New Best Western for New Brunswick

FREDERICTON, NB—Near the Historic Garrison District, O’Dell Park, Kingswood Golf Course and close to shopping, the Best Western Fredericton Hotel and Suites is centrally located. Newly opened by owners Madeleine Levesque and Teddy Toner, the non-smoking hotel has 90 guest rooms including 37 suites. Hotel amenities include an indoor heated swimming pool, hot tub, fitness facility, cocktail lounge and a deluxe continental breakfast. Each room features a mini-refrigerator and hard-wired and wireless high-speed Internet access. For business travellers, the hotel offers a full-service business center and a ballroom which converts into three meeting facilities to accommodate up to 125 people. Rates start at $129.99 per night and packages are available.

Overhaul at Howard Johnson in Bowmanville

BOWMANVILLE, ON—Six months of renovations are now completed on the 62-room Howard Johnson location in Bowmanville, east of Toronto. Owner Gary Cheema purchased the property in May and immediately began working to improve the amenities at the hotel. The property underwent a complete overhaul of guest rooms with new bedding, carpet, furniture and bathrooms. Improvements were also made to the lobby and swimming pool areas. “We’re excited to join the Howard Johnson Family,” Cheema said. “With these upgrades and our swimming pool, meeting facilities, free parking and complimentary continental breakfast, I know we will be a premier choice for anyone looking to stay in the Bowmanville area.” Cheema hired general manager Heather Gaudet to run the hotel.

Top to bottom reno at Hyatt Regency Toronto

TORONTO—Canada’s newest Hyatt Regency will open its doors to guests in January 2009 in the heart of the entertainment district on King Street West. A multi-million dollar renovation project is underway at Hyatt Regency Toronto to include new guest rooms, lobby and meeting space. It is the second Hyatt Regency in the city after the Park Hyatt in Yorkville. The hotel is within walking distance of major attractions such as the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Air Canada Centre, Princess of Wales Theatre, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Roy Thomson Hall, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and St. Lawrence Market.

A top-to-bottom renovation of all guest rooms and suites includes outfitting them with signature Hyatt Grand Beds, state-of-the-art 42-inch LG flat screen televisions, modern furniture and fixtures, iHome clock radios, multi-media A/V connection access ports and fully updated bathrooms.

The lobby will be reconfigured to offer guest check-in kiosks and a unique reflecting water-fire feature. The hotel will also be unveiling a new contemporary restaurant concept and a dramatic lobby level wine bar that will welcome local as well as hotel guests. More than 30,000 square feet of newly renovated meeting space is available for business meetings both large and small, as well as special events. Wireless high-speed Internet access, a brand new StayFit@Hyatt gym, and the 4,700 sq. ft Regency Club, which includes an outdoor patio, are also part of the new design. The rooftop pool area features updated furnishings as well as a fire pit and wood deck.

Canada’s first Loden and Voya open in Vancouver

VANCOUVER—Canada’s first Loden hotel, operated by Los Angeles-based Kor Hotel Group, has come to British Columbia. The hotel in the Coal Harbour area of the city has 77 rooms with a contemporary design in a newly built 14-storey tower with curved glass, natural stone and copper exterior to mimic ocean waves.

“Loden’s opening signals an important moment for Vancouver hospitality,” said general manager Edel Forristal. “We will raise the bar with our level of service and our impressive team to complement the hotel’s superb, stylish and iconic surroundings.”

Voya restaurant, the hotel’s intimate 80-seat restaurant and lounge, offers sophisticated food, a private dining room with seating for 18 and a street-side lounge.

Voya is led by locally lauded chef Marc-André Choquette, who until now was best known for his work as executive chef at the award-winning Relais Gourmand restaurant, Lumiere. Having honed his craft in Montreal, France and New York, Choquette is classically trained and is a French-Asian cuisine specialist.

The list of planned dishes features decadent albacore tuna loin crusted with pine nuts sided by braised porcini mushrooms and a Parmesan consommé; raw artichoke, marinated fennel and fresh sardine salad; and smoked potato gnocchi and hazelnut-crusted lamb loin with gingerbread sauce. The restaurant’s name, Voya, is derived from “voyage”.

Loden offers six suites including a 1,600-square-foot penthouse Halo suite, and a second-floor wellness centre that includes an intimate day spa and fitness studio with personal training sessions available.

New build Super 8 hotel comes to Peterborough

PETERBOROUGH—Super 8 Peterborough, an 82-room hotel with 1,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, celebrated its grand opening in September. The hotel has both guest rooms and suites as well as an indoor pool, whirlpool spa, and fitness center. Guest rooms are outfitted with a 32-inch flat panel high-definition television, microwave, fridge and coffee maker, high-speed Internet, and complimentary breakfast.

“Super 8 Peterborough is a new kind of hotel that puts style, innovation and friendly service within everyone’s reach,” said general manager Ken Kirkby, at the grand opening. “We are confident the people of Peterborough will support this wonderful new facility just as we at Super 8 Peterborough are anxious to support the community in which we live and do business. We intend to be active in our collaboration,” he said.

Super 8 Peterborough is managed by Pacrim Hospitality Services.

Pacrim adds Holiday Inn Express to its portfolio

STELLARTON-NEW GLASGOW— The Holiday Inn Express officially opened its doors in late October. Located at 86 Lawrence Blvd, the hotel has 125 rooms and suites, more than 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, an indoor pool, 80 foot waterslide and fitness centre, meeting the needs of both business and leisure travellers. Guests receive a complimentary breakfast with hot items, free high speed Internet service and free local calls. It is managed by Pacrim Hospitality on behalf of owners Calgary, Alberta-based owners Superior Lodging Corporation, which spent $12 million to build the hotel.

“The Holiday Inn Express Stellarton-New Glasgow offers new opportunities for business and leisure travellers, meetings and gatherings to stop and stay in this area,” said Pacrim Hospitality CEO Glenn Squires.
 
It is less than two hours from Halifax and has been welcoming guests since July.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony last month, right to left: Cathy Patterson, guest services manager, Morgan MacDonald, general manager, and Debbie Rihard, sales manager, HIE Stellarton-New Glasgow, Henderson Paris, deputy mayor, Town of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and Kris Crundwell, VP sales, Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc.