The Regina Monologues

I found the experience of flying into Regina fascinating. At first all you see is the seemingly endless prairies, dotted with bright yellow canola fields. Then you come upon something that looks exactly - and I mean *exactly* - like the city map provided by the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (http://www.reginaroc.com/). You can take in the entire city below you at a single glance. At its heart is the 2300-acre Wascana Park (bigger than New York's Central Park and Vancouver's Stanley Park put together) with its imported greenery and man-made lakes. You can also make out the Delta Hotel, Regina's tallest building, and then cutting a straight-edge through the city right to the horizon, the trans-Canada highway.

Regina feels like the most Canadian city I've ever been to, after Ottawa. Yes, being greeted at the airport by two Mounties in their red serge jackets, balloon paints, tall boots and stetsons might have something to do with it. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police "Depot" is located here, where every Mountie in Canada trains for at least six months. This is also home to the Canadian Football League's most spirited fans; going to a Saskatchewan Roughrider game was a little like Halloween, Mardi Gras, and the Olympics all rolled into one afternoon!

During our visit we learned about an exciting downtown revitalization project centred on historic Victoria Square, and we sampled some of the city's culinary delights including the Copper Kettle's famous pizza, and food and brewskie pairings at Beer Brothers.

A few hotel highlights:

The Regina Inn Hotel & Conference Centre
Offering 235 spacious guestrooms (all with complimentary internet access and free local calls), this venerable downtown Regina hotel has been welcoming guests in 1967. Its 20,000 square feet of meeting space divides across three floors, with four ballrooms and eight meeting rooms. http://www.reginainn.com/

The Delta Regina
Already mentioned as the tallest building in the city, the Delta also has the largest ballroom (14,580 square feet) which has been recently renovated. (We loved the bold carpet choice!) With only 274 guestrooms they often partner with the neigbouring Wingate Hotel for overflow accommodation. The Delta is also attached by pedway to Casino Regina which has a tiered Show Room with stage that can be used for tradeshows or other functions. www.deltahotels.com/

Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza
Ideally located overlooking the soon-to-be-redeveloped Victoria Square, this historic hotel ws built in 1927. It boasts a (truly!) Royal Suite and old-fashioned working barber shop as well as 13 elegant function rooms Guestrooms offer complimentary internet and Radisson-standard Sleep Number beds. http://www.radisson.com/

Your comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome!

Julie

Julie Epplett, CMP
Global Account Manager
ConferenceDirect®

San Diego Dreamin'

This month's Enroute magazine celebrates San Diego, California (http://enroute.aircanada.com/en/issues/view/sun-and-games), in particular the many attractions of interest to the young - or the young of heart: Legoland, the famous San Diego Zoo, and the new Childrens Museum, just to name a few. It also mentions the venerable Hotel Del Coronado - which reminded me of my own visit to the "Del" just last year.

From the Archives (April 16, 2009):

HILTON SAN DIEGO BAYFRONT
This was our host hotel for ConferenceDirect's Annual Partner meeting – a brand new property (opened within the last year) towering 30-stories over the adjacent San Diego Convention Centre and San Diego Bay. The waterfront location is celebrated throughout the property with touches of blue in the décor, and the meeting space is organized on levels called “Indigo”, “Sapphire”. “Aqua”, and “Cobalt”. Guestrooms enjoy either bay or city views, Hilton’s Serenity Collection beds and linens, plasma televisions with HDTV, both wired and wireless internet service, and large work desk with ergonomic chair. Women travellers will appreciate the spacious vanity in the bathrooms with proper lighting. The gym is smallish, but the bayside boardwalk directly outside the hotel makes for an excellent walking or jogging path, and San Diego’s famed “idyllic climate” means that outdoor exercise is nearly almost an option.

FOUR SEASONS RESORT AVIARA
Located near Carlsbad, about a half hour up the coast from San Diego, this oasis of luxury overlooks 200 rolling acres – much of it a wetlands sanctuary for native birds and flowering plants – and the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. As a sanctuary for two-legged creatures it offers a disproportionately generous amount of eclectic function space, an Arnold Palmer golf course, choice of swimming pools (one “Quiet” and one for families), tennis courts, fitness facilities, and a sublime spa. Guestrooms all have private balconies or ground-floor terraces, again taking advantage of the Southern California climate. All the Four Seasons markers are in evidence, along with the promise of exceptional service.

HOTEL DEL CORONADO
Located across San Diego Bay in the seaside city of Coronado, the “Del”, was built in 1888 and is designated a National Historic Landmark. Its prestigious guestlist reads like a “Who’s Who” of politicians, diplomats, and visiting Royalty (was it here that Edward VIII met Coronado divorcee Wallis Simpson?). It was famously one of the locations used in the film “Some Like it Hot” with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon and continues to welcome such high-profile celebrities as Brad Pitt and Madonna. A walk through the resort’s public areas brought us to the jaw-dropping Crown Room, whose Crown-shaped chandeliers (I discovered later) were designed by Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum.

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P.S. At last week's IncentiveWorks I dropped by the San Diego booth and congratulated the Convention and Visitors Bureau representative for once again garnering ConferenceDirect's "CVB of the Year" award. They do an outstanding job partnering with us and ensuring our clients get the support they need to bring successful meetings to that beautiful city. Let me know if you need any information on the destination and/or its many hotel options.

Julie

Julie Epplett, CMP
Global Account Manager
ConferenceDirect®