The Kanata Kelowna Hotel & Conference Centre on Harvey Avenue has been sold to Vernon-based Hollypark Hotels Corporation. The Kanata Kelowna Hotel & Conference Centre is a 190-room hotel with over 5,000 square feet of conference space. The hotel originally opened in 1993 with 120 rooms and underwent a 70-room expansion in a seven-storey tower and parkade in 2010. “We’re excited about acquiring this hotel in such a prime location in midtown Kelowna,” stated Sam Dhillon, Hollypark’s 35-year old…
Toronto is the most expensive city in Canada, according to Mercer’s 2022 Cost of Living Survey. The city ranks 89th worldwide, followed by Vancouver, which came in at 108th. Calgary (141) was found to be the least expensive Canadian city listed for international employees. With global economic conditions and remote and flexible work evolving faster than ever, companies must carefully navigate compensation packages to ensure the resilience of their business and sustainability of their workforce. Overall, Hong Kong was listed…
The BMO Centre expansion, on schedule for its opening in June 2024, has begun to take its dramatic shape rising high above the midway in Calgary. The $500M expansion is already garnering significant interest for groups vying to bring their events and conventions to the facility. The team at the Calgary Stampede is preparing to once again welcome the world when the convention centre opens. “The sheer scale of the building and its dramatic addition will be clear to…
The National Capital Commission (NCC) and Capital Sports Development Inc. (CSDI), a group led by the Ottawa Senators NHL hockey team, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) toward the development of a major event centre at LeBreton Flats. CSDI is proposing to build an NHL hockey arena and events venue surrounded by mixed-use development, located on Albert Street between Preston Street and City Centre Avenue. This site was identified for a potential major facility in the…
Choice Hotels Canada has announced the opening of the Halifax Tower Hotel & Conference Centre, featuring space for both leisure and corporate travel, as well as large group events. Located at 5 Lakelands Boulevard in the Bayer’s Lake region of Halifax, the boutique hotel is adjacent to another Choice Hotels property, the Comfort Hotel. Both properties are owned by Stephanie Giannoulis and the new Ascend property will be overseen by the same team of operators. “We’ve long had the…
Fairmont Vancouver Airport has been named the number one Airport Hotel in North America and number five Airport Hotel in the World for the eighth consecutive year at the annual Skytrax World Airport Awards. The World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry and based on more than 13 million questionnaires completed across 100 nationalities of airline passengers at 550 airports over a six-month period. The Airport Hotel Awards rate overall hotel experience, access from…
W Toronto welcomes Craig Reaume as general manager and Perry Pisani as director of sales and marketing. The city’s first ever W Hotel is set to open on July 21st, 2022. Reaume oversees all front-of-house operations, while Reaume manages sales and marketing initiatives for the hotel. Together, they are bringing the brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever service to life at W Toronto. Reaume has more than 30 years of experience overseeing hotels worldwide, including Fairmont properties in Vancouver, Boston, New York…
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) has announced that for the first time, 100 per cent of the wine and craft beer they serve will be locally sourced. This initiative reflects the centre’s ongoing commitment to support local businesses and showcase the best Ontario has to offer. “As Canada’s largest convention centre, it’s important for us to lead by example, support local businesses and make a positive impact on the region,” said David Procopio, director of food and beverage…
Neil McInnes has been appointed to the permanent role of vice president, corporate development at Destination BC. For the past year McInnes has served as acting vice president, corporate development during one of the industry’s most challenging times. He consistently demonstrated his strengths and capabilities while leading the comprehensive range of core corporate activities that comprise the five areas of responsibility of the corporate development division – corporate services, people and development, research and analytics, corporate communications, and corporate…
The U.S. has removed the COVID-19 test requirement for inbound air travelers from abroad, effective June 12, 2022. Airlines and others in the travel industry were increasingly pushing the administration to drop the requirement, arguing it was hurting demand for international trips. The travel industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. “The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of…
