Lodging News

2010 Events ~ March to September

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:08:59 PST

Dates, locations and contacts for key coming events across Canada and the U.S. for the hotel and hospitality industry.

SIAL Canada will come to Toronto in 2011

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:07:02 PST

MONTREAL—SIAL Canada will alternate between Toronto and Montréal, beginning in 2011. The professional food tradeshow has been held Montréal since 2001.

Products ~ March 2010

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:06:00 PST

This month's products include Champion Flight Machines, an efficient three-litre toilet, a touch-free door opening system, energy-efficient light bulbs that also break down odours, and an umbrella wrapper with your company's name on it.

Steele family among first inductees to RANL Hall of Fame

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:38:56 PST

ST JOHN’S—With its first three inductees, the Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Hall of Fame is no longer empty.

Before and After ~ March 2010

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:38:25 PST

HAMILTON, ON—The Crowne Plaza Hamilton has opened after a conversion from an independent hotel.

Openings, Sales & Renovations ~ March 2010

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:29:10 PST

CANMORE, AB/TORONTO, ON – In a departure from its urban downtown locations, luxury boutique hotel operator Metropolitan Hotels has built a resort in Canmore, AB, just outside the gates to Banff National Park. And the company offered skiers and winter sports enthusiasts the chance to preview the Grande Rockies Resort, in Canmore, Alberta during this winter’s ski season, ahead of its grand opening this spring. See this and other recent Openings, Sales and Renovations.

The Winner's Circle ~ March 2010

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:46:43 PST

TORONTO—Choice Hotels Canada (CHC) has honoured its top performing hotels with a 2009 Gold Hospitality Award. A total of 26 hotels received the company’s highest level of recognition and over 280 Canadian hotels were eligible for the award.

Reductions equal to taking 572,000 cars off the road for a day...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:03:03 PST

TORONTO, ON—Canada’s largest hotel, The Delta Chelsea in downtown Toronto, has offset an impressive 109 per cent of their annual carbon footprint as recognized by the LivClean Eco-Stay Program.

Victoria inn now carbon neutral

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:42:47 PST

VICTORIA, BC—Inn at Laurel Point has announced a partnership that makes it the only BC hotel to offer carbon neutral facilities to its guests.

Save 10 per cent on Imagewear, a division of Mark's Work Wearhouse

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:34:56 PST

Imagewear, a division of Mark's WorkWearhouse is proud to partner with RestaurantNews to provide this Pay As You Go Account card. As a subscriber, you will save 10% off Regular Retail Prices.

How to calculate your hotel’s carbon footprint

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:02:21 PST

VANCOUVER—Just how does a hotel go about calculating its carbon footprint? According to Michelle Bonner of Climate Smart, you need one person at the hotel end with an Excel spreadsheet, and at the other end, you need a knowledgeable consultant, like Climate Smart.

"The Grind" and "Laughter Yoga"

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:07 PST

TORONTO, ONTARIO—Fairmont has declared March 1 through April 30th “Spa Season” at Willow Stream and Fairmont Spas around the world. Here are some of the packages they are promoting.

Spa Experiences That Can Be Fishy or Therapeutic

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:45:30 PST

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON—Not for the faint of heart or the ultra-ticklish, Vintage Hotels’ new fish pedicure will soon be the latest in alternative spa trends. The 20 minute session, termed the Garra Rufa Experience, will be offered to spa guests at Pillar and Post Inn & Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake later this spring.

Fort Garry at Forefront with Hamam

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:43:45 PST

WINNIPEG, MB—The Hamam at Ten Spa at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg is a modern reinterpretation of this ancient hot air bathing ritual. The facility is co-ed and can be enjoyed either as a party room (private bookings require a minimum of 6 people) or booked individually.

Top 10 Spa trends for 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:29:21 PST

Recession or no recession, spa-related hospitality and tourism, spa lifestyle and spa real estate have been growing, according to Susie Ellis, president of SpaFinder.com. The global number of spas was 71,600 in 2007, and Susie now uses a figure of 80,000. The yearly global income of these spas is $47 billion, according to SpaFinder.com figures.

STR’s forecasts, Select Canadian Markets for Dec 09

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:06:10 PST

HENDERSONVILLE, TN—The U.S. hotel industry is projected to end 2010 with decreases in two of the three key performance measurements, according to STR’s monthly forecast update. Read the latest STR forecast for the next two years, and get Canadian hotel market information for December 2009.

New boutique hotels group is seeking Canadian members

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:03:39 PST

WEST HILLS, CA—There’s is a brand new association uniting the world’s boutique and lifestyle hotels, and they’re seeking Canadian members.

Mark Williams speaks out on Best Western’s 2010 plans for Canada

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:54:45 PST

PHOENIX, AZ—Best Western International plans to grow its hotel portfolio by more than 120 new properties and 10,000 rooms in 2010 in top-tier markets including Calgary, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, New York and Denver, by targeting independent and former-chain hotels. While in 2009 – 40 percent of all new-to-the chain hotels were conversions, six out of every 10 will be conversions in 2010.

From PMS to POS—the 20 year evolution of hotel computers

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:11:23 PST

Twenty years ago, the value of a PMS was in its computerized capabilities as properties began to switch over from manual systems. Ten years ago, the more valid comparison was between a DOS and a Windows-based system. Today, the frontier is on-site vs. online systems, says Jim Mockford, general manager of Vancouver’s The Listel Hotel, which uses Maestro, a product of Northwinds.

Coast Coal Harbour opens Prestons II

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:17:08 PST

VANCOUVER—Prestons has opened up its newest location in the Coast Coal Harbour on West Hastings.