Transforming a Mess

The third installment of the Transformers franchise, Dark Side of the Moon, is set in Chicago and features the destruction of the luxury boutique hotel, Hotel 71. Okay, so the damage – which extends to a five-block radius of the hotel - is computer-generated, but the “set” still had to be decorated with real debris. Far from turning away guests in all this mess, the hotel capitalized on being at the centre of such cinematic carnage by advertising its starring role. Transformer fans eagerly checked in and watched the filming from a privileged point of view.

Fit to be Tried

Looking for a corporate gift your attendees will actually keep - and use?  How about using that gift to announce the destination of your next incentive trip or annual sales meeting? Maui Jim offers fun and interactive custom sunglass fittings on-site, offering a quality product with excellent perceived value.



Change is Good

I've always been a fan of Hockley Valley Resort, with its spacious guestrooms - all under one roof - self-contatined conference centre, its own 18-hole links-style golf course, and 8,000 sq. ft. "to-die-for" spa...
But it had been awhile since I had seen the resort - and their renovated product.

They've been busy.

The hotel's lobby is totally unrecognizable from previously - in a good way. Gone, as well, is the the country-style dining room; in its place is a hip restaurant and bar - perfect for convivial post-meeting networking .  And the guestrooms?  Let's just say that those floral bedspreads won't be missed.

The resort has also used a portion of their vast 300 acres to create their own garden - growing produce for their kitchen. Talk about locavore!  Amongst their bountiful harvest: four varieties of beets, five kinds of carrots, three types of cucumbers, six lettuces, tomatoes (five standard varieties and five Heirloom)...the list goes on, and I'm getting hungry!

Colour My Meeting World

This Daily Hot Idea came in recently from Meetings & Conventions:

The Trump SoHo in New York used a simple change of colour scheme to add some excitement to a recent all-day meeting. During each break the ballroom was re-set with different coloured glassware, candies (e.g. red Swedish Fish and blue M&Ms), and different brands of water, such as Saratoga in its beautiful cobalt blue bottles.

Off the Beaten Track

Sure, on paper Dundas and Jarvis is not the most "fashionable" address, but the astute business traveller checking into the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/City Centre will enjoy a newly-renovated guestroom (Jacuzzi suites are especially popular), a reasonably priced hot buffet breakfast, inexpensive parking, and complimentary shuttle service throughout the downtown core. The spacious lobby will soon include a licensed lounge, and there's a Casey's restaurant onsite serving lunch and dinner with private rooms available to groups. Three meeting rooms in the hotel accommodate up to 80 people classroom.

New Heights in Team-Building

How's this for a Team-Building activity? The CN Tower's Edgewalk will take participants on a "hands-free" walk outside the tower's main pod 1,168 ft. – 116 stories – above the ground.

Groups of six to eight at a time will be lead by a trained Edgewalk guides while being attached to an overhead rail via a trolley and harness system.

The entire experience will run 1.5 hours, with the walk itself lasting 20 to 30 minutes.

Tickets go on sale starting June 1st.

The Trumping of Toronto

Expect the new Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto to exude an air of Old Hollyood glamour, with a "Champaign and Caviar" colour scheme and luxe finishings throughout....but patience, dahling. This kind of attention to detail takes time.

Assistant Director of Sales Carla Olivier holds an artist's rendition of the Grand Staircase joining the two meeting room floors.

Plans and pictures of the meeting space located on the 9th and 10th floors. The 3,155 sq. ft. Grand Salon, and 3,737 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom - each divisable by three - will offer ample pre-function space.

Nearly half of the hotel's 261 guestooms will be one- or two-bedroom suites featuring fireplaces, separate powder rooms, and sofa beds along with such "standard" amenities as 42" flat-screen TVs, in-mirror bathroom televisions, deep soaking tubs with separate rainfall or hand-held shower, and European style wet bars.

There will be a signature restaurant and bar on the 31st floor, as well as the Destination Lounge in the lobby. The Spa at Trump will occupy 18,000 sq.ft, and fitness facilities will include steam baths, sauna, and indoor swimming pool.

No date has been announced for the opening - which is sure to be grand.