December 2017 Digital Issue

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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- hoteliermagazine.com DECEMBER <strong>2017</strong> HOTELIER 19
Page 1 and 2: T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R H O T E
Page 3 and 4: Volume 29, Number 8 | December 2017
Page 5 and 6: CONGRATULATIONS to the 2017 Pinnacl
Page 7 and 8: Checking In THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEW
Page 9 and 10: JOIN THE CLUB AND UNLOCK NEW OPPORT
Page 11 and 12: InBrief Brookfield Asset Management
Page 13 and 14: Reetu Gupta, COO of Easton’s Grou
Page 15 and 16: ANNOUNCING THE MADE IN PHOTO CONTES
Page 17 and 18: COMPANY OF THE YEAR COMPANY OF THE
Page 19: guest needs to do is go to the webs
Page 23 and 24: also has an internship program and
Page 25 and 26: HOTELIER OF THE YEAR POLISHING THE
Page 27 and 28: IT TAKES A LIFETIME TO CHAMPION A L
Page 29 and 30: Maple Leaf Foods, would like to con
Page 31 and 32: SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR COMMITTED TO I
Page 33 and 34: eturns for customers. “The more t
Page 35 and 36: the Loyalty TRENDS Experience BY CH
Page 37 and 38: ISTOCK.COM/RAWPIXEL a free night.
Page 39 and 40: DESPITE THE VERY REAL THREAT OF LOY
Page 41 and 42: DECOR & DESIGN IN-ROOM RETREATS Hot
Page 43 and 44: ing eyebrows or applying makeup. It
Page 45 and 46: OPERATIONS Great Escapes Today’s
Page 47 and 48: FROM THE SUPPLY SIDE: NEW DIRECTION
Page 49 and 50: GETTING SOCIAL Size and scale can h
Page 51: The best brand experiences in Canad

December 2017 Digital Issue

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?