InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), the nation's premier hotel company with 175 properties from coast-to-coast, announces the signing of a third hotel with the ownership group Le Groupe Robin.
As mobile devices continue to evolve, the Hotels.com™ Mobile Travel Tracker* uncovers the true impact that the number-one travel accessory, the mobile phone, is having on our booking and travel behaviours. It reveals Canadians are now booking hotels in secret, becoming more spontaneous, staying connected with friends and placing less emphasis on price.
Vantage Hotels continues to expand in Western Canada with the opening of a Canadas Best Value Inn & Suites in Fernie, BC. The property becomes the 12th CBVI in British Columbia. Formerly a Travelodge, the Canadas Best Value Inn & Suites has free Wi-Fi, a heated indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and adjacent restaurant. All 36 rooms include a mini fridge and microwave, while some have a kitchenette and accommodate pets.
Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced that John Wilson, has been promoted to general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax. Wilson previously served as regional controller responsible for the company’s six Canadian hotels, a position he will continue to hold. Hired as an assistant controller in 1996, Wilson holds the distinction of being the hotel’s first employee. In the ensuing 20 years, Wilson’s career with New Castle took him to Racine WI, as the controller of the company’s Marriott property there and to Liscomb Mills, Nova Scotia where he was the general manager of the province’s Liscombe Lodge Resort & Conference Center, which New Castle manages. A native of New Brunswick and graduate of St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Wilson began his hospitality career as a night auditor with
Halifax is one of the most expensive cities in Canada based on the cost of its lodging. The provincial capital of Nova Scotia ranks third priciest among 30 destinations considered by a recent survey. The survey was conducted by CheapHotels.org.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced that Le Méridien Versailles in Montréal has completed a comprehensive renovation of the intimate 108-guestroom hotel, including two penthouse suites; the debut of the signature Le Méridien Hub™, an innovative reinterpretation of the traditional hotel lobby into a social gathering place; and the unveiling of all new meeting and public spaces within the hotel.
Wyndham Hotel Group today announced an agreement with Canalta Hotels to develop 20 Ramada hotels over the next 15 years, growing the brand's Canadian footprint by approximately 25 percent.The agreement expands Wyndham Hotel Group's existing successful relationship with Canalta, which has already resulted in 39 hotels throughout Western Canada in the last 12 years. The 20 new anticipated hotels will be located throughout Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island."We have been working with the team at Canalta for more than a decade and together we've made Ramada a familiar place to stay for travelers in Western Canada," said Chip Ohlsson, Wyndham Hotel Group's chief development officer. "Relationships like this one, with a company that believes in the power of this vibrant brand, are an incredibly valuable part of our continued growth."Cultivating strong relationships with both major developers and individual entrepreneurs is a foundational element of Wyndham Hotel Group's growth strategy. With a diverse portfolio of brands conquering markets all over the world, the company actively seeks developers who are excited to grow together."Ramada is one of the most recognized hotel brands in the world, and thanks to our continued success in Western Canada we know travelers will welcome the familiar pops-of-red in their favorite cities as we expand eastward," said Cam Christianson, president of Canalta. "The team at Wyndham Hotel Group champions our success and expansion, so we are confident that growing with them is the right move."Wyndham Hotel Group boasts a robust pipeline of 46 hotels with more than 4,000 rooms in Canada for 2016 and beyond, gearing up to surpass 550 hotels in the country. Currently, 11 of the company's 16 hotel brands have a presence in Canada, including Ramada®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Days Inn®, Dolce Hotels and Resorts®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Super 8®, Travelodge®, Wingate by Wyndham® and Wyndham Garden®.With more than 800 mid- and upper-midscale full-service hotels spanning 63 countries, Ramada's deep passion for delivering meaningful hospitality shines through its charming pops-of-red at every hotel touchpoint. Guests choose Ramada because it's one of the few hotel brands offering full-service hospitality around the globe. Most hotels feature an on-site restaurant, lounge or complimentary continental breakfast, as well as meeting rooms, business services, fitness facilities and Wi-Fi. Guests know they can venture to the edge of the earth, or simply to the edge of town, always finding familiarity in Ramada.
Indu Brar, the new general manager of Fairmont Empress, is the first female general manager of the property since its opening in 1908. She will oversee the hotel’s two-phased $30+ million renovation plan that will be completed in June 2017 and includes all guestrooms, restaurants, lobby, Willow Stream Spa and meeting space.
Committed to expanding the Canadian presence of two of its top-performing midscale brands, Wyndham Hotel Group today announced multi-unit agreements with PHI Hotel Group to develop 25 Wingate by Wyndham hotels over the next 25 years and 15 Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham hotels over the next 15 years.The agreements multiply Wingate's footprint in Canada by five times its current size and establish Hawthorn's presence in the country. PHI Hotel Group has already executed on three Wingate hotels for development in 2016, and has another eight hotels in its existing portfolio currently under construction.Half of Canada's population identifies as middle class, a demographic that desires to travel but has a limited budget. According to Phocuswright, Canadians are traveling domestically more frequently, making midscale hotel brands such as Wingate and Hawthorn an ideal solution. The hotels, most of which are new construction, will open as soon as 2017 and reside in top Canadian travel markets such as Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax."These agreements demonstrate our steadfast commitment to continued growth in Canada," said Chip Ohlsson, Wyndham Hotel Group's chief development officer. "We're targeting Canada's leading cities - where travelers really want to be - with two incredible brands that guests embrace for their convenience, quality, and experience.""Wingate and Hawthorn stand out for us and for our guests, offering thoughtful, consistent experiences under a trusted name," said Sukhi Rai, president of PHI Hotel Group. "This collaboration is a natural fit, bringing Wyndham Hotel Group's powerful scale and industry-leading technology efforts to life through two brands that travelers adore. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship together."Wyndham Hotel Group's hotels in Canada represent approximately 6% of its global portfolio – and that number is growing quickly. Wyndham Hotel Group boasts a robust pipeline of 46 hotels with more than 4,000 rooms in Canada, gearing up to surpass 550 hotels in the country. Currently, 11 of the company's 16 hotel brands have a presence in Canada, including Baymont Inn & Suites®, Days Inn®, Dolce Hotels and Resorts®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Ramada®, Super 8®, Travelodge®, Wingate by Wyndham® and Wyndham Garden®.Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham is an extended-stay brand offering guests a home away from home designed to help them maintain their routine whether their stay is for a week, a month or a year. Wingate by Wyndham offers guests everything they need to stay connected, on-schedule, productive and ready for whatever comes next.
Vantage Hotels has entered Sudbury, Ontario for the first time with the additions of a 77-room Lexington® Hotel and 45-room Canadas Best Value Inn®. Formerly a Howard Johnson, the Lexington Hotel is undergoing extensive renovations. All of the guestrooms are being completely gutted and updated with new flooring, bathroom fixtures, counter tops, tile, furniture, bedding and wallcoverings. The renovations are being done in stages so that, at any one time, a large number of hotel rooms will be available to the public. The lobby also will be renovated with new furniture and flooring that will extend throughout the hotel.
The lower Canadian dollar and strong economic fundamentals in many Canadian provinces, are outweighing the fallout from soft resource markets leading to positive growth across the country.
The Canadian hotel industry reported mixed results in the three key performance metrics for the first quarter of 2016, according to data from STR.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced it has reached an agreement with Easton's Group of Hotels to open the second Element Hotel in the Greater Toronto Area and renovate Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport. The eight-story Element Toronto Airport will open in summer 2018 adjacent to the seven-story Four Points Toronto Airport, which will remain open throughout the 5 million CADrenovation.
The Hazelton Hotel, Toronto, the city's leading luxury boutique hotel, announces the appointment of Hani Roustom as General Manager. A celebrated and passionate hotelier, and graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Roustom brings his sharp focus on refined product and service excellence to Toronto's only member of the Leading Hotels of the World, a worldwide alliance of independent luxury hotels.
Christiane Germain, co-president of Group Germain Hotels today announces the appointment of Julie Brisebois as General Manager of Alt Hotel Ottawa, which will open in spring 2016, and Marie Pier Germain as General Manager of Alt Hotel Montreal, which opened in 2014. Motivated by her passion for customer service, it was a career change that led Julie Brisebois to the hospitality industry in 2004. She first made her debut at Le Germain Hotel Montreal before taking the helm of operations and then the general management of Alt Hotel Dix30 in Brossard, and more recently Alt Hotel Montreal. Today, her management and her experience of over ten years with Group Germain Hotels make her the perfect person to give life to the new Alt Hotel Ottawa. Marie Pier Germain has been entrusted to succeed Julie Brisebois with the general management of Alt Hotel Montreal. A graduate of Queen's University in Mechanical Engineering and with an innate sense for the client’s experience, Marie Pier joined the family business in 2006. During her journey, she has managed teams of architects, designers and engineers in charge of the construction and renovation of the Group's hotels, and until recently directed operations at Alt Hotel Montreal. At the same time, Marie Pier Germain also received her EMBA degree from McGill-HEC Montreal.
Gaudéric HARANG ESSEC IMHI 2013 has been appointed as Director of Operations Fairmont Le manoir Richelieu Quebec, Canada. Gaudéric joined Swissôtel Resort Phuket as Director of Operations upon graduation.
Matthew Mackenzie, general manager of the Algonquin Resort, today announced that Ron Kneabone has been appointed executive chef of the legendary, St. Andrews resort. Most recently, Kneabone was the executive chef/food and beverage director of the Marriott Fallsview in Niagara Falls.
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts continues to grow its Best Western Premier® brand presence in Canada, announcing the debut of the Best Western Premier Toronto Airport Carlingview Hotel. This is the first Best Western Premier hotel in Toronto and the fourth in Canada.
The 70-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Barrie, Ontario is now open for business. Located at 261 Essa Road, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Barrie will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by Dass Group. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Barrie offers guests convenient access to the Barrie waterfront, the Spirit Catcher, the Barrie Molson Centre, and the MacLaren Art Centre.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announces the opening of the new-build 125-room Holiday Inn Express® & Suites Oshawa Downtown hotel in Oshawa, Ontario. This hotel joins theHoliday Inn Express Whitby Oshawa and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clarington – Bowmanville properties open nearby. Located near major businesses including the General Motors assembly plant and Ontario Power Generation, as well as premier sports and entertainment venue General Motors Centre, this hotel is expected to become a top choice for business, sport and leisure travellers to the Oshawa area.