Openings, Sales & Renos May 2009

Calgary’s Acclaim challenges airport hotel preconceptions

CALGARY—The owners of Calgary’s new Acclaim hotel are challenging travellers’ preconceived notions about airport hotels with a $13 million renovation by Norr Architects Planners.  Located 2 km from Calgary airport, the hotel features 300 thread count European linen, deep soaker tubs with bath salts, and showers with cascading rain heads and 6 jet Euro Spa massage. Technological assets include 42-inch flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations.

Acclaim has been built with the environment in mind. Swiping your room card activates the lights and the heating and cooling system is based on a motion detector.

The hotel also focuses on convenience of travel. For airline travellers, there’s a quick check out, a free airport shuttle, free parking while they travel, and arrival and departure screens linked directly from the airport.

Hotel Le Pomerol joins Quebec Resorts & Country Inns

MONTREAL—As of March 1, Auberge Le Pomerol has joined the prestigious network of Quebec Resorts and Country Inns.

Le Pomerol has 27 spacious rooms, each with a different look. The elegant decor features selected paintings and objets d’art.

Quebec Resorts and Country Inns consists of  26 inns, hotels and resorts in 12 tourist regions throughout Quebec. Each establishment has met rigorous selection criteria and offers a blend of bucolic charm, exceptional gastronomy, and cozy comfort.  The group has a Privilege Card that is accepted at all of the network’s establishments.

Parksville’s Beach Club Resort

PARKSVILLE, BC—The newly opened Beach Club Resort located in Parksville, BC on Vancouver Island, offers guests both ocean and mountain views, and 140  suites. This full service resort includes dining at Pacific Prime Steak and Chop Restaurant as well as pampering indulgence at the Stonewater Spa.

The hotel is located on the site of the historic Island Hall Resort, just steps from Parksville Beach, voted one of the Top Favourite Family Friendly beaches in North America by Better Homes & Gardens Magazine readers and editors.

Cutting the ribbon for the new Hampton Inn & Suites Dartmouth are l to r, David Buffam, CEO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts; Peter Kelly, mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality; Jim Spatz of Southwest Properties; Rick Norman, general manager of the new hotel; and Gerald P. Chase, COO of New Castle.

New Castle/Southwest open Dartmouth Hampton Inn

DARTMOUTH, NS—Dartmouth’s new Hampton Inn, co-developed by New Castle Hotels & Resorts, and Southwest Properties is the showpiece of Dartmouth Crossings retail development.  New Castle Hotels & Resorts will manage the property. New Castle and Southwest Properties celebrated the hotel opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 16.

The Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Halifax-Dartmouth offers 163 rooms, including 48 suites. Rooms feature 32-inch flat-screen TVs, free high-speed, wireless Internet access; large work desks with ergonomic chairs; portable lap desks; and phones with voice mail and speakerphone capability. Suites feature a wet bar, mini fridge and microwave, dining areas with chairs and a sitting area. Hotel amenities include free wireless high-speed Internet throughout the building, including the lobby and four meeting rooms; complimentary hot breakfast buffet; 1,800 square feet of meeting space; an indoor heated pool with 148-foot waterslide and separate children’s pool; a whirlpool and on-site fitness center.

The new hotel is located in the new Dartmouth Crossing development, one of the largest retail destinations in Canada east of Calgary.

Rick Norman, a 14-year veteran of the hospitality industry, serves as general manager for the property located at 65 Cromarty Drive in Dartmouth. Katheryn Banfield-Elson is director of sales and marketing for Hampton Inn & Suites.

Lobby of the new Holiday Inn Express Montreal Airport

New Holiday Inn Express opens near Montreal airport

MONTREAL—The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Montreal Airport held a ribbon cutting ceremony April 21 to celebrate its grand opening.  The hotel officially began welcoming guests on Nov. 7, 2008.  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, guestrooms, and guest bath comfort. All 3,200-plus Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties are expected to relaunch by the end of 2010.

Estpace Immobilier plans four-storey hotel for Sherbrooke

SHERBROOKE, QC—If all goes as planned, there should be a new hotel at the corner of King Ouest and Bélvédère in Sherbrooke by fall 2010.  Work on the proposed four-storey structure should begin in August. In March, the Town of Sherbrooke signed a confidentiality agreement with Estpace Immobilier to buy the land and construct a hotel.
Estpace Immobilier already has two hotels in Sherbrooke, the Times Hôtel & Suites and le Grand Times Hôtel.

Newly rebranded Crowne Plaza Montreal Airport

IHG openings slated for Montreal and Comox Valley

MONTREAL & COURTENAY, BC—Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) is opening two new hotels, the Crowne Plaza Montreal Airport in Quebec and Holiday Inn Express and Suites Comox Valley, British Columbia.

The Crowne Plaza Montreal Airport has opened after a conversion from Sheraton Four Points.

Located minutes from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the Crowne Plaza Montreal Airport is a kilometre away from Cote Vertu Shopping Mall, cinemas and restaurants.
 
The hotel will feature the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage program, which is available at all Crowne Plaza hotels in the Americas.  Sleep Advantage encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services.  Program components include signature bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, designated quiet zones, night lights, drape clips, and amenities such as eye masks, ear plugs and lavender spray.
 
“Our expansion in the Quebec market has been growing at a very steady pace, and it is very appropriate that Montreal is now home to a Crowne Plaza, further enhancing our stellar growth in Canada,” said Gopal Rao, regional vice president, sales & marketing, Canada, IHG.

The hotel is owned by 9002-7848 Quebec Inc., and managed by RosDev Hotel Management, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
 
The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Courtenay Comox Valley SW in British Columbia, which opened last month, 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.

The 91-room hotel is nestled on Vancouver Island close to the Mt. Washington ski area, golf courses, shops and restaurants. Visitors can enjoy scuba diving, boating, adventure tours or take in a local vineyard. Guests will be within a short driving distance of Comox Valley’s downtown core and the airport, making the Holiday Inn Express hotel a convenient option for business and leisure travellers alike.

The hotel is owned by Bayview Hotel Group Ltd. and managed by Hospitality Inns Ltd., under a license agreement with a company in IHG.