Mission: Massage

I'm treating myself to a massage a the Four Seasons Toronto Spa this week. Sadly I should have scheduled it earlier in the day, according to an article in the Travel Section of this weekend's Globe and Mail.

See: "How to get a good massage on the road" or Under Pressure

In terms of local (Toronto) spa experiences I'm still a huge fan of the Stillwater Spa in the bowels of the Park Hyatt.  Have heard great things about the Miraj Hammam Spa at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto.  Next time - and I will book an earlier appointment.

Do the Wild Thing

Animal welfare is a subject near and dear to my heart so I read with great interest an article in the March Issue of Meetings Today about how animal sanctuaries are welcoming groups and hosting events. Power-point-weary conference delegates are invited to take a break from technology and reconnect with nature and with living beings who have been given a second lease on life.

I have huge admiration for the people who run these safe havens for injured and abused animals - not for profit, but because of a strong moral conviction that this is the right thing to do.  From retired race horses, to rescued farm animals, to endangered species...."all creatures great and small" deserve safe and pain-free lives.

You can read the full article here

See below a YouTube video starring the animals of the Catskill Animal Sanctuary

Trump Slump Silver Lining?

I woke up this morning to a piece on the radio about the Girl Guides of Canada suspending all trips to the United States due to the current travel restrictions and fears that if one girl on a bus trip to New York, for instance, is denied entry that they couldn't very well leave her at the border.
See story here

This is just the latest in a story I've been following about the sudden drop in travel to the United States since President Trump announced his infamous "travel ban".  Travel companies Frommer and Kayak have cited drops in individual hotel rates in the 30% range.  Domestic travelers typically don't spend as much as foreign visitors, affecting the one-in-eight people in the United States who earn their living either directly or indirectly from the travel industry.

ConferenceDirect has already canvassed its associates to find out how the current regulations are affecting our clients. I'm sure I'll hear more about that at our Annual Partner Meeting in Baltimore at the end of next month.

We've already seen a softening in group hotel rates in the wake of unprecedented demand over the last few years.  Could this mean a significant shift in what has been a sellers market?

The View from "Ici"

With 571 guestrooms, the Hilton Quebec is the second-largest hotel in Quebec City - and oh, by-the-way - all of those recently-renovated rooms boast oversized picture windows taking full advantage of amazing views:

The Plains of Abraham, Old Quebec, the St. Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains in the distance...

The popular Plaines room on hotel's top, 23rd floor, offers a total of 2,772 square feet - again with a spectacular view.  The Executive Club floor is also located on the 23rd floor - great for VIP upgrades!

Hilton Quebec's 7,623 square foot ballroom is the largest in the city. With 23,000 square feet of dedicated hotel meeting space, and an enviable location adjacent to the Centre des Congres du Quebec (the city's newly-expanded full-service convention centre), the Hilton has always been the go-to choice for larger meetings and conventions.  A multi-million dollar renovation project, though, has added 73,000 square feet of flexible function space beneath the hotel's lobby; albeit technically part of the convention centre, it would be contracted separately.

Banking on Luxury

 

Located in the historic Old Port of Quebec City on Rue Saint-Pierre, the "Wall Street" of its time,  Hotel 71 was originally a built as a bank.  Now a Four-Diamond rated luxury boutique hotel, its 50 contemporary rooms and nine suites (and one fab Penthouse Suite) feature primary materials such as natural stone and the occasional bank remnant - like a vault door - as well as hardwood floors, spacious bathrooms, and glorious 15 ft. ceilings.

The hotel has four meeting rooms, all with natural light and DIY espresso machines. The largest, Salon 71 at 1500 square feet can accommodate up to 45 people classroom. (We saw it cunningly set-up with rectangular tables of eight - as an alternative to half-rounds.)

Its sister property - attached, with inside access (guests of both hotels have access to the same Espace Café/lounge offering complimentary coffee) - The Saint-Pierre offers an additional 41 guestrooms in more country-chic style, as well as its own library and lobby where coffee, tea and water are served all day long.  Great for overflow.

Also attached, the stylish but homey (all the dishes are prepared using "Mama's" recipes and patrons are warmly greeted by the owner) Il Matto Italian restaurant can accommodate small groups for dine-arounds or off-sites, that aren't really off-site at all!

Many other restaurants are within walking distance.  The hotel has bicycles for guests who want to explore the city on two wheels.

 

Having a little work done

In the finishing stages of a $70 million dollar facelift, Quebec City's famous "castle", is getting bigger as well as better.

The 120+year old Fairmont Chateau Frontenac is (proudly!) the most-photographed hotel in the world, so she likes to look her best. Guestrooms have been recently renovated in a more contemporary style with an updated lobby, meeting space and some snazzy new Food and Beverage outlets yet to be unveiled. The real focus, however, has been the addition of 15,000 square feet of much-needed meeting space - bringing the rooms-to-space ratio more in line.

The number of Fairmont Gold rooms is also increasing (from 47 to 61) and the Fairmont Gold lounge is being enlarged to allow more guests, and small groups, to enjoy this luxury product.

Now offering 613 guestrooms and 40,000 square feet of function space, the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac will be ready for her close up May 2014.

Small Big Hotels in a Small Big City

Calgary likes to call itself a "small big city". It's the fifth largest municipality in Canada, covering an area of 722 square kilometers (vs. Toronto's 644 sq. km.), but manages to retain a small city feel, and if your group doesn't require the massive space of the Calgary Telus Convention Centre or Stampede grounds, there are a number of right-sized options.

ELAN
New kid on (a very trendy) block, the 43-guestroom Elan hotel opened in June of last year. The building was originally an apartment building, closed in 2011 and now repurposed as a ultra-modern boutique hotel. Spare and functional, with red accents throughout, all nine room-types have walk-out balconies - and get this: internet FREE, long-distance calling to just about anywhere in the world FREE, breakfast served in a bright main floor space with patio access and built-in business centre - FREE! 

There's also a small meeting room - The Summit - fully wired for video conferencing. Located adjacent to 17th Avenue, Calgary's Retail and Entertainment District for an effortless mix of business with pleasure.

 

HOTEL ARTS
It seems a bit of an oxymoron to talk about a boutique hotel having a 9,500 sq. ft. ballroom, but that's how the 185-room Hotel Arts rolls. Unrecognizable from its roots as a Holiday Inn, complete with old-school outdoor pool and patio - oh, the childhood memories! - now a retro-chic event space available for corporate barbecues, evening receptions....

The best meal I had while in Calgary was at the hotel's restaurant, The Yellow Door Bistro, perhaps not coincidentally named Best New Restaurant in Calgary for 2013.  Popular with the entertainment industry, I can imagine running into a well-known band in the Yellow Door or the hotel's recently re-launched Raw Bar.

Another "Like" for me were the Brooklin Cruiser bicycles, available FREE to guests for city-exploring.

HOTEL LE GERMAIN CALGARY
The western-most member of the Canadian Luxury Boutique Le Germain "collection", Hotel Le Germain Calgary is just one minute away from the Telus Convention Centre, so its luxurious guestrooms provide a true sanctuary experience for convention attendees. For smaller meetings, the hotel has six (6) highly-functional meeting rooms (sound-proofed, with acoustic ceilings, advanced lighting and state-of-the-art A/V systems) able to accommodate from 10-100 people.

Hotel amenities include CHARCUT Restaurant (which made MacLean's Best New Restaurants list when it opened in 2010), a roof-top 24-hour fitness centre and Santé Spa, high-speed wireless internet throughout the hotel, and even lap-tops available for guests.