December 2017 Digital Issue

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Volume 29, Number 8 | December 2017 

Contents 

The 2017 Pinnacle Awards 

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT KARPA 

Features 

14 COMPANY OF THE YEAR 

SANDMAN HOTEL GROUP 

How a small, family run inn made its mark on the 

Canadian hotel landscape By Lindsay Forsey 

18 REGIONAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR 

DRAKE HOTEL PROPERTIES 

This Toronto-based company has community 

engagement at its heart By Rebecca Harris 

22 HOTELIER OF THE YEAR 

CHRISTOPHE LE CHATTON 

The GM of the Omni King Edward Hotel is a driving 

force in the industry By Danielle Schalk 

28 SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR 

FOODBUY CANADA 

A commitment to exelllence brings Foodbuy Canada 

to the forefront By Denise Deveau 

33 LOYAL FOLLOWERS 

How hotel-loyalty programs are evolving to meet the 

needs of experience-seeking guests By Chris Powell 

39 IN-ROOM RETREATS 

How hotels are designing 

bathrooms that wow 

By Sherene Chen-See 

43 GREAT ESCAPES 

Today’s top trends in spaand- 

wellness services 

By Sarah B. Hood 

46 MODERN ROOMANCE 

A look at the trends in hotel 

CRM systems By Andrea Victory 

Departments 

2 EDITOR’S PAGE 

5 CHECKING IN 

48 HOTELIER: James Tingley, 

Delta Prince Edward by 

Marriott, Charlottetown, P.E.I. 

ON THE COVER 

The Sandman Hotel team (L to R) Taj Kassam, 

president & COO; Tom Gaglardi, Chairman 

& CEO; and Bob Riesen, executive vicepresident 

hoteliermagazine.com 

DECEMBER 2017 HOTELIER 1

EDITOR’S PAGE 

THE REAL DEAL 

It’s time to turn the page on a new year. 

As technology continues to impact our 

personal and professional lives, time 

seems to march faster. And, here we are, 

once again shaking our heads and wondering 

how another year could have already 

passed. As we wind down 2017 and look 

ahead to the holidays, it’s time to salute the 

people and companies that have managed 

to stand out from the crowd — our 2017 

Pinnacle Award winners. 

In spotlighting this stellar group, it’s clear 

excellence is alive and well in the hotel 

industry. Amidst the challenges and the evolving landscape, excellence 

pushes us forward, forces us to move out of our comfort zone and gives rise 

to the possibility of greatness. Given that we live in precarious times, where 

the spectre of terrorism now looms over us daily, and where what’s happening 

politically south of the border continues to cause us to shake our heads 

in consternation, it’s refreshing to pause, forget about the craziness and 

shine the spotlight on those achieving greatness in the industry. 

This month’s profiles of our award-winning individuals and companies 

are testament to the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurialism and dedication, 

peppered, of course, with a good measure of hard work. 

Working on this particular issue is always gratifying for the Hotelier editorial 

department, as we delve into the reasons behind the success of our 

winners. Learning what propels these individuals and companies forward 

is enlightening. And, sharing with them the news that they are this year’s 

winners is always uplifting — with reactions ranging from surprise to 

elation to sometimes even tears. 

Yes, success comes with blood, sweat and tears but we should never lose 

sight of the fact that success would not be possible without the countless 

individuals working diligently behind the scenes. Talk to any of the 

winners and they’ll undoubtedly admit they could not have done it without 

the support of their teams. What is the hotel industry if not a collaboration? 

And what would this industry be without the collection of passionate 

people who call the industry home? 

On behalf of the entire Hotelier team, we congratulate the stars of 2017, 

and their entire teams, for work well done. And, as we near the end of 

Canada’s sesquicentennial year, we’d also like to congratulate all our Made 

in Canada photo contest winners (see p.10). By the time you read this issue, 

the 12 finalists will have been fêted for their noteworthy contributions at 

the Pinnacle Awards celebration. 

Finally, in the spirit of the season, and on behalf of the entire team at 

KML, we wish our readers and advertisers alike a vibrant holiday season 

filled with health, happiness and, as always, a touch of magic. 

ROSANNA CAIRA | 

AMY BOSTOCK | 

DANIELLE SCHALK | 

TOM VENETIS | 

DEREK RAE | 

COURTNEY JENKINS | 

JHANELLE PORTER | 

CHERYLL SAN JUAN | 

MARIA FAMA VIECILI | 

ELENA OSINA | 

WENDY GILCHRIST | 

DANIELA PRICOIU | 

DANNA SMITH | 

CIRCULATION | 

EDITOR & PUBLISHER 

rcaira@kostuchmedia.com 

MANAGING EDITOR 

abostock@kostuchmedia.com 

ASSISTANT EDITOR 

dschalk@kostuchmedia.com 

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR 

tvenetis@kostuchmedia.com 

MULTIMEDIA MANAGER 

drae@kostuchmedia.com 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

cjenkins@kostuchmedia.com 

SOCIAL MEDIA/EVENTS 

CO-ORDINATOR 

jporter@kostuchmedia.com 

ACCOUNT MANAGER 

csanjuan@kostuchmedia.com 


mviecili@kostuchmedia.com 


eosina@kostuchmedia.com 

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER 

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CONTROLLER 

dpricoiu@kostuchmedia.com 

ADMINSTRATIVE ASSISTANT 

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PUBLICATION PARTNERS 

kml@publicationpartners.com 

(905) 509-3511 

ADVISORY BOARD 

David McMillan, AXIS HOSPITALITY INTERNATIONAL; Bill 

Stone, CBRE HOTELS; David Larone, CBRE HOTELS; Anthony 

Cohen, CRESCENT HOTELS — GLOBAL EDGE INVESTMENTS; 

Charles Suddaby, CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD LTD. — HOSPITAL- 

ITY & GAMING GROUP; Christiane Germain, GROUPE GERMAIN 

HOSPITALITE; Michael Haywood, THE HAYWOOD GROUP; Ryan 

Murray, THE PILLAR + POST HOTEL; Geoffrey Allan, PROJECT 

CAPITAL MANAGEMENT HOTELS; Stephen Renard, RENARD 

INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY & SEARCH CONSULTANTS; Anne 

Larcade, SEQUEL HOTELS & RESORTS 

HOTELIER is published eight times a year by Kostuch 

Media Ltd., 23 Lesmill Rd., Suite 101, Toronto, Ont., M3B 3P6, 

(416) 447-0888, Fax (416) 447-5333. All rights reserved. 

Subscription rates: Canada: $25 per year, single issue $4, 

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Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement #40063470. 

Member of Canadian Circulations Audit Board, the American 

Business Media and Magazines Canada. We acknowledge the 

financial support of the Government of Canada through the 

Canadian Periodical Fund for our publishing activities. Printed in 

Canada on recycled stock. 

ROSANNA CAIRA 

Editor and Publisher 

rcaira@kostuchmedia.com 

FOLLOW US: 

For daily news and announcements: @hoteliermag on Twitter Hotelier magazine on Facebook and @hoteliermag on Instagram 

2 DECEMBER 2017 HOTELIER hoteliermagazine.com

CONGRATULATIONS 

to the 2017 Pinnacle Award winners! 

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Veritiv logo are trademarks of Veritiv Corporation or its affiliates. 

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Powerful digital motor 

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Hotels have changed since the 1960s, but the hotel hair dryer 

generally has not. Slow, unpleasant sounding and often without 

styling attachments, it’s been rated the worst hotel appliance. 1 

The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is powered by the Dyson 

digital motor V9 – acoustically tuned and engineered for fast 

drying. And with three magnetic attachments, guests can dry 

and style – quickly and easily. 

Rosewood Hotel, 

London 

See what Dyson technology can do for 

your business. For further information: 

Call: 1-877-397-6622 

or visit: www.dysoncanada.ca/forbusiness 

Lighting 

Hand hygiene Air quality Personal care 

1 

Based on Dyson online survey of 251 women in the US. 18 yrs+, 

must have stayed in a 4-5* hotel in the last 12 months.

Checking In 

THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS FOR HOTEL EXECUTIVES FROM CANADA 

AND AROUND THE WORLD 

COMMERCIAL BREAK 

Hotel Association of Canada report claims commercial operators are 

taking over Airbnb BY CHRIS POWELL 

Airbnb has abandoned its roots 

as a home-sharing platform, 

with commercial operators 

responsible for a growing share of its 

inventory and revenue, according to a 

recent study from the Hotel Association 

of Canada (HAC). 

The study found approximately 

one-third of all Canadian Airbnb units 

were rented out for more than 90 days 

during the 12-month period between 

April 2016 and March 2017, generating 

more than $395 million in revenue. 

The report, compiled by Torontobased 

real-estate firm CBRE using data 

from the U.S.-based market-analytics 

firm Airdna, also revealed that five 

per cent of Airbnb’s estimated 105,000 

units across the country — the equivalent 

of 5,250 units — were rented out 

for more than 180 days, generating 

$108 million in revenue. 

Multi-unit entire-home hosts 

are the fastest-growing segment for 

Airbnb in terms of number of hosts (a 

108-per-cent year-over-year increase) 

and the number of units (up 113 per 

cent) and revenue (up 134 per cent). 

“Airbnb would have people believe 

the majority of its revenue is coming 

from people who are sharing their 

homes,” says the HAC’s president, Susie 

Grynol. “That is occurring, but what 

we’ve seen with increasing frequency is 

the growth of commercial operations.” 

The report says revenues generated 

by so-called “super hosts” are most 

significant in Toronto, Vancouver and 

Montreal, where they are adversely 

impacting rental and housing markets. 

Grynol says commercial operators 

are essentially acting as hoteliers, 

while avoiding the regulations that 

govern the industry — from health 

and safety to taxation. Airbnb could 

contribute as much as $85 million 

in taxes and fees to the Canadian 

economy, the association claims. 

Airbnb Canada spokesperson 

Lindsey Scully says the homesharing 

service welcomes regulation 

and accuses the hotel industry of 

“engaging in attacks on everyday 

Canadians” who are sharing their 

homes. She says more than 80 per 

cent of Airbnb hosts share a primary 

residence about three to four nights 

per month as a “casual activity.” 

Scully says the market is able to 

support hotels and home sharing 

alike, particularly as the travel 

market grows. 

Earlier this year, Airbnb reached 

a deal with the Quebec government 

that will see the home-sharing service 

collect a 3.5 per cent lodging tax. The 

province also implemented a firstof-its-kind 

law in 2016 that requires 

people who rent out units for less 

than 31 consecutive days to obtain a 

permit and pay a hotel tax. 

However, a May report by the CBC 

revealed that Tourisme Québec had 

received applications from just 2,200 

of the province’s estimated 19,400 

Airbnb hosts. Both Toronto and 

Vancouver are also in the preliminary 

stages of instituting an “Airbnb tax.” 

HAC has launched a website, 

which invites visitors to contact their 

local MP to push for “tax fairness” 

for the hotel sector. “This isn’t about 

hotels being against competition,” 

says Grynol. “We welcome competition, 

but it has to be on a level 

playing field.” 

ON THE RISE 

Airbnb has grown rapidly since its 2008 

debut, with more than three million 

listings and 160 million guest arrivals 

in 191 countries. It’s also coming under 

increased scrutiny from municipalities 

around the world, with cities such 

as Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona 

introducing legislation aimed at curbing 

listings that violate their laws. 

The HAC says Airbnb units rose to 18 

per cent of Canada’s total accommodation 

supply in 2016, up from 10 per cent just one 

year earlier. Canada’s hotel-room inventory, 

meanwhile, has been growing at a 

compound annual growth rate of just under 

one per cent since 2009 and is projected to 

reach 458,000 rooms this year. 



COMING EVENTS 

Dec. 12-14: The 2017 International Aboriginal Tourism Conference, 

Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, Calgary, Alta. Tel: 604-639- 

4408; email: info@aboriginalcanada.ca; website: iatc-canada.ca 

Jan. 22-24: The American Lodging Investment Summit, JW Marriott 

& Microsoft Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif. Tel: 1-714-540-9300; 

email: marketing@burba.com; website: alisconference.com 

Feb. 7-8: Hotel Association of Canada’s National Conference, Delta 

Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport, Toronto. Tel: 416-924-2002 ext. 

229; email: yalilabarreda@bigpictureconferences.ca; website: 

hacconference.ca 

Feb. 20-22: Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador’s Annual 

Conference and Trade Show, Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland, St. 

John’s. Tel: 800-563-0700; email: hnl@hnl.ca; website: hnl.ca/ 

conference 

March 5-7: International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), Hotel Inter- 

Continental, Berlin. Website: berlinconference.com 

March 6-8: Sport Events Congress, Halifax Convention Centre, 

Halifax. Tel: 613-688-5843; email: info@canadiansporttourism.com; 

website: canadiansporttourism.com 

Karbon-NewAd.pdf FOR MORE 1 EVENTS,visit 11/13/2017 11:57:50 AM http://bit.ly/Hotelierevents 

DEVELOPING DESTINATION 

Club Med is set 

to open its first 

all-inclusive 

ski resort in 

Canada. The 

new resort is 

planned to open 

at Groupe Le 

Massif’s Le Massif de Charlevoix Hotel Complex in 

2020 and will include a 300-room hotel. The Le Massif 

Hotel Complex is set to receive $9,850,000 in financial 

assistance, in the form of a repayable contribution, for 

the construction and development of this Club Med 

resort. Not only will the resort be Club Med’s first 

Canadian property, but the brand’s first four-season 

mountain resort. The hotel will feature 4-Trident Club 

and Deluxe-level rooms with a 5-Trident luxury space, 

plus space to accommodate events and seminars. 

CORRECTION: In the 2017 Who’s Who Market Almanac printed in the 

Oct./Nov. issue of Hotelier magazine, incorrect contact information 

was printed for Cushman & Wakefield. The correct contacts are Curtis 

Gallagher (Curtis.Gallagher@ca.cushwake.com) and Charles Suddaby 

(charles.suddaby@ca.cushwake.com)

JOIN THE CLUB AND UNLOCK 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES 

By joining Key by KML, you will gain 

exclusive access to a series of media 

products designed to help run your 

restaurant and hotels businesses more 

effectively and profitably. As Canada’s 

leading hospitality publisher, we deliver 

relevant perspectives on important 

news affecting the hospitality industry 

— articles on trends, in-depth statistical 

analysis, and profiles of the movers 

and shakers in the restaurant and 

hotel worlds. 

But we also produce signature events 

and conferences that allow you to learn 

while networking with the industry’s influentials 

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Whether you are an independent restaurant 

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loop matter to you, we have a subscription 

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• Special coupons/offers from leading industry 

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REGISTER NOW www.foodserviceandhospitality.com/key

KICK 

STARTERS 

DESTINATION 

CERTIFICATION 

Siblings Suraj and 

Reetu Gupta have 

launched Rogue 

Insight Capital Ltd. to 

support start-ups across 

various industries/areas, 

including real estate, 

cleantech, autonomous 

vehicles, artificial 

intelligence, mining and metals, healthcare and biotechnology. 

Suraj and Reetu Gupta, who currently hold C-suite positions with 

The Gupta Group and Easton’s Group of Hotels, will be actively 

engaged as angel investors, delivering their extensive business 

expertise to the various companies in which they invest. “Our goal 

is to identify visionary entrepreneurs with game-changing ideas, 

provide them with the financial and business resources they need 

to grow, then change the world with some truly revolutionary 

products and services,” says Suraj Gupta, Rogue Insight Capital 

co-founder, president and CEO. The venture, which is backed by 

The Gupta Group, currently manages investments across three 

continents and is actively seeking new opportunities. 

Destinations International and 

Travel Alberta have announced a Memorandum of 

Understanding for the implementation of the Certified 

Destination Management Executive (CDME) program 

in Alberta beginning in 2018. “Supporting the professional 

development of Alberta’s destination organizations 

is key to strengthening the province’s competitive 

position,” says Shelley Grollmuss, VP Industry 

Development, Travel Alberta. “Travel Alberta’s partnership 

with Destinations International demonstrates 

our commitment, and at the same time, provides a 

cost-effective opportunity for Canadian and U.S. destination 

organizations outside Alberta to take part in the 

courses.” The CDME program is offered by Destinations 

International and is the tourism industry’s highest 

individual educational achievement. The certification 

program is part of Destinations International’s educational 

offerings that elevate destination organizations’ 

credibility and effectiveness. CDME has a focus on 

vision, leadership, productivity and the implementation 

of business strategies.

InBrief 

Brookfield Asset Management 

has purchased The Sheraton 

Centre Hotel in downtown 

Toronto for $335 million. The 

purchase is being called the largestever 

single-hotel transaction in 

Canada and also marks Torontobased 

Brookfield’s first push into 

the hospitality sector at home… 

Hilton has announced deals for 

three Tru by Hilton properties in 

Canada. The first Canadian Tru by 

Hilton property, set to launch in 

2018, will be the 92-room Tru by 

Hilton Edmonton-Windermere in 

Alberta…Best Western Hotels & 

Resorts was recognized as AAA/ 

CAA’s 2017 Lodging Partner of the 

Year, winning the award for the 

ninth time. Best Western was also 

named “Best in Marketing,” “Best 

in Member Support” and “Best in 

Travel-Agency Support,” winning 

in all three of these categories for 

the second year in a row…American 

Express and Hilton Honors 

have launched a co-branded creditcard 

portfolio, which features 

four new cards designed to give 

consumers and small businesses 

more choice, benefits and value… 

Best Western Hotels & Resorts 

has announced its eleventh brand 

— and newest soft brand — BW 

Signature Collection by Best 

Western. Best Western anticipates 

100 hotels to be part of the 

BW Signature Collection by 

Best Western pipeline by 2020… 

Marriott International, Inc. has 

launched MC — the Marriott 

Careers chatbot for Facebook 

Messenger. Powered by data-driven 

logic and specialized algorithms, 

MC is the hospitality industry’s first 

virtual assistant for job seekers… 

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts 

has launched Four Seasons Chat 

— a new digital service enabling 

guests to send and receive instant 

messages with property teams 

before, throughout and after their 

stay. The service will be available 

in 72 hotels and 19 residences by 

the end of 2017, with rollout across 

all Four Seasons properties planned 

for 2018…InterContinental Hotels 

Group (IHG) has opened the 

119-room Holiday Inn Express & 

Suites Gatineau – Ottawa hotel 

in Gatineau, Que. The property is 

the first modular-build structure in 

IHG’s Canadian portfolio…Hyatt 

Hotels Corporation has entered 

into a franchise agreement with 

the Spirit Ridge Owners Association. 

This month, Spirit Ridge at 

Nk’Mip Resort, in Osoyoos, B.C., 

will join The Unbound Collection 

by Hyatt portfolio…The 

Mount Royal Hotel in Banff, Alta. 

has announced plans to undergo 

a $45-million renovation process 

before reopening in summer 2018. 

The renovations will see the hotel 

gain a rooftop patio with outdoor 

hot tubs and fire pits…Hotel 

William Gray has opened its spa 

— Spa William Gray. The new spa 

offers a range of refined services, 10 

treatment rooms, a thermal circuit, 

relaxation spaces and innovative 

experiences. The 5,600-sq.-ft. space 

is located on the boutique hotel’s 

lower level…Hilton has unveiled its 

Innovation Gallery — an incubator 

and experiential showcase for 

cutting-edge product developments 

that will shape the future 

of Hilton hospitality. Located 

next to Hilton’s global headquarters 

at Hilton McLean Tysons 

Corner, the 4,300-sq.-ft. gallery 

is open to invited guests, including 

Hilton team members, hotel 

owners and technology partners… 

Due to a new licensing agreement 

between Wyndham Hotel Group 

and American Hotel Income 

Properties (AHIP), One Lodging 

Management Inc. — AHIP’s exclusive 

hotel manager — has become 

one of Wyndham Hotel Group’s 

three largest external hotel managers 

of franchised properties in the 

U.S. Under the new agreement, 

AHIP will rebrand 44 hotels in the 

company’s Rail Hotel portfolio under 

Wyndham’s Baymont Inn and Suites, 

Travelodge and Super 8 brands. 

People 

Marriott International, Inc. has 

appointed Rena Hozore Reiss as 

executive vice-president and general 

counsel, reporting to president and 

CEO Arne Sorenson and serving as 

a member of the company’s executive 

team…Stuart Joliffe is the new 

general manager of Toronto’s Westin 

Harbour Castle. Joliffe began his 

hospitality career with Delta hotels 

in 1991 as a director of Sales & 

Marketing. He has spent the last two 

years of his career with Delta as the 

general manager of the Delta Halifax. 

Supply Side 

Aramark has entered into definitive 

agreements to acquire Avendra and 

AmeriPride. The acquisitions will 

strengthen the company’s competitive 

position across its portfolio 

of food, facilities and uniforms 

businesses. Aramark will acquire 

Avendra for a purchase price of $1.35 

billion, while AmeriPride will be 

purchases for $1 billion. The transactions 

are expected to close by the end 

of calendar year 2017… Navitaire, a 

provider of reservation and retailing 

systems for low-cost airline carriers, 

is partnering with Swoop, a low-cost 

airline backed by WestJet. Navitaire 

offers a full suite of solutions focused 

on revenue generation and streamlining 

costs in the areas of reservations, 

ancillary sales, loyalty, revenue 

management, revenue accounting 

and business intelligence…Sustainable 

Solutions International (SSi) 

has introduced its new water-saving, 

single-flush high-efficiency toilet. 

The SSi No Clog Point 8 toilet 

uses brilliantly engineered simple 

technology that isn’t dependent upon 

complicated pressure or vacuum 

assisted mechanisms. It also features 

Easy-Clean bowl glaze, a heavy-duty 

soft-close seat and the ADA-compliant 

Easy Height bowl. 



MOVING 

the 

NEEDLE 

Women in Tourism and 

Hospitality Conference 

empowers women to move 

the needle on gender equality 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRINA TURL 

Keynote speaker Kirstine Stewart, 

Chief Strategy Officer at Diply GoViral 

THE INAUGURAL Women in Tourism and 

Hospitality (WITHorg) conference, the first 

of its kind in Canada, was held at the Park 

Hyatt Toronto in September. More than 160 

industry professionals gathered for the unique 

day-long conference and workshop hybrid 

created by Kostuch Media Ltd. and Sequel 

Hotels & Resorts. 

Bonnie Strome, GM Park 

Hyatt Toronto 

Ellen Dubois 

Du Bellay, 

EVP, People, 

Inside Out 

International 

Carolyn Clark, SVP AccorHotels 

Johanne Belanger, 

president & CEO 

of Tourism Toronto 

Lucie 

Guillemette, 

EVP/Chief 

Commercial 

Officer, Air 

Canada 

10 DECEMBER 2017 HOTELIER 

(from left) Anne Larcade, Christiane Germain, Carolyn Clark, Minaz 

Abji, Roz Winegrad, Stephanie Hardman and Rosanna Caira

Reetu Gupta, COO of 

Easton’s Group of Hotels 

and The Gupta Group, 

led a morning meditation 

Shelmina Abji, former VP at IBM and current 

advisory board member for Girl Up 

Air Canada’s 

Lucie Guillemette 

presented Kathleen 

Taylor (left) with the 

WITHorg Economic 

Empowerment Award 

Yvonne Heath, 

former nurse 

turned author 

and inspirational 

speaker 

(from left) Anne Larcade; Hani Roustom, 

GM, Hazelton Hotel (who won two 

tickets to anywhere Air Canada flies); and 

Rosanna Caira 

Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, SVP People and Culture, Air Canada 

Christiane 

Germain, 

co-president 

of Groupe 

Germain 

Hotels 

Heather Haynes, founder, 

Worlds Collide Africa 

Statia Elliot, 

director, 

School of 

Hospitality, Food 

and Tourism 

Management, 

University of 

Guelph 

(from left) Don Cleary, Ellen Dubois Du Bellay, Julia 

Christensen Hughes, Stephania Varelli and Kirstine Stewart 



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of the competition and keep your guests happy. In one place. 

Take your hotel further at 

telus.com/hospitality 

© 2017 TELUS

ANNOUNCING THE 

MADE IN 

PHOTO CONTEST 

WINNERS 

The Made-in-Canada photo contest has drawn to a close and we’re proud to present the winners, who 

took home Experience Canada grand prizes at this year’s Pinnacle Awards Gala held in Toronto. 

@mthiessen 

Athabasca Falls, Alta. 

@ashspires_ 

Jasper National Park, Alta. 

@beccadhall 

Moraine Lake, Alta. 

@carrgaas 

Floyd Hales Fish Huts 

@asept 

Siffleur Falls, Alta. 

@andrewchak 

Lake Louise, Alta. 

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR CONTEST SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT 

PLATINUM GOLD 

GOLD SILVER SILVER 

® 



(from left) Taj Kassam, president & COO; 

Tom Gaglardi, Chairman & CEO; and 

Bob Riesen, executive vice-president 


COMPANY OF THE YEAR 

COMPANY OF THE YEAR 

GRAND SUCCESS 

How a small, Canadian family-run inn became a thriving 

international hospitality company 

BY LINDSAY FORSEY 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT KARPA 

Every night, as children snuggle into their 

beds, parents around the world tell the tale of 

The Sandman, as they have for generations. 

(The origins of the story lead back to Greek 

mythology’s Morpheus, lord of dreams.) The 

modern fable suggests that, when you go to sleep, a mythical 

figure sprinkles magical dust into your eyes to bring you 

sweet dreams. Come morning, you rub the sleep from the 

corners of your eyes — evidence of The Sandman’s visit. 

If you’re not familiar with the legend, you can probably 

still hum the melody from The Chordettes’ pop hit “Mr. 

Sandman” circa 1954. And there’s a very good chance 

you’ve driven by an aptly named Sandman Hotel — maybe 

spotted at the side of the highway — a comfortable place 

to rest, relax and get a good night’s sleep. 

Sandman Hotel Group, which recorded estimated 

gross sales of $230.1 million in 2016, is celebrating its 

50th anniversary in the hospitality industry this year. 

The first location — a 35-room inn — was opened in 

Smithers, B.C., by Bob Gaglardi, in 1967. Over the next 

decade, the brand opened 15 new locations throughout 

the province, including a high-rise 300-room hotel in 

downtown Vancouver. The Sandman brand continued to 

expand during the following 30 years — opening locations 

in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and 

Quebec — with a total of 32 locations. The business is still 

growing today, even beyond Canadian borders — in 2012, 

Sandman hopped across the pond to open two locations in 

the U.K. 

“We’ve had steady growth throughout the history of the 

company and we’ll be very busy over the next two years, 

with about 3,000 rooms coming on board,” says Taj Kassam, 

president and COO of Sandman Hotel Group, which 

includes Sandman Hotels, Sandman Signature locations 

and The Sutton Place Hotels. Having been with the 

company for 37 years, Kassam has witnessed and nurtured 

the growth himself. There are currently 48 Sandman and 

Sandman Signature Hotels (46 in Canada and two in the 

U.K.), along with three locations under The Sutton Place 

Hotels brand, in Vancouver, Edmonton and Revelstoke, 

B.C., for a total of 51 properties and 8,585 rooms. 

“In 2017, we opened a 154-room Signature addition to 

our Calgary Airport Sandman, so we have two brands 

within one property. In 2018, we’re opening our first 

Newfoundland location, with 200 rooms in St. John’s, 

as well as new locations in Hamilton, Ont., Ottawa, 

Sherwood Park, Alta., and Aberdeen, Scotland — our 

third hotel in the U.K.,” Kassam says. The company also 



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WE’RE A PRIVATE 

CANADIAN, 

FAMILY-RUN 

COMPANY AND 

IT’S EXCITING THAT 

A LOT OF OUR 

FOCUS IS SHIFT- 

ING OUTSIDE OF 

CANADA, WE’RE 

RAMPING UP OUR 

CAPABILITIES IN 

THE U.S. AND U.K., 

WITH ABOUT A 

DOZEN HOTELS 

PLANNED FOR 

MARKETS OUTSIDE 

OF CANADA 

- TOM GAGLARDI 

recently purchased the Dallas Stars 

National Hockey League team and 

plans to open its first U.S. location in 

Plano, Texas in 2018. New properties 

reaching from Dartmouth, N.S., to 

Saskatoon are slotted for 2019. 

“We’re a private Canadian, familyrun 

company and it’s exciting that a 

lot of our focus is shifting outside of 

Canada,” says Tom Gaglardi, chairman 

and CEO. “We’re ramping up 

our capabilities in the U.S. and U.K., 

with about a dozen hotels planned for 

markets outside of Canada.” 

What drives this success? Sandman 

prides itself on the fact that it owns 

and operates every one of its locations 

— none are franchised or managed by 

a third party — and it intends to stay 

this way. Sandman’s parent company 

includes the hotel brands, as well as 

its own construction company (used 

to build all of its locations, of course), 

plus sports teams and its own wellrecognized 

foodservice brands, which 

operate within the hotels and as 

stand-alone restaurants. 

“In 1990, we had restaurants in 

the hotels, but we wanted to add 

strength to the business through a 

branded restaurant. We were lucky to 

get the franchise rights for Denny’s 

in Western Canada and, in 1998, 

we bought the Moxie’s Grill and Bar 

brand outright,” Kassam says. All of 

the company’s hotels include 

one of its branded restaurants. Over 

the years, Sandman has also introduced 

the Chop Steak House and Bar, 

Bar One and Shark Club Sports Bar 

and Grill. 

While the hotel industry competes 

with online travel agencies, Sandman 

has worked to introduce new opportunities 

for guests to receive better rates 

by booking directly. In January 2017, 

it launched its Members-Only-Rates 

program, where guests sign up with 

the guarantee to always receive lower 

rates than what the online agencies 

are offering and what non-members 

see on the website. The program has 

been a huge win for Sandman, with 

25 per cent of all room nights sold 

coming from Members-Only rates. 

The company also recently hired 

developers to build a custom, in-house 

booking engine, giving them the 

capability to drive direct bookings. 

“Our booking engine provides a means 

for us to market towards our guests 

and grow direct business. Along with 

that direct business, the data collected 

is owned by Sandman and is fully 

scalable as we grow. It’s something we 

had the foresight to do and we know 

we’re going to need it. It’s unique in 

the industry and something we’re 

very proud of,” says Kayla Hepworth, 

Communications manager for 

Sandman Hotel Group and The 

Sutton Place Hotels. The company 

uses the data to finesse marketing and 

advertising campaigns to best fit its 

ideal guest. The approach has proven 

to be both successful and profitable. 

Another unique achievement for 

Sandman was its decision to integrate 

Bitcoin payment in July 2014. It was 

the first Canadian hospitality company 

to begin accepting the alternative, 

worldwide cryptocurrency and 

digital-payment system — the first 

decentralized digital currency. “All a 

hoteliermagazine.com

guest needs to do is go to the website 

and book a room. They click the 

option for Bitcoin payment and then 

receive an e-voice. Once they accept 

it and make the Bitcoin transfer, the 

reservation is confirmed. We noticed 

its popularity growing in the tech 

world, especially when Vancouver 

hosts TED Talks, and we knew it was 

something we should do,” Hepworth 

says. Since then, a number of other 

hotels have followed suit. 

Sandman is also building a six-storey 

wood-frame hotel — the first of its 

kind in Ontario — making the most 

of a revised building code. “The 

six-storey wood-frame hotel is a very 

positive move for building generally 

and something that many provinces 

have embraced, because it creates 

additional density in a more affordable 

way in urban settings,” Gaglardi says. 

“It means more rooms on a smaller 

footprint and that’s a good thing. In 

Toronto and Vancouver especially, 

affordability is a huge issue. The best 

way to solve that is to improve density.” 

While revenue and growth are 

priorities for Sandman, the company 

is also focused on creating great places 

to work for its employees. Its official 

Open Door Policy gives every team 

member the opportunity to connect 

with regional directors, VPs and even 

the president on a daily basis. There’s 

also an anonymous hotline employees 

can call to discuss any issues if 

they don’t feel comfortable talking 

to a supervisor. For many consecutive 

years, every one of its hotels in 

Alberta has been presented with the 

Employer of Choice award by the 

Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association. 

Sandman is committed to taking 

care of its staff, as well as the communities 

in which the business operates. 

“We do business in the community and 

we want to invest back into it. It’s that 

simple,” Kassam says. 

The company proudly sponsors the 

Western Hockey League, Canadian 

Sports Institute, Arts Club Theatre 

Company, Canadian Avalanche 

Centre, the BC Minor Midget League 

and many others groups and organizations 

— including a significant 

partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes 

Research Foundation (JDRF). 

“Five years ago, our son was 

diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes at age 

six. I’ve been close to the foundation, 

as we’ve been learning how to manage 

the disease and supporting efforts 

to eradicate diabetes,” says Gaglardi, 

who presented a generous $3-million 

donation to JDRF in April 2017. The 

funds will support research for a cure, 

focusing in the areas of encapsulation 

therapy and beta-cell replacement and 

regeneration. “My family felt it was 

something we should step up and do. 

The money is going toward promising 

research to find a cure,” he says. 

Sandman Hotel Group has grown 

from a small, family-run inn to become 

an innovative, generous, rapidly growing 

hospitality business — an undeniable 

Canadian success story. ◆ 

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Jeff Stober, founder and owner and 

Bill Simpson, general manager

REGIONAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR 

CULTURE 

SEEKERS 

Drake Hotel Properties has community engagement at its heart 

BY REBECCA HARRIS 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARGARET MULLIGAN 

A 

mix of bold thinking, a mission to be a 

community hub and a reputation as one 

of Canada’s coolest hospitality brands has 

contributed to another strong year for Drake 

Hotel Properties. The company’s portfolio, 

which includes downtown Toronto’s The Drake Hotel and 

the Drake Devonshire in Wellington, Ont., also boasts 

three Drake General Store locations in Toronto, three 

boutiques inside Hudson’s Bay locations in Ottawa and 

Toronto and Drake One Fifty — a 180-seat restaurant and 

bar in the city’s financial district. 

From the beginning, Drake Hotel Properties’ approach to 

the hospitality business has been unique, visionary and, on 

the surface, a little out there. In 2001, Jeff Stober, founder and 

owner of Drake Hotel Properties, bought the derelict Drake 

Hotel on a rundown stretch of Toronto’s Queen Street West. 

After three years and $6 million in renovations, the historic 

building was transformed into an eclectic 19-room boutique 

hotel, complete with a rooftop patio, lounge, music venue 

and café. 

More than a place for travellers to just eat and sleep, The 

Drake Hotel sought to be an arts-and-cultural hub, appealing 

to travellers and locals alike. “On some level, it’s a bit 

of an oxymoron, where a hotel is so committed to the local 

community, when historically hotels have always outreached 

to the international traveller,” says Stober. “But our feeling 

has always been that when you travel, you want to immerse 

yourself in an interesting, culturally enriched local environment 

that immediately gives you a sense and feel for what’s 

going on in that city.” 

And, while hot spots come and go, The Drake Hotel has 

managed to keep its cool for more than 13 years with ongoing 

cultural events, artist showcases, live music, comedy shows, 

educational workshops, culinary events and more. 

The company’s motto, “there’s a curious culture seeker in 

everyone,” helps explain why the company succeeds far beyond 

its artsy Queen Street digs. “We proffer ourselves as a cultural 

community centre and we’ve become an engaging neighbourhood 

hub everywhere we go,” says Bill Simpson, director of 

Operations at Drake Hotel Properties and former general 

manager of The Drake Hotel. “[In each neighbourhood], we’re 

able to add to the social fabric, the cultural fabric and the 

community engagement that we live and breathe every day.” 

Like The Drake Hotel, the 13-room Drake Devonshire 

in Wellington, Ont. offers a range of cultural programming, 

including artist talks and author visits, as well as hosting indiemusic 

acts. 

When it comes to the guest experience, Simpson says that 

at both hotel properties, “the cultural thrill-seeking experience 

is as important to us as the genuine hospitality and memorable 

guest experiences that we try to create.” 

Between the two hotels, Drake Hotel Properties currently 

runs occupancies of more than 80 per cent and an Average 

Daily Rate of between $265 and $390, depending on season- 



ality and citywide/regional events. 

Aside from steady sales growth, 

it was a big year for Drake Hotel 

Properties in terms of development 

projects. This past June, the hospitality 

company opened the 8,000-sq.- 

ft. Drake Commissary in Toronto. 

Positioned as a “bakery, bar and 

larder,” Drake Commissary features 

a 5,000-sq.-ft. production kitchen, 

as well as a 140-seat restaurant and 

40-seat patio. The kitchen supplies 

baked goods, condiments, charcuterie 

and other prepared food to all Drake 

locations, while serving made-fromscratch 

dishes customers can take 

away or enjoy onsite. The facility — 

the company’s biggest launch since 

opening Drake Devonshire three years 

ago — is also home base for Drake 

Catering, which launched in February. 

Just as The Drake Hotel kick-started 

the transformation of Queen Street 

West, Drake Commissary is poised 

to help transform Junction Triangle, 

which is the future home of the 

Museum of Contemporary Art and 

a number of condo developments. 

“We really seek out these emerging 

areas and we seem to have a knack, 

as a hotel and food-and-beverage 

powerhouse, to go into these neighbourhoods 

and really have impact,” 

says Simpson. “We like to position 

ourselves as an impact hospitality 

company, a bit of a game changer and 

a thought leader.” 

The company is also putting the 

final plans in place to commence 

construction on the Annex — an 

expansion of the original Drake Hotel. 

“That’s a pretty ambitious year,” says 

Stober. “We’re very proud of what 

we’ve created in general and certainly 

what we’ve accomplished this year.” 

Stober adds that when the company 

opens a hotel, a restaurant or a general 

store, “we’re expecting to be there 

10 to 15 years from now, carrying on 

with the same approach, the same 

core brand offerings, the same name. 

And so, we work backwards from a 

long-term perspective, knowing that 

as soon as we consider a location, it’s 

about community engagement from 

that moment moving forward.” 

While Drake Hotel Properties is 

committed to community engagement, 

it’s equally focused on engaging its 

more than 500 staff members at head 

office and across its properties. “We 

are extraordinarily committed to our 

employees and giving them the tools 

to do their jobs most effectively,” says 

Stober. “It’s the employees, ultimately, 

who touch all of our many stakeholders, 

so we present an environment that 

is filled with respect, trust, love and 

goodness on so many levels — alongside 

all the fun things of creativity 

and culture.” 

To keep staff engaged, the company 

holds the Drake Professional Development 

Series — six to 10 sessions 

throughout the year where hospitality 

staff can learn from the culinary 

team, be it wine or food knowledge or 

cocktail presentations. The company 

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also has an internship program and 

a tuition-reimbursement program for 

professional-development courses, such 

as accounting or wine education. 

And, while Drake Hotel Properties 

is closely tied to the arts-and-culture 

community, the company also has a 

number of charitable endeavors. This 

past February, corporate executive chef 

Ted Corrado organized The Drake 

Barn Burner, a hockey match between 

top chefs from Montreal and Toronto 

held at Essroc Arena in Wellington. 

More than 350 people attended the 

game and dinner at Drake Devonshire 

afterwards, which raised approximately 

$10,000 for Community Food Centres 

Canada, an organization that supports 

access to good food for all Canadians. 

The organization also raises funds 

for The Stop Community Food Centre 

and is involved with Sketch — an 

organization that offers visual arts, 

music and culinary-arts programs to 

young people living homeless or on 

the margins. “We try to find charitable 

organizations that play in our arena, 

aligning ourselves with food, arts, 

culture and music,” says Simpson. 

The next chapter for Drake Hotel 

Properties is the expansion of The 

Drake Hotel in three neighbouring 

buildings the company purchased in 

2006. Simpson says the project started 

in earnest about four years ago, and the 

company has since been working with 

world-class architects and designers, as 

well as with the City of Toronto. “We 

had the Drake General Store housed 

in one of the buildings and we’ve done 

a couple of pop-up restaurants, but 

we wanted to build out a substantially 

larger hotel footprint,” says Simpson. “It 

will allow us to expand on our corporate 

and business very readily.” 

The renovation, which is expected 

to commence later this year, will 

add 32 guestrooms to The Drake 

Hotel’s footprint. Longtime Drake 

collaborator John Tong, of design firm 

Tongtong, is overseeing the interior 

design of the hotel rooms and public 

spaces, in collaboration with Anwar 

Mekhayech of The Design Agency, 

while Don Schmitt of Diamond 

Schmitt Architects will head up the 

architectural team. “We want it to be 

compatible with the original hotel, so 

it’s a modern interpretation using the 

heritage aspects of [the buildings],” 

says Simpson. 

Over the next two to three years, 

Drake Hotel Properties is looking to 

expand its hotel footprint outside of 

Toronto. “We do have brand recognition 

that exceeds our footprint here 

in Toronto so we want to expand 

on that,” says Simpson. “It could be 

anywhere in Canada. We’ve looked 

at Ottawa, we’ve looked on the East 

Coast and we’ve looked to the West.” 

But, in line with the brand’s DNA, “it 

has to be a community where there is a 

high level of community engagement,” 

says Simpson. 

Wherever that may be, it’s clear that 

if Drake Hotel Properties builds it, 

people will come. ◆ 

Drake Commisary, Toronto 

Photography by Kayla Rocca 

Congratulations to DRAKE HOTEL PROPERTIES 

2017 Pinnacle Award - Regional Company of the Year 

YOUR HOSPITALITY 

BUILDING PARTNER 

416.755.2505 x22 

bltconstruction.com 

Toronto - Vancouver

Christophe Le Chatton, 

GM, The Omni King Edward Hotel

HOTELIER OF THE YEAR 

POLISHING 

THE CROWN 

Christophe Le Chatton is a transformative force 

at The Omni King Edward Hotel 

BY DANIELLE SCHALK 


Christophe Le Chatton believes in taking the 

things you are passionate about to the highest 

level possible, which is precisely how the GM 

of Toronto’s The Omni King Edward Hotel 

approached the various projects he has undertaken 

at the historic property. Since joining the hotel in 

2014, he has spearheaded the revitalization of the luxury 

property through renovations, which have cumulatively 

cost approximately $47 million. 

Originally opened in 1903 as Toronto’s first luxury hotel, 

the King Edward was once the destination for visiting celebrities 

and dignitaries, as well as society events. But, as time 

marched on, the grande dame lost some of its lustre. With 

one eye on the past, Le Chatton threw himself into the 

project, with the goal to “reposition and redefine the hotel in 

its modern days as it was intended when it was first built.” 

These renovations have comprised all guestrooms and 

meeting spaces, public spaces, exterior work and, finally, 

the reopening of the Crystal Ballroom this year. Even more 

impressive, the hotel remained open through the entire 

process. “As a matter of fact, our customer service [scores] 

never dropped during this time,” Le Chatton adds. 

“I think it’s a privilege to have the entire hotel redone, 

brought back to life, because the design flows from top 

to bottom,” says Le Chatton. “What has made this 

transition so spectacular was the fact that it was impactful 

immediately. People that have come in the past and people 

who have come for the first time feel that they are in a very 

modern hotel — in the sense of the services that it [offers] 

— but a neo-classic hotel with a lot of history.” 

In many ways, the reopening of the historic Crystal 

Ballroom in April, following its 40-year closure, was like 

replacing the jewel in the crown that is the King Edward. 

“The room itself is a hit. The hardest part is to bring 

people to see it — especially people who have never seen 

it or heard of it,” Le Chatton explains. “Once people are 

brought through the door, selling it is easy. You should see 

the expression on people’s faces — it’s just tremendous.” 

Originally debuting in 1922, the Crystal Ballroom hosted 

many of Toronto’s most prestigious functions through 

the 1970s. Similar to the hotel’s renovations, the Crystal 

Ballroom’s restoration has been heavily influenced by its 

original interior — the venue’s ornate mouldings, eightmetre-high 

coffered ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows 

offering panoramic views of the lake and the city, remain 

central features in the Crystal Ballroom. New, modern 



chandeliers and wall sconces embellished 

with ornate crystal elements 

ensure that the space lives up to its 

name. The ballroom’s pre-function 

space was also revamped, now featuring 

mosaic tile and a new permanent 

bar with ’20s inspired details. 

No stranger to the hotel-renovation 

process, Le Chatton notes that 

almost every major hotel he has 

worked at has undergone some form 

of renovation during his tenure, 

including Cambridge, Ont.’s Langdon 

Hall and Fairmont Scottsdale 

Princess. The French-born hotelier’s 

resumé boasts positions with many of 

the world’s top luxury brands, including 

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Four 

Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Waldorf- 

Astoria and Relais & Chateaux. 

Having begun his hospitality 

career in F&B, he is also an accomplished 

sommelier and was named 

the best sommelier in Ontario and, 

subsequently, the third-best sommelier 

in Canada and first runner up for 

best sommelier USA (during the ’90s). 

Beyond improving aesthetics, the 

French expat has also led the King 

Edward’s team to achieve greater 

levels of performance. In 2016, the 

hotel achieved the highest TripAdvisor 

ranking it’s ever received — 

eighth out of 136 hotels in Toronto. 

The hotel was also propelled to new 

heights within Omni Hotels and 

Resorts’ guest experience and satisfaction 

rankings. The King Edward 

currently ranks third out of the 

company’s 60 properties. 

This upward trend is also reflected 

in the property’s financial results. In 

fact, Le Chatton was named General 

Manager of the Year-RevPAR 

Acheivement Category by Omni in 

2016 — becoming the first GM to 

to win this award during their first 

full year with the company. RevPAR 

growth has continued its upward 

trajectory into 2017. As of May, 

RevPAR had increased by 

14.2 per cent, year-do-date — 

outpacing RevPAR growth among 

upper-upscale hotels in Toronto. 

Anna Salvati, director of HR 

at The Omni King Edward Hotel, 

credits much of this success and 

performance growth to Le Chatton’s 

focus on team building and leadership 

acumen. “Christophe’s leadership 

has created a team-oriented 

environment built on trust and 

respect. Regular meetings, open 

dialogue and actionable outcomes are 

examples of how Christophe keeps 

his team working together cohesively 

and productively. His strong and 

effective communication skills ensure 

that everyone in the organization 

understands their role and strives for 

the highest standards.” 

“You can’t do anything by yourself. 

And, if you’re going to do it with your 

team, you [need to] make sure your 

team is fully engaged with you and 

your vision and passion,” the GM 

explains. “I like to teach, to connect 

with my leadership team and to 

CONGRATULATIONS! 

Kruger Products congratulates all those who have received 

recognition at the Hotelier 2017 Pinnacle Awards 

© 2017, ® Registered and Trademark of Kruger Products L.P.

IT TAKES A LIFETIME TO 

CHAMPION 

A 

LEGACY. 

Congratulations Christophe Le Chatton, General 

Manager of The Omni King Edward Hotel, on the 

honour of receiving the Hotelier of the Year 

Pinnacle Award. We are proud of your legacy! 

OmniHotels.com/Toronto

share my passion with them because 

I believe that to be a successful 

hotelier, it’s not just about numbers; 

you have to be passionate about 

service and have an eye for detail.” 

Despite an international career 

that has spanned three continents, 

Canada —and Toronto in particular 

— has become home to the GM, 

who met his wife Lisa while working 

at the Windsor Arms Hotel. 

Le Chatton has pushed his sphere 

of influence beyond the four walls of 

the hotel through initiatives that give 

back to his adopted home and the 

community that supports the King 

Edward. He is credited with leading 

the charge in the hotel’s partnership 

with the CHUM CP24 Children’s 

Wish fundraiser through the launch 

of a toy drive and annual treelighting 

ceremony at the hotel. He 

also ensures the property’s participation 

in charity events such as “Eat to 

the Beat” and the Canaccord Great 

Camp Adventure Walk. 

HOTELIER AD NOV 2017.pdf 1 11/14/2017 9:25:31 AM 

AS A GENERAL 

MANAGER, 

YOU ARE 

PROJECTING 

YOURSELF INTO 

THE FUTURE. I 

ALWAYS SAY IF I 

SHARED WHAT I 

WANTED TO DO 

SIX MONTHS OR 

A YEAR PRIOR, 

PEOPLE WOULD 

THINK I WAS 

CRAZY 

- CHRISTOPHE LE CHATTON 

He’s also forged partnerships with 

local farmers and producers by featuring 

and promoting their products on 

the hotel’s Sunday-brunch menu. 

“There is not one aspect of the 

hotel that is not important to Christophe,” 

says Salvati. “He sees its 

potential and is relentless in ensuring 

that it is achieved.” 

And, he isn’t finished yet. Le 

Chatton continues to be driven by 

the goal of repositioning the hotel 

to reach its full potential as it was 

intended when it first opened in 

1903. To this end, he has turned 

his attention to developing a new 

concept that will see Victoria’s 

Restaurant reopen for dinner service, 

though he is not ready to share his 

plans just yet. 

“As a GM, you’re projecting 

yourself into the future,” he explains. 

“I always say if I shared what I 

wanted to do six months or a 

year prior, people would think I 

was crazy.” ◆ 

Congratulations on receiving the prestigious Pinnacle Awards! 

Hotelier of the Year 

Regional Company of the Year 

Supplier of the Year 

Macgregors Meat & Seafood Ltd., is proud of our partnership 

and thank you for your continued support. 

www.macgregors.com

Maple Leaf Foods, would 

like to congratulate 

Foodbuy Canada on 

winning this year’s 

Pinnacle Award for 

Supplier or the Year 

Congratulations! 

COMING IN 

JAN./FEB. 2018 

THE FRANCHISE 

REPORT 

• THE DISRUPTORS 

• SOFT BRANDS 

• SAFETY & SECURITY 

ROUNDTABLE 

• DRIVING LOCAL EXPERIENCES 

MapleLeaF_QV.indd 1 

2017-11-16 9:21 Coming AM Next Month_QV.indd 1 

2017-11-16 1:09 PM 

HOTELIER MAGAZINE 

CONGRATULATES 

THIS YEAR’S PINNACLE 

AWARD WINNERS

Chris Delaney, senior director of Sales and 

Jennifer Trafford, VP, Member Development

SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR 

COMMITTED 

TO INNOVATION 

Foodbuy Canada champions sustainable supply-chain practices 

BY DENISE DEVEAU 


Foodbuy Canada, the procurement department 

for Compass Group Canada, may be the most 

recent recipient of the Hotelier Supplier of the 

Year Award, but the company has a long-standing 

reputation in the foodservice and supportprocurement 

services industry. This year, Foodbuy Canada 

is celebrating its 10th year of doing business in Canada. 

The company has grown exponentially during that 

time, experiencing consistent year-over-year doubledigit 

growth, including a 40-per-cent-plus increase 

in 2016 alone. Today, Foodbuy Canada is procurement 

partner to more than 5,000 hospitality operators 

(including 1,000 hotels); and contracts upwards 

of 30,000 products with more than 500 suppliers and 

service providers. 

Its range of services include sourcing, category development, 

distribution management and analytics. In 

2016, Foodbuy Canada managed more than $1 billion in 

member volume — a number that continues to grow each 

year, according to Jon Visser, national Business Development 

manager for Foodbuy Canada. 

Its reach within the industry is significant — Foodbuy 

Canada’s partners include 50 per cent of the top-10 

hotel-management companies, 45 per cent of the top-20 

Canadian development/ownership firms and 70 per cent of 

the top-10 hotel brands in Canada. 

The company also boasts extensive relationships with 

industry associations, including the Alberta Hotel & 

Lodging Association, the B.C. Hotel Association and the 

Jubilee Hotel Association of Canada. 

Recognized as a Top-50 Employer in Canada, Foodbuy 

Canada is also firmly committed to supporting the 

communities it services. In 2016, the company donated 

more than $350,000 to charitable projects, which include 

Food Banks Canada, We Care, Kids in Camp, 

Community Gardens and Junior Achievement Program, 

as well as client donations. 

Foodbuy Canada’s continued success lies in its commitment 

to bringing innovation and best practices to lower 

operating costs for hotel partners, says Christopher 

Delaney, senior director, Sales, Foodbuy Canada. A 

cornerstone of that commitment is the company’s openbook 

vision of supply-chain management that ensures 

quality standards are maintained from farm to fork. “We 

make it a priority to present our clients with detailed and 

completely transparent reporting so they can make more 

informed decisions.” 

Its procurement model has been so successful, it’s now 



WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT 

TO GAIN AND RETAIN THAT BUSINESS. 

THE REALITY IS, WE’VE PUT TOGETHER 

A PACKAGE OF GREAT PEOPLE AND 

SYSTEMS TO DELIVER GREAT RESULTS 

TO OUR PARTNERS - CHRISTOPHER DELANEY 

being adopted by Compass Group 

Canada as a best practice for its 

global operations. The model’s 

success is also reflected in the fact 

the company maintains an impressive 

98-per-cent retention rate. “We must 

be doing something right to gain and 

retain that business,” Delaney says. 

“The reality is, we’ve put together a 

package of great people and systems 

to deliver great results to 

our partners.” 

While Foodbuy Canada services 

several sectors, Delaney says hotels 

represent the largest — and the 

most economical — opportunity. “In 

today’s slower economy, a sustainable 

procurement program is essential in 

helping drive room rates. Everyone 

benefits if we can help operators 

keep food costs down and optimize 

procurement processes.” 

One of many key competitive 

advantages for Foodbuy Canada 

is that it works with groups of all 

shapes and sizes — from independent 

properties to major chains 

— to provide economic value and 

sustainable procurement practices. 

There are no minimum-purchase 

requirements and customers can exit 

a contract (typically anywhere from 

a one to three-year term) on threedays’ 

notice. 

Visser says this flexibility is a 

testament to the company’s commitment 

to its customers and the 

quality of its services. “As far as 

we’re concerned, the proof is in 

the pudding. We’re confident in 

anything we do, which is why we 

have such a strong retention rate.” 

Another component resonating 

strongly with customers is Foodbuy 

Canada’s rebate program, specifically 

designed to generate additional 

Congratulations 

to 

2017 Pinnacle Award Winner for 

Supplier of the Year 

Parmalat is proud to partner with Foodbuy, one of Canada’s top employers and a 

leader in sustainable and innovative advancements. 

C M Y K 

Parmalat-foodservice.ca 

Trademarks owned or used under license by Parmalat Canada, Toronto, ON, M9C 5J1

eturns for customers. “The more 

they spend, the more we issue in 

rebates, so we not only keep their 

costs down, we increase their 

revenues,” Delaney explains. 

Behind the scenes, Foodbuy 

Canada has been a champion of 

sustainable supply-chain practices 

throughout its supplier network. “We 

work closely with suppliers to understand 

their processes and how they 

fit with ours,” says Jennifer Trafford, 

VP of Foodbuy. “We’re very open in 

terms of what we expect from them.” 

Team members continuously work 

with suppliers and organizations on a 

range of initiatives to address supplychain 

sustainability based on four 

objectives: full traceability of products 

and suppliers, support for local sourcing, 

reducing the impact on the 

environment and supporting Fairtrade 

farmers and their communities. 

Foodbuy Canada also promotes the 

ethical treatment of animals through 

partnerships with organizations such 

as the Farm Animal Welfare Council 

(FAWC) and Mercy for Animals. For 

example, Foodbuy’s parent company 

and Mercy for Animals announced 

a partnership that will transform 

the welfare of broiler chickens 

within Foodbuy Canada’s Canadian 

supply chain by 2024 — a first in 

the country. Also, all suppliers must 

adhere to the Five Freedoms concept 

proposed by the FAWC that uphold 

the ethical treatment of animals. 

Egg products must meet the 

appropriate standards of health and 

safety, traceability, shelf life and 

animal welfare. Foodbuy Canada has 

also set a goal to convert 100 per cent 

of its shell- and liquid-egg purchases 

to cage-free by 2025. “These are 

minimum standards, which we expect 

from our suppliers across all markets,” 

Delaney says. 

It has also established a sustainable 

seafood supply-chain initiative 

in partnership with the Monterey 

Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch 

Program. In 2007, it partnered with 

local farmers as part of its “buy-local” 

initiative. Other policies range from 

eliminating the use of antibiotics 

and growth hormones in pork and 

poultry, to reducing the environmental 

impact of coffee production, in 

addition to aggressive recycling and 

WE WORK 

CLOSELY WITH 

SUPPLIERS TO 

UNDERSTAND 

THEIR PROCESSES 

AND HOW THEY 

FIT WITH OURS 

- JENNIFER TRAFFORD 


on your Pinnacle Awards 

FROM YOUR PARTNERS AT

IT ALL COMES 

DOWN TO DATA 

ANALYTICS 

WITH 

TRANSPARENCY. 

OUR CLIENTS 

MAKE BETTER 

STRATEGIC- 

PURCHASING 

DECISIONS 

BECAUSE THEY 

SEE TANGIBLE 

SAVINGS 

- JON VISSER 

package-reduction programs. 

An increasing focus for Foodbuy 

Canada is technology innovation. 

Its MyOrders online-ordering system 

for example, provides a single point 

of contact for partners to streamline 

purchases and optimize savings and 

rebate revenues. “This system is the 

most comprehensive of its kind in 

Canada,” Delaney claims. 

Advanced reporting tools allow 

members to view their orders down 

to individual SKUs, among other 

benefits. “Each customer knows 

what they have bought and spent 

by unit,” Delaney says. “If they have 

30 hotels, we can break that out by 

each location to see which user is 

driving which rebate revenues.” 

Over the years, Foodbuy Canada 

has also accumulated a significant 

amount of data across the entire 

supply chain, which it plans to put 

to good use for its partners, he adds. 

“We’re now starting to drive into 

more systematic metrics to develop 

better data analytics. This will 

further members’ ability to control 

costs and predict price increases.” 

As Visser notes, “It all comes 

down to data analytics with transparency. 

Our clients make better 

strategic-purchasing decisions 

because they see tangible savings.” 

Foodbuy Canada has recently 

piloted a new proprietary web-based 

tool called Webtrition that will 

assist clients in areas such as menu 

management and nutrition, cost 

analysis and custom reporting. 

Flexibility, technology innovation 

and the company’s rebate program 

were key factors behind Torontobased 

Sunray Group’s decision to 

switch to Foodbuy Canada for its 

food-and-beverage procurement 

needs, says Sandeep Gupta, vicepresident 

of Sunray Group. “Like any 

operator, we were sitting with representatives 

and negotiating pricing 

based on the assets we have. We were 

growing so much however, we found 

we were spending a bit too much.” 

While Sunray is relatively new to 

the Foodbuy Canada fold, Atlific 

Hotels has the distinction of being 

one of the first to sign up with the 

company 10 years ago. “Our business 

has grown; their business has 

grown,” says Robert T. Hood, corporate 

Food and Beverage manager for 

Atlific. “But what has not changed 

is their attitude,” adding there is a 

very tight bond between Foodbuy 

Canada and Atlific’s individual 

operations. More importantly, 

Foodbuy Canada has performed 

consistently for Atlific, Hood says. 

“They hold true to the service and 

expertise they profess to have.” ◆ 

Proud to offer 

Your Canadian 

QualitY ProduCts! 

Congratulations! 

Congratulations, Foodbuy, on 

winning Hotelier’s 2017 Supplier 

of the Year Pinnacle Award. 

4600 Armand-Frappier Street, Saint Hubert, Quebec J3Z 1G5 

450.878.2333 / 1.844.878.2333 / agropur.com

the 

Loyalty 

TRENDS 

Experience 

BY CHRIS POWELL 

ISTOCK.COM/ALEXANDRBOGNAT 

Hotel-loyalty programs 

are evolving to meet the 

needs of guests who increasingly 

prize unique experiences over 

a free night 



They started more than 

30 years ago by enabling 

customers to redeem 

points for free flights, 

but today’s hotel-loyalty 

programs are increasingly relying on 

distinctive experiences in order to 

attract and retain customers. 

Jennifer Bryl, director of Loyalty 

Marketing and CRM, Canada, for 

Marriott International, says customer 

feedback and internal research 

suggests its loyalty-program members 

increasingly value experiences over 

traditional rewards. 

“Access to these experiences, at 

lower points thresholds, is especially 

important for members,” she says. 

Guests are also seeking out immediate 

gratification and tailored communication, 

she notes. 

From Starwood Preferred Guest 

(SPG) Moments inviting members 

to bid on a chance to throw out a 

ceremonial first pitch at a World-Series 

game, to the new Wyndham Auctions 

program allowing Wyndham-Rewards 

members to use points to bid on a 

chance to swim with dolphins in 

Orlando (current bid: 38,000 points), 

hoteliers are discovering that guests 

are more responsive to experiences, 

not just a free room or upgrade. 

That’s not to say the allure of a free 

night has disappeared completely, as 

many consumers are pragmatic when 

it comes to point redemption. Dorothy 

Dowling, senior vice-president and 

CMO for Best Western Hotels & 

Resorts, says up to 70 per cent of Best 

Western Rewards members still choose 

to redeem their accumulated points for 

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answering a TV channel question can be 

time-consuming and frustrating. It can also 

distract a front desk agent who could be 

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ISTOCK.COM/RAWPIXEL 

a free night. 

“Many people have that dream 

[to use their points] to go to Paris 

or Tokyo or Shanghai, but the 

reality is that their kid has a soccer 

tournament, or they get invited to 

a wedding and they redeem those 

points because it saves them money,” 

Dowling explains. 

Yet chains continue to innovate to 

encourage customers to keep patronizing 

their brand. Dowling recounts 

the story of a Best Western guest who 

put his points towards a Home Depot 

gift card for a $6,000 backyard Jacuzzi. 

“People who are frequent [loyalty-card] 

users have plans for that currency, just 

like any individual does in terms of 

saving up with money,” she says. 

A recent study from U.S.-based 

Oracle Hospitality described loyalty 

programs as “the path to hospitality 

salvation,” providing a framework for 

nurturing guest relationships while 

providing patrons with recognition, 

perks and options for redeeming rewards. 

First introduced by Holiday 

Inn and Marriott in 1983, hotelloyalty 

programs are now a firmly 

entrenched part of the industry. 

According to Skift — a New Yorkbased 

business-intelligence company 

catering to the travel market — the 

nine largest hotel-loyalty programs 

alone boast nearly 350-million 

members worldwide. 

However, Oracle’s What do Consumers 

Want from a Hotel Loyalty Program? 

study also found more than half (58.7 

per cent) of all hotel guests don’t 

belong to any program, suggesting that 

hoteliers have an “ample opportunity” 

to recruit customers. 

Bryl estimates about half of Marriott 

International’s guests are members 

of its various loyalty programs, but 

acknowledges there is an “awareness 

issue” when it comes to unlocking the 

true value of membership. “Guests 

who don’t travel as frequently may 

perceive that hotel-loyalty programs 

aren’t as beneficial to them compared 

to a frequent business traveller, but 

that’s not the case,” says Bryl. 

Marriott communicates the benefits 

of its loyalty program to guests 

through its website and the booking 

process, while front-desk associates are 

instructed to remind non-members 

about its loyalty program when they 

check in. 

One-fifth of respondents in the 

Oracle study said they don’t join 

loyalty programs because they have 

no interest in the offered rewards, 

while 29 per cent said they don’t join 

because they believe it takes too long 

to earn rewards. 

Eliot Hamlisch, vice-president of 

Worldwide Loyalty and Partnerships 

for the Wyndham Hotel Group, says 

the increased complication of hotelloyalty 

programs, combined with what 

he calls “a steady devaluation” of what 

Oracle’s What do 

Consumers Want 

from a Hotel Loyalty 

Program? study suggests 

customers are increasingly looking for 

greater control over their loyalty programs 

and how they redeem their points. 

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: 

61% 

57% 

54% 

Of respondents are interested in 

choosing their own rewards 

Are interested in being able to customize 

their hotel experience, such 

as options for room choice, newspaper, 

checkout time, et cetera 

Are interested in room upgrades 

customers can get with their points, is 

creating frustration among customers. 

At the same time, he adds, the 

sheer number of loyalty programs 

offered by businesses as varied as 

gas stations, grocery stores, dry 

cleaners and movie theatres, can be 

overwhelming for consumers. 

“Despite the very real threat 

of loyalty fatigue, hotel-loyalty 

programs have never mattered 

more,” he says. “From better understanding 

guest preferences to driving 

increased stays and greater room 

revenues, they’ve become an essential 

part of modern marketing.” 

While getting customers to enrol in 

a loyalty program might be tricky, the 

Oracle report says they’ve been proven 

to lead to a “strong pattern” of repeat 

business. This is particularly true 

of leisure travellers, with the study 

finding strong correlation between 

participation in loyalty programs and 

repeat visits. 

“Loyalty is one of the key platforms 

all hotel companies are continuing to 

invest in, in terms of driving a level 

of engagement with their customers,” 

says Dowling, noting they serve two 

primary functions: encouraging more 



direct bookings by offering incentives 

for customers who book directly 

through the hotel rather than using 

an online travel agency, such as 

Expedia or Booking.com, and helping 

hotels earn a greater share of wallet. 

Dowling says contemporary loyalty 

programs have evolved to the point 

where chains such as Best Western 

are better able to understand what 

triggers specific customer behaviours 

in order to create more personalized 

and relevant offers. 

Some hoteliers are also increasingly 

grasping the value millennial customers 

place on experiences, as they are 

expected to comprise more than half 

of the world’s hotel guests by 2020. 

A 2016 survey of U.S. consumers by 

PwC found that hotel nights are the 

leading redemption choice for both 

millennials and older customers, but 

there were stark differences between 

the two groups. While 85 per cent of 

non-millennials said that they prefer 

to redeem points for hotel nights, 

this number dropped to 64 per cent 

among millennials. Meanwhile, 36 

per cent of millennials opted for room 

upgrades compared to 16 per cent of 

non-millennials. 

Millennial customers, PwC noted, 

tend to behave more like business 

travellers when it comes to point 

redemption, favouring “softer” benefits 

more than the 30+ crowd. 

There are even hotel-rewards 

programs built around specific 

customer subsets, such as the Best 

Western Ride Rewards Program 

ISTOCK.COM/ 

Foodbuy is proud and honored to be recognized as the 2017 Pinnacle 

Award Supplier of the Year by Hotelier Magazine.Our commitment 

continues to deliver supply chain value every day to the Hotel Industry 

through insights, partnerships and people. 

And yes, we will save you money.

DESPITE THE 

VERY REAL 

THREAT OF 

LOYALTY 

FATIGUE, 

HOTEL- 

LOYALTY 

PROGRAMS 

HAVE NEVER 

MATTERED 

MORE 

- ELIOT HAMLISCH 

— which caters to motorcycle 

enthusiasts with a 10-per-cent room 

discount; 10 points for every dollar 

spent on each qualified stay; and 

automatically upgrades members of 

the Harley Owners Group (HOG) to 

platinum status. 

Wyndham Hotel Group, 

meanwhile, recently introduced the 

Wyndham Auctions program. 

The program typically features 

between 25 to 30 offers, ranging 

from a food walking tour of New 

Orleans’ French Quarter for four 

(starting bid of 10,000 points) and 

tickets for two to see Celine Dion 

at Caesar’s Palace (starting bid: 

25,000 points). 

Wyndham Rewards — which 

boasts 53-million worldwide 

members and 30,000 redemption 

options — topped the third-annual 

CarTrawler Hotel Reward Payback 

Survey, based on 1,350 reward 

queries for six global frequent-guest 

programs including Best Western 

Rewards, Marriott Rewards, SPG 

and Wyndham Rewards. 

The report found the Wyndham- 

Rewards program returned an 

average of $16.70 for every $100 spent 

on a hotel room rate — more than 

double the typical payback range of 

5.4 per cent to 8.8 per cent. 

Wyndham also recently partnered 

with Caesar’s Entertainment’s loyalty 

program, Total Rewards, allowing 

Wyndham Rewards members to link 

the two programs and have their 

status matched (eg: Diamond-Level 

members in Wyndham Rewards will 

match to Diamond and Seven-Stars 

members in Caesar’s Total Rewards). 

“We want to be a program that 

delivers for all travellers — from the 

newly graduated millennial who stays 

two nights a year, to the seasoned 

road warrior who stays 200 nights 

a year,” says Hamlisch. “One of the 

ways we create that kind of broadreaching 

value is through new offerings 

and partners.” ◆ 

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Bathtubs | Basins | Furniture | Faucets | Accessories

DECOR & DESIGN 

IN-ROOM RETREATS 

Hotel bathroom design strives to create an air of luxury 

BY SHERENE CHEN-SEE 

Hotel William Gray 

HOTELS 

have become leaders in the 

bathroom-design market. Many home 

owners take inspiration for their own 

home bathroom decor from photos 

they’ve seen of hotel bathroom 

trends. Hotels are known to push the 

boundaries of decor and provide a 

welcoming presence for their guests 

through the use of luxurious design 

elements. Here’s a look at how a few 

of Canada’s leading hotels are interpreting 

the latest bathroom styles 

and starting trends of their own. 

FIXTURE-UPPERS 

Walk-in showers have been a staple 

in luxury-hotel bathrooms. In fact, 

during recent renovations at its 

Saskatoon Inn, Prince George 

Hotel, Residence Inn London and 

Toronto Courtyard Toronto Airport 

properties, Atlific Hotels installed as 

many walk-in showers as possible in 

their King rooms. Walk-in showers 

offer the illusion of more space than 

a traditional shower and are often 

made with glass side panels in order 

to give the space a more open feel. 

Additionally, walk-in showers 

provide safety, as they are easier to 

step in and out of and users are less 

likely to slip during the process. 

Guests who are wheelchair-dependent 

can benefit from this design 

consideration, as a stool can be 

placed in the shower allowing the 

user to sit down. 



Atlific also equipped all its walk-in 

showers with rainshower heads for 

a spa-like experience. However, not 

every shower user wants to feel rained 

upon, so the newly opened Le Mount 

Stephen Hotel in Montreal installed 

a wall-mounted rainshower head in 

addition to the traditional ceilingmounted 

variety. 

Atlific also opted to install adjustable 

shower heads with slide bars at its 

Hilton Garden Inn Montreal Airport 

and Sheraton Montreal Airport 

properties. “The shower incorporates 

a sliding bar that allows the guest to 

easily change the height of the shower 

head by sliding it up or down the bar,” 

says Garth Ruggiero, corporate director 

of Procurement at Atlific Hotels. 

“The shower head is also available as 

a hand-held variety with an attached 

hose so it can be removed from its 

bracket for added ease of showering.” 

Le Mount Stephen also included a 

half-inch thermostatic valve with an 

integrated two-way diverter. Thermostatic 

valves have two handles: one 

that controls the water volume and one 

that controls temperature. The valve 

allows the guest to change the flow 

volume without affecting the temperature. 

“Over 50 per cent of our customfinished 

production is based on shower 

components,” says Antoine Naoum, 

general manager of Le Mount Stephen. 

To add an extra touch of elegant 

indulgence, some of Atlific’s hotels — 

including the Courtyard by Marriott 

Calgary South — feature stand-alone 

tubs. This style of bathtub is chic and 

makes a strong design statement. They 

are attention-grabbing, and designed 

for those who love to take baths. 

FINISHES 

To add to the look of the bathroom, 

hotels rely not only on upscale fixtures 

but also on luxury finishes. “Today, most 

hotel bathrooms are designed to make 

the space more airy and pleasant, with 

materials that are easy to maintain,” says 

Maria Antonopoulos, Marketing director 

at Hotel William Gray in Montreal. 

“White tile, glass, stainless steel and 

quartz help create an atmosphere that 

feels minimalistic yet luxurious. We 

used quartz to give the bathrooms a very 

clean, white appearance.” 

The appeal of quartz is widespread 

and, in some cases, the material 

can also be used for wall panelling. 

According to U.K.-based 

stone-worktop supplier Touchstone 

Design-forward bathrooms at Le Mount 

Stephen Hotel 

Workshops, quartz’s durability, visual 

quality and longevity enables it to be 

used in bathrooms for years on end 

without having to worry about replacing 

the surface. “[We use] quartz for 

vanity tops, shower and tub surrounds 

as these come in a variety of styles,” 

says Ruggiero. 

“We are also starting to see a trend 

away from the all-white tile tub 

surround,” adds Janine Anderson, 

senior designer, Hager Design International 

Inc. “Although the all-white 

tub surround will remain a classic for 

a few more years, we are seeing a move 

towards using more neutral-toned tiles 

in greys and beiges, and in patterns 

like the ceramic Carrara marble-look 

tiles — often implemented in a stacked 

layout for a more modern look.” 

Anderson also points to gold and 

black metal finishes as a leading-edge 

design trend for faucets and accessories, 

but “these finishes often come 

at a premium, [which] can challenge a 

client’s budget.” 

LIGHTING AND MIRRORS 

Good lighting is key to maintaining 

ambiance and functionality at Atlific 

Hotels’ properties. Lighting is most 

important in the bathroom, because 

that’s where the guest is most likely to 

do detailed work, such as shaving, pluck- 


ing eyebrows or applying makeup. It is 

also where guests tend to see themselves 

first in the morning and last at night. 

In addition to general lighting in 

the bathroom, Atlific Hotels also 

installed backlit mirrors. Some of 

these mirrors (by Seura USA and 

Majestic Mirror) even come equipped 

with TV screens. They also added 

magnification mirrors, with up to fivetimes 

magnification. 

“We are seeing the use of the illuminated 

mirrors as a consistent design 

trend due to its functional aspect of 

providing an even distribution of light 

onto the user’s face,” notes Anderson. 

“Whether a project is traditional or 

modern, the illuminated mirror is 

effective and essential.” 

HIGH-TECH ADDITIONS 

“At Le Mount Stephen, each 

bathroom features a defogger in the 

mirror and an Aquabrass Cura homespa 

system,” says Naoum. “This is an 

authentic spa experience, where you 

can unwind and simply get away. With 

built-in features such as aromatherapy, 

chromatherapy and water therapy, 

Cura is an ideal destination for a 

mental and physical boost.” 

Chromatherapy is an age-old form 

of healing that utilizes colour and 

light and is recognized for its ability 

to improve mood and overall health. 

The rain heads installed in Le Mount 

Stephen offer healing shades of green, 

red and blue — each with its own 

therapeutic properties and intensity. 

Aromatherapy uses aromatic plant

extracts and essential oils to enhance 

well-being. The showers’ aromatherapy 

feature is offered through a wallmounted 

diffuser system featuring a 

selection of three unique fragrances. 

ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS 

Luxury is important to hotel guests, 

but so is the environment. To address 

this, “Hotel William Gray added dualflush 

toilets, LED lighting and quartz 

for our vanities,” says Antonopoulos. 

Atlific Hotels has also installed 

LED fixtures in all bathrooms, as well 

as biodegradable amenities, such as 

shampoo bottles, in some rooms. 

Environmental impact was also 

considered at Le Mount Stephen, 

which installed water-efficient Toto 

toilets in its bathrooms. 

CHALLENGES 

As with any renovation, hotel 

bathroom design changes come 

with challenges. Retrofitting, for 

example, can be quite challenging 

at times. “Depending on how the 

original bathroom was designed, the 

retrofit for walk-in showers can be 

troublesome, as quite often the water 

lines and mixing valve will need to 

be relocated to avoid blasting the 

guest with cold or hot water from 

the shower heads,” says Ruggiero. 

“Nothing is more frustrating than 

having to completely enter the shower 

to turn the water on.” 

“With the ADA (Americans 

with Disabilities Act) guidelines so 

stringent, often relocating fixtures 

in a washroom to meet the required 

guidelines can pose a challenge,” 

adds Ruggiero. “Trying to realign 

drains and risers can become a 

costly [but necessary] adventure to 

stay brand compliant.” 

“One of the biggest challenges 

come with converting existing tubs 

into showers,” agrees Anderson. 

“There are a few good conversion 

options out there, but often they are 

not properly budgeted for. Converting 

a tub to a shower can be exceptionally 

more costly than anticipated.” 

Often, there are more aesthetic 

challenges to consider. For example, 

“at Hotel William Gray, we had to 

be strategic in designing the guestrooms 

and bathrooms so the natural 

light offered from the windows was 

maximized in the space — ensuring 

great natural light and comfort for 

our guests,” says Antonopoulos. 

But with great challenges come 

great rewards. The goal of hotelbathroom 

design is to create spaces 

where guests feel pampered — a 

getaway from life’s challenges. ◆ 

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TO FOODBUY! 

Hector Larivée is proud to be a 

partner of Foodbuy and a participant 

in your success! 

Michel Larivée 

vice-président Ventes 

Tél: 514-521-8331 

1-800-663-5674 

Cell: 514-386-9868 

mlarivee@hectorlarivee.com 

www.hectorlarivee.com 

42 DECEMBER 2017 HOTELIER hoteliermagazine.com 

Hector_QV.indd 1 

2017-11-15 10:28 AM

OPERATIONS 

Great 

Escapes 

Today’s top trends in 

spa-and-wellness services 

BY SARAH B. HOOD 

ISTOCK.COM/TATOMM [SPA THEME ON WOOD BACKGROUND] 

THESE DAYS, most people 

don’t want to be separated from their 

mobile devices for even a moment. A 

rare exception is when they’re relaxing 

at the spa. Spa and hotel guests 

hunger for a break from the new 

normal of a non-stop work regime. 

They crave a chance to relax and find 

balance and tranquility amidst the 

chaos — and they want it now. 

A key trend for spa, fitness and 

wellness facilities is the idea of 

instant escape. “People are looking 

for a quick break; even between 

meetings, we can offer a chair 

massage,” says Caroline Mandréa, 

Marketing director at Amerispa, 

which operates 15 spas across 

Quebec, including Moment Spas 



in four Fairmont Hotels, the newest 

of which is located in Montreal’s 

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. 

“For urban hotels such as The 

Queen Elizabeth, we offer 25-minute 

treatments — the well-being breaks 

[such as] the Jet-Lag Massage. People 

are [booking] last-minute,” she says, 

adding it’s common for guests to 

check in and then head straight for 

a treatment. 

But some guests are looking for a 

more indulgent experience. “They’re 

looking for good treatments, but 

they’re also looking for a place to 

relax; to be able to meditate,” says 

Sylvie Legault, Spa director at Le 

Spa Fairmont Château Montebello 

in Quebec, adding she’s seen 

an increase in full-day bookings. 

“Guests are looking to be taken care 

of,” she says. “They need to refocus… 

a place to stop.” 

“Our guests have become more 

focused on personalized services,” says 

Bill Lewis, general manager at the 

Magnolia Hotel & Spa — a 64-room 

luxury boutique hotel in Victoria, B.C. 

Using new technology such as personal 

messaging, “we have a strong guest 

interface,” he says. “Guests will reach 

out to us pre-stay, during the stay or 

between stays” to ask for particular 

foods or other preferred touches. 

“It’s not just the idea of coming in 

for a massage or a facial; it’s more of a 

whole experience now — going to the 

restaurant and then to the gym and 

then coming in for a treatment — so 

they’re here for the whole healing and 

wellness package,” says Jessica Li, Spa 

manager at The Spa at the Hazelton 

Hotel in Toronto. “It’s more of a 

maintenance program, a retreat in the 

city to release from everyday chaos.” 

Local colour is also key. “More than 

ever before, travellers are looking 

to experience the most authentic 

elements of a locale, whether 

through its food, art or spa offerings,” 

says Sarah Tucker, Spa manager at 

Vancouver’s Rosewood Hotel Georgia. 

“When it comes to the spa experience, 

travellers are looking for treatments 

with hyper-local and seasonal ingredients, 

and they don’t necessarily want 

their experience to be confined to the 

spa itself. Fitness has become an essential 

ritual for many travellers, so access 

to bike and running paths and local 

guides who can provide insight into 

the best routes, is important.” 

“Our guests are much more interested 

in local experience,” affirms 

Lewis. “We offer a complimentary 

fleet of loaner bikes. We put a lot of 

care and attention into curated theme 

maps for our guests; we’ve handpicked 

up to 10 local businesses they might 

want to visit along the way.” Lewis is 

also enthusiastic about a special run 

of strawberry-rhubarb bubble bath 

commissioned from the local Salt 

Spa de Château Frontenac (top); Moment Spa Le 

Manoir Richelieu in Quebec (above); Madrona del 

Mar Spa (bottom left); Moment Spa The Queen 

Elizabeth (opposite page) 

Spring Island Soapworks. 

“We do offer local product, not only 

in the food, but in the treatment,” says 

Legault. “We work with maple; we 

work with the [locally sourced] mud in 

a wrap.” 

Conny Nordin is the Resort 

manager for Madrona del Mar Spa at 

Galiano Oceanfront Inn & Spa on 

Little Galiano Island, situated halfway 

between Victoria and Vancouver. She 

says couples’ experiences are in high 

demand. “We have a romance package 

in our hotel; we can also do couples’ 

massage in our waterfall cottage; they 

get to massage their partner under 

the guidance of our therapist. All of 


FROM THE SUPPLY SIDE: 

NEW DIRECTIONS 

In the old days, people simply jogged or 

hiked; now everyone wants to collect elaborate 

fitness metrics that would once have 

been reserved for derby-winning horses 

or first-round draft picks. With every mobile 

device synced to a step counter or weightloss 

app, the market is ripe for mobile 

fitness aids. RunGo is one tool that can 

help hospitality professionals connect their 

guests to walking and running experiences 

designed to their personal preferences. 

A free app, RunGo guides runners and 

walkers along scenic routes. It already 

includes close to 100,000 of these, many 

created by users who share their own 

favourites. Others are created by RunGo. 

“The app is free to users, but we have a 

premium service we can offer hotels,” says 

RunGo founder Craig Slagel. A customized 

route can be tailored to the wishes and suggestions 

of a hotel and can direct users to 

the hotel’s website. 

The app has been available for about 

three years. For the past year, RunGo has 

been working with The Fairmont Waterfront 

in Vancouver. The Monarch Beach Resort is 

another partner. 

Besides simply mapping a route, RunGo 

can offer an audio tour from an Android 

device, an iPhone or an Apple Watch. 

Routes can be pre-loaded over WiFi so they 

consume no data. Many popular marathon 

routes have been added. 

“We now have visually impaired and 

low-vision users. We’re the number-1 

accessible app for walking or running,” 

says Slagel. “We give you that local experience, 

because locals build the routes and 

share them.” 

We provide product and they do their 

treatment themselves for the first 

hour. People love to do that; in the 

second hour, they get a treatment.” 

She points out that men represent a 

key area of growth for the spa market 

and can be very faithful users of 

recommended products. 

Every type of foodservice outlet 

has seen a surge of interest in more 

nourishing, sustainably produced 

and locally sourced meals, and guests 

are demanding individual attention 

to their dietary needs, restrictions 

and allergies. 

With spa products and food alike, 

“nowadays, everyone is looking for 

non-toxic products. They want to 

better the environment and better 

their health, be aware of what’s 

actually [entering] their bodies,” says 

Li. In response to this trend, The Spa 

at the Hazelton Hotel recently introduced 

products from Switzerland-based 

Valmont Cosmetics’ Essence of Bees 

line, which features honey, propolis 

(bee glue) and royal jelly. 

Le Spa Fairmont Château Montebello 

offers a bento-box meal in the 

spa with vegetarian options; it can be 

adapted if a guest has specific allergies 

or sensitivities. There’s also a 

detoxifying mud-based beverage called 

Black Oxygen. “It’s full of minerals 

and electrolytes,” explains Legault. “It 

tastes very good and has no calories.” 

The same mud, mixed with natural 

oils such as pine and cedar, is used in 

the spa’s signature treatments. 

Magnolia Hotel & Spa focuses 

on local, seasonal food and offers a 

full gluten-free menu. Also, notes 

Lewis, “Superfood salads are trendier 

than they have been for a couple of 

years.” The spa uses the Intelligent 

Nutrients line of skincare products. 

“It’s 100-per-cent USDA food-grade 

organic, so there are no chemicals,” he 

says, adding there are even treatments 

designed to meet the needs of people 

going through chemotherapy and 

radiation therapy. 

Madrona del Mar Spa uses 

products with natural ingredients, 

such as a blueberry-smoothie wrap 

and blueberry sugar polish, a hempseed 

sugar scrub mixed with glacial 

clay, and Spring Island blackberry 

port, used in massage. 

The Rosewood Hotel Georgia 

recently debuted a new range of 

exclusive spa treatments developed 

by EviDenS de Beauté. One immersive 

spa visit includes a seaside walk 

and a choice of treatments using 

sea-salt scrubs and algae-clay body 

wraps, ending with a Canadianmaple 

pedicure. 

Ultimately, “there are two types of 

clients: those who want something 

quick and efficient and those who 

want to take time for themselves,” 

Mandréa sums up. “We know people 

are in a rush, but we do want to offer 

something special for people who can 

take the time.” ◆ 

our hotel suites have built-in massage 

tables, so they can carry on practicing.” 

Madrona del Mar also offers 

flotation therapy, where “couples can 

float with candlelight and soft music”, 

as well as a healing-earth couples’ 

massage using “mud mixed with essential 

oils they choose for themselves.” 

Legault points out that shared 

treatments are not only popular with 

romantic couples, but also with “two 

friends, or a mother and daughter.” Le 

Spa Fairmont Château Montebello is 

currently adding four suites for those 

who want to share their experience, 

“with a fireplace and a Japanese bath. 



EQUIPMENT 

Modern Roomance 

BY ANDREA VICTORY 

A look at CRMs in the digital age 

FROM THE MOMENT 

a guest makes their first booking, until 

long after they check out, nurturing 

the guest experience beyond their 

stay is paramount to a hotel’s growth 

and success. In today’s data-focused 

economy, properties of all scales are 

using myriad solutions and strategies 

to keep customer relationships strong 

and grow business. 

The goal of Customer Relationship 

Management (CRM) is best summed 

up by Rachel Yeager, senior Marketing 

manager at Toronto-based Drake 

Hotel Properties, “The better we can 

understand who our guests are, what 

they love about us, what they want 

from us and then target our offerings 

and our communication to that, the 

more of a customized experience we 

can provide.” 

FINDING THE BEST FIT 

When strategizing, it’s important to 

find the CRM solution that best fits 

your company, while realizing that 

more than one platform is likely 

necessary. To increase customer 

engagement, social-media platforms, 

text messaging, dedicated CRM 

services and custom-built in-house 

programs are all on the table. 

For Sarah Sklash and April Brown, 

moteliers of The June Motel in Prince 

Edward County, Ont., one solution was 

literally in-hand. “We partnered with 

Fido this past summer to launch Text 

Message Concierge. Our guests can ask 

us where to eat, request room service 

and more — all through text message,” 

says Sklash. “It’s like they have a 

personal concierge in their pocket.” 

Jennifer Bryl, director of Loyalty 

Marketing and CRM for Marriott 

Canada, echoes the personalized 

approach. Though a worldwide hospitality 

company, the guest-connection 

factor is key. “We want to create novel 

and emotional relationships through 

personalization,” she explains. “We 

have call centres around the world 

dedicated 100 per cent to our guests and 

members. Depending on their elite tier, 

we have dedicated membership lines, so 

our customer-care teams can give that 

personalized one-on-one attention.” 

Drake Hotel Properties uses an 

integration of different platforms and 

services to connect the dots. “We use 

Campaign Monitor and that works 

well for us. We’re also exploring a 

new tool that connects with the 

OpenTable system, which enables us 

to gather more customer information 

and really target [our] communication. 

We continue to look for CRM tools 

that can help our business personalize 

the guest experience,” says Yeager. 

Peter Agel, global segment leader, 

Hotels for Oracle Hospitality, 

addresses the search for a customerrelationship-management 

service, 

“Savvy hoteliers should ask if the 

CRM solution meets their needs today 

and will also allow them to easily grow 

into the future. For example, does 

it easily integrate with your current 

property-management solution and 

meet your current needs for a marketing 

solution to send personalized 

emails? And, tomorrow, will it allow 

you to modernize your sales solution 

and create experiences leveraging [the 

Internet of Things]?” 

ISTOCK.COM/JIRSAK 


GETTING SOCIAL 

Size and scale can help determine 

CRM strategy. For international 

brands such as Marriott and others, 

custom-designed mobile apps and 

complex rewards programs are the 

norm. But, regardless of business size, 

social-media platforms can become 

a hub for customer engagement, 

communication and bookings. 

Sklash and Brown are very in tune 

with the impact of social platforms. 

“It’s truly remarkable how important 

social media has been to driving 

room occupancy,” says Brown. “We 

launched a brand new property and 

brand in May of 2017 and we were 

sold out by July 2017, with roughly 90 

per cent of our customers saying they 

found us on Instagram. It can be a 

powerful conversion tool.” Continuing 

the customer journey, The June 

Motel stays in touch with guests post 

check out. “We get a lot of guests 

posting photos of their stay and 

asking us questions via Instagram, so 

it’s important to constantly be engaging 

with current and future guests. 

It’s really important that our followers 

feel part of the community.” 

Yeager agrees, “Social media is a 

huge way for us to communicate with 

our guests — share images, gather guest 

feedback — it’s a huge tool for us.” 

Social media and online platforms 

can also be a way to mine for customer 

data and Yeager is on it. “We use a 

tool called SweetIQ, which monitors 

third-party sites like Google, Yelp, 

and TripAdvisor to make sure listings 

and information, like hours and 

contact info, are up to date. It also 

consolidates reviews into a report. 

We were doing that manually; now 

we have it automated.” 

GEOFENCING AND GEO-TARGETING 

Social media and custom apps can 

be taken a step further by using data 

to target customers within a specific 

geographical area. 

“We have teams in a lab monitoring 

trending topics on social media,” says 

Bryl. “This is where our online team 

takes that personalized one-on-one 

[experience] a step further by adding 

an element of surprise and delight.” 

She gives an example of a couple 

that posted an engagement photo on 

social media, mentioning they were 

on their way to a Marriott property. 

The online teams were able to react 

quickly and respond by delivering 

the couple a bottle of congratulatory 

champagne upon their arrival. 

Drake Properties uses geo-targeted 

ads on social media tailored to guests 

in town for events, offering promos 

via social channels such asd Instagram 

and Facebook. “What we do 

is geo-targeting for both social and 

digital advertising,” says Yeager. For 

example, a recent promo was posted 

on Instagram and geo-targeted for 

guests in town for an event. “If they 

came in with a ticket, they received 

our cultural discount. So we created a 

targeted ad on social [media] to help 

get the word out.” 

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES 

“The benefits are the customer 

relationships we build by allowing us 

to give that personalized attention. 

All of the tools and technology we 

use allow us to adapt and react in 

real time.” says Bryl. “But also, we’re 

supporting ever-changing demands. 

We need to listen at first to what 

guests want and constantly adapt and 

enhance our tools.” 

Yeager notes the main drawback of 

CRM is that it can be cost-prohibitive 

on various levels. “Some of the 

really good CRM systems have a lot 

of amazing functionality, but it can 

sometimes be hard to know their full 

capability, so having someone who 

is trained and can utilize the systems 

can be a challenge.” She counters, 

“The benefit of CRM is that knowing 

who your customer is helps you better 

figure out your target market and 

what you need to do to plan offerings 

that resonate with them.” 

Agel adds, “The main challenge 

that many companies in the industry 

face is the amount of legacy technology 

currently in use. Many of these 

systems are more than 10 years old 

and originally developed before 

the time of digital. These systems 

have limited flexibility, are hard to 

innovate with and, in many cases, 

aren’t built using industry standards.” 

He encourages operators to question 

the provider when seeking a CRM 

solution. “Operators should ask 

how much innovation and investment 

does the company put into its 

solutions and if it will allow them to 

elevate the guest experience to the 

next level.” ◆ 

Welcome to More. 

More Opportunity. 

More Support. 

More Success. 

ChoiceHotelsDevelopment.ca

HOTELIER 

Going the 

Distance 

As GM of the Delta Prince Edward by 

Marriott, James Tingley builds loyalty 

with guests and associates alike 

BY ROSANNA CAIRA 

James Tingley is a big believer in letting 

creativity fuel success. The 59-year-old 

general manager of the Delta Prince 

Edward by Marriott, in Charlottetown, P.E.I. 

doesn’t like to micro-manage his complement 

of 200 staff. “I’ve learned through the years to 

let creativity and innovation loose, yet check 

in often to provide support and guidance.” 

After three years managing the 211-room 

property, the Edmundston, N.B. native has 

found his groove in a hotel that he and his 

staff treat more like an extension of their 

home than a business. “As complex as our 

industry has become, I tell [staff] 

‘we are welcoming people into our 

home. If you were having friends 

or family come stay with you, 

you would make sure the front 

of your home was clean and tidy 

and your home spotlessly clean 

and welcoming. You would tell 

them what’s happening in the 

community and most likely cook 

your favourite dish. As they were 

leaving, you would tell them how 

wonderful it was to spend time 

with them, welcome them back 

and wish them safe travels.’ In 

essence, that’s what our business 

is — how we provide experiences and build loyalty.” 

The waterfront hotel, which boasts 60,000 sq. ft 

of meeting space, is connected to the Prince Edward 

Island Convention Centre, with an additional 50,000 

sq. ft. of space. It hums with activity through the 

summer, when it caters to convention groups and 

leisure travellers. Then, from November to April, its 

mix changes to business travellers and small meetings, 

sports tournaments and social events. 

QUICK QUIPS: 

Personal status: Married for 

25 years, with two children, 

aged 21 and 19. 

First hotel job: A part-time 

job while in high-school in 

Moncton, N.B. as bellman at the 

Hotel Beausejour. First full-time 

job as night auditor with the 

Hotel Nova Scotian in 1980. 

Hobbies: “I love my vegetable 

garden June through 

September. In the winter, I like 

to putter around the house, 

[do] carpentry and paint.” 

Like any hotel in today’s competitive industry, 

attracting guests has become more challenging. 

“Keeping current is measured in hours, not days or 

weeks anymore.” The biggest challenge, he says, is 

delivering on the brand (Delta) voice, which under 

Marriott is well refined and defined. 

The hotel’s association with Marriott has fuelled 

“a spike in customers that might not have come to 

P.E.I. or stayed with us. The Marriott Reward loyalty 

program has raised our hotel’s profile,” he says. “The 

network where our Marriott Reward members and 

SPG members can stay has expanded significantly, 

making for a seamless booking experience and 

expanded itinerary.” 

Still, the hotel doesn’t rest on its laurels. Four years 

ago, the F&B team brought its seasonal outdoor 

restaurant, Brakish, back to life. “We’ve created a fun 

atmosphere and brand that equates to a lively environment. 

We’ve realized significant growth YOY and 

recruiting for seasonal staff has improved.” 

But it’s all in a day’s work. “Success is never final. 

There’s a constant desire to do more. It still comes 

down to people and how we engage each moment of 

truth for our brand and ourselves to take care of our 

guests and each other.” ◆ 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADY MCCLOSKEY 


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December 2017 Digital Issue

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