Openings, Sales and Renovations for March 2009

Atlific’s new reservation centre for five Fort McMurray properties

A dining area in the Clearwater Suite Hotel, one of five Atlific properties in Fort McMurray now connected to a central reservation centre.

FORT MCMURRAY, AB—Atlific Hotels now offers one simple service to access their more than 560 hotel rooms and suites in five Fort McMurray hotels. The new central reservation centre provides an easy way to locate a vacant room in the busy Fort McMurray market by calling 1-866-650-FORT or visiting www.fortmcmurrayhotels.ca.

“The thriving oil industry in the region of Fort McMurray filters in thousands of workers from all over,” said Philippe Gadbois, senior vice president, Atlific Hotels. “With our new central reservation centre, just one call allows guests to check availability at any of the five hotels, making it much easier to find a hotel room in this busy market.”

Owned by Temple Real Estate Investment Trust (TREIT), the five Atlific hotels located in Fort McMurray offer varied accommodation to suit any guest’s needs. Visitors can choose from spacious suites or apartment-style accommodation for longer stays or comfortable guest rooms for shorter visits. The five properties are the Merit Hotel & Suites, Franklin Suite Hotel, Clearwater Suite Hotel, Nomad Hotel & Suites and Vantage Inn & Suites.

Along with the central reservation centre and dedicated complimentary airport shuttle, Atlific Hotels has given its Fort McMurray properties a common visual identity making them easily recognizable to visitors. With this new identity the previous Merit Inn & Suites has become the Franklin Suite Hotel and the newest addition to the Atlific portfolio, Advantage West Inn & Suites has become Vantage Inn & Suites.

The Vantage Inn & Suites is located between the Fort McMurray airport, downtown and the oil sands region. It has 83 rooms and suites, plus the Victory Sports Bar and two meeting rooms for groups of up to 25 people.

Best Western’s Wine Country Hotel & Suites

WESTBANK, BC—Best Western International opened the Best Western Wine Country Hotel and Suites, located at 3460 Carrington Road in Westbank, British Columbia in late January.
Owned by Rod Hazard, this brand-new, non-smoking hotel offers 99 guest rooms.

Hotel amenities include an indoor heated swimming pool, hot tub, waterslide, fitness center and a complimentary continental breakfast. Each room is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, 32-inch LCD television and complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. For the business traveller, the hotel offers a business centre and meeting space to accommodate up to 20 people. Rates start at $109.99 per night.

The hotel is located in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, close to wineries, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing and hiking on Okanagan Mountain.

New sign on First Ottawa Holiday Inn Express

OTTAWA—The first Holiday Inn Express to open in the nation’s capital, is also the 10th Holiday Inn Express in Canada to feature the brand’s new sign.

The hotel, which opened last month, is located near the Ottawa International Airport. The new-build property showcases the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program.
 
First announced in 2007, the relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom, and guest bath comfort.  The global estate of more than 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010.

$14 million for Montreal InterContinental hotel

Artist’s rendition of the trendy, wired bar reception area to be built in InterContinental’s Old Montreal hotel

MONTREAL—In mid-February InterContinental Hotels and Resorts that they would spend $14 million on  their Old Montreal property that will redefine all aspects of guest hospitality at the hotel. Improvements to the hotel began in early January and are slated for completion in the spring.

“Over the last several years, the landscape of five star hotels in Montreal has considerably changed and has become much more competitive. Our new owners, Pandox AB of Sweden want the hotel to maintain its leading position in the market by providing guests with a unique decor and boutique feel combined with the internationally renowned InterContinental Hotels savoir-faire. This significant investment will ensure we maintain the position we have held for the past 18 years well into the future,” said Bernard Chénevert, general manager of the Montreal InterContinental.

A significant proportion of the investment will be used to completely remodel all of the property’s rooms and suites. Every room will feature new top quality furniture including: king size beds with Simmons Beautyrest mattresses, designer chairs, dressers, larger desks, top quality linens, new plush carpets, new drapes, modern lighting, distinctive wallpaper, and unique artwork. In the remodelled four fixture marble bathrooms, guests will enjoy the three-way shower massage with variable intensity and calibrated pressure.

In addition, technology enthusiasts will appreciate the new 40-inch LCD widescreen televisions with additional speakers in the bathroom, the Teac iPod alarm clocks, the Bartech electronic mini bars and the contact-free Kaba card entry system, which is an industry, first in the Quebec market. The InterContinental Montreal is also the only hotel in the city where all rooms are equipped with an emergency lighting system.

The hotel will provide guests with completely redesigned dining and leisure amenities. This includes a new Club Lounge located near the remodelled reception area, a trendy wired bar themed around the fascination and historically illegal ritual surrounding Absinthe liqueur and a restaurant inspired by the Provence region in France.

Richmond Hill is hotel No. 100 for Travelodge

The lobby of the 100th Travelodge in Richmond Hill, Ontario

CALGARY—Travelodge Canada achieved a milestone with the opening of its Richmond Hill, Ontario property in February—there are now 100 Travelodge properties in Canada.
Formerly a Knights Inn, the Travelodge Richmond Hill, located at 10711 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto, is a 60-room property featuring a restaurant, lounge, and meeting space.

“We are thrilled to welcome this beautiful property to the Travelodge family,” says Roger White, executive vice president, Travelodge Canada.  “Guests will enjoy a comfortable stay, exceptional service and great value when visiting the Richmond Hill area.”

HoJo Canada’s first golf resort

SAINT-NICOLAS, QC—The Howard Johnson Stastny Hotel & Golf Resort, the latest addition to the company’s Canadian franchise system, will be the first Howard Johnson golf resort in Canada.  The property, owned by former NHL All-Star Marian Stastny, is a European-style hotel located in the town of Saint-Nicolas, Quebec which features an 18-hole championship golf course, restaurant, meeting rooms, seasonal outdoor pool, high-speed Internet and free parking. The former Quebec Nordiques and Toronto Maple Leafs player selected the Howard Johnson brand as he believes in their high quality standards.  The property has a target opening date of April 2009.