The Canadian hotel industry experienced mixed results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 14-20 April 2013, according to data from STR. In year-over-year comparisons, occupancy fell 2.0 percent to 62.3 percent, average daily rate was up 1.5 percent to CAD$128.06 and revenue per available room decreased 0.6 percent to CAD$79.75.
The Global Business Travel Association, the voice of the business travel industry, today announced that they will be seeking a new regional director for GBTA Canada. Ms. Tanya Racz, who has served in this capacity for 9 years, resigned her position and will finish her role at the end of April.
Langham Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Great Eagle Holdings Limited, is delighted to announce that the former Delta Chelsea - Canada's largest hotel, located in downtown Toronto - will be officially re-branded Eaton Chelsea , Toronto starting 1 July 2013. In its repositioning, the hotel will be the first of its kind in Canada and joins other Eaton Hotels located in Hong Kong, Shanghai and New Delhi.
Canada’s hotel development pipeline comprises 203 projects totaling 22,845 rooms, according to the March 2013 STR Pipeline Report. This represents a 15.4-percent increase in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared with March 2012.
The Canadian hotel industry experienced negative results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 24-30 March 2013, according to data from STR. In year-over-year comparisons, occupancy fell 9.7 percent to 54.9 percent, average daily rate was down 1.5 percent to CAD$121.95 and revenue per available room decreased 11.0 percent to CAD$66.89.
Damon Campbell has assumed the role of executive chef for Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. Canadian Campbell has returned home after four years in Asia; most recently as executive sous chef at Edsa Shangri-La, Manila in the Philippines, a leading luxury hotel with six international restaurants. He first joined Shangri-La in 2008, working at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur as chef de cuisine for the hotel’s award-winning signature restaurant, Lafite. During Chef Campbell's tenure, the restaurant won numerous "best fine dining in Kuala Lumpur" awards and he was nominated by Time Out magazine in 2009 for the 'Chef of the Year.' Before moving to Asia, Campbell spent seven years with Diva at The Met in Vancouver, British Columbia, a restaurant renowned for innovation. He also served as chef de partie at La Toque Blanche in West Vancouver (BC), an intimate dining room recognized by Gourmet magazine as one of the Top 20 Tables in North America. Campbell honed his skills at the world-renowned French Laundry in Napa Valley, California as chef de partie under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller.
Book4Time, Inc., the industry leader of cloud-based enterprise spa software has announced its successful completion of the ISAE 3402 type II audit, an international standard to make sure our clients' and their customer data and transactions are securely processed.
Ignite Business Event Expo (iBE) is back for 2013 with another fresh and absolutely unique trade show experience. The two-day Expo, for people who plan business events, takes place June 19-20 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, and promises to be experiential, informative and fun!
The message from leading travel industry executives is clear: business travel in Canada is in a full recovery mode. Demand for air travel and hotel stays amongst business travellers is up in 2013, and business and meeting planning is growing exponentially, according to senior travel executives from Best Western International, Concur, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in Canada and Vision 2000at the annual Business Travel Summit inTorontolast week.
The 2012 Canadian e-Tourism Awards for the travel and tourism industry will be presented at a special luncheon at Online Revealed Canada on April 4, hosted by Michele McKenzie, President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission. The awards recognize the evolution and marketing power of the digital space, including social media and traditional consumer websites.
For the Canadian lodging industry, supply growth, at 0.5% was at the lowest level on record in 2012, but developers were nevertheless highly active in pre-planning, which is resulting in pent up supply increases going into 2013. Developers have been active yet prudent in dealing with increasing costs and competition. This article examines the status of Canadian hotel development activity in 2012 going into 2013 from various angles, including regional distribution, current trends in the types of property under development, the current environment for construction costs and financing, and developer attitudes.
Fairmont’s residential and private residence club division, which includes the prestigious Fairmont Heritage Place brand, has named Jaidev “JD” Menezes, as director, residential development, EMEA. With a number of residential and mixed-use projects ongoing in the region and many more on the horizon, Menezes moves into this newly created position. Most recently he was the company’s senior manager of residential development. With his focus being Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Menezes will be based out of the company’s Dubai Regional Office.
Garrett Turta takes the helm as general manager, The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton. With more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Turta joins the hotel from his most recent position as general manager Fairmont St Andrews, Scotland. Over the course of his career Turta has worked at several different Fairmont locations including postings at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, The Fairmont Vancouver Airport, and The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), announced last February 22nd the appointment of Mr. Robert Mercure to the Canadian Tourism Commision (CTC) Board of Directors.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today announced, from its annual business conference, new developments in the Canadian market with the addition of three new hotels including, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center Calgary Airport East, Park Inn by Radisson Toronto-Markham and Park Inn by Radisson Calgary Airport. Carlson Rezidor's newest additions in Calgary and Ontario complement its existing Canadian portfolio of 32 hotels and 4,815 rooms in operation and under development.
Officials of New Castle Hotels and Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced that Matthew Mackenzie will return to the Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa in Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia, as general manager. Mackenzie managed the resort for the 2012 season. A career hotelier, Mackenzie was the general manager of the Atlantica Hotel & Marina Oak Island and has held positions at some of Canada’s most beloved resorts and hotels, including Sooke Harbour House and Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Digital Tourism Marketing conference Online Revealed Canada will be held April 2 – 4, 2013 at Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino in Windsor, Ontario. Register online by March 4th to save $100 with the Early Bird rate. The Conference includes registration and opening reception presented by Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island on April 2, conference program and exhibitors April 3-4, with the DMO Benchmarking Study, the 4th Annual Canadian e-Tourism Awards Luncheon, and the closing reception on April 4th.
As the world has shrunk and people become more adventurous with their travel, national tourism authorities face a challenge: how do I get the travel consumer to choose my destination over another. Today tourism agencies must work with a wide range of partners; from airlines to hotel chains, online travel agents, film producers and, of course, social media platforms too.
Canada is a vast and beautiful country but why go there when you could go to California or the Caribbean? Pamela Whitby hears how the country's national tourism commission has set about convincing travellers that Canada should be top of their list.
Hilton Worldwide and Bayview Hospitality Group (BHG) today announced that the landmark Metropolitan Hotel Toronto, which BHG recently acquired along with the hotel’s two restaurants, will become downtown Toronto’s first DoubleTree by Hilton. BHG will continue to operate the hotel when it converts to a DoubleTree by Hilton later this year.