Atlantica Halifax bucks branding trend

Joe Gillivan (left) and Stephen Plummer of IMP Group show off the new sign in the lobby of Atlantica Halifax, which became an independent after years as a Holiday Inn Select.

HALIFAX—While many independent hotels are flocking to the security of a brand during these uncertain times, one large four-star Halifax property is bucking the trend.  When the former Holiday Inn Select Hotel Halifax franchise agreement and the management agreement with Westmont Hospitality came up in May, the hotel ownership decided to manage the hotel itself as an independent.

Last month, the Holiday Inn Select sign came down and the new name, Atlantica, now appears prominently on the front of the building. The hotel is owned by IMP Group, which has been around for 45 years, and also owns and operates the Oak Island Resort and Spa in Mahone Bay, NS.  For 15 years starting in the late 1980s, IMP built and ran the Aerostar Hotel in Moscow.  The hospitality company is a relatively small part of a 3,500 person organization that also includes Canjet, Air Atlantic, IMP Aerospace, aviation support services, health care, industrial and marine, information services and property development.

“It’s a familiar property.  We’re comfortable with the existing management team – there are no surprises,” says Stephen Plummer, president and CEO of IMP Group.  “The industry doesn’t scare us and the market doesn’t scare us.

“The costs of carrying on having a brand and an independent management company involved… were not insignificant,” Plummer adds.

“This was an ideal opportunity to create an independent hotel with a unique brand and a four-star experience,” says Joe Gillivan, the hotel’s general manager for the past 14 years.  “We have lots of experience in the hotel industry, and have matured as a hotel management company over the years.  We have the support mechanisms in place.

“The advantage of an independent is that it provides the opportunity to customize products and service.  With a brand you have some limitations regarding uniforms, menus and bath amenities. This gives us the flexibility to create our own standards.”

They thought long and hard before coming up with the hotel’s new name, Atlantica. “Seventy per cent of our guests hail from Atlantic Canada and the Eastern Seaboard—the name connects us to who we are,” says Gillivan. “The name also implies size – we are a large, 232-room, four-star hotel in Halifax.”

So far the changes have been subtle—the owners have consistently invested money over the years to maintain the property’s four-star status.  For example, there have been enhancements to the lobby including painting, new furniture and plants—all with the goal of an urban chic, modern look. The lobby now boasts new tile, granite, leather, chandeliers and a grand piano.

“People have noticed,” says Gillivan.  “They say, wow, it’s changed.”

The amenities provided to guests are changing – the hotel now offers Aveda bath products, VOSS mineral water, improved linens, pillows, linens and towels.

Guest room renovations will take place in November, once the peak summer months are done.  “We plan to renovate the rooms again over the next four years—it’s an ongoing cycle. We will do 50 guest rooms this year,” Gillivan notes.

While Plummer doesn’t give a dollar value to the renos, he says that “a large sum of money will be reinvested back to the company.”

While Oak Island Resort & Spa is a totally different type of property from Atlantica, IMP plans to market them together.  Oak Island is located in Mahone Bay, a 50-minute drive from Halifax.  It is a 3.5-star ocean resort property that attracts both leisure and convention business, since it has 8,000 square feet of meeting space. It features 105 guestrooms and 13 chalet-style cottages, a full-service spa and on-site marina.

“We plan to market the hotels as two different experiences to our client base,” Gillivan says.

Gillivan stresses that although the name and brand are changing, “Atlantica will continue to offer the level of service our guests have come to experience having been there for 35 years.  We have many long-term employees – 20 years plus.  We are used to providing East Coast hospitality.

“We are all very excited about this change.  Our new identity gives us the opportunity to take our services and hospitality to the next level, and to chart our own course.”

“We’re really focused on enhancing the guest experience moving forward,” says Plummer.  “We’re looking forward to surprising guests on their next visit—and not surprising them in ways that would dissatisfy them.”