an opportunity for enhancing the meal experience through customer education about why you selected a given ingredient. On this front, we will throw in a few pointers to show you just how far down the wellness rabbit hole you can go.

Fruit: Otherwise known as nature’s candy, numerous restaurants already do brisk business off of simple sliced varieties artfully arranged for a dessert platter. Importantly for intact fruit, their insulin-spiking effects are buffered by the presence of fibre, water, polyphenols and flavonoids.

One way to get creative here is to opt for sourcing more exotic, regional or seasonal species — ones that guests may see in the grocery store but are too intimidated to sample or learn how to prepare. This hints at culinary classes, giving guests expertise that they can bring home with them. Another way to proceed is by focusing on those fruits lowest on the glycemic index, advertising it as a slow carb alternative.

Finally, one matter to note is that any form of mechanical processing, such as blending into a smoothie or purée, dislodges the fruit’s sugars from its fibres 10 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

and antioxidants, spiking blood sugar levels faster as a result. As a sciency aside, this processing can also increase food waste by releasing the fruit’s own polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme in bananas, apples, avocados and others that causes quick browning and spoilage upon contact with air.

Nuts: As the natural yang to fruit’s yin, this sweet and savory combination stands the test of time, albeit nowadays with far more substitutions for those with allergies. Besides scavenging for rare breeds from across the globe or making your own house-made nutbutter blends, the one term we will add to this conversation is sprouting.

That is, nuts being the seeds of a tree often contain mildly toxic molecules on their coatings such as phytic acid and tannins in order to ward away would-be predators. Soaking nuts for a full day then dehydrating them helps to remove most of these. And while this extra step is laborious, adding the term ‘sprouted’ on the menu will command guest’s attention and justify the surcharge.

Honey: The fruit of the bees comes in near-endless varieties based upon whatever flowers the insects happen to be pollinating. Tastings are thus the name of the game, where the emphasis is not on delivering a large serving of each type but on the more experiential aspects — pairings, presentation and some sage tableside guidance from the server.

While honey may appear to violate the low-sugar rule, in its raw, unadulterated (and non-counterfeit) form it is the exception due to its high minerality, anti-microbial contents and diverse array

of modulating types of sugar such as trehalose.

Chocolate: To curb insulin spikes, dietitians might recommend sticking with 85 per cent cacao or above, but this is perhaps a bit too prescriptive; lowering the cutoff to 70 per cent dark chocolate will allow your team to introduce more flavours, especially from the aforementioned fruits and nuts. This also hints as chocolate tastings, while much more can be said about dark chocolate and wine pairings. And lest we forget that chocolate fondue is always incredible.

As another sciency aside, cacao has more recently come under fire for its heavy metal content, but this too can be solved by adding a pinch of chelating agent such as activated charcoal or food ash (which can be made from parts of plant ingredients that would normally go to waste) to bind up those harmful atoms and prevent their absorption into the bloodstream.

Cheese: Many of us forget that dessert need not be sweet.

Anyone who has experienced real French cuisine knows the unbridled bliss of the post-entrée cheese course. Bringing it all together, a cheeseboard with fruits, nuts or honey as accoutrements may typically appear on the appetizer end of the menu, but a curated selection of cheeses for desserts can be a great upsell when given the right marketing panache.

As our final sciency aside, while blue cheeses are often detested for their stinky qualities, certain compounds made by the mould used to turn the dairy that colour are now being studied for eliciting more vivid dreams when consumed closer to bedtime.

Bon appetit et fais de beaux rêves! ◆

Larry and Adam Mogelonsky are partners of Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited. You can reach Larry at larry@hotelmogel.com or Adam at adam@hotelmogel.com

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THE Path Forward Sunray Group is pushing boundaries and challenging industry standards

BY NICOLE DI TOMASSO ❚ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARGARET MULLIGAN

F

rom modest beginnings to a multifaceted organization, Sunray Group has emerged as a shining beacon of success in Canada’s hospitality-and-tourism industry. With a legacy spanning nearly two decades, the company has consistently pushed the boundaries at its conversion properties to deliver above-average returns, recognized its team members for their hard work and offered support to various charitable initiatives.

Founded in 2006, Toronto-based Sunray Group — Hotelier’s Company of the Year — is a family-owned corporation specializing in hospitality and development. The group is successfully building an ever-increasing portfolio of award-winning brands, which include partnerships with Marriott International, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels, Best Western and Wyndham. Currently, the company owns and operates 70 properties in excess of 10,000 rooms and employs 8,850 people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Texas, with a number of

12 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

ongoing developments at any given time.

Led by Chairman and CEO Rattan “Ray” Gupta, Sunray Group’s journey of growth and transformation traces back to the strategic acquisition of under-utilized assets with significant re-positioning opportunities across major highways and urban centres, ensuring that each addition to its portfolio aligns with its mission and values.

“We began acquiring properties along Highway 401 because it was more beneficial for my father and myself to visit/oversee the properties,” says Sandeep Gupta, president, Sunray Group of Hotels. “As the company started to expand, we looked for under-utilized properties because the acquisition costs were significantly cheaper and during the rebranding process, some business revenue is still maintained.”

Over the years, Sunray Group has successfully extended its footprint across Canada. In 2020, the company acquired 100-per-cent ownership interest in Owens Hospitality Group Ltd., providing a platform

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COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Sandeep Gupta, president, Sunray Group of Hotels, and Ray Gupta, Chairman and CEO, Sunray Group.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2032 | 13

for Sunray Group in Western Canada. The hospitality development and administration company had ownership interest in three Saskatchewan hotels, including the Best Western Plus Airport Inn & Suites Saskatoon, TownePlace Inn & Suites by Marriott Saskatoon and Best Western Plus Eastgate Inn & Suites Regina.

Overall, this forward-thinking tactic has allowed Sunray Group to achieve steady revenue growth for its hotel portfolio.

The company reported operating revenues of $350 million in 2022, up from $258 in 2021. During the pandemic, Gupta says the company purchased approximately 18 properties and, in the last year alone, added 10 properties to its hotel portfolio.

More recently, Gupta says the company has tweaked its strategy, setting its eyes “properties with excess land for additional developments.” In 2019, Sunray acquired Hockley Valley Resort and Adamo Estate Winery. The sale of the approximately 300-acre Orangeville, Ont.-property was facilitated by Colliers International Hotels on behalf of Hockley Valley Resort Limited and LJP Corporation.

The year-round resort features 104 guestrooms and suites, 16,100 sq. ft. of meeting space, three farm-to-table restaurants with two patios and four additional food-and-beverage (F&B) outlets. The property also features attractions, such as an 18hole championship golf course, 15-run ski and snowboarding hill and 8,000-sq.-ft. destination spa. The company has partnered with CHIL Interior Design for the multi-million-

Congratulations! to Sunray Group on winning the 2023 Pinnacle Award for Hotelier Company of the Year.

Proud to be your partner!

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14 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

dollar project and signed with Marriott to convert the resort to a soft brand under its Tribute Portfolio.

“We’re going through the design stages right now, with all the F&B components, ski, golf, guestrooms, public areas and meeting space, as well as the winery for a major revamp and re-positioning of the property,” says Gupta. “There’s a lot of moving parts and we’re hoping it will be one of Ontario’s best resorts when the conversion is completed.”

Additionally, Gupta says the company acquired a seven-acre property in Toronto East for a major re-development, which will include a new hotel, office space, condos, rental units and a seniors' residence.. “A lot of our new properties are becoming more dual-purpose or tri-purpose for residential developments or retirement homes, which is another major part of our business,” he says.

A significant factor behind Sunray Group’s success is its people-centric approach, says Gupta, adding that care was key to employee retention in the face of the pandemic.

“Every [organization] measures success differently. Retaining our staff during the pandemic was a great success,” says Gupta.

“We never shut down our offices and we took every necessary precaution to ensure the health-and-safety of our staff. We continue to motivate our team which, in turn, motivates us.”

The company’s success is not only measured by its financial achievements, but also by its engagement with communities and partners to drive positive change. In fact, the Ontario Hostelry

Congratulations

on winning

Company of the Year

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What’s the secret to winning Company of the Year?

It must be the coffee.

Congratulations to our esteemed client, SUNRAY GROUP,, on winning Hotelier magazine’s prestigious 2023 Pinnacle Award for Company of the Year. Saluté!

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Dear SUNRAY GROUP, We worship the ground you walk on!

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Congratulations on being recognized as Hotelier magazine’s 2023 Pinnacle Award Winner for Company of the Year!

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Institute (OHI) recently named Ray Gupta as a winner of its Hall of Fame Awards, which recognize long-term hospitality leaders. Known for multiple philanthropic endeavours, Ray Gupta is co-founder and executive board member of Positive and Progressive Educational Support Canada, a charitable organization that provides funding for young girls’ education in rural communities in India. Furthermore, The Sunray Foundation, launched in 2017, recognizes the need to lend a hand to employees in the hospitality industry who may have suffered hardships along the way.

In the last year, Sunray has donated more than $1 million to organizations such as the Scarborough Health Care Network, Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ont., Habitat for Humanity, Sleeping Children around the World, Hindu Cultural Society and Aga Khan Foundation, among others.

Looking ahead, Gupta says that while acquisition opportunities are starting to dry up, especially within Ontario, there’s still a lot of opportunity throughout the rest of Canada.

As sunrays symbolize a new day and the promise of warmth and light, Sunray Group will continue to illuminate a path forward for success.

“This Pinnacle Award cements the organization’s hard work over the years and motivates us to continue to drive for success,” says Gupta. “We’ve grown tremendously and evolved in so many ways, and that’s something we’re all proud of.” ◆

Ecolab® congratulates Sunray Group on being awarded the prestigious Pinnacle Award for Company of the Year!

Every [organization] measures success differently.

Retaining our staff during the pandemic was a great success

SUNRAY HOSPITALITY GROUP On Your Tremendous Success!

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REGIONAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Sky McLean, CEO and owner of Big Moose Realty & Basecamp Property Management Ltd.

18 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Basecamp Resorts bring the comforts of home to the outdoor crowd

BY KATEE PEDERSON ❚ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATEE PEDERSON

W

hen Sky McLean lost a new job with a Calgarybased developer within a few weeks of joining it, she decided to take matters into her own hands. “I said, ‘that’s it. I’m going to start my own business. I think I should build a hotel.’”

She decided there was an important market niche that wasn’t being served as well as it could be and came up with her own spin — a purpose-built Airbnb concept.

“With typical Airbnb, people never know what they’re going to get. It could be an amazing basement suite or a complete dud,” she explains. “My idea was a to build a home away from home that would have all the things people want — from desk and towel services, to hot tubs.”

McLean had already dabbled in the space on a personal

level. While working with real-estate developers in Canmore, she purchased two condominiums to rent out as Airbnb properties. “One was $219,000, the other was $165,000. I was leveraged to the gills and making $80,000 a year.”

Once she made up her mind to enter the market on a grand scale, she raised the $7.8 million she needed to open her first Basecamp Resorts property in 2017, a stackedtownhouse model featuring 32 units. “I did not have a wealthy background, so hit the pavement to raise equity and then got a bank loan.”

Unlike other ‘condominium-ized’ properties, this was in the form of a residential build. “Most develop land, build condos, sell the property, and move on to the next model.

What we did was very unique and still is,” says McLean.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 19

Since this first venture, she has never looked back. Within five years, Basecamp Resorts, Hotelier magazine’s Regional Company of the Year, was named Western Canada’s fastest-growing hospitality brand, opening properties at a pace of two a year.

Today, Basecamp Resorts owns and operates 11 properties in Revelstoke, Canmore, and Calgary, offering Airbnb-inspired accommodations along with the amenities and conveniences of a hotel. That number will reach 12 by year end with the completion of its latest acquisition, the current Days Inn in Revelstoke, which will be renovated and re-branded as Northwinds Hotel Revelstoke.

Half of the properties are new builds, and half are acquisition/renovation projects.

The newest addition, MTN House By Basecamp, a luxury, threestorey, 99-room hotel, officially opened in July 2023 in Canmore.

Given her background is in real-estate development and not hospitality, McLean took great pains to hire highly experienced hospitality and marketing professionals to join her team. “I’m very hands off on the hotel side, so I like to hire the right team and let them do their thing.”

McLean has also been strategic in choosing her markets.

“Because I’m a big skier, biker, and outdoor person, I always travelled to places where there was nowhere to stay. I ended up either in a dodgy hotel or took a chance with Airbnb. No brand experience spoke to someone like me, who just wanted to stay somewhere nice and fresh where I could feel at home.

Banff was tapped out, so areas like Canmore and Revelstoke

Consulting Engineers Inc.

EMBE would like to congratulate Basecamp Resorts on their award and is proud to be part of the ever growing brand.

We look forward to bringing more unique experiences to the hospitality industry.

www.embeconsulting.ca 20 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

were natural segues for developing properties.”

McLean’s action plan is to expand openings from two to three properties a year. “We’ve built a team, we have our templates established moving forward, and everything is running smoothly.”

Plans are to grow further into Alberta and B.C. “I would love to grow into Ontario and the Pacific Northwest area of the U.S., where there is a big mandate year-round for tourism, and proximity to outdoor adventure and airports. Moving forward, we will be working with the four prototypes we have developed.”

Those prototypes are Basecamp Lodge, a rustic, log cabinstyle concept; Lamphouse By Basecamp, a motel-conversion concept; MTN (Mountain) House By Basecamp, a luxury concept with amenities; and Northwinds By Basecamp, a basic entry-level product.

Regardless of the style of property, the focus always has been and will continue to be on making guests feel good, says McLean. “Whether you are in the highest end or entry level, guests get the same service. I like to say we’re at three to four star with five-star service. That’s what sets us apart. Our success is very much about our staff and the empathy they provide to guests. The reviews on Expedia tell the tale.”

In keeping true to her love of nature and the outdoors, Basecamp Resorts has forged a partnership with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization that focuses on global re-forestation efforts. Basecamp donates a percentage of each guest reservation. For every $1 donated, one tree will be planted in either Alberta or British Columbia, with the goal to plant 75,000 trees annually.

Many of properties are also BUILT GREEN to reduce their impact on the environment.

The fact the company started only a few short years ago provides an added advantage in the market, she believes.

“Everything is brand new. We offer truly remote check-in where locks are programmed to the last four digits of the person’s phone when they make their booking. Our propertymanagement system is the latest and greatest, because we’ve been able to build it from the ground up.”

COVID did slow down the momentum for two years, but now the company is back on track, she reports. “We’ve been open six years, but COVID took two full years from us, so we’ve really only been in business four years. Now occupancy rates are back to where they were.”

In fact, revenues grew 115 per cent from 2020 to 2022, reaching more than $34 million. (The numbers include the sale of a condo unit McLean had planned to develop into a hotel in 2020 but chose not to pursue).

McLean is especially proud of the fact that Basecamp Resorts is one of the only female-owned companies in the hotel industry. “There are only a few females leading real-estate development in general. I’m the only one in this sector at this scale as far as I know…and I have been looking.”

Being a female in a male-dominated sector made fundraising harder at first, she admits. “When you are a woman running around to people with a dream, they tend to laugh at you. Now I feel it’s almost an advantage because my track record is there. I have the evaluations. It’s not a pipe dream. Because I have done all this, suddenly my work has been validated in their eyes.” ◆ hoteliermagazine.com

HOTELIER OF THE YEAR

22 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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EYE ON THE FUTURE

Tim Reardon strives to make a difference for future generations of hotel leaders

BY AMY BOSTOCK ❚ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARGARET MULLIGAN

T

im Reardon knows he is more than just his title.

The GM of the 1,372-room Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel says the job goes beyond his duties at the property to encompass a greater role in the hospitality industry.

“I really believe that we’re more than our title, and that I have an obligation to be part of the larger hospitality community. Whether it’s being the chair of the board for the GTHA (Greater Toronto Hotel Association), a board member of Destination Toronto, or one of the many advisory committees that I’m part of, the goal is to make a difference for the future generation of hotel leaders,” says this year’s Pinnacle Award winner for Hotelier of the Year.

It’s been a long and varied journey that’s seen Reardon work in all aspects of the hotel world — at both the corporate and property level. “I was open to the opportunities and to trying new roles, such as spending time in the kitchen or working in housekeeping — doing things that wouldn’t have normally have been on my radar.”

He started many years ago at the Orlando Marriott as a bartender. “Honestly, it was something that I thought was going to just be a summer job,” he recalls, adding he quickly fell in love with the business. hoteliermagazine.com

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work across many departments, which really enabled me to learn about the business and how a hotel operated,” he says. “I got pulled in by the pace at which the business moves, the fact that every day was different and getting to meet and interact with so many people from around the world, whether it was the associates or our guests. So, what started as a job became a career for me.”

Reardon eventually found himself embarking on a leadership journey at the same hotel, taking on a beveragesupervisor position. Over the next couple of years, he moved up through the F&B side and worked at properties in Fort Lauderdale, Atlantic City and eventually Toronto. All the while, he was progressing — from supervisor to restaurant manager to Food-and-Beverage manager, and then director of Food and Beverage at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto.

“I worked there for a couple of years and then was given the opportunity to be the director of Operations at that same hotel. It allowed me to broaden my scope of responsibility. I was also able to take on Task Force general manager positions, which were great exposure and experience for me.”

At the same time, Reardon was working with the NewBuilds-and-Transitions team, opening up new hotels across NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 23

Canada and U.S., which led to his first off-property role as director of Operations, New Build & Transitions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., where he partnered with franchise owners to open up newly built or conversion hotels.

“I would work with them from the start of the building of the hotel all the way through the opening on the operations side, so it gave me a new perspective. It showed me how ownership groups operate and gave me a great appreciation for the time and effort they invested. It also highlighted the importance of making sure the brand, the hotel and the ownership teams are all aligned.”

But Reardon found he missed the thrill of working in hotels and being on property, so when he was offered the opportunity to be general manager of Toronto’s Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, he jumped at it. “It was an amazing way to start off the general-manager portion of my career,” he recalls. “It was a historic hotel with a great team.”

In 2012, he returned to the place where he started his career in Toronto, assuming the role of general manager at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel Toronto. “It was a great experience to be welcomed back to that hotel by many who I’d worked with previously and were still there, and to see how those relationships were still intact after so many years.”

Two years later, Reardon had the opportunity to work at the Westin Harbour Castle, which was his first experience as a general manager of a large hotel with significant meeting space.

“It was just a different way of operating the business,” he says.

In April 2017, he moved into his current role as GM of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. “When I moved to the Sheraton Centre it was during the time we were integrating Starwood with Marriott. That was an experience not many hoteliers get to be part of.”

Then in 2022, he navigated the Sheraton’s most extensive reimagining in the hotel’s history as the property marked its 50th anniversary with a top-to-bottom renovation. Improvements, which rolled out in multiple phases, included a complete re-design of the lobby and the Sheraton Club, updated F&B outlets and renovated public spaces and amenities that foster community-building and productivity. He credits his wife, Bonnie, and daughter Abby, without whose support he says he wouldn’t be able to do what he does.

Today, Reardon is the area general manager for Marriott, running the Sheraton Centre Toronto but also overseeing six other hotels: Delta Waterloo, Delta Guelph Conference Centre, Toronto Marriott Markham, Residence Inn Gravenhurst Muskoka Wharf, Delta Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront and Delta Thunder Bay. And with the role comes great responsibility — something Reardon takes very seriously. As part of the Marriott portfolio, the team at Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel takes part in Serve360, Marriott’s commitment to creating positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business, guided by its 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Serve360 means doing good in every direction and it allows us, on property, to participate in a lot of initiatives, such as Coldest Night and marching in the Pride parade, that give back to our 24 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

community because it’s important that we are good neighbours.”

On a personal level, Reardon participates every year in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. “It’s something that’s very important to me, and something that allows me to raise funds and stay active at the same time.”

He also dedicates a large amount of his time to working with the colleges in Toronto, George Brown, in particular, as part of mentorship programs. “I do think that’s a very important part of my job because it allows me to work with that next generation of hotel leaders who hopefully, someday, are sitting in my chair. Learning in the classroom is so important, but the practical experience and having someone to speak with who’s been there, is important as well.”

A long-time board member of the GTHA, Reardon took the reins as chair three years ago, right at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are the largest hotel association in the country, and we have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of our members,” he says. “To be in that position, especially through COVID, has been a great experience. I interact with other board members who are general managers at other hotels throughout the city and as much as we compete, we are also colleagues and have a great board that is always looking out for the best interests of our industry.”

He says his leadership style today is a direct result of his past experiences and opportunities.

“In order to be successful, I need to be present when I engage with my team and lead with care, because I need to understand that everyone wants to be at their personal best and their career best,” he explains. “And so, it’s important for me to create an environment where the direction is clear: that we’re always striving to improve on our results, whether that means financial, guest satisfaction or associate engagement.”

Reardon says it’s important to him that he, and his team, “don’t become complacent and that we celebrate our successes.

But we also need to take time to continually improve and be our own worst critics to assess how we continue to move forward, and how do we get better. I love to invest in people and make them better leaders, to allow them to live their fullest lives both in and outside of work.”

The GM cites feedback as a critical part of people’s development, “so giving it is important. And it’s also important that I listen to it, and I value it when it’s given to me, understanding that people are going out of their way to give me that feedback. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions and the best way to handle those decisions is to explain the ‘why’ behind these decisions in order to create alignment, and people understand what that direction is.”

Reardon says his leadership style has continued to evolve and mature; from the time he was a supervisor to now being an area general manager for Marriott. “When I first started, it was more about doing the job and how I could impact the overall performance in a leadership position. But as my roles have changed, my scope of responsibility has grown. Now it’s less about doing and more about setting a vision and helping others to be successful and reach their full potential. Honestly, to see others get promoted or doing better for themselves, that’s one of the best parts of my job.” ◆ hoteliermagazine.com

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This is not an offer. Certain provincial laws regulate the offer and sale of franchises. An offer will only be made in compliance with those laws and regulations, which may require we provide you with a Disclosure Document, a copy of which can be obtained by contacting Wyndham Hotel Group Canada, ULC at 22 Sylvan Way, Parsippany, NJ 07054. In Canada, Days Inn and Travelodge franchises are offered by a third party master franchisee. All hotels are independently owned and operated with the exception of certain hotels managed or owned by an affiliate of the company. © 2023 Wyndham Hotel Group Canada, ULC. All rights reserved. 1 Based on USA Today.

2 Versus independent or unbranded hotels. 3 Based on survey of sites receiving operations visit during select months in 2022.

SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Martin Pesant, vice-president, B2B Sales for Nespresso Canada; Carlos Oyanguren, president Nespresso Canada

26 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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THE MARK OF QUALITY Nespresso Canada helps hotel partners deliver an elevated coffee experience

BY DANIELLE SCHALK ❚ PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID CURLEIGH

M

ontreal-based Nespresso Canada has been empowering customers to make and enjoy their own barista-quality coffee since the brand entered Canada in 2009. In the time since, it has consistently grown its presence in the country, as well as its role within the hospitality industry.

The company’s main goal is very simple: “At the touch of a button, the customer — whether they are in the home, offices, hotels, restaurants or cafes — can enjoy high-quality, hoteliermagazine.com

sustainably produced coffee, cup after cup,” explains Martin Pesant, vice-president, B2B Sales for Nespresso Canada.

“From a B2B standpoint, we’ve been very successful — especially in the hotel segment,” he adds. And, with key partners such as Germain Hotels, Accor Canada and Marriott, the brand’s reputation and national presence continues to grow. “We are endorsed by the premium and upscale brands, so there’s a ton of opportunity for us to capture a big share of the premium [market],” Pesant explains.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 27

But, an integral part of this success is the brand’s dedicated teams in B2B sales, customer service, after sales and technical assistance, who make it their mission to ensure hotel partners will consistently delight guests with high-end coffee experiences offered throughout the hotel journey.

“One of our strengths is we can equip hotels with machine ranges [designed to suit] all the different points of consumption in a hotel — whether it’s in the room, in the lobby or in the restaurants,” Pesant explains. “Bringing forth different solutions to offer the best guest experiences is crucial.”

The team’s ultimate goal is to make things easy for its clients, and Nespresso Professional solutions allow hotel partners to offer premium, value-add offerings without significant additional strain on staff.

“What we offer is consistency and quality output,” says Pesant — all achieved without the need for extensive training.

The automated nature of the machines also allows for service to be streamlined, with staff able to complete other service tasks while the machine executes the coffee recipe.

As Pesant explains, this is so valuable for hospitality clients, “especially in the years we’re going through right now, with the challenge around having the right people — and the turnaround too.” Plus, the continued prominence of the specialty-coffee segment creates a number of opportunities for Nespresso’s B2B partners to create additional revenue streams.

And, when creating an in-room coffee experience, the easyto use, no mess machines make brewing the perfect coffee easy for guests. “The recycling and the cleaning is [also] made easy for the housekeeping staff,” Pesant adds. “Because there’s the guests [to think of], but there’s also the employees that need to make sure every unit is perfect when they have a new guest in the room.”

Partners also benefit from guests’ familiarity with the Nespresso brand and its association with quality products and responsible sourcing. “When a hotel picks Nespresso as a coffee supplier, they are also choosing to support circularity and sustainability,” says Pesant, pointing to the many ways that these principles have been built into the company and its products — from the sourcing of the coffee, to the aluminum pods that preserve the coffee’s freshness, to the company’s unique free recycling program that collects and processes the aluminum pods and composts the spent coffee grounds.

Pesant highlights these factors — especially the company’s free recycling program and B-Corp certification (received in April 2022) — as key selling points for hotel clients.

This is because being recognized as a sustainable organization that supports circularity is increasingly important in today’s operating environment, whether it’s to meet internal commitments and goals, or to deliver on guests’ growing expectations.

“We are proud to cater to the needs of Canadian businesses and consumers,” adds Carlos Oyanguren, president of Nespresso Canada. “We are committed to supplying a responsibly sourced high-quality coffee. We believe that sustainability and quality go hand-in-hand.”

As a brand, Nespresso is committed to being on the forefront of both these key areas through ongoing innovation 28 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

and ever-strengthening commitments. In fact, during the past year, Nespresso marked the 20th anniversary of its Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program, which has grown from its initial 300 farmers in Costa Rica in 2003 to encompass more than 140,000 farmers in 18 countries today.

This sourcing program was developed with the Rainforest Alliance and is designed to ensure the continued supply of high-quality coffee while improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities, and protecting the environment. And, more than 90 per cent of Nespresso’s coffee is sourced through the AAA Program.

In March, the company also became a signatory to the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles, which encompasses a set of seven principles informed by international labour and human-rights standards intended to offer guidance to businesses on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.

“We believe that coffee can be a force for good,” says Pesant, noting that it is for this reason that the company continues to set and strive for new goals. “Being assessed and certified by B Lab (the non-profit organization that sets the standards for and certifies B Corps), provided a benchmark for us to always stay on our toes, highlights our strengths and weaknesses, and also [provides] a roadmap for us to [continue to] improve and accelerate,” he shares as an example.

Nespresso has also continued innovating its coffee systems, and 2023 saw the brand launch a pilot for home-compostable paper-based capsules for the Nespresso Original system — offering a solution for customers interested in an alternative to the company’s recyclable pods. Dubbed the ‘Paper Collection,’ these new capsules feature a biopolymer lining to protect the coffee against oxidization and preserve its aromas and taste. The collection is currently being piloted in France and Switzerland, with plans to roll-out the offering to additional markets in the coming years.

As Pesant points out, it’s exactly this reputation for quality and innovation that continues to set Nespresso — and Nespresso Professional — apart in its field. “We have a very high-quality product that is supported with ongoing innovation,” he adds, citing organic and limited-edition offerings, as well as a responsiveness to trends such as cold coffees and plant-based coffee recipes.

And, looking ahead, the Nespresso Canada team expects to see continued growth in its B2B markets. “We’ve done well in hotels, but we’ve also done well in fine dining. And, recently we’re seeing strong growth [thanks to] emerging trends in the office segment,” Pesant notes.

And, given the strength of its hotel partnerships, the team anticipates its relationships with Canadian hotel operators will continue to flourish. “There’s tons of opportunity ahead of us and a lot of connections [being cultivated] with different groups, so the future is looking promising in that segment,” Pesant shares. “With our portfolio of coffee and machines, the dedicated team we have in place and our sustainability credentials, I think we have many good years in front of us in terms of growth.” ◆ hoteliermagazine.com

SHOW REPORT

Show & Tell

Avendra Holds Annual Supplier Showcase

BY ROSANNA CAIRA

F

or the past seven years, in what has become an annual tradition, the Avendra Supplier Show has been taking place in Toronto, serving as a marketplace for hoteliers and suppliers interested in purchasing new products.

For the fourth-consecutive year, this year’s gathering was held at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, where a total of 137 booths representing suppliers from both Europe and North America, exhibited a range of products and wares, attracting more than 500 clients, to sample new products, test new technology, or simply network with industry associates.

Many of the companies at this year’s show focused on sustainability. As an example, with plastic water bottles now no longer in use, several companies at the show, including Quench and Bevi, displayed dispensing systems that allow customers to pour a variety of flavoured waters directly from their units. For example, the unit from Bevi (dba Hydration Labs) offers guests variety and personalization, allowing them to choose still, sparkling, hot, flavoured or enhanced water (enhancements include vitamin boost, caffeine, electrolytes and different flavours). The company’s countertop units can be used in spas, lounges or communal kitchen spaces. Other companies, like FN Facility Network offered up integrated services for customers looking for expert technicians, as well as dedicated Emergency Services Support while cleaning company, Renue offered up a comprehensive range of deep restorative cleaning services for the hospitality industry, ranging from carpet cleaning to upholstery and drapery cleaning to laundry and trash chute cleaning.

Not surprisingly, among the more popular booths were those serving up food samples, with healthy products continuing to be popular. These products ranged from yogurt, to prepared charcuterie boards by Saputo to healthy prepared dips such as Spinach and Hummus from Summer Fresh Salads. And alternative milk products, such as Oat Milk and plant-based milk, as well as cold brew coffee were popular offerings at the Danone booth. Darbo, a leading producer of jams, since 1876 also highlighted its new jam dispenser unit, the only product of

hoteliermagazine.com

its kind in the world. The dispensing unit allows customers to dispense jam, honey and hazelnut spread at hotel buffets making for a cleaner, more seamless and less wasteful process.

As the only comprehensive supplier showcase of its kind in the country, the Avendra show has become a popular event staple in industry circles. For some, like Don Cleary, president of Marriott Hotels of Canada the show has become a highly anticipated event. “It was great to attend another successful Avendra Supplier show. The ability for our hotel teams to connect in person with so m any suppliers and vendors is invaluable. The suppliers and vendors are critical partners to driving better results, services and experiences to our hotels and we all learn more about them by visiting and exploring their services at the Avendra Show.”

For others, like Tidan Hospitality and Real Estate Group, whose executives attended the show for the first time, the gathering represented an opportunity “to gain an in-depth understanding of what Avendra and its suppliers have to offer.

The results exceeded our expectations,” said Phil Guerin, vicepresident and COO, Tidan Hospitality, which has 12 hotels as well as a variety of residential, commercial, industrial, and shopping centres under its portfolio. According to Guerin, “The Supplier Showcase provided us with more than just business connections; it expanded our horizons. We were introduced to a range of innovative products we were previously unaware of, broadening our perspective on how Avendra can contribute to our company’s growth and cost management.

For Afsar Khan, managing director, Client Relations Canada, Avendra, and organizer of the show, the gathering represents more than just an opportunity to see new products, but also an opportunity to come together in a social environment to golf, network and team build. To that end, this year, this year’s show was only one part of a twoday event. Avendra has continued its tradition of thanking clients through a Client Appreciation Event the day before the supplier show. This year, more than 100 clients had the opportunity to either golf at the Royal Woodbine Country Club or swing through the trees at Treetop Trekking. ◆ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 29

SUMMIT EDITORIAL REPORT

David Kong, founder and principal at DEI Advisors and Dorothy Dowling, managing director at Horwath HTL

Innovate, Integrate and Celebrate

WITHorg hosts Seventh-Annual WITH Summit in Toronto

BY AMY BOSTOCK, NICOLE DI TOMASSO AND ROSELINE VICTORIA VIJAYAKUMAR PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRINA TURL

N

early 300 foodservice-andhospitality professionals gathered October 30 at the Park Hyatt Toronto for the seventh-annual Women in Tourism and Hospitality (WITH) Summit.

“Today’s gathering represents a momentous occasion for us to come together annually to celebrate the remarkable achievements, the resilience and the boundless potential of women,” said WITH co-founder Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher at Kostuch Media Ltd. “As we know, the tourism and hospitality sectors have undergone significant transformations in the past three years. But it’s heartening to see continuing representation and leadership of women in this field. And it’s reassuring to see that the proportion of women on Canadian boards and

30 30 || NOVEMBER/DECEMBER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2023 2023

executive office positions continues to increase as an encouraging rate.

According to a recent report by Osler Hoskins, among 532 vacant, newly created board positions, a woman was chosen to fill it 45.3 per cent.”

Women now occupy 31.3 per cent of independent board seats on hotel public company boards in 2022, an increase from 22.5 per cent in 2021, shared Caira, adding that 67 per cent of directors who are new to a board in 2022 were women.

“Certainly, it’s encouraging to see progress, and it’s about time. Women have played an integral role in shaping this industry, but we’ve had to navigate through a traditionally male-dominated field. We’ve had to battle hard against stereotypes and biases, but we are moving the needle,” said Caira. “We

know there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure gender equality are uppermost in our collective goals.

And that’s why we’re here today, to continue to challenge stereotypes, to break down barriers, and to help create an environment that fosters the growth and advancement of women.”

“As we delve into the dynamic landscape of business today, let’s not forget the critical mission of advancing diversity and inclusion in our industries,” said Anne Larcade, co-founder of WITH and president & CEO, Sequel Hotels. “It is a mission rooted in fundamental justice and shared prosperity. By nurturing talent, we not only bolster the individual, but propel our entire global industry towards greatness. In a world where the power of diversity is increasingly

hoteliermagazine.com hoteliermagazine.com

Reetu Gupta, Ambassadress of The Gupta Group

Anne Marie Johns, GM at Fairmont Tremblant

Felicia Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Arcana

recognized, this summit serves as a rallying cry for measurable change. We are on a mission to dismantle barriers, to shatter glass ceilings, to fill in the missing rungs, and to open doors for women from all walks of life.

“The path to equality is not only a moral imperative, but it is also a strategic imperative,” she continued.

“Research has shown, time and time again, that diverse teams drive innovation, foster creativity, and yield greater economic outcomes — there is a business case here. By recognizing and nurturing the talents of marginalized individuals, we are unlocking the potential for unparalleled growth within our industries.”

FIRESIDE CHAT The day kicked off with a Fireside Chat between Dorothy Dowling, managing director at Horwath HTL, and David Kong, founder and principal at DEI Advisors. Kong shared his career journey as an immigrant who rose through the ranks from a dishwasher and busboy to becoming CEO of BWH Hotel Group for nearly 18 years.

“My parents were from Shanghai, China, and in the late ’40s they fled to Hong Kong where they had four kids,” said Kong. “My parents had one goal and that was to work hard, save money and send their children abroad to further their education. From a young

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age, I learned the valuable lessons of unconditional love and work ethic.”

A graduate from the University of Hawaii, Kong began his hospitality career as a dishwasher then busboy then maître d’hôtel and eventually waiter at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. He also spent time with Omni Hotels & Resorts as Food-andBeverage director and Hyatt Hotels Corporation in various senior positions including executive assistant manager, regional food-and-beverage director and general manager before moving to the corporate office to head up the business process re-engineering efforts.

“What I’ve learned from that experience is it’s really easy to come up with good ideas, but it’s really hard to implement big changes,” said Kong. “It involves a cultural shift for people to embrace new ideas.”

He was then asked to join the Sales and Marketing department where he developed database marketing capabilities and launched the first Hyatt. com, winning USA Today’s Best Hotel Website award. Fast forward to 2001, Kong started working at Best Western Hotels & Resorts (now BWH Hotel Group). In three and a half years, Kong earned five promotions before becoming president & CEO of the company.

“I was lucky to be given the opportunity for all this exposure and the opportunity at Best Western, but

I credit myself for taking a lot of risk along the way, taking jobs that nobody knew how to do and enriching myself through the process.”

Kong continued, “It’s important to work hard, but that alone is not going to get you ahead. I’m not diminishing the value of hard work, but if you want to move ahead, you have to find a way to differentiate yourself and a way to do that is through experiences,” said Kong. “A career is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

He also discussed the impetus to the founding of DEI Advisors, a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to helping women and other under-represented groups advance their careers through mentoring, coaching and podcasting.

“I was invited to participate in many CEO panels at hotel conferences and I’d be the only minority representation on the panels,” said Kong. “Of all these qualified people in the industry, why is it that every single CEO of a major hotel company is a white male? I wanted to do something about it.”

As a result, Kong said DEI Advisors is a way to empower others and encourage them to think strategically about their career by collecting learnings from accomplished leaders, both men and women, about personal improvement, such as how to avoid negative self-talk or how to network with attendees at industry events.

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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY Next up, Amy Bostock, managing editor at Kostuch Media Ltd., served as the moderator for the panel of industry stalwarts who discussed the state of the industry, touching on leading economic indicators, labour shortages, supply-chain issues, inflation and the future of travel. Panellists included Lisa Pierce, vice-president, Global Sales and

we’ve got the bottom line where 51 per cent of operators are operating in loss, which was 12 per cent pre-pandemic.

So not only are they having significant profitability issues with every aspect of operations, insurance, utilities, food and wages, but they’ve also got extremely high levels of debt that were taken on throughout the pandemic and now rising interest rates.”

(from left) Lisa Pierce, vice-president, Global Sales and Air Canada Vacations; Amanda Hite, president, STR; Kelly Higginson, president and CEO, Restaurants Canada; and Amy Bostock, managing editor, KML

Air Canada Vacations; Amanda Hite, president, STR; and Kelly Higginson, president and CEO, Restaurants Canada.

The panel discussed top challenges in the hotel industry, which included profit-margin pressure and development challenges such as high construction costs, labor shortages and supply constraints. Hite stated, “There’s a lot of debt coming due in the next year for hotel owners that they’re going to have to re-finance. Some will be able to re-finance, but it’s going to cut into their cash flow — in some cases by half.

It’s a challenging environment for the foreseeable future as long as interest rates [remain] high.”

In the restaurant industry, challenges included profitability impact due to rising inflation and increased costs; changing consumer habits as more people order off-premises and make different menu choices which impact sales and profitability; and labour shortages exacerbated by the need for a large workforce. Higginson said, “We haven’t recovered. We’re managing high levels of debt. We have historic highs of $100 billion in sales, but then

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The panellists also expressed their views on the impact of the current geo-political climate on the travel, hotel and restaurant industries with efforts to adapt and find solutions to continue travel services, such as re-routing flights through different countries to reach destinations. “It’s a new normal,” said Pierce. “We’re still ahead of 2019, but we need to look at the fact that travel patterns are changing. What customers want, where they want to go and the reason they travel is changing.”

Higginson expressed optimism for the foodservice market in 2024, anticipating sales nearing $110 million. “We’re talking about bracing for the next six to 12 months as we see some of these challenges, but we do hope to continue to weather through and predict very healthy top-line sales,” she said.

INNOVATORS AND CHAMPIONS The WITH Innovators and Champions sessions featured two female leaders who have found new ways to address challenges in the travel and tourism industry.

Anne Marie Johns, GM at Fairmont Tremblant, talked about her hotel’s

passion project: a collaboration with Ready, Willing & Able and Giant Steps Autism Centre on a pilot project to launch an autism inclusive hiring initiative at Fairmont Tremblant and Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth.

She touched on the potential and benefits of hiring autistic and neurodivergent individuals during the industry’s ongoing post-pandemic challenges of the labour shortage “Adults on the spectrum bring incredible talent to the workplace,” said Johns. “They bring a different perspective, the strength of amazing concentration, great memories and high attention to detail. They’re reliable, they’re honest.”

Since launching the successful pilot 18 months ago, Johns said her teams now include three hires at The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth and two hires at Fairmont Tremblant as housekeepers, bellman and in the laundry department, as well as interns in human resources, talent and culture departments.

“I want to leave you with two really impactful statistics from our partners at Giant Steps. One of every one of every 44 children are on the autistic spectrum and 86 per cent of [autistic] adults are unemployed. There is an opportunity to get these talented adults into our industry. They want to be productive; you just can’t hire them in the traditional way. You have to go slow, you have to understand it’s quality, not quantity, if you’re going to have success.

So, remember that 86 per cent is our opportunity to get out there, find these gems, and really change their lives — for us really to change the world for them.”

In her session, Returning Humanity to The Supernatural, Felicia Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Arcana talked about how her concept is creating transformational experiences that shift perspective and inspire connection.

Arcana, an innovative, experiential outdoor hospitality concept, was built in response to the mental-health crisis and the universal truth that spending time in nature is good for your wellbeing.

“There’s a lot of science that supports

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this,” said Snyder. “If we can all agree that feels good to spend time in nature, in the same breath, we need to acknowledge that we are facing a real mental-health crisis, with one in every two Canadians having had or having a mental illness by the age of 40. This includes anxiety and depression. And studies show that as many as 75 per cent of North Americans regularly feel stressed.”

She emphasized the word “feel” because she said it’s more than just a mental state.

“Stress has real impact on your body, your cortisol levels rise, you have a faster heart rate, your blood pressure is elevated. And so Arcana was really born as the marriage of these two concepts. On the one hand, universal truth that spending time in nature feels good, and on the other a recognition that we have a mental-health crisis that unfortunately does not seem to be subsiding.”

INNOVATIONS IN ATTRACTING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES The first morning workshop discussed the challenges operators are experiencing in the post-pandemic hospitality industry and highlighted unique and innovative approaches to hiring and retention. Moderated by Val Upfold, the panel featured Julie Farnsworth, senior VP, People & Culture, Crescent Hotels & Resorts; Tracey Kalimeris, VP, Talent & Culture, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; and Steve Renard, founder & president, Renard International Hospitality Search Consultants. Together, the panellists discussed what their companies are doing to find new sources of labour supply; how they’re changing their workplaces and how they’re upgrading salary-and-benefits packages.

To help diversify the workplace, Farnsworth said Crescent Hotels & Resorts “has always been a proponent of hiring the best talent for the job regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, et cetera. That said, 58 per cent of our general managers and 53 per cent of our total management workforce identifies as female,” adding that the company has leaned into community outreach through

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Anna Dowe, author, speaker and highperformance sales coach, AHLA Foundation

organizations such as Tent, which mobilizes major businesses to connect refugees to work and expose them to the hospitality industry.

“One thing [Fairmont Hotels & Resorts] has started to talk about is this notion of inclusivity,” said Kalimeris. “[The company] has been championing inclusivity training for about two years across all leadership to get them to think about what an inclusive workplace looks like.” She highlighted five barriers outlined in a company study from nearly four years ago that still ring true today, including perception of work-life balance, mobility challenges, lack of proper mentorship, perceptions of gaps in pay based on gender and general uncertainty on how to climb the corporate ladder.

From an international perspective, Renard said that Canadian hospitality industry is losing a lot of women to overseas positions, which is severely impacting recruitment and retention.

“The number-1 country in the world that people like to hire from is Canada,” he said. We lose a lot of great talent, both female and male, to clients overseas who are looking for Canadians.”

In terms of refined recruitment

tactics, Kalimeris said “the industry doesn’t leverage the resources it has at its fingertips. Maximize one simple thing such as LinkedIn. We’ve also seen huge success with pay transparency. We need to be better at communicating our compensation packages. We’re competitive but we just don’t promote it properly.”

The panel concluded with a discussion about job ads. “There’s a big difference between a job ad and a job description,” said Farnsworth. “Job ads are marketing, and we need to do a better job of marketing who we are.

Right now, the job seeker, regardless of their age, background or gender, is looking for what a company can do for them and for others. It’s about culture and ensuring they understand the company’s corporate social responsibility. This is a critical piece that so many organizations have missed.”

The event wrapped up with a closing keynote from Mandy Farmer, CEO of Accent Inns, who expressed her passion for creating positive workplace environments within the hospitality industry and asserted that industry professionals could shape and design these changes. She discussed how creating a positive work environment not only benefited employees but also contributed to the company's financial success.

“We created a work environment with people who care about one another and who look out for one another. It's about holding each other accountable and constantly asking how we can help one another,” she said. ◆

The afternoon portion of the event kicked off with an awards presentation. The Gender Equality Award was presented to Air Canada, (above) while the Katie Taylor Economic Empowerment Award was presented to Mandy Farmer (below), CEO of Accent Inns.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 33

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34 th

Nespresso Professional awarded Supplier of the year

SUSTAINABILITY

POD PEOPLE Garden Pod shipping container hotel in Singapore blends unique design with sustainability benefits

BY MICHAEL MASCIONI

36 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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hipping container hotels have been on the rise, as hoteliers increasingly develop flexible alternative hotel forms at reduced costs to meet the needs of more adventurous guests.

The Garden Pod pop-up hotel, which was installed in a garden park in Singapore by Tiny Pod Pte, Ltd in partnership with Gardens by the Bay, takes the shipping container hotel concept in new directions.

The upgraded, sustainable container hotel was launched

by Seah Liang Chiang, founder and CEO of Singapore-based Tiny Pod Pte., Ltd. and former IT entrepreneur. “The hotel’s structure is mostly made up of metal and incorporates lofts with spiral staircases, some of which essentially constitute sculptures,” he says. “It also incorporates solar panels.”

Suites or “pods” at the hotel accommodate four guests, occupy 47 sq. m. and run around $600 Singapore dollars.

“We’ve had around 4,000 to 5,000 visitors to date,” says Chiang, adding, “The key audience for the Garden Pod hotel is young modern families looking for a unique hotel in a unique location. The hotel can be re-assembled for installation at other locations once their tenure at Gardens by the Bay is up. We also have two other hotels.”

Chiang believes shipping container hotels, especially Garden Pod hotel, offer a number of advantages, inlcuding:

➥ Cost-Effectiveness: Shipping containers are readily available and relatively inexpensive compared to traditional building materials. They can be re-purposed into hotel rooms, which can significantly reduce construction costs. ➥ Speed of Construction: Container-based construction is often faster than traditional methods.

The modular nature of shipping containers allows for simultaneous work on multiple units, leading to quicker project completion. ➥ Sustainability: Re-purposing shipping containers contributes to recycling and reduces the environmental impact associated with traditional construction materials. Additionally, using shipping containers can encourage a focus on sustainable practices throughout the hotel’s design and operations. ➥ Mobility and Portability: Garden Pod was designed to be mobile, allowing the structure to be re-located to different sites in Singapore. As a temporary structure, its tenure at Gardens by the Bay is limited to a few years. ➥ Unique Aesthetics: The industrial-chic aesthetic of shipping container structures is unique and eyecatching for guests, making the hotel stand out in a competitive market.

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➥ Reduced Site Disruption: Container-based construction can result in less disruption to the surrounding environment, as the majority of the fabrication and assembly work can take place off-site in a controlled environment.

Chiang contends the Garden Pod hotel enhances the environment in numerous ways. “We recycle all waste generated from our guests,” he says. “Up to 80 per cent of our power requirements comes from solar panels that are mounted above the shipping containers. We installed an IoT-based water monitoring system so we can detect leakage in the inflow piping system for toilets and kitchens. The system provides early alerts and warnings before huge damage to property and conserves water wastage.”

The company used igloohome’s mobile-app enabled locks, which enable them to reduce the need for a physical front desk so hotel guests need not interact with our staff when checking into their suites.

The hotel’s walls are made from recycled glass from Isotec Pte, Ltd. and for the plants in the suites, they use Soil Social, which is a high-quality compost using local waste. Soil Social methodology ensures an optimal environment for beneficial micro-organisms, fungi and arthropods to thrive in compost.

This ecosystem breaks down organic matter into accessible nutrients for plants’ uptake, boosting plant health.

But shipping container hotels, including the Garden Pod Hotel, face some key technical challenges, including:

➥ Insulation and Temperature Regulation: Shipping containers have limited insulation by default, and maintaining comfortable temperatures within the rooms can be challenging. Proper insulation and climate-control systems are essential to ensure guest comfort and energy efficiency. ➥ Structural Integrity: Shipping containers are designed for stacking and transportation, but modifications for accommodation use may affect their structural integrity. Ensuring that the containers remain structurally sound over time is crucial guest safety. ➥ Soundproofing: Metal containers can transmit sound easily, potentially leading to noise disturbances between rooms or from external sources. Adequate soundproofing measures need to be implemented to ensure a peaceful guest experience. ➥ Adequate Space: While shipping containers provide a unique space, their compact size can be a challenge when designing functional and comfortable hotel rooms and amenities. Space optimization is crucial to creating guest-friendly layouts. The width of the shipping container at the Garden Pod Hotel is only 2.4 meters and therefore it’s a challenge to design a practical living space in such a narrow container.◆

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OPERATIONS EDITORIAL

Managing Revenue

At the end of the day, profitability matters

BY ROBIN ROBERTS

IF

38 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

actually read and analyze those reports.

I found a lot of opportunities, and was able to implement strategies that others were maybe not able to implement.”

One such strategy he implemented was stay restrictions. If, for example, a hotel’s cycle finds Tuesdays and Wednesdays busier, and if those days sell out, the hotel is blocked from taking a Monday booking that includes multiple days. “The hotel would not accept bookings for one or two nights on Wednesday but also not take bookings for two nights on the Tuesday,” he explains. “Any booking staying over, and not just arriving on, Wednesday would be required to stay for at least three nights. This will decelerate pickup on the peak night and allow increased overall occupancy throughout the period, leading to increased revenue.

Restrictions could also be placed in other [areas] such as room types and rate categories.”

He cautions hoteliers to not sell out too early. “They need to forecast demand and occupancy, and when demand peaks, slow down pickup on those peak days. Stay restrictions are a great way to accomplish that, to protect shoulder nights and maximize revenue.”

But, he says, you need the right technology to pull that off. “The system’s rate architecture, rate plans, and so on need to be set up so you can effectively manage that; and it needs to be very fast. If your system cannot handle such restrictions and tactics, it’s probably time to change the system. When the software is older than the user, we have a problem.”

Hütter brought his problem-solving flair to his new home base of Ottawa, where he is a consultant to hotels big and small, passionately boosting their profitability.

PRICING AND FORECASTING Gone are the days of the Excel spreadsheet with pricing based on season. A good, automated revenuemanagement system (RMS) now gathers so much more data: on previous rates, your competitors’ rates, market dynamics, inventory levels, and predicted demand. It shuffles all that together and deals out rate recommendations designed to boost that all-important revenue and profitability.

Professor Wendy Burgess, who teaches RMS at Humber College and also owns revenue-management consulting firm InnPro Solutions in Toronto, says having a good RMS also makes the work of a revenue manager much more efficient.

“You could be making pricing and inventory decisions each day, each hour, even, so there’s a lot of [data] processing to go through quickly and accurately, [to] be competitive in the market.”

Burgess, who also trains students in the Certification Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) program, a deep dive into analytics, says a good system “can [also] process your internal data, look at what you’re running at, your pacing, as well as external data, competitive data and trends, and [then] forecast by market segment. Some systems will even pull in website activity, and can be set up to change the rates within parameters.

“So, from the standpoint of efficiency, hoteliermagazine.com

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ TIPPAPATT

the average hotelier were as passionate about revenue management as Christoph Hütter is, their bottom line could very well be significantly healthier. And Hütter is very passionate.

Prior to moving from Europe to Canada in 2012, Hütter was revenue manager for a large hotel in Brussels when the financial crisis hit in 2008.

No sooner had he sighed with relief that Belgium was spared, the calendar flipped to 2009 and so did the country’s fortunes.

“It hit us pretty bad,” says Hütter.

“But I realized that if I did a good job and filled those rooms, people would go to work the next day. I understood the responsibility that came with that.

That’s what has guided me over the years to generate more revenue for hotels, to help boost their profitability. Revenue doesn’t pay the bills; profitability is what matters at the end of the day.”

Ultimately, Hütter kept his Belgian hotel afloat, but it took hard work.

He toiled long, stressful hours creating multiple reports for revenue management, sales, marketing, and operations. He was sure there had to be a better, easier way. So, he taught himself how to computer program, and soon had automated the reams of reports he grappled with every day.

He started with the daily revenue report, which typically took 30 minutes to compile. With automation, he chiseled that down to three minutes. “I saved 33 days in the year just by doing that,” he says. “That’s time I now had to

you’re getting data, you’re getting decisions, and you’re going to make more money. Plus, it frees up the revenue managers, [whose job] has really changed to become a much more strategic position rather than entering and reacting to data.

A lot of them don’t work for a single hotel anymore; they often manage revenue for several properties.”

But she also warns of the perils of an incorrect rate. If it’s too high, you lose cost-conscious customers; too low and your inventory fills up with those low-paying guests, leaving nothing to offer when the higher-priced customers come calling. “It’s a calculated gamble,” says Burgess.

She also notes that sales and marketing and reservations teams need to be part of such a system, even if they’re not all mathematically inclined. “A lot of these systems have a group-sales module, and that’s really important. But some managers I see through my business are afraid of the numbers. I tell them, and my students, revenue management isn’t all numbers, it’s not accounting. It’s kind of that right brain/left brain discipline.

You’ve got the analysis side but you also have the creative side of shifting and stimulating demand. It’s become much more strategic.”

SYSTEM INTEGRATION While there are many RMS on the market — Duetto, IDeaS, Atomize and LodgIQ, among them — there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for a big brand resort might not benefit the independent boutique. The right choice depends on a property’s hoteliermagazine.com

particular needs, preferences, budgets, business practices and the strategies it wants to implement.

But whatever system you choose, it needs to play well with your other programs. “The hospitality industry, and hotels especially, are very different when it comes to technology compared to other industries because we have so many different systems that all need to talk to each other,” says Hütter. “The basis being the property-management system (PMS), which is the foundation.

Then you have the channel manager that connects with the PMS to manage the online channels, the distribution channels. You may have a whole lot of other systems that are connected to that.

A few years ago, I tested two different channel managers at the same time in one hotel set-up. I changed my prices, my inventory, and put restrictions in place.

It was updated [with the OTAs] within three hours, while another channel manager was implemented in about three seconds. That’s a huge difference.

So yes, they all integrate, they all connect to each other, but how well?”

He cites another example of one large hotel group with a big IT budget that bought one of the fancy RMS. “They tried to install it and realized that although the interface existed between the RMS and PMS, it didn’t work with their accounting software. It comes down to what you have in place to [determine] the best solution for you.”

Hütter says the information coming out of your system is only as good as the information going in. Working with a tech company a few years ago, he analyzed

data from hundreds of hotels and found most had pretty good forecasting accuracy. The ones that didn’t were the result of how the information was input. “They entered the data in a way the system couldn’t comprehend,” says Hütter. “Their market segmentation and rate-plan architecture were not optimized.

The system was fed poor quality information so was not able to produce good forecasts. You can have the best system in the world, but if the data that you’re generating with it is no good, those systems are not going to help.”

UNCOVERING OPPORTUNITY Hütter says that, because the pandemic changed the way people travel, historic patterns are no longer relevant. People have learned to collaborate over distance through video conferencing. Many leisure travellers now combine work/ vacation trips. Throw in stormy weather, a suddenly defunct airline, a stockmarket crash, or a pandemic and your systems threaten to self-destruct. He says RMS vendors have scrambled to adapt their algorithms to these changing patterns but it again comes down to the humans who input the data.

Burgess says, “You need somebody with know-how to be able to react to that.”

Hütter agrees. “You always need some brain behind it to figure out how to optimize it. There’s a lot of opportunity out there, we just have to uncover it. That’s why it’s important to have revenue managers that drive this, and the technology that supports them to focus on uncovering those opportunities.” ◆ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 39

TRENDS

Cultural Connection ITAC leads the sustainable restoration of Indigenous tourism in Canada

BY NICOLE DI TOMASSO

ith a growing interest in experiential and sustainable travel, Canada is seeing a revitalization of Indigenous tourism, offering both domestic and international travellers an opportunity to connect with diverse cultures while providing Indigenous peoples and communities a path towards economic empowerment, cultural preservation and sustainable development.

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), representing more than 1,000 membership businesses that are at least 51 per cent Indigenous-owned or controlled, has been at the forefront of this recovery, with support from its national, provincial and territorial partners.

Demand for Indigenous tourism was on the rise prior to the pandemic, contributing nearly $1.9 billion in direct GDP, accounting for 1,900 businesses and employing 40,000 people. Among a sector devastatingly affected by the pandemic, Indigenous tourism saw an estimated 70-per-cent reduction in GDP contributions and a loss of 21,000 jobs. Ultimately, ITAC’s goal is to return Indigenous tourism

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Beaded gauntlets at Voyageur Wilderness

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provincial and territorial governments for certain infrastructure supports,” says Henry. “We’re continuing to encourage all levels of government to see Indigenous tourism as an important investment. We don’t have the same structural opportunities as traditional destination-marketing organizations and we don’t get hotel tax revenues to sustain our industry, so we depend largely on government programs and investments.”

Under the second pillar of partnerships, ITAC is working with provincial and territorial associations to provide $1.5 million in support funding for the The Original Original Accreditation Program, which is both a mark of authenticity and a brand of excellence, and is gearing up to host the 2024 International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) in the unceded Algonquin Anishinaabeg Territory in Ottawa from February 26 to 28, 2024. The conference theme, Where Nations Meet, symbolizes the convergence of diverse Indigenous nations, cultures and perspectives. Additionally, ITAC aims to increase membership by five per cent by the end of the year.

“We want conference attendees to understand how far our industry has come,” says Henry. “This is a major opportunity to showcase the best Indigenous tourism development in the country,” adding that approximately 1,300 delegates are expected to attend, including 200 to 300 international delegates from up to 10 countries.

The third pillar, development, includes implementing ITAC’s accreditation program to help businesses meet market and export readiness; providing $1.5 million for provincial and territorial operational and project costs; developing NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 41

GOH IROMOTO [BEADED GAUNTLETS]; INGRID MISNER

to peak 2019 levels by 2025, as outlined in its 2023-24 Action Plan. Beyond recovery, ITAC aims to make Canada the global leader in Indigenous tourism by 2030, with an estimated contribution of $6 billion in GDP annually.

ITAC’s 2023-24 Action Plan is based on four pillars — leadership, partnership, development and marketing — and builds upon its 2022-23 Action Plan. The first pillar, leadership, focuses on advocating for the Indigenous tourism industry at a federal level to gain support for operational and infrastructure projects and expanding participation and representation in national-level tourism organizations such as the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), Parks Canada and Destination Canada. Activities under this pillar include delivering $10 million in national tourism funding in partnership with provincial and territorial partners and working with the federal government to deliver $10 million as part of the Indigenous Tourism Destination Fund (IDTF), among others.

Launched in September, the IDTF offers an opportunity for travellers, Indigenous businesses and non-Indigenous companies to actively participate in and support Indigenous tourism development with regard to infrastructure, product development, workforce and marketing initiatives. A USD $100,000 investment from Expedia Group marked the inaugural investment into the fund. Additionally, whether percentage based or a flat fee, businesses can select a contribution model that’s passed to the end consumer. Keith Henry, president & CEO of ITAC says approximately 20 companies have signed up so far.

“We still need long-term commitments from federal,

Dakota Dunes Resort exterior

INGRID MISNER [ROOFTOP PATIO]; GOH IROMOTO [LODGE BEDROOM]

Rooftop patio at Dakota Dunes Resort (left); Kwa'lilas Hotel exterior (below); Lodge bedroom at Voyageur Wilderness

guidelines for retail spaces through a $25,000 fund from Parks Canada; and more.

“The Original Original Accreditation Program ensures that Indigenous businesses, regardless of type or size, are truly Indigenous owned and operated and are market or export ready,” says Henry. “We’ve been implementing the program for the last two years and are hoping to see another 300 businesses go through the process by the end of the year.”

Henry continues, “What’s not in the plan that we’ve since updated internally is a three-day tourism reconciliation training certificate. We want to continue providing nonIndigenous companies and organizations with a better understanding of how to support economic reconciliation for Indigenous tourism. They play a role and often don’t think they do,” adding the training sessions began rolling out across the country in October.

Destination Indigenous, ITAC’S travel brand, recently launched DiscoverIndigenousTourism.ca to help address the labour crisis and increase business visibility. Currently, the portal contains at least 100 job advertisements.

“Our members are looking for Indigenous employees and we’re also competing for employees from other sectors,” says Henry. “We received many requests and it got to be too much for us to handle, so we created this job portal to record all the information and we’re very proud of it.”

The final pillar, marketing, focuses on continuing to promote Indigenous tourism and its positive community and cultural impacts with targeted marketing, as well as research, media and sales efforts. With a $3 million marketing campaign, ITAC promotes the accredited businesses; increases 42 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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direct sales efforts for businesses with online reservation systems; and establishes a larger presence in key airports and other significant places.

Here, Hotelier highlights a few Indigenous-led businesses within Canada that are sharing their stories, cultures and traditions with the world.

GOH IROMOTO

KWA’LILAS HOTEL, PORT HARDY, B.C. The Kwa’lilas Hotel showcases the heritage of the Gwa’sala Nakwaxda’xw people. Built by the k’awat’si construction company, the “design of the building as a whole mimics a big house. Guests are greeted with massive cedar pillars and it’s incredibly unique. It’s one of the most prominent architectural elements to reflect Indigenous culture,” says Andrew Nixon, Business Development and Marketing manager.

Inside, many expressions of Indigenous culture can be found. In the lobby, an 18-foot copper feature wall, created by Coast Salish artist Shain Jackson, depicts the history and legends of the Gwa’sala Nakwakda’xw people.

“There’s also a button blanket on display in the lobby,” says general manager Robert Hodson. “Traditionally, button blankets are only to be used in ceremonies but we’ve been given explicit permission by the elders to display it. We’ve acquired a variety of new artworks from local world-class artists that will be showcased at an art gallery on site, including a mix of cedar products, masks, ceremonial gowns, headdresses and shawls.”

The hotel’s newest fine-dining restaurant, Ha’me, is slated to open before the end of year, “where guests will find elements from the territory that have been re-purposed,” says Nixon. “Guests aren’t just walking into a hotel that’s themed Indigenous; it is Indigenous.”

VOYAGEUR WILDERNESS, NYM LAKE, ATIKOKAN, ONT. Founded in 1960, Voyageur Wilderness has been a familyowned and operated business for three generations, offering canoe adventures, outfitting and accommodations to its visitors. Guy Savoie and his family took over the operation in 1986, and over the years, Voyageur Wilderness has been developed further to highlight the culture and history of Indigenous peoples and Métis Voyageurs on Canada’s heritage canoe routes in Quetico Provincial Park, a worldfamous destination with more than 2,000 lakes and 46,000 hectares of remote wilderness.

“The canoe speaks to the way of life for Indigenous peoples,” says owner Michelle Savoie. “It’s not only a hoteliermagazine.com

recreational craft, but also a representation of community, family and connection. The canoe gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in nature.”

Throughout the property, Savoie says there is “regalia, artifacts and family heirloom that link us back to the stories of our family and the connection to the land.

In our accommodation, there are different headdresses that were gifted to us for the protection of Quetico Park,” adding the park received its special-area designation and protection in 1977.

“The lifestyle and experience travellers are seeking in this post-pandemic era speaks to many of the traditions and cultures of Indigenous peoples, and there’s something unique about that,” says Madeleine Savoie.

“People are [prioritizing] work-life balance and returning to the basics, which is why tourism is so impactful right now.”

DAKOTA DUNES RESORT, WHITECAP, SASK. Dakota Dunes Resort, managed by Atlific Kwa'lilas Hotel suite Hotels, is located on traditional Whitecap Dakota Territory. The 155-room resort, which opened in 2020, is a tribute in design to its Indigenous heritage and offers authentic Indigenous programming such as Bannock & Bonfire, Mini Tipi set-up lessons and the opportunity to learn and partake in Indigenous games played

by Dakota people and other Indigenous groups in the area.

“Whether visitors are in public spaces or in a guestroom, they have a view of windswept sand dunes, bluffs and vegetation punctuated by the South Saskatchewan River, which are typical of the Whitecap Dakota lands. The South Saskatchewan River was traditionally a primary source of trade for the Dakota people, while the dunes provided grazing land for cattle and horses,” says general manager Vijendra Singh. “The hotel’s interior is designed with the elements of fire, water, earth and air as the underlying concepts, [while] guestrooms reflect the element of air and incorporate items reflecting the culture of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, [such as wall] coverings [symbolizing] basket weaving.”

In fact, the property recently won the Indigenous Tourism Experience Award at the 2023 Hospitality Saskatchewan Tourism Awards.

“It’s a great feeling and an honour to receive the Indigenous Tourism Experience Award,” says Singh. “It’s also encouragement for us to continue to work towards maintaining the high standards we have set for ourselves as a team. We take great pride in showcasing Indigenous culture through our hotel design, food, Indigenous activities, games and in making sure that more than 70 per cent of our work force is Indigenous." ◆ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 43

DESIGN

Alt Hotel Calgary University District, lounge lobby

Alt Hotel Calgary Universtity District, front desk

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fter months of isolation, lobbies have become more than just a place to check in and wait for rides. Whether travellers are there for business or pleasure — or both — lobbies are becoming a central hub for working, socializing, and wining and dining.

“People have had to spend almost two years alone in their basements, now they want to enjoy each other’s company,” says Marie Pier Germain, president Sales and Marketing for Germain Hotels. “Lobbies have become spaces where guests can feel welcome, grab a coffee, sit and have a chat, or do work.”

Lobbies are also being tailored to showcase the heart and soul of the locale. “Reflecting the neighbourhood within the lobby space makes the experience unique and more interesting,” says Germain.

“It gives guests a flavour of what is happening around them.”

At the newest Alt Hotel Calgary University District, for example, the lobby has a touch of a university/library feel, and features Calgary memorabilia, such as a model rocket that pays homage to the ex-chancellor of the university who was an astronaut, a mural by local awardwinning artist Cassie Suche, and artwork of children who have been patients at the nearby children’s hospital.

Seating and furnishings are eclectic to suit different activities. “Guests have developed a flexibility with their months of remote work, making impromptu workspaces in the lobby more of a trend,” says Germain.

LOBBYING FOR CHANGE Lobbies are becoming central hubs for connecting, working, and playing

BY DENISE DEVEAU

Alt Hotel Calgary University District

44 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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Dual Citizen in the lobby of Sheraton Centre Toronto

THE HEARTBEAT OF A CITY The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel’s re-designed lobby has transformed into an extension of the customers and the neighbourhood it serves. “The lobby is the heart of the hotel,” says Allen Chan, founding partner, DesignAgency, who worked on the project. “Hotels are more than just making a great space to sleep. They are becoming a great place to socialize and work, and to generate revenues.”

“Prior to the renovation, we had a large, iconic lobby with the restaurant on one side, and a coffee bar on the other,” says Tim Reardon, general manager. “Last year we had an opportunity to activate the entire lobby space, while at the same time implement Sheraton’s new brand design as part of the company’s global transformation journey.”

The new and improved environment embodies a town-square atmosphere and serves as a community hub for both locals and guests. “We want everybody to enjoy the space by creating an intuitive, holistic experience,” says Reardon. “All the spaces connect so that visitors can be productive and feel part of a community at the same time.

The whole area feels like one great town square you would find anywhere around the world.”

An important feature is the local art that starts at the motor court and carries through the lobby to tell the story of Toronto. These are in the form of custom-made art and installation pieces, including the show-stopping trillium mobile that cascades down the front of the escalators.

“Each piece is inspired by Toronto and created by Toronto artists,” says Reardon. A key piece is the dimensional ceramic wall installation in the reception area by local artist Julie Moon that emulates the flowing body of water Taddle Creek, hoteliermagazine.com

Sheraton Centre Toronto's 43 Down anchors the lobby space

which was once an Indigenous gathering place.

Two F&B outlets — Dual Citizen and 43 Down — serve as anchors for the space, offering endless flexibility, from grab-and-go style service to sit-down dinners and cocktails to meeting space for private events. “They are the heartbeat of the hotel,” says Reardon.

Seating runs the gamut from bistro tables to curved banquettes to communal tables. The old business centre has been replaced by multiple studios and soundproof booths on an elevated platform. A natural influence is provided by the rear garden and waterfall framed by a two-story window.

Beyond the aesthetics, there’s also the practical aspects in the new “work from anywhere” lifestyle. “Since it is a hotel focused on business travel and leisure, we wanted to make sure we checked all the boxes for that demographic. That means creating a space that is always plugged in and dialled in and always available for work and for play,” explains Chan.

Another key part of the Toronto scene is the interconnectivity, adds Chan. “The hotel is part of the PATH system that connects to the business core. People can come from anywhere in PATH work and use the lobby.”

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 45

Ace Hotel,Toronto lobby

SHELTER FOR MANY At the Ace Hotel in Toronto, the lobby is the heart of the building. It is a space that is meant to be treated as a living room by anyone passing through the hotel doors.

Interactive elements, such as a communal worktable made by Shaun Moore of Made Design, and a DJ booth decorated in colourful concrete discs from Montreal studio Concrete Cat, are intended for the use and pleasure of all.

Tucked way on a quiet side road, it features oversized glass windows, filling the interiors with abundant natural light and offering onlookers welcoming views of the interior.

A noteworthy feature is the three-story site-specific art installation called Horizon Line designed by A. Howard Sutcliffe and assembled by local firm Two Degrees North.

This puzzle of weathered, stained and untreated plywood pieces abstractly portrays the waters of Lake Ontario.

In an area lacking shared spaces, Ace Toronto is a civic building, and its lobby is a shelter for many.

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WILLIAM JESS LAIRD

MOUNTAIN CHIC On a completely different design note, the lobby space at MTN House By Basecamp in Canmore, Alta. is centred around a mountain retreat theme. The 99-room hotel features the design inspiration of Ed Tsang, now head senior interior designer for Basecamp Resorts.

He describes the concept as a retreat destination for outdoor enthusiasts, where the space offers an energizing, restorative, and memorable experience, while embracing a relaxed, rustic, and refined narrative.

“Our goal was to achieve the sense of a mountain escape and re-imagine the mountain chic experience that was both a luxury hotel, as well as playful and non-pretentious,” says Tsang. “The Canmore area is all about the outdoor experience, so we wanted to find ways to reflect that.”

Signature features include rough-sawn custom natural woodwork on the walls and ceilings, dark wainscotting, copper metals, natural stone, a 20-foot custom chandelier, and chic antler damask wall covering. Whimsical artworks by Canadian artists including Brandon Brown are inspired by the local mountain animals and landscapes.

The laptop-friendly furniture, lighting elements, and accessory elements reinforce the brand’s sustainable approach: they are all reclaimed items from thrift shops.

A large two-sided wood-burning fireplace is surrounded by comfy seating, complemented by vintage vases, accessories, and board games, where guests can relax with an espresso or cocktail from Rhythm & Howl, the hotel’s restaurant, bar, and café.

There are also some hidden surprises, such as an ice-fishing hut photo booth and a library space with hidden nooks for guests to work or chat with friends.

Having spent several years on hotel design projects, Tsang says, lobbies have undergone a transformation in recent years. “They are now about creating spaces where folks can be left alone or in groups uninterrupted and do their own thing.”

“Big empty lobbies with high ceilings won’t work anymore,” stresses Germain. “Lobbies now have a sense of purpose. That’s the experience people are looking for.” ◆

The lobby at MTN House by Basecamp

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F&B

Making Sweet

Memories

Sweet treats have the power to create a memorable guest experience

BY DANIELLE SCHALK

W

hile sweet treats aren’t always seen as a top priority, dessert and pastry play an important role in creating a well-rounded hotel food-and-beverage strategy.

As Michael Hawryluk, executive chef, W Toronto, explains, when it comes to on-property dining experiences, “Pastry is our last opportunity to leave a good impression with our guests.”

This is especially important for a property whose F&B outlets form its key amenities.

As W Toronto’s senior Marketing manager, Kelly Baumgartner, explains, “We’re a bit of a smaller property, so we’ve really [embraced] food and beverage within all guest touch points throughout the hotel.”

This includes the property’s chocolate welcome amenities, which can be customized to delight guests of group, event and

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Vacation State

of Mind

AS

Rahul Korgaokar, director of Operations, JW Marriott the Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa, points out, the approach to pastry and dessert offerings at a resort differs slightly from that of a city hotel — largely due to differing guest psychographics.

“The guests of a resort are more in touch with the food-and-beverage experience that a hotel has to offer,” he explains. “When the guest is spending all their time in the resort, spending their own money, they really want to get bang for their buck.

They’d like to have large portion sizes and they’d like to have desserts that look appealing.”

Plus, as a family resort, there is more emphasis on delighting the property’s youngest guests.

“If the children are happy, then the parents are happy,” says Korgaokar. “So, in order to keep the children happy, you’ve got to be creative with the desserts that you have on the buffet and the kid’s menu — even for breakfast,” he adds noting offerings such as pancakes in fun shapes and served with indulgent toppings.

The mindset of guests on vacation at a resort also differs in several ways. In this more relaxed setting, diners tend to gravitate toward familiar and comforting menu items, so JW Marriott the Rosseau’s pastry team focuses on creating elevated takes on classic desserts that speak to the resort’s location in cottage country. This can be seen in offerings such as Baba au Limoncello, rather than a traditional baba au rhum; and Muskoka S’mores in a Jar, which features chocolate mousse, graham-cracker crumbs, marshmallow fluff and Jack Daniels maple syrup.

“I know that people are very health conscious these days and a lot of people end up skipping desserts,” Korgaokar adds. “But, when you’re out for a holiday, people are a little less self-conscious about their fitness and will let themselves go for the two or three days that they’re on holiday.”

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VIP bookings. “One of our signature amenities is a chocolate sphere. We serve it with a hammer, and when you smash the chocolate sphere open, there’s candy inside,” Hawryluk explains. His team has also crafted custom pieces, such as a chocolate Formula-1 race car.

“Today, the quality of products, as far as [the pastry department] is concerned, has become so advanced thanks to various influences,” shares Rahul Korgaokar, director of Operations, JW Marriott the Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa, pointing to cultural influences and technology as key influencing factors. “Gone are the days when you said ‘pastry’ and it only meant an opera slice…Nowadays, you’ve got to be ready to have lemongrass-infused cheesecake and offerings like that.”

In fact, within the realm of pastries and confections, unique signature offerings increasingly play an important role in many properties’ brand identities.

Thomas Oliver, executive pastry chef, The St. Regis, Toronto, notes, “At St. Regis Toronto, we’re known to offer

luxurious and high-end dining experiences, so our pastries and desserts definitely play a significant role.” This includes complimenting LOUIX LOUIS’ fine-dining menu, the hotel’s signature afternoon tea and creating personalized amenities.

For example, the King’s Cake has stood as the signature dessert at The St. Regis Toronto’s LOUIX LOUIS since its opening in 2018. This extravagant 13-layer chocolate cake is a crowd-pleaser and social-media darling featuring guayaquil ganache, hazelnutchocolate buttercream, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

At W Toronto, Hawryluk’s team creates a fashion and beautyinspired high tea — the High Beau-Tea — that neatly ties into W’s brand pillars, which include music, art, design and fashion.

This distinctive, themed take on a high tea is served in a makeup case and features items such as an edible strawberry ‘lipsticks’ and clotted ‘night’ creams, paired with floral loose-leaf teas.

Incorporating unique partnerships and local, seasonal ingredients also plays an

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important role in creating inspiring and memorable moments for guests. As an example, Oliver points to a recent opera-themed partnership for St. Regis Toronto’s afternoon tea menu.

“We collaborated with the Canadian Opera Company, to bring people in with something interesting,” he explains.

This included an opera cake made with a Canadian twist, which featured maple joconde, Ontario blueberries and pears. “Local tie-ins like that resonate with our guests and bring in different experiences,” Oliver adds.

And, as the hotel’s director of Marketing, Yiting Mao, explains, specialty and seasonal menus play a significant role in generating ongoing appeal. “We want our guests to keep coming back and that’s why we always refresh our menus and connect with the seasonality or with different partners.”

The team at Victoria’s Fairmont Empress also embraces seasonality in its pastry program. “Seasonal offerings allow us to get creative, switch things up, and have fun,” shares the hotel’s executive pastry chef, Gerald Tan. “We look forward to upcoming holidays and special events to bring in something unique yet reflective of the season and everything that comes with it.”

And, special events often present the opportunity to create unique and spectacular offerings. For example, W Toronto’s Skylight Bar & Restaurant will feature themed brunches for events hoteliermagazine.com

such as Easter and Mother’s Day, which feature an over-the-top dessert buffet dubbed ‘The Dolce Den.’ This indulgent experience features live-action stations, including chocolate fountains, cotton-candy machines and build-your-own ice cream stations, as well as chocolate sculptures and a curated selection of desserts.

At its core, the role of a successful dessert and pastry program is about creating special moments and memorable experiences for guests.

“The pastry department touches all outlets in the hotel and plays a key role in defining guests’ experiences at Fairmont Empress,” says Tan. “It is really important to evoke a positive feeling by tasting desserts. Each guest experience will be individualized, but guests will always remember the dining experience when they feel something.”

“A lot of desserts actually play a very important role in the whole guest experience,” Korgaokar adds, pointing to guests celebrating special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays and engagements — not to mention weddings and other group events hosted at a hotel.

As Oliver notes, whether it’s as an inroom amenity or a dessert at the end of a meal, these sweet creations act as “the cherry on top” — adding an extra layer of memory-making and indulgence to the guest experience. “That’s why they say ‘save desserts for last,’ because it really does make an emotional impact.” ◆ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 | 49

FREEPIK.COM

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TECHNOLOGY

otels have stepped up their game in the evolving digital landscape by embracing a blend of human and digital innovations to enhance the guest experience. Choice, convenience and control are now pivotal in a guest’s hotel selection process, and hotels are adapting by integrating guest-facing apps. These apps include questionnaire tools, mobile apps and messaging systems, which have enabled hotels to shape guest experiences and assess their services. According to Hilton’s 2024 Trends Report, 76 per cent of travellers appreciate travel apps that reduce the friction and stress of travel.

H

THE UTILITY ASPECT Hotels are using guest-facing apps to their maximum potential to serve as a direct medium between the hotel and its guests.

Mike Gathright, senior vice-president, Customer Experience, Hilton says, “Within the Hilton Honors app, members can access Digital Key and Digital Key Share, which allows guests to bypass the front desk and unlock their room door directly from their phone, and also has the ability to share keys with fellow travellers in their group. Guests using Digital Key can now automatically connect to and unlock elevators if their Hilton Honors app is open in the background of their iOS device.”

Additionally, guest-facing apps enhance customer service by offering a seamless booking experience that allows guests to customize their stay by effortlessly selecting rooms and receiving instant confirmations. A user-friendly interface can also be implemented where guest data, if permitted, can be used to suggest personalized recommendations such as room preferences, dining choices or local attractions.

Communication is another facet that has seen palpable improvement as the apps integrate messaging systems to facilitate real-time communication between guests and hotel staff, enabling quick responses to queries, requests and feedback.

“In-room technology has furthered guest personalization within Hilton’s Connected Room Experience,” says Gathright.

“Enabled hotels welcome guests by name on the TV and allow them to control in-room technology using the Hilton Honors app on their phones, including personalizing their preferences for popular streaming apps. During the past year, demand for personalized in-room technology has increased significantly.”

THE RIGHT CHOICE Selecting an app that aligns with a hotel’s brand identity is crucial as it needs to reflect the brand aesthetic, values and image. The chosen app must be user-friendly, with an effortless navigational experience for the users and must also be able to integrate seamlessly with the existing hotel-management

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systems for smooth data synchronization. However, not all apps need integration into the hotel-management system.

“Tip & Go is completely independent and takes care of everything from start to finish,” says Francis Léonard, CEO of Tip&Go. “Less than 10 per cent of Canadians still have cash on hand and the app makes life easier for guests who want to reward staff who take care of them. Guests don’t need to download an app; they can scan the QR code on the employee’s easel card and in less than five seconds can send a tip. As a result, the hotel has no administration cost and no management to do.”

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Essential app functions include mobile check-in/out, allowing guests to bypass queues, and in-app concierge services providing extensive information about hotel amenities, local attractions and dining options enabling guests to plan their stay effectively. Incorporating a feedback system encourages guests to share their experiences and suggestions, fostering continuous improvement.

From the hotel perspective, apps help hoteliers gain insights into guest preferences, inventory tracking and monitoring room availability and “re-imagining the lobby experience by untethering traditional front-desk tasks,” says Gathright.

However, it’s important to prioritize guest privacy and data privacy through efficient compliance with industry standards.

For Tip&Go, the beneficiaries, mainly hotel employees, have unrestricted access to their customer account which enables them to track in real time how much they’ve received in tips on a daily, weekly and annual basis.

Léonard adds, “In future features of Tip&Go, we’ll offer several KPI (Key Performance Indicators) to hoteliers such as average tip rate and per cent of guests that tip.”

LOOKING AHEAD With Artificial Intelligence (AI) making headway in the hospitality industry, hotels can anticipate a transformative shift in guest experiences. Augmented Reality (AR) experiences would allow guests to explore rooms and amenities via virtual tours; AI-driven chat bots and virtual assistants can provide instant responses to guest queries; and contactless technologies, such as mobile key cards and contactless payments, will further streamline the guest experience and minimize physical touchpoints.

Guest-facing apps have revolutionized how hotels interact with their guests, and as innovation moves to the forefront, embracing these technologies will help hotels deliver unparalleled hospitality in this digital age.

“Understanding and addressing travellers’ quickly changing preferences, passions and pain points is crucial to the hospitality industry, especially as people have returned to travel,” says Gathright. ◆

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HOTELIERS

A THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE As novice hoteliers, this husbandand-wife duo is gaining applause for their Stratford property

BY ROSANNA CAIRA

A

s the husband-and-wife rookie hoteliers of Stratford’s Hotel Julie, Paula McFarlane and Jake Tayler share many similarities. The duo both grew up in Lambton County in southwestern Ontario, were born in the same year, and, until recently, were paramedics before jumping head first in the hotel world.

“We started with one short-term rental and grew to nine over the next year,” says Tayler. “We had seen the hotel for sale during the pandemic, but it wasn’t the right time for us. After realizing how much we enjoyed hospitality, we reached out to the owner to see if they were still interested in selling, and they were.”

According to Tayler, “We had always admired the building. The opportunity to purchase it came about in early 2022 so we took a chance. The bones were good; it just needed to be updated. We renovated all nine suites as well as the exterior in 10 months.”

The 18th-century inn is the couple’s first foray into hotels, but they instantly fell in love “interacting with the guests and sharing our story and the history of the building with them. We really do have a great story,” says McFarlane.

The chic, theatre-inspired destination officially opened its doors this past spring and already it’s been the focal point of a new CTV series called Staying Inn: Hotel Julie. “It’s unique in many ways,” says McFarlane. “Every suite is different in terms of size, layout and design. You could stay nine different times in nine different rooms and get nine different experiences.” The hotel is situated in what was originally a set of row houses built in 1890. “Sometime in the 1930s, it was converted into the nine suites that exist today.” Due to the unique layout of the hotel, there’s no front desk or lobby area — guests go directly to their suites and have the assistance of a 24/7 Digital Concierge service.

As a small hotel, the pair operate with a lean crew. “We outsource cleaning and have one laundry attendant, one virtual assistant and myself on the team,” explains McFarlane. “We have software and as much automation as possible. We automate our locks, check-in/check-out communication and use AI technology for our pricing strategy.”

The hotel’s ADR is $420 with RevPAR at $294. Running their first hotel in a post-pandemic environment is not for the faint of heart. But the couple is keen to continue to share and promote the Hotel Julie experience along with tourism in Stratford. “It’s a charming little city with a vibrant downtown and an amazing food scene,” says Tayler.

As if being first-time hoteliers isn’t challenging enough, recently, the couple purchased the house next door to the hotel in order to improve the inn’s parking facilities. “The house has the same zoning as the hotel, so over the winter it will be renovated into three more amazing suites,” explains Tayler.

As first-time hoteliers, the husband-and-wife team and parents of four children, are eager to keep learning while implementing new systems to ensure a smoother future. ◆ 52 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

QUICK QUIPS Define the hotel’s style: “Elegant and classic with a bit of whimsy and even a little quirky. We tried to incorporate a theatrical/ Shakespearean vibe without being too “in your face” theatre.”

- Paula McFarlane Advice for aspiring hoteliers: “Leave your ego at the door. Your guests are your business and customer service isn’t always glamorous and pleasant. I would recommend having some type of customerservice experience before jumping in.”

-Jake Tayler

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