Openings, Sales & Renovations ~ February 2010

Four new Best Westerns

EDMONTON & RIMBEY, AB/MONT-LAURIER, QC—Best Western recently opened two hotels in Alberta, and one each in Quebec and BC.

The Best Western South Edmonton Inn & Suites in South Edmonton opened its doors in December 2009, with the indoor pool and hot tub set to open in March. The hotel is located just off Highway 2, 15 minutes away from the Edmonton International Airport.

Also in Alberta, the new Best Western Rimstone Ridge Hotel, is located at 5501 50th Avenue in Rimbey. Owned by Karen Conover and Stan Cummings, this non-smoking hotel features 60 guest rooms including four suites.

Hotel amenities include a swimming pool, slide, hot tub, exercise room, guest laundry and breakfast area featuring a complimentary deluxe hot breakfast.

For business travellers, the hotel offers a 24-hour business center with printing and fax services, complimentary hardwired and wireless high-speed Internet access in all guest rooms and public areas and a conference room to accommodate up to 150 people.

This property provides guests with easy access to a variety of attractions including Rimbey Arena, Beatty Historic House, Smithson Truck Museum, Rex Rumsey Park and Central Alberta Raceways. Recreational activities include fishing, swimming and boating at nearby Gull Lake and golf at Rimbey Golf Course.


Nestled between the metropolitan region of Montreal and the great open space of the Abitibi region and in the heart of the Upper Laurentians, the new completely renovated 39-room Best Western Hotel Dynastie in Mont-Laurier is less than 200 meters from the linear park le P`tit Train du Nord for cycling and directly on the snowmobile trails.

Amenities include 24-hour check in, indoor heated pool, business centre, free continental buffet breakfast, lighted free outdoor parking which has secure cameras, fitness center, 24-hour camera security surveillance, plus three meeting rooms for up to 50 people.

And in mid-January, Best Western Hudson’s Hope Inn and Suites, located at 9006 Clarke Avenue in Hudson’s Hope, BC opened as well. Owned by Gary Brar, the hotel provides 86 guest rooms including 34 suites.

Located on the bank of the Peace River in the Rocky Mountain foothills of British Columbia, hotel guests have easy access to a variety of attractions including Hudson’s Hope Museum, Peach Canyon Dam, WAC Canyon Dam and Hudson’s Hope Arena, featuring minor league hockey and figure skating. Recreational activities include camping, fishing and hiking at nearby Dinosaur Lake, Williston Lake and Peace River. A variety of shopping and dining options are also close by.

Rates start at $159.99 per night.


Upscale hotel complex planned for Chandler, QC

CHANDLER, QC—An upscale hotel complex is planned for Chandler, on Quebec’s Gaspé peninsula, according to an article in Le Soleil by Thierry Haroun. The name of the four-star complex will be L’Hôtel Explorateur, and plans call for 43 rooms, a conference facility, a pub, a restaurant, and a health spa with a view of the ocean. Cost of the project is estimated at $5 million, and promoter Benoît Moreau expects to have financing in place in a month or two.

If all goes as planned, construction should start this spring, and the hotel should open its doors next December.


IHG’s LEED hotel in Quebec

SAINT-HYACINTHE, QC—Late last month, IHG announced the opening of the company’s first sustainable hotel in Canada and the first of its type in Quebec in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.  The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe has been built to meet the criteria of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for its sustainable practices. 

The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe features several key amenities that create a green environment, with a high efficiency energy distribution, ultra-insulated building, and LED and low voltage fluorescent lighting.  The property has employed several key factors to reduce its carbon footprint including:

• Furniture all locally made within 20 kilometres of the hotel;
• Cement used from a demolished bridge as gravel under and around the hotel;
• White roof to reflect sun’s heat;
• Special heat capturing water coils; and
• Custom made natural fibre mattresses (with bamboo and soya bases).

Located 30 minutes away from Montreal, the 94-room hotel is a part of the new ‘M’ Lifestyle Centre in Saint-Hyacinthe. The Lifestyle Centre is designed to be the shopping destination for the entire surrounding region and will include restaurants, shopping, a public market, houses and apartments. 

HoJo adds 17 locations in ‘09

OAKVILLE—2009 may have been a recession year, but Howard Johnson Canada welcomed 17 new locations to its franchise system across Canada, bringing their total number of Canadian properties to 62.

“We are very happy to report that 2009 was an excellent growth year for our brand,” stated Glen Blake, president of Howard Johnson Canada Franchise Systems Limited. Full House Franchise Systems Limited acquired the Canadian Master License for the Howard Johnson brand on December 19, 2006 and since that time has grown the brand by 24 properties. 

Guest room of Howard Johnson Boutique Hotel in Burnaby, BC

Properties joining the Howard Johnson Franchise in 2009 include: Howard Johnson Inn – Leamington, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – Scarborough, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – Hamilton, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – Kemptville, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – Tillsonburg, ON, Howard Johnson Hotel – Port Alberni, BC, Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel – Saint Nicolas, QC, Howard Johnson Inn – Toronto, ON, Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel – Fredericton, NB, Howard Johnson Boutique Hotel – Burnaby, BC, Howard Johnson Inn – Edson, AB, Howard Johnson Inn – Hearst, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – North Bay, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – Kingston, ON, Howard Johnson Inn – Sarnia, ON, Howard Johnson – Montreal, Quebec, and Howard Johnson – Notre-Dame-Du- Bon-Conseil, QC.

New restaurants added to the Sun Peaks Village

SUN PEAKS, BC—Three new restaurants in the heart of Sun Peaks have added ambiance to the village with their unique flavours and styles. Open in the brand new Kookaburra Lodge, Globe Café and Tapas Bar serves cuisine inspired from different cultures around the world. Diners can enjoy gourmet paninis, global tapas, international wines and unique cocktails. 

The Delta Sun Peaks Resort hotel also opened two new restaurants, the M Room and Morrisey’s Public House. The M Room features a fine dining menu highlighting regional, fresh cuisine, while Morrisey’s Public House provides the village’s first Irish inspired pub offering, featuring new interpretations on past pub traditions as well as comfort food from the local region.

Vintage gets Crush Wine Bar

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON—Crush Wine Bar & Restaurant has been selected by The VH Management & Development Group as the purchase of choice for Lais Hotel Properties Limited. In addition to the purchase of Crush, Lais Hotel Properties also owns the group of hotels that operates under the Vintage Hotels brand. 

Currently under the wing of the VH Management & Development Group, Crush will continue to build on its past eight years of success as the classic yet trendy destination of wine and culinary finesse for those seeking an eclectic wine and dine experience in the King West district of Toronto. The restaurant was recognized as one of the Top 10 Restaurants of 2008 by Toronto’s NOW magazine.  

This 8,000 square foot factory-turned-brasserie seats 85 people in the main dining room and adjacent bar. An additional 30 to 40 can be accommodated on the outdoor patio during the warmer months of the year. Private dining rooms are available and offer seating for 18 to 36 people, providing a great venue for intimate groups and social functions.