Life-Size iconic Canadian tugboat, Theodore TOO, now on Airbnb
Welcome aboard Theodore TOO, the beloved, 65-foot real-life, bright-eyed and bushy-bumpered tugboat.
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STR: Canada hotel occupancy eclipsed pre-pandemic comparable in July
Canada’s monthly hotel occupancy came in higher than the 2019 comparable for the first time in the pandemic era, according to STR’s July 2022 data.
45 Steps- The Culinary Beachside Inn Partners With HIS for Enhanced Online Connectivity and Guestroom Entertainment
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has been credited with boosting guest Wi-Fi service performance and providing advanced content streaming abilities at 45 Steps- The Culinary Beachside Inn. A luxury 7-room retreat where travelers can experience the natural beauty of Canada’s Prince Edward Island, 45 Steps by partnering with HIS is now also able to ensure that each guest receives a reliable internet connection, while benefiting from the presence of the GuestCast streaming platform for user-friendly control over in-room entertainment experiences.
Carlos Calvo Rodríguez has been appointed as Senior Spa Director at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
On the heels of introducing three new members to its leadership team, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is announcing the appointment, and return, of the property's new Senior Spa Director Carlos Calvo Rodríguez.
Are Guest Instant Rewards Programs the New ‘Free Same-Day Shipping’?
The exchange of goods and services is a critical cog in the wheel of how our world works. As we skim through the pages of history books, we are met with countless, comparatively archaic examples of what we know now to be retail commerce. But even just a few decades ago, many of the digitally-empowered conveniences that define our retail experiences today might have seemed, at that time, far-fetched.
By Ellis Connolly, Chief Revenue Officer, Laasie
Canadian Lodging Outlook Quarterly 2022-Q2
HVS and STR are pleased to provide you with the quarterly report of the Canadian Lodging Outlook. Each report includes occupancy (occ), average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) for six major markets.
Emphasizing Indigenous Hotelier Education with Firecircle
Indigenous tourism is a burgeoning pillar within Canadian travel, growing at four times the pace of other tourism sectors and contributing more than $1.7 billion to the GDP from over 1,875 businesses (prior to the pandemic). And despite the crushing impact of the past two years, there is more interest than ever from Indigenous entrepreneurs to take their place in the Canadian hospitality industry. Supporting these ventures in turn presents lucrative opportunities for investors, brands and management companies.
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler Begins Nature-Inspired Renovations to Private Retreats
As part of a continued commitment by Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler to enhance its mountainside property and guest experience, an exciting renovation of its Private Residences is getting underway on this summer, with an anticipated completion date of December 2022.
Angelica Sanz Rincón has been appointed as Director of Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
A new member of the Four Seasons family, Director of Rooms Angelica Sanz Rincón has approximately twelve years of progressive experience within the luxury hospitality space. With roles ranging from director of guest relations and director of front office to hotel manager and director of residences, Angelica has a vast knowledge and history in servicing hotels.
Kristi Grotsch has been appointed as Director of Food & Beverage at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
With more than twelve years of hotel operations and management specializing in food and beverage, Kristi is a passionate and highly motivated hospitality professional. Before joining Four Seasons, she was the director of food and beverage and director of quality improvement providing strategic oversight to various operational departments at several luxury hotels. Honing in on her leadership skills, Kristi moved on to fulfil the role of regional head of learning and development where she was based in Dubai and responsible for 15 hotels in 10 countries across the Americas, the Middle East, Europe, and India. Post-pandemic, Kristi returned to Toronto, where she was appointed the area director of operational service excellence, americas.
Takashi Harada has been appointed as Executive Chef at The Josie Hotel, Autograph Collection
The Josie Hotel, Autograph Collection and The Velvet Restaurant and Lounge in Rossland, British Columbia welcomes Takashi Harada as their new executive chef.
Graeme Benn has been appointed as Dual General Manager at JW Marriott Parq Vancouver & the DOUGLAS, Autograph Collection in Canada
JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and the DOUGLAS, Autograph Collection are thrilled to welcome Graeme Benn as dual property general manager. In his new role, Benn is responsible for overseeing both luxury properties, which anchor the buzz-worthy Parq Vancouver entertainment experience in downtown Vancouver.
“We Love Working With Hotels and Delivering an ROI of 40x1”: An Interview with Visionary Tech Co-Founder and CEO of Leading Cart Abandonment Platform CartStack and RezRecover
We’ve all been there. After many minutes, or perhaps even hours of combing through a website and painstakingly adding and removing items from the shopping cart, we glance at the proposed subtotal, rake our eyes back over the items in the cart, and decide we will ‘sleep on it’ before making a final purchase decision.
By Alan Young, VP, Strategy | Hospitality, Infor
Projects in Canada's Construction Pipeline are Up Slightly Year-Over-Year
As seen in the recently released Q2 2022 Canada Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), at the close of the quarter the total construction pipeline in Canada stands at 261 projects/35,662 rooms, up 3% by projects year-over-year (YOY) and up 7% by rooms YOY.During the first half of the year, Canada’s tourism and hospitality sector saw an increasing number of domestic and international visitors comparable to those seen since the on-set of the pandemic. While larger group demand has been slow to return, smaller group, meetings, and leisure activity is on the upswing in urban areas and popular tourist destinations. As booking and occupancy numbers have increased in these markets, so has the interest of developers and investors.Currently, there are 59 projects/7,657 rooms under construction in Canada. Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months has the most substantial shift in projects YOY, showing a 32% increase with 98 projects/13,707 rooms. Projects in the early planning stage are at 104 projects/14,298 rooms.At Q2, the top provinces with the most projects in the pipeline are dominated by Ontario at 148 projects and a record-high of 20,539 rooms and accounts for 57% of the projects in Canada’s total pipeline. Next is British Columbia with 42 projects/6,868 rooms and then Alberta with 23 projects/2,125 rooms. Together these three provinces account for 82% of the rooms in Canada’s Pipeline.The top five cities are led by Toronto with 64 projects/9,262 rooms, claiming 25% of all projects in Canada’s total construction pipeline. Following distantly is Vancouver with record-high project and rooms counts of 18 projects/2,661 rooms, then Montreal with 14 projects/2,038 rooms, Niagara Falls with 12 projects/3,797 rooms, and Ottawa-Hull with 10 projects/1,693 rooms. These five cities account for 55% of the rooms in the total pipeline.The top franchise companies in Canada’s construction pipeline at Q2 are Marriott International leading with record-highs of 73 projects/10,096 rooms, followed by Hilton Worldwide with 64 projects/7,682 rooms, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 42 projects/4,325 rooms. These three companies make up 69% of the total projects in the pipeline. The largest brands in the pipeline for each of these companies are Hilton’s Hampton by Hilton with 26 projects/2,930 rooms, IHG’s Holiday Inn Express, with 20 projects/2,157 rooms, and Marriott’s Fairfield Inn with a record-high project count of 17 projects/1,613 rooms.In the first half of the year, Canada had 10 new hotel openings accounting for 1,053 rooms. LE’s forecast for new hotel openings predicts another 24 new hotel openings in the second half of the year, for a total of 34 projects/4,103 rooms to open in 2022 for a supply growth rate of 1.2%. In 2023, LE is forecasting 38 projects/4,182 rooms to open, for a supply growth rate of 1.2%, and 2024 should see 43 projects/4,576 rooms open for a growth rate of 1.3%.
Canada hotels post best performance of the pandemic-era
Canada’s hotel performance was the highest of the pandemic-era, with monthly hotel room rates reaching an all-time high, according to STR’s June 2022 data.
Maxime Regad has been appointed as Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
When searching for a new Hotel Manager, the team at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto did not have to look far. With an unparalleled level of service built in the hands of its employees, Four Seasons takes pride in developing talent from within. As a well-tenured employee with a combined five years of experience at the brand's global flagship, Maxime Regad was the best person for the job.
W Hotels Opens in Canada’s Biggest City Toronto
Sound on. W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today announces the opening of W Toronto. Rising 11 stories in the vibrant, creatively charged neighborhood of Yorkville, the hotel is a celebration of Toronto's storied art scene, diversity of culture, and legacy of non-conformity. Destined to bring a new energy and sophistication to the city's luxury lifestyle hospitality scene, W Toronto gives locals a new playground and travelers an authentic, socially charged retreat.
Glenn Bowie has been appointed as General Manager at Westin Nova Scotian
Guido Kerpel, COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, announces that Glenn Bowie has been named general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian. Bowie has worked with New Castle for more than 25 years and most recently served as the area director of sales and marketing for the company's Canadian Division. In that role, Mr. Bowie was responsible for the leadership and overall direction of sales and catering for six of New Castle's Canadian properties.
STR: Canada hotels post highest rates since September 2019
Canada’s monthly hotel performance improved from the previous month yet again, and room rates reached the highest level since September 2019, according to STR’s May 2022 data.
Hyatt Place Montreal Downtown Celebrates Grand Opening
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) is pleased to announce the opening of Hyatt Place Montreal Downtown, Montreal's first Hyatt Place hotel. The hotel is located near the renowned Village, one of Montreal's most diverse and colorful neighborhoods, and minutes from the Quartier des Spectacles. Hyatt Place Montreal Downtown features intuitive design, a relaxed atmosphere and convenient amenities sought after by business and leisure travelers alike. Montreal's largest metro station, Berri-UQAM, is connected to the hotel, providing easy access to the Palais des Congrès and many other attractions.