Sandman expanding Signature brand to eight hotels

The dramatic lobby of the Sandman Signature Toronto Airport features a lighting fixture called “Pasta Lite” (foreground). Devonna Gaglardi, a member of the family that owns Sandman, designed the hotel decor.

TORONTO—Sandman Hotels now has three of its upscale Sandman Signature brand hotels, one near Toronto airport, one near Vancouver Airport in Richmond, BC, and a third at Nelsen Lodge in Revelstoke, BC.  A fourth is planned this year for Prince George BC, a fifth is under construction in Langley, BC, and the sixth and seventh and eighth will be in Markham, ON, downtown Kamloops, BC and Edmonton South.

Sandman Signatures are four-star properties with upscale amenities plus bell service and other service touches. They usually have multiple dining concepts and elaborate fitness facilities.

The Sandman Signature Hotel Toronto Airport has 256 rooms, a Moxie’s Classic Grill & Cocktail Lounge, the Java Fresh Coffee Bar, a fitness centre and 2,600 square feet of convention space with 16-foot ceilings.

The Vancouver airport property has 438 rooms, a Steve Nash fitness centre, and two restaurants, Chop and Cucumber café.  It’s still in the soft opening stage, with one tower open and work progressing on the second tower.

The Nelsen Lodge property, which opened in February, is smaller, with just 60 rooms.
The Prince George Sandman Signature will be a new-build property in the downtown business hub. It should open by the end of this year.

Regular Sandman Hotels are three and a half-star properties, with 150 to 180 rooms.
Construction has begun on a regular Sandman on the Oakville/Burlington border in Ontario.

Kevin Gilhooly, regional director for eastern Canada, has been with the company for nine years, spending two years in Vancouver and four in Calgary downtown before becoming manager for BC working out of Prince George. He has spent the past two years in his current position working out of the Sandman Signature Toronto Airport.

“We’re growing both brands,” he told CLN in an interview at the Toronto Sandman Signature recently.  “We plan 50 to 60 in the next 10 to 15 years.”

He adds that Signature will likely max out at 10-15 properties.

Founded in 1967, Sandman Hotel Group operates as a network of sister hotel and restaurant companies under the Northland Properties Corporation. Based in Vancouver, the company currently has 35 properties with an additional seven properties under construction from British Columbia to Quebec, and over 6,000 employees.

The Gaglardi family, out of BC, own Sandman Hotel Group. The hotel is one of five divisions under the banner of Northland Properties.  The first is Dencan, which includes Denny’s and Cucumber Café restaurants.  The second is Northland Construction.  The third is Sandman Hotel Group.  The fourth is an Asset Management division, and the fifth is Moxie’s Classic Grill, which encompasses Shark Club, Moxie’s and Chop restaurants.

Holding the Employer of Choice awards are Blair Kennedy, regional director, Sandman Hotel Group with Matt Rowlette, national account manager, Sandman Hotel Group

Alberta Sandmans Employers of Choice

LAKE LOUISE, AB—In an unusual move, all of the Sandman Hotels in Alberta were awarded the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Employer of Choice designation award for 2009 at the association’s recent annual conference.

The AHLA Employer of Choice designation award is given to those properties that achieve high practices in seven key human resources functional areas, and rank highly in a staff and management survey.

“Our employees are our greatest asset,” says Taj Kassam, president & COO of the Sandman Hotel Group. “In keeping with this belief, a solid human resources strategy is a fundamental part of our core values. We are honoured to have been selected for this prestigious award.”

The Sandman Hotel Group has seven Alberta properties including Calgary Airport, Calgary City Centre, Calgary West, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge and Red Deer. New properties are also planned for Calgary South and Edmonton South.