How's Business: Canada's Best Value Inn Calgary

Owner: Royal Adderson
General Manager: Lori Andrew
No. Rooms: 53
Meeting Space: N/A

Just branded as a Canada’s Best Value Inn, the 53-room property formerly known as the Royal Wayne, at 2416 - 16 Avenue NW in Calgary Northwest’s “Motel Village,” has been around since 1956.  It’s a two-storey property with external corridors.  “A lot of our clientele don’t want a lobby—they like the outdoor approach,” says general manager Lori Andrew.

In winter, more than 30 per cent of the property’s clientele are small business people, including many construction workers.

“We’re close to Foothills and Children’s Hospitals, and many of our clients are here for hospital stays,” says Andrew. “January is ‘hip and knee month’, and there are many seniors who need to be accommodated on the first floor. The motel is also close to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.”

In the summer, the business part accounts for 23 to 25 per cent of clients, with the rest vacation travellers, she adds.

The motel became a Canada’s Best Value Inn in November. Andrew and owner Royal Adderson are happy with the switch.

“We wanted to get more teams and schools, and they were reluctant to go with an independent,” said Andrew. 

A catchy sign, support from head office, and the ability to have a voice in a membership-based association are some of the advantages they have found in their first few months as a Canada’s Best Value Inn.