InnFocus Fall 2021

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Victoria Rules Again With regional travel booming this summer, the capital city’s hotels fling their doors open in welcome by Joanne Sasvari In a normal year, summertime hotel occupancy in Victoria hovers around 100% as business and leisure visitors alike are drawn by the city’s mild climate, lush gardens, dynamic dining scene, and charming historical vibe. This year and last, of course, have been anything but normal. The pandemic put a stop to all the cruise ships, conventions and bus tours, and occupancy plummeted to historic lows. But now the visitors are returning, although international and business travel likely won’t rebound till spring. “It’s really come to life,” says Sarah Webb, general manager of the Oswego Hotel. “Almost the day the government said people can travel, we had a full flood of visitors.” Bill Lewis, GM at the Magnolia Hotel, agrees. “Regional travel is off the charts,” he says. “We’re setting record numbers for parking right now.” Here are three Victoria properties enjoying summer 2021’s tourism rebound. Oswego Hotel Located in leafy James Bay, conveniently close to the Parliament Buildings, the Oswego Hotel is a pet-friendly, contemporary, boutique property that opened in 2008 and features a private Zen Garden and 80 studio, one- and two-bedroom suites. “They all have full kitchens, which is really popular in winter with snowbirds and people who work in government,” Webb says. “We stay pretty busy all year round. Even during COVID we were doing 60% occupancy all year round.” Last year, the property opened an Italian-style restaurant, Bar 500, which has become a favourite brunch spot for locals. It also increased its selection of locally produced ingredients and amenities, and built on its relationships with neighbouring businesses through its Passport to Victoria Courtesy of the Oswego Hotel 16 InnFocus
program. “We’ve got a huge focus on bringing in more local product. We’re trying to be as local and sustainable as possible,” Webb says. Next up is a full upgrade of all the guest rooms, starting in spring 2022, which will include all-new linens. “Even right now the rooms are quite comfortable, with a nice homey feel to them,” Webb says, adding, “I’m personally very picky about pillows, so I tested every one that came our way.” Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza The Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza had just completed a four-year renovation when the pandemic hit in March 2020. “We went through the pain of managing inventory every off season for a number of years, just to be faced with COVID, which would have been an ideal time to do renovation work,” says Chris Watson, the hotel’s general manager. “We are now experiencing unprecedented demand. We are running so short on staff that we barely have time to breathe.” The 108-room property offers a selection of different guest room styles, including some suites with full kitchens. It was originally built in 1912 and mixes turn-of-the-century charm with contemporary décor and amenities, including free WiFi, a business centre, fitness room, valet parking and, since 2013, “text, text, and more texts.” Watson explains, “We were a very early adaptor of a texting concierge service. Guests love it!” Perhaps the property’s greatest selling point, though, is its location on historic Lower Johnson Street, in the “LoJo” neighbourhood of funky shops and eateries. “If anyone is looking for the best location to explore Victoria, we are the one,” Watson says, adding, “Our tenant, The Ruby on Johnson, is one of the most popular brunch spots in Victoria. Their fried chicken and waffles is a must-try.” Magnolia Hotel When the Magnolia Hotel was built in 1998, it brought the concept of boutique luxury to Victoria. The 64-room property is tucked away on a quiet downtown street just steps from the Inner Harbour. It features beautifully appointed guest rooms, a serene full-service spa and an elegant restaurant, The Courtney Room, named by enRoute as one of Canada’s Top 10 new restaurants of 2018. In 2020, the property was named Canada’s best hotel in TripAdvisor’s 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards. “We got the award in the middle of a pandemic, which was kind of weird. The kind of recognition you’d like to promote, we just couldn’t,” says Lewis. He found the biggest challenge of the pandemic wasn’t with operations: “We always wanted to far exceed whatever the guidelines were,” he says—but with the uncertainty. Worst was the impact of repeated closures on staffing, even though they managed to keep everyone employed over winter. They used the time to upgrade the bathrooms on their Diamond level, replacing many bathtubs with double-sized luxury showers, and plan to redo all of them by spring 2023. They also added a patio that will likely be made permanent. And now, business is bouncing back, especially on weekends. For all these positives, Lewis credits the two families who built and still own the property. “Managing it is like caring for their child,” he says. “It’s a business, but it’s also a passion project.” Courtesy of Magnolia Hotel Courtesy of Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza InnFocus 17
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InnFocus Fall 2021

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