Hotels & Resorts
OPUS OFFERS ULTIMATE CITY AND SNOW SKI-SCAPE
OPUS Vancouver is strapping on its boots for the upcoming ski season and offering a “Ski-Scape Package” that combines the very best of Vancouver’s city and snow scenes. Starting at $249 per night, the package features accommodation in a newly redesigned deluxe guestroom featuring a gas fireplace and heated bathroom floors.After arrival, Ski-Scape guests are delivered two hot buttered rums and a specialized energy amenity, customized to give either a pre- or post-ski energy boost. Ski storage is also available. “We’re only a short hop from Vancouver’s renowned mountains; making...
NUMBERS GOOD FOR PREFERRED HOTEL GROUP
Preferred Hotel Group reports a growing presence in Canada. From January to August, Preferred Hotel Group generated a 25% increase in room revenue and a 16% increase in room nights on behalf of its member hotels in Canada, and bookings to the Preferred Hotel Group portfolio from travel agents in Canada increased 19%, compared to the same eight-month time period in 2012. In addition, three new hotels have joined the portfolio within the past 12 months. The partnerships with new members and increased successes for existing partners resulted from a series of initiatives Preferred Hotel Group...
HAC HALL OF FAME DEADLINE APPROACHING
The Oct. 18 deadline for the Hotel Association of Canada’s (HAC) 2013 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence is fast approaching. The awards program recognizes those individuals, companies or properties that have demonstrated “significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment” to our industry in the following divisions: !!! The Humanitarian Award: Given for individuals/programs that demonstrate to residents that the individual property is responsive to the local community. !!! The Human Resources Award: Given for programs/individuals that develop a climate...
SANDALS LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO CHANNEL
In an ongoing effort to educate and support travel agents with tools and marketing assets to help grow their businesses, Sandals Resorts International, parent company of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, has launched videos.sandals.com, a new online video channel designed to engage viewers at home with all aspects of the brand’s signature “Luxury Included Vacation” experience. The videos will serve as a tool for agents to share an in-depth look at some of the brands most exciting and important initiatives with clients. “We know agents want to communicate with their clients in...
A NEW ELEMENT FOR STARWOOD
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide recently celebrated the grand opening of the Element Vaughan Southwest. The Toronto-area hotel represents the international debut of Element Hotels, Starwood\'s eco-wise brand, which has gained a growing and loyal following, and is redefining the extended-stay market. Built green from the ground up, Element Vaughan Southwest is a 152-room hotel in Vaughan, just outside Toronto. Its opening marks the beginning of a global expansion that will see the Element brand add to its global portfolio and enter key European and Asian markets over the next few years....
CHOICE REWARDS TOPS A MILLION
Choice Hotels Canada reports that it has welcomed the one millionth member in its Choice Privileges rewards program at the Quality Inn & Suites Bayer\'s Lake in Halifax, N.S. Tim Oldfield, managing director of Choice Hotels Canada, said, \"Member stays account for close to one-third of all hotel reservations in Canada and we\'re working with our franchisees to push this even higher. Hotels benefit from incremental revenue, increased guest satisfaction and much more.\" Worldwide Choice Privileges membership exceeds 18 million, allowing customers to earn and redeem points in 25 countries...
CELEBRATING NATIONAL HONEY MONTH
In celebration of September’s National Honey Month, the Waldorf Astoria New York and Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, on Maui, both members of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand, are showcasing each property’s resident beehives through the inaugural “Battle of the Bees” coupled with a honey-infused menu exchange. Hotel teams hope to use the event and exchange to draw awareness to the plight of the bee population while providing guests with distinctive menu options. Both hotels are home to a set of beehives and use the produced honey in a variety of ways throughout...
GIVE THEM CHOICE AND THEY WILL COME
The Expedia Traveler Preference (ETP) program reports that hotels in Canada using the program have seen an increase in their room only, year-over-year net room night production of 18% on average. ETP-enabled hotels offer travellers choice on how they would like to pay for their reservation, either at the time of the booking or at the time of stay. More than 30,000 hotels globally are now signed up to the program and more than 350 in Canada are already ETP-enabled. In its analysis, the Expedia group also found that for standalone room nights where customers were offered a choice of when to...