BC Hotel Association

Winter 2011

PM40026059 PM40026059

Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort

The Now of Niche • Attracting Guests with Art Partnering with a Branded Restaurant • Collective Bargaining

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200-948 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9 T 604-681-7164 1-800-663-3153 F 604-681-7649 1-866-220-2032 www.bchotelassociation.com

BCHA Board of Directors Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region Taj Kassam, Sandman Hotel Group, Vancouver Craig Norris-Jones, Coast Hotels & Resorts, Vancouver Ken Svejkosky, Rosellen Suites at Stanley Park, Vancouver David Wetsch, Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver, Vancouver Ross Dyck, Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver John Sandor, Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver Mark Herron, Four Seasons Resort Whistler, Whistler Yannick Simovic, Vancouver Airport Marriot, Richmond John Kearns, Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, Surrey Leonard Wiens, Comfort Inn Chilliwack, Chilliwack Vancouver Island, Victoria, and Gulf Islands Region Earl Wilde, Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Victoria Reid James, Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria Kevin Walker, Oak Bay Beach Hotel & Marine Resort, Victoria Ian Powell, Inn at Laurel Point, Victoria Rick Browning, Best Western Plus The Westerly Hotel, Courtenay Jonathan Cross, Hospitality Inn Hotel, Port Alberni Kurt Pyrch, Best Western Cowichan Valley, Duncan Stephen Peters, Pacific Sands Beach Resort, Tofino

Up Front Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort, page 16

Thompson Okanagan Region Gavin Parry, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna John Douglas, Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge, Sun Peaks Tim Rodgers, Best Western Plus Kamloops Hotel, Kamloops Don Brogan, Walnut Beach Resort, Osoyoos Ingrid Jarrett, Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos David Gibbs, Prestige Hotel & Conference Centre Vernon, Vernon Kootenay Rockies Region Don Lutzak, Elkford Motor Inn, Elkford Allan Brander, St. Eugene Resort, Cranbrook

Winter 2011

Cariboo Chilcotin Region Pat Corbett, The Hills Health and Guest Ranch, 100 Mile House

Features

Columns

The Now of Niche

4

President’s Message

10 Attracting Guests with Art

5

CEO’s Report

President, David Wetsch, Ramada Limited Downtown, Vancouver Past President, Kurt Pyrch, Best Western Cowichan Valley, Duncan Treasurer, Al McCreary, Hudson Bay Lodge, Smithers Vice President, Jonathan Cross, The Hospitality Inn, Port Alberni Vice President, Ingrid Jarrett, Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos Vice President, Gavin Parry, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna Vice President, Kevin Walker, Oak Bay Beach Hotel & Marine Resort, Victoria Vice President, Earl Wilde, Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Victoria

14 Canadian Winter Wonderland Beckons Europeans

9

BC Hospitality Foundation

16

21 BCHA Member Benefits

BCHA Staff

22 Collective Bargaining

James Chase, Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver 604-443-4750 Cailey Murphy, Communications Coordinator, Vancouver 604-443-4751 Louise Thompson, Member Services Coordinator, Vancouver 604-443-4756

28 Keeping Walk-In Guests

Northern BC Region Steve Smith, Crest Hotel, Prince Rupert Al McCreary, Hudson Bay Lodge, Smithers Sam Mangalji, Inn on the Creek, Dawson Creek Doug Andrews, Coast Inn of the North, Prince George

Executive Committee

6

Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort

18 Partnering with a Branded Restaurant

15 From the Front Line 26 Tourism Marketing 29 What’s New? 30 Names in the News

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InnFocus is published quarterly by EMC Publications - a division of EMC Executive Marketing Consultants Inc. 19073 63 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3S 8G7 t 604-574-4577 1-800-667-0955 f 604-574-2196 [email protected] www.emcmarketing.com Publisher: Joyce Hayne Design & Layout: Krysta Furioso Copy Editor: Debbie Minke

President’s Message

by David Wetsch

Reflecting On the Past and Moving Forward I am pleased to be addressing you in my first report as president of the BC Hotel Association, since assuming the position in November. I am delighted and honoured to be representing an industry in which I have worked since starting as a bellhop for the Holiday Inn in Bismarck North Dakota, in 1966! I am currently general manager of the Ramada Downtown Limited, in the heart of Vancouver and formerly held the positions of president & chief operating officer for Atlific Hotels and Resorts and vice president development (Western Canada) for AMF Hospitality Corporation. I have been a member of the BCHA Board of Directors for six years. I also sit on the board of the Hotel Association of Vancouver, and fill the role of treasurer for the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association (DMF). As such, I am intimately familiar with the issues impacting our industry, and look forward to the opportunity of continuing to contribute to the long-term health and vitality of our sector. I am committed to working with the board of directors and members from all regions of BC and the Yukon to the betterment of our industry. I would like to take a moment to thank Kurt Pyrch for the countless hours he put in as president for the past two years. During Kurt’s term, we saw an incredible amount of change

in the political landscape in BC, both at the provincial and federal levels. Kurt took on each challenge and issue with the best interests of our industry always at the forefront; he was steadfast in his positioning and maintained a great sense of humour as the political and business environment continued to evolve at a rapid pace. I look forward to working with Kurt in his new capacity as past president in the weeks and months ahead, as we continue to address the issues impacting BC’s hotel industry. We have indeed seen much change over the last few years, with some issues even coming full circle in that short time. Provincially, we have a new premier, a new cabinet and a new leader of the official opposition. We saw the introduction, and then the rejection of the Harmonized Sales Tax; and while we are disappointed to see that we will be returning to the PST+GST tax regime in our province, the BCHA is committed to working with the province to ensure that we do not lose all of the competitive advantages the value-added tax had brought to our economy. We also saw the Crown corporation of Tourism BC folded into the Ministry, and are now pleased to have a renewed commitment - from Premier Christy Clark and Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister Pat Bell - to return to an industry-led and formula-funded model for our provincial destination marketing organization. We have seen a staged increase to the minimum wage, a provincial crackdown on drinking and

driving, and the introduction of a new statutory holiday, Family Day, to begin in 2013. I will be working on your behalf with the association and our industry partners to advocate for measures to mitigate the impact of these policies on our businesses. I encourage you to send any insight, feedback, or comments on these issues to me at [email protected]. At the federal level, after four consecutive minority governments, we now have a majority government in power for the first time in five years, giving some stability and predictability to the federal scene. We will work with the Government of Canada to address some of the issues impacting the competitiveness of our industry, including air access, visa requirements, and marketing funding. On top of all these developments, we have seen a crippling global recession that continues to impact a number of our key markets. The forecast for the year ahead continues to look flat as we wait for the global economic unrest to settle. It has become increasingly apparent in the past few years that we cannot take our traditionally strong markets for granted. Instead, we must continue to leverage our strong Canadian brand in new and emerging markets as we move forward. In closing, I look forward to the months ahead and working with you, our members, and the BCHA staff to help remove barriers and create opportunities for growth in our industry.

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CEO’s Report

by James Chase

Canada Starts Here - The BC Jobs Plan On September 22 Premier Christy Clark unveiled her government’s “BC Jobs Plan” titled “Canada Starts Here”. The plan is a comprehensive look at eight of BC’s key sectors, including the tourism industry, that can grow and bring incremental growth to our province. Executing this plan will be the central mandate of the government in the months and years ahead. The Premier has noted that there are three pillars at the heart of the jobs plan: • Expanding markets for BC products and services, particularly in Asia • Strengthening infrastructure to get our goods and services to market • Working with communities and employers to enable job creation The plan is centered on what the Premier has referred to as “bringing the first new dollar to British Columbia”. This means the focus will be directed at bringing new investment to BC, by creating a cycle that encourages new investments in the BC economy that can then grow, multiply, and circulate throughout the economy as a whole. Arguably each “new dollar” will bring growth, create jobs, and increase income, thereby benefitting

hospitality, retail, and other sectors that depend largely on discretionary spending. The government has committed to working at bringing some of those “new dollars” to the tourism industry as well. “Canada Starts Here” is about opening up new and emerging markets for BC goods, including BC’s tourism exports. Now, why is this plan called “Canada Starts Here”? The name of the plan sets the direction of the government’s outward efforts. The government will leverage our great geographical competitive advantage here on the Pacific Northwest. At the launch of the BC Jobs Plan, the Premier stated, “Canada starts here because we are at the Pacific edge of the nation, and we are literally facing the future of the world in Asia.” And while our geographic location is clearly a defining asset when pursuing markets in Asia, BC offers considerably more to the Asian market. The diverse composition of our province is also a great advantage, especially to the tourism industry. 40% of the population of Greater Vancouver identify themselves as Asian. The Premier noted that if you want to argue there is an Asian city outside of Asia, Vancouver is it. BC is entirely unique in its makeup and the government plans to leverage this as a competitive advantage for reaching

our growth potential within the strong Asian market. The focus will be especially on China and India, where economies are growing and the middle class is experiencing unprecedented growth. In less than 20 years, the middle class in India alone is expected to be more than 10 times the size of Canada’s entire population. The government is committed to understanding these markets, and then producing goods to feed their demands. While we work on growing these emerging markets, however, it is important that we do not turn our backs completely on what has historically been our bread and butter. The government has committed to not overlooking our more traditional markets that lie to the south and the east. “Canada Starts Here” will both refresh BC’s approach to current markets, while also expanding destination marketing to attract new tourists from countries with an emerging middle class. We look forward to working with the government on implementing the BC Jobs Plan and growing the tourism industry in BC. I encourage you to learn more about the plan by visiting www.BCJobsPlan.ca. Should you have any questions or comments as they relate to our sector, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

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The Now of Niche by Chris McBeath

When hotels adopted yield management techniques back in the eighties, the concept of niche marketing reinvented itself. Sexier sounding “catering to niche markets” replaced old terminology of “selling to vertical sectors”, and product marketing started to take a backseat to courting specific customers with an engaging story. Niche as a Brand

Find Your SEL

Today, niche is the “now” marketing approach used everywhere by restaurants, retailers, and hotels - each intent on designing a product that will appeal to different consumers based on research that layers lifestyle values atop quantitative demographics. Entire hotel chains have been built on the socio-economic profiles of their desired buyer - whether it’s for cost-conscious business travellers (think Courtyard by Marriott), or for urban, hip couples as in W and Design Hotels. So how do the rest of us get niche savvy and grow our occupancies?

Finding and pursuing your niche guest is all about socio-economic lifestyle (SEL) groups - a catch-all phrase for describing a person’s social and economic standing as well as their values and consumer behaviour. While demographics provide statistical data on, say, income and age, it’s SEL information that will share whether that income earner is a corporate executive or a factory foreman, and will lead to more educated assumptions as to their political affiliation, fashion sense, and reading, television, and social media preferences. An SEL executive who attends a country club is unlikely to frequent a blue-collar bar and vice versa. Eco adventurers are probably not going to choose to vacation at an all-inclusive resort.

“Branding and niche marketing go hand in hand,” offers Nora Weber, a locally-based tourism consultant whose client roster has included the Wickaninnish Inn, Rocky Mountaineer, Purcell Mountain Lodge, Sunset Inn, and Victoria’s Magnolia Hotel, among others. “Going after a niche market starts with an honest analysis of what you offer without any delusions of grandeur,” she advises. “What’s your most accessible market? Where do flights and travellers come from, and how do they reach you? Who are these guests and what experience are they seeking? And, most importantly, what are your property’s particular strengths and values? For example, families will appreciate larger rooms and in-room cooking facilities that can save them the stress and money of restaurant dining. Equally, if you have meeting space, or have an accessible highway locale, this can attract regional business clients.”

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Create a Story

“If you want to capture attention and have staying power, you must capture their heart,” explains Weber. “Creating a storyline for your hotel drives the entire design and service process. It is what projects your brand identity, especially if it is woven into the community’s unique cultural qualities.” When in spring 2011, Accent Inns launched Bike Love, it not only packaged all these elements, it also recognized a growing niche opportunity that has added to, not detracted from, the chain’s overall market mix. Mandy Farmer, CEO of Accent Inns, is a cyclist herself, and found that while

visiting self-described bike-friendly hotels, bicycles had to be placed in storage and few properties offered any amenities that actually catered to the specific needs of bikers. “We consulted with a number of local bike companies to make sure that our program would provide for absolutely everything a biking enthusiast might want or need,” describes Farmer. “Every Accent Inn has a bicycle wash and tuning station, a tool kit that enables the biker to do everything from brake adjustments to headset overhauls, cleaning rags, and on-site laundry rooms. Mountain bikes and riders can get very dirty!” Most significantly, though, is that Accent Inns offers in-room bike storage with its ground floor, bike-friendly rooms so that guests have the security of sleeping with their two-wheeled companions. The company introduced the program with a “My Favourite Bike” photo contest. Facebook “likes” helped determine the winner, who was awarded $1,000 in Norco gift certificates.

Research the Fit

Mandala Research, a market research company that specializes in tourism and travel for many Fortune 500 companies, identifies several niche trends that hoteliers can translate into improved occupancies. These include culinary tourism, adventure travel, ethnic groups, gay and lesbian travel, and shoppers, especially from Australia and the emerging markets of

More than half of travellers use social media technology for travel planning, but contrary to anecdotal belief, research data indicates only about 20% use it for actual planning... Brazil, China, India, and Korea, which are projected to grow some 40% within the next three years. “A recent study revealed that 56% of upper income travellers cite shopping as the key motivator for choosing a destination,” notes Laura Mandala, company founder and former vice president of the US Travel Association. “Study data also shows that this segment has a preference for apparel and specialty foods, and incorporates activities into their vacation that include visiting parks, museums, zoos, and aquariums as well as unique dining experiences, gambling, concerts, the theatre, and spa services. In addition, almost half of Chinese travellers look at real estate during their visit.” Although research was geared to the US, Canadian urban destinations would do well to heed these figures and rationale for invariably, US data is mirrored by Canada, albeit to a lesser degree. Weber, however, cautions us to put trends in context. “China might be an emerging market for many major Canadian cities,” she says, “but a closer look reveals that for the immediate future at least, it’s only the very wealthy who are travelling, so the SEL group would be an appropriate fit only to four- and five-star urban properties rather than out-of-town resorts.”

Package a Niche Sector

For independent properties in particular, packages are essential in helping to build brand and pursue niche markets, especially when elements underscore a property’s USP (unique selling point) and take advantage of Internet purchase power, including opportunities such as Groupon. While a certain SEL will always be very price conscious - coupons and discounts appeal to them - packaging is really more about value than price. “If your hotel doesn’t have a spa, align with a local provider to offer in-room services and exclusive bathroom amenities,” Weber recommends. “If you’re near a dude ranch, partner with them on horseback excursions, include packed lunches or ranch-style breakfasts before guests set off.” Additional suggestions include resorts offering recuperative services to capitalize on the growing medical tourism industry as recuperative centres, or B&Bs creating a back-country driving routes, culinary tours, and experiential adventure weeks that involve stopovers at each participating inn, restaurant, and attraction.

InnFocus 7

Punch Up Your Web Presence

Niche marketing starts with an impactful web presence where text is Search Engine Optimized to your desired markets. More than half of travellers use social media technology for travel planning, but contrary to anecdotal belief, research data indicates only about 20% use it for actual planning - a figure that’s likely to increase over upcoming months as smart phone apps for guides, dining reservations, and ticket purchases become part of the daily vernacular in the same way that texting, tweeting, blogging, and flickering are. “Niche marketing is all about birds of a feather flocking together,” notes Weber, “and the more you involve yourself in these mediums, the more traffic you’ll generate to your site of like-minded individuals.”

Ideas at Work >>> The Fairmont Chateau Whistler gave guests a chance to get “Into the Wild” with a package offered in conjunction with the National Geographic Society that included a bear tour. >>> The Resort at The Mountain, Oregon, which has earned several awards for its wedding programs, has added a Bridal Boot Camp to its roster of transformational weekend programs of fitness, stress-relieving spa treatments, and outdoor adventure, thereby expanding upon an already popular niche market. >>> Located just three minutes from Amerimed Hospital in Puerto Vallarta, the adults-only Casa Velas Hotel markets itself into the expanding medical tourism field, packing the most advanced elective and cosmetic procedures with a luxurious recuperative stay, ongoing professional medical services, support, and consultation. >>> In southern China’s Shenzhen, the Vision Fashion Hotel boasts a range of room options and ten types of corridors, all corresponding with fashion images and eras such as rock and roll, cartoon, and future themes, each aimed at challenging the imagination for a memorable stay and a point of differentiation. >>> In an ongoing effort to underscore brand, story, and niche appeal to design-minded travellers, Design Hotels have just published The Design Hotels™ Made by Originals book, featuring 33 engaging stories on the original people behind the member hotels, written by international journalists and illustrated by renowned photographers and artists. >>> It’s not a hotel, but is shared as an example of creativity: A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour has perfected the art of niche marketing through adding a grazing twist to traditional sightseeing tours, including a Christmas Lights & Cannoli extravaganza. >>> When niche marketing works, it can sustain other travel segments vis-à-vis the success of Japan Airlines (JAL) with its Aurora viewing route into Fairbanks. Even though JAL has gone through the Japanese equivalent of Chapter 11, this niche route has survived and thrived, helping to maintain much of JAL’s interior loads. >>> And consider this anomaly: When Ryad Mogador Menara Hotel in Marrakech decided on a no-alcohol policy, the hotel snubbed all predictions of swift bankruptcy, and has enjoyed brisk business, even during the height of tourist season. Perhaps a similar concept might appeal to the niche markets of religiously conservative travellers, people in recovery, families with small kids, and even women travelling alone.

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BC Hospitality Foundation

by Renee Blackstone

Momentum Continues to Build Fundraising Efforts The British Columbia Hospitality Foundation continues to increase its fundraising momentum as its latest effort, the Tip Out to Help campaign, was launched in October. “This year’s inaugural Tip Out to Help campaign was an outstanding success,” said BCHF Business Development Manager Alan Sacks. “Not only did it raise over $100,000, but it created greater awareness of the foundation’s work. We have a strong base to build on for future campaigns, and Tip Out to Help will become a key part of our fundraising efforts.” “The campaign drew donations ranging from $5 from individuals to $3,000 from one hotel,” explained Sacks, adding “we want to get a wider cross-section of the industry involved in future campaigns, especially people outside Vancouver and Victoria. After all, we are a province-wide organization.” The foundation’s mandate is to both help those in the hospitality industry, whose need for assistance comes from medical crises that are not covered by standard medical coverage, and to give scholarships to students who wish

to further their education in the hospitality industry. Recent beneficiaries of $5,000 towards their medical expenses included Teresa Evans, retired editor of the BC Restaurant News, who is currently undergoing treatment for kidney cancer and Zaanneta Zaalberg, a bartender at the Wheatsheaf Pub in Ladysmith, who has Lyme disease. Darlana Marshall of Coquitlam, a long-time restaurant server who lost her leg to cancer, received $7,500 to purchase a wheelchair, which gives her greater mobility and helps enhance her quality of life. Sara Craig works as a first cook at the Harbour Towers Hotel in Victoria and is another recent BCHF beneficiary. Sara did fundraising with her partner Andrew at the Laurel Point Resort. These two teams raised $10,000 through a Tip Out to Help campaign, and the foundation matched their efforts with $5,000, giving Sara $15,000 to help her deal with Crohn’s disease. “This is the type of partnering with others that we greatly encourage,” described Sacks.

“It brings the community together, raises awareness of what we’re doing, and gives even more support to the person in need.” Meanwhile, 17 students from all over BC received scholarships ranging from $1,250 to $1,500, bringing this year’s scholarship awards to $24,500. Ten of the students attend the following institutions: Camosun College, Vancouver Community College, Okanagan College, Selkirk College, University of Victoria, Royal Roads, Northwest Culinary Institute, and Douglas College. This year, for the first time, there were four sommelier scholarships provided through a program funded by Okanagan Crush Pad winery, and three culinary scholarships that resulted from a partnership with the Chef’s Table Society of BC. For more information about the BCHF its scholarships, beneficiaries and grant application process - please check www.bchospitalityfoundation.com. Renee Blackstone is a freelance writer and editor and a member of the BCHF Advisory Board.

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Impressionist Gallery, photo courtesy of Listel Hotel

Attracting Guests with Art by Chris McBeath

Ever since the boutique movement started to morph mainstream hotels into providing more customized experiences, concepts of originality have edged to the forefront. Whether in architectural features, dynamic design, or complex textures, originality also dominates a hotel’s cultural aspect, especially if it also includes an indigenous or local perspective. Hotel “galleries” - be they a showcase of art or music are fast becoming the hottest new and experiential hotel amenity. Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. ~ Oscar Wilde

Community Connections Connecting with local artists and musicians can really provide a cultural sense of place and is, perhaps, the easiest network to establish; invariably, artists need venues to display their work. For example, in Kelowna, The Cove Lakeside Resort commissioned local artist Mal Gagnon to complete a series of signature pieces. Specializing in stylized images of the surrounding landscape, Gagnon’s waterscapes, vineyards, and golf scenes are instantly recognizable as being Kelowna-

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focused. The refurbished, historic Hotel Eldorado, however, blends the old and new by placing the contemporary interpretations of local scenes by Kelowna artist Wendy Porter alongside collectibles and sepia images that show the hotel’s historical narrative. Marketing that Commitment

In Vancouver, when the Listel Hotel revamped its look in 1997, it pioneered the use of art as a marketing differential. Its jazz program in O’Douls Restaurant is now considered the best in the city, and its Gallery and Museum floors are iconic examples of working with community partners in non-traditional ways. “We wanted to present original and

As art entrenches itself into the hotel amenity package, it is morphing into a more interactive cultural experience. contemporary pieces in a unique way, and have every room represent a different artist,” explains Jim Mockford, general manager. “For the Gallery Floors, The Buschlen Mowatt Gallery helped establish our collection of 250 original pieces and limited editions. We then worked with the Museum of Anthropology to create our Museum Floors, which include Northwest Coast art, carvings, and window dressings.” Today, the hotel’s commitment to the arts has evolved to include a destination gallery in its lobby; the production of its own CD “Take Time”, featuring many of the musicians who play at O’Douls; and the co-publication of the book, The Vancouver Stories, a copy of which is on every bedside table. “We have used art to define our style and to underscore our sense of place,” notes Mockford. “It’s been a marketing tool that has moved with the times.” The Hotel Arts Group followed a similar route. When it opened Hotel Arts in Calgary, its use of art infused both the property and the neighbourhood as a unique and happening destination. “Both the Hotel Arts and the Kensington Riverside Inn are independent properties with a need to differentiate themselves in the market,” says Fraser Abbott, Director of Business Development for the Hotels Arts Group. “Art has a way or creating personality because it appeals to the senses and imagination, and evokes an emotional response that sets us apart. I often joke that we’re the only hotel where guests push every button of the elevator so they can see the different art installations on every floor!” Design Hotels plays the art card to the nth degree, establishing a brand where the depth of its hotel art experience tells a compelling story. In a just-launched website, www.MadebyOriginals.com, Design Hotels pays tribute to the driving forces and innovative spirits behind its member hotels. Through image galleries, films, and stories, the online magazine journeys into the world of an “Original” someone - hoteliers, architects, designers, and other artists who make up the chain’s creative community. It frames and elevates guest expectations, and also offers personal recommendations from the “Originals” on the hot places to visit in their home cities.

Andy Wooldridge, photo courtesy of Artishow

Experiential Culture

As art entrenches itself into the hotel amenity package, it is morphing into a more interactive cultural experience. In Victoria, art advocate Barbara Adams has taken art out of the studio and into hotel lobbies. A former educator who ran an Artist in the School program, she was well versed in how the creative arts impact learning and inspiration. “Vancouver Island has an amazing pool of world class talent. I wanted to make that accessible to infuse the community with a pride that Victoria is an art city.” Through her company, Artishow, she has established a May to November Artistin-Residence program with five of Victoria’s leading hotels around the Inner Harbour: The Fairmont Empress, which also hosted Sunday plein air events; The Grand Pacific, which offered drawing classes, as well as children’s colouring and ornament making from recycled materials; the Chateau Victoria, Delta Ocean Pointe Resort, and the Inn at Laurel Point. “This program has really proved that if you do something for the community, the tourists will come,” says Avril Matthews, director

InnFocus 11

of sales and marketing at the Inn at Laurel Point. “Having a working artist on premise isn’t always pretty - creating a brass sculpture can be messy work, but our guests have truly delighted in meeting the different artists, learning from them, and being inspired by the process.” 2011 is ArtiShow’s inaugural year and has met with such success that Adams is already working on a year-round program at many more destinations. At the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver, experiential cross-pollination is recreating this newly renovated hotel as an avant-garde gathering place for artists themselves. The entire place is eclectic and unexpected - the old longshoreman’s bar has been converted into a Lebanese restaurant, and shades of the kitschy Polynesian Tiki bar and other rooms have become as much a performance venue for music, digital concerts, artists, and impromptu jam sessions as they have a hip hangout for artists and designers who land in Vancouver for a few days or weeks.

Taking It Outdoors

Outdoor sculpture gardens are equally popular. First Nation’s owned Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos uses metallic sculptures, created by native artists, to tell the aboriginal story; Roche Harbour has transformed a disused hayfield into a San Juan visitor destination; and at Crystal Mountain Resort in Michigan, hiking/cross-country ski trails weave through a densely wooded preserve past over 40 sculptures and poetry stones. Each piece interprets a piece of Michigan’s history, which not only generates traffic independent of hotel guests, but also procures donations that are reinvested into the park and an annual Summer Sounds Concert Series. One of the most intriguing programs for outdoor art would be to copy a Vancouver Parks Board initiative for Stanley Park. Artists were invited to suspend all manner of eco-creations from trees along a designated forest trail. Made from 100% biodegradable materials, each piece is slowly disintegrating, changing its shape and form through the seasons as the years progress.

Art Imitates Life Just as hotels are embracing art, so the Vancouver Art Gallery has adopted an interactive online presence, Grand Hotel. This innovative program is a prequel to the physical exhibition opening in 2013, charting the evolution of the hotel from its humble origins as an isolate and utilitarian structure to a cultural phenomenon that figures prominently within the global landscape. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_grand_hotel.html

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Art as Eco Decor

Coined by a design firm, “art eco design” is an emerging term that describes the purposeful artistic transformation of recycled, reclaimed, and re-used goods, not so much as individual art pieces but as intrinsic design elements that embody a historical story, a green ethos, and an art esthetic. Although many hotels have adopted art eco elements, the renovated Juniper Hotel in Banff claims to be one of the first where design is driven by art eco principles. Earth friendly options such as green roofs and electricity are as important as these features: fir wood salvaged from a World War II Vintage Air Hangar in Fort MacLeod was repurposed into a hand-crafted bar, end tables, and bench seating. And slate originally used for the roof of an old staff house was repurposed into stylish hotel room numbers, signage, and serving plates. Art Stars

For high-end properties, original art can make a stellar difference between four and five-star rankings. Rome’s newest 5-star hotel, The Grand via Veneto, has celebrated its fabled locale by re-introducing an impressive art collection of oils and lithographs by artists such as Picasso, Miro, Nespolo and DeChirico. Closer to home, when Rosewood recently unveiled the “new” Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, it revealed one of the largest curated, private hotel collections of contemporary Canadian art in the country, all staged to emphasize the hotel’s heritage and the city’s youthful vitality. If nothing else, tune in to the overhead music. In a nod to when the original Hotel Georgia closed its door for renovations, Michael Buble’s rendition of “Georgia on my Mind” plays twice daily, at 11:08. It’s a nice touch that when it comes to a hotel’s perspective, personifies the power of art, music, and story.

Ideas at Work >>> When themed dinners were the in trend several years back, the Pan Pacific Vancouver went full gusto by offering a feast of Italian opera and fare. The Italian Opera Buffet has since become a weekly institution with a regular line-up of superb tenors and sopranos sharing airs and arias. >>> The Inn at Christmas Place, Tennessee, celebrates the festive season all year long with décor, Singing Santa entertainment, family friendly Christmas movie-rentals, cookies and milk at turndown, and much more. With a toll free number that spells HOLY-NIGHT, it’s little wonder that this inn is a TripAdvisor Travelers’ top choice. >>> The Standard Hotel, Los Angeles, stages monthly performance pieces on its rooftop terrace where guests are cast as voyeurs to everything from a scripted lovers’ quarrel over a blue-haze martini to a choreographed dance in the pool. >>> The Ace Hotel, New York City, offers one-month residencies to on-the-cusp indie-rock bands in return for Sunday night performances in the lobby. The gigs have generated standing-room only audiences, as well as lucrative dinner packages. >>> The Phoenician, Scottsdale, is home to a $25million art collection featuring European antiques as well as Native American works. The hotel offers a complimentary self-guided audio art tour; guests who take this tour receive admission tickets to the Phoenix Art Museum. >>> The Merrion Hotel, Ireland, which has the largest private collection of art outside of Dublin’s National Gallery, offers a sumptuous Art Tea program where the pastry chefs provide tea time pastries that imitate works of art hung throughout the hotel. >>> The Sorrento Hotel, Seattle, draws an intellectually curious crowd to “Night School”, a series of lounge-based events that might pitch rock acts into conversation with classical musicians, or have actors performing scenes from celebrated plays. >>> Following the success of individual Fairmont properties in Toronto and Boston, Fairmont Hotels is developing a relationship with Eye Buy Art, a sister organization to the Magenta Foundation which works with key organizations to promoted Canadian artists and photographers worldwide.

InnFocus 13

Canadian Winter Wonderland Beckons Europeans by Mat Loup

It’s time to entice European consumers to try a little Canadian winter fun. The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)’s latest winter campaign is well underway for German, UK, and French travellers. The campaign microsite is a refinement of CTC’s innovations in the 2011 spring/summer campaigns. The QR (Quick Response) codes are back in the print advertising, taking Europeans straight to a destination-related mobile page to browse great Canadian winter images and information on where to go and what to do. This print advertising is running in some heavyweight European titles.

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The microsite highlights iconic winter experiences, including skiing and snowboarding in Banff, Alberta, plus Revelstoke and Whistler, BC as well as dogsledding in Manitoba, the Carnaval de Québec in Québec City, the Niagara Icewine Festival in Ontario, and four city escapes. Europeans love their social media, so there is a Facebook contest called Winterscope that has consumers seeing more than just stars. By answering quiz questions, they’ll find out their Canadian winter personality, such as “Polar bear with cubs,” “Snow Hare” or “Wolf.” Winterscope will then match

consumer answers to the Canadian winter experiences that suit their travel tastes. There are 10 CTC-branded iPads on offered as prizes in each market as a final sweetener. CTC partners for the campaign (which vary by market) are Tourisme Québec, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, Travel Alberta, Tourism British Columbia, Air Canada, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and the Canadian Destination Ski Consortium. Target Explorer Quotient® types are Free Spirits, Authentic Experiencers, and Cultural Explorers.

From the Front Line We all make mistakes and end up embarrassing ourselves every now and then. Front desk managers have seen their share of blunders, and not only from the staff end of things. Guests can get themselves into predicaments, and whether they admit it’s their own fault or not, it’s the responsibility of the front desk staff to try to correct the situation and soothe ruffled feathers. These situations can prove most challenging. For example, at a hotel in a ski resort, one manager related his experience with skiers: Guests, usually with rental skis, come in after a morning of skiing to grab a quick lunch. They leave their equipment unlocked in the ski room. After lunch they grab their skis and head back out to the hill, only to discover their boots don’t fit into the bindings. They come back to the desk saying that someone has stolen their skis. We call the rental shop and they give us the names of the people who rented the misfit skis. We call their rooms or leave a note at the lifts and they come back to do the switch. Then there’s plain old forgetfulness. Some skiers go into the wrong row of equipment, and when they can’t find their skis they march

by Debbie Minke

up to the front desk. Needless to say, they are rather sheepish when they realize their error. A front desk manager shares the following story: “Last year, one adult snowboarder came to the front desk saying that his snowboard was stolen. It was a quiet time of year, and he did not lock up his board. Upon review of the video, I could see him put his board on the rack. Then the board fell over. I could see him looking for his snowboard. His board was right at his feet on the ground!” Guests who have checked out yet decide to linger and “have a little fun” are as surprised and embarrassed as the staff who walk in expecting an empty room. Of course, apologies are hastily delivered and a quick exit is made. Awkward! One time some guests marched up to the front desk and unleashed their fury at staff, detailing their every complaint in a loud voice, only to discover that they were at the wrong hotel. Needless to say, they were quite embarrassed, and apologized for their error. And then there are strange requests that guests make, such as asking permission to use a barbeque in their guestroom, or ordering

some exotic food item that’s definitely not on your room service menu. One family decided to cook a stock pot of fish in their suite and forgot about it. The suite had to be closed for a couple of days to air it out. What do you say to the guest who has just attempted to drive their rented RV into your underground parking lot that is only 2 metres high? No matter what comes your way, professionalism, patience, and courtesy are key. Listen to the guest carefully and without interruption, and then express your willingness to help. Analyze the situation; apologize if needed, then take action, even if it means passing the matter along to the general manager. Don’t leave the guest until their request or complaint is being handled. When you see the guest later, ask if everything worked out. Before you leave your shift, inform colleagues of any situations that have arisen. No matter how prepared you are, surprises might arise. Expect the unexpected, and be ready with a smile.

InnFocus 15

Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort Sooke’s First Destination Full-Service Hotel by Chris McBeath

At first blush, the new Best Western Premier Prestige Resort in Sooke seems somewhat out of the ordinary. This quiet hamlet, only 35 minutes west of Victoria, is better known for its picturesque bed and breakfast inns, coastal beauty, and away-from-it-all atmosphere. But that’s exactly why Prestige Hotels & Resorts chose Sooke to open its newest property earlier this year. “The company had been looking for a coastal location for several years and nothing ever jelled,” explains Benjamin Leversedge, general manager. “Sooke is a very forward-looking community. It is focused on developing opportunities to make it a destination of choice, and needed to add a full service hotel to its tourism infrastructure. So when they approached us, we realized they were offering exactly the kind of synergy we had been looking for.” A ten-year veteran with Prestige Hotels, Leversedge joined the group in 2001, opening the company’s Harbourfront Resort and convention centre in Salmon Arm, and then

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opening the Rossland mountain property in 2005, where he stayed until coming to Sooke to take the helm of this newest Prestige addition. “Although dealing with all the diverse tasks at hand is a juggle, I really enjoy opening hotels,” admits Leversedge, whose previous experience, especially in food and beverage, has been integral to staff selection, training, and operational standards. “This is a very exciting project all round and has really connected the company and my family to the community. Everyone has been so welcoming and easy to work with while creating different eco-packages. As a family, we’ve fallen in love with the ocean and try to take every opportunity to explore hiking trails and enjoy the whole coastal experience.” As the 12th property in the Prestige family, the Sooke location also pushes the company’s marketing boundaries into new, but not unfamiliar, territory. “Prestige has always gone into smaller communities where it can help grow the tourism product,” notes Tanya Stroinig, vice president of

operations for the Prestige Hotel & Resort Group. “Sooke was a perfect match for a few reasons. We really wanted a resort project that embodied the West Coast experience - that meant waterfront as well as access to eco- and outdoor activities; we wanted proximity to a feeder market, which in this case is Victoria; and we wanted a flagship location that would develop existing and new markets.” Case in point? Several of Prestige’s tour operators have started to incorporate their interior-based activities with those they have on the island, so tour packages and itineraries now have added depth and versatility. Leversedge agrees. “We are Sooke’s only venue with purpose-built conference space, which enriches what the company can offer its government, regional association, and corporate clients. When combined with our outdoor areas right on the water, the resort is proving its appeal to the wedding market also.” Double-Branded Identity

Perhaps against conventional wisdom, double-branding the new hotel as a Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort, has been an important, strategic decision. “Although we have our own strong and independent network, the Prestige name is not as well known on the coast as it is in the Interior,” Stroinig describes. “We needed the support of an international alliance, and our existing association with Best Western made it an easy decision, especially since Best Western now has three tiers of hotels. Sooke is such a unique destination and the resort is one of only two Premier Best Westerns in Canada. As such, it’s a designation that really helps underscore the flagship status of the property which, in turn, will introduce a new segment of clientele to the Prestige brand.” Design Distinction

A BC-owned hotelier that builds and manages its own properties, Prestige Resorts has a strong BC-focused modus operandi. The company’s involvement in all its communities is a boon for the local economy during construction and thereafter. “Every member of our staff is Sooke-based, so there’s a palpable ‘pride of ownership’ throughout the hotel that really spills off into extraordinary customer service,” Leversedge observes. More than that, the building itself has upped the stylistic ante. Where other Prestige hotels feature signature theme rooms, this resort has evolved the concept into entire floors. “Designing four different floors was almost like doing four separate hotels,” explains project designer Hilde Schneider. “We believe this approach makes the signature experience more accessible beyond only special occasion stays, and will encourage repeat visits.” The four floors are described as Tropical, Island Colonial, Metropolitan, and Penthouse Opulence, all of which include specific design elements that could easily be incorporated into special events, food and beverage promotions, and conference programming. Partnering for Success

Community partnerships have been, and continue to be, integral to the resort’s success to date. For example, Schneider is still sourcing art that will enhance the waterfront, colonial feel of the architecture as well as reflect the diversity of local talent. “We have signed locally-crafted pieces in every room and we’re about to install some heritage images to add an historical depth to the resort experience,” she explains. Other partnerships include leasing out food & beverage operations: Ric’s Grill manages the restaurant, lobby café and sushi bar as well as convention needs; island-based Ocean Palm Spa has established the resort’s spa wellness services; and the district of Sooke was an integral partner in developing the resort’s public boat launch. Plans for a full-service marina are underway. “As a visitor destination, Sooke has largely been an afterthought to Victoria, or one that most travellers pass through on their way to Botanical Beach,” says Leversedge. “It’s always been a hideaway for ‘those-in-the-know’, so we’re very excited to be able to share quintessential coastal British Columbia, the Prestige way.”

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Courtesy OPUS Vancouver

Partnering with a Branded Restaurant Is it Right For Your Property? by Alex Van Tol

It’s a tough slog on the food and beverage scene these days. Revenue from hotel dining rooms is flat, if they’re not already costing you money. If you’re an independent property - or even flying a brand flag you might be wondering whether it’s time to retire your hotel dining room and pair up instead with an established F&B outlet. Here’s a sneak peek at what it’s like to partner up - or stay independent. A Look at the Scene Offering an independent dining experience can be an excellent thing. It’s when the dining experience feels predictable that things begin to slide. “Some hotels have fantastic restaurants that aren’t stand-alones,” says Salim Kassam, VP of marketing for Sandman Hotels. “Some have gone out of their way to feel like it’s a stand-alone concept.” Diva at the Met, Cento Notti at OPUS, and YEW at the Vancouver Four Seasons are examples.

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The advantages to partnering are obvious: leasing your restaurant space to an established operator means you’re working with someone who’s got the necessary expertise. “The downside,” explains Stan Martindale, general manager of the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre Kelowna, “is you lose control of food and beverage. So if you don’t have a good operator, then you’re left to deal with the customer…who doesn’t realize the restaurant is not run by your hotel.” The trick to a fruitful

partnership? Make sure you team up with a group that has a proven track record. The horror stories are out there.

Case Study 1: Staunchly Independent Cento Notti at OPUS Vancouver goes out of its way to recreate its identity every six months or so. Owned and operated as an OPUS entity, Cento Notti is the third iteration of a concept that proved very popular in the

Vancouver core: reinvent this restaurant every hundred days, and keep it fresh for customers so that they’ll keep coming back. Behind the decision to pursue this renegade pop-up scheme was the fact that OPUS’s previous restaurant, Elixir, was waning in popularity. “In Vancouver, it’s tough,” admits General Manager Nicholas Gandossi. “There are so many choices.” To get around that feeling of staid predictability, Gandossi explains, OPUS’s ownership opted to rip the place to its bones and hire a graffiti artist to splash it up. “We joined forces with RocksGlass Concepts LTD to manage the pop-up concepts,” says Gandossi, “as they are considered as one of the true leaders in the Vancouver food and beverage industry. It created the perfect partnership.” Since the first version, 100 Days, opened in August of 2010, the restaurant’s revenue has tripled. “We’re not spending millions here,” Gandossi clarifies. “Our designers are extremely creative and resourceful in transforming the new image and vibe without having to do a full reno.” Having never been positioned as “the hotel restaurant” and with its own entrance from the street, OPUS’s F&B attracts exactly the crowd an independent hotel restaurant wants: the locals. For Gandossi, there’s no push to partner with a brand. “In a boutique property our brand is so important,” he describes. Partnering means giving up control, too, whereas Gandossi prefers to keep it centralized. “Cento Notti, O Café, even our catering, all ties into one consistent message in the brand.” If OPUS was to run with a brand, observes Gandossi, “we’re at the mercy of how good that operator feels their service standards should be.”

... if you don’t have a good operator, then you’re left to deal with the customer… who doesn’t realize the restaurant is not run by your hotel.

Case Study 2: Partnering with its Own Branded Restaurants Sandman Hotels, Inns and Suites is part of Northland Properties Corporation, which owns Moxies, Chop Steakhouse, Denny’s Canada, and Shark Club. “Any time you see a branded restaurant [at one of our locations],” notes Kassam, “we are also an operator of that restaurant.” Northland decided on this approach when the ownership noticed that travellers were tiring of traditional hotel dining rooms. “It depends on the hotel,” Kassam acknowledges. To confer a competitive advantage and cater to what consumers wanted, Northland brought in Denny’s, a perfect fit for its tertiary markets. In 1999, to cater to its 3.5-star properties in primary and secondary markets, Northland acquired Moxies. Sandman Signature launched Chop restaurants to complement its four diamond offerings. “Shark Club is for Sandman or Signatures, depending on the market,” explains Kassam. “We have more than one concept depending on the location.”

InnFocus 19

What’s compelling about the setup is that everyone under the same roof works for Northland. “Moxies and Chop do well because they are branded unto themselves,” says Kassam. “They have to make it as a standalone, as well as service our guests.” The problem for many hotels, he reflects, is that their customers go out-of-house for their meals because the menu is old, the service is so-so, and the concept just…isn’t there. The advantage to the branded concept, he suggests, is that it also has a stand-alone footprint that provides for consistency: consumers know what they’re going to get.

Case Study 3: When Two Brands Happily Marry At the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre Kelowna, General Manager Stan Martindale is pleased with his property’s partnership with Perkins. (As every Ramada is individually owned, it’s up to the owner/operator to decide whether and with whom to partner.) Perkins has been a pleasant anchor for the Ramada Kelowna for at least fifteen years, reflects Martindale. Prior to the partnership, the hotel ran its own restaurant. “We found that the restaurant was a small percentage of our total revenue,” says Martindale, “but it was taking up the highest percentage of my time. I’m a hotel guy! I’m not an F&B guy, that’s not my area.” Enter Perkins. With the infrastructure, menu development capacity, restaurant-based POS systems, and marketing expertise, plus strong brand awareness, it was a boon for the Ramada to lease the space out. “It’s hard for an independent to represent themselves and get their name out there,” notes Martindale. The Ramada doesn’t operate Perkins, leaving that instead to an outside company that owns a dozen other restaurants. “They’ve got the infrastructure and expertise in their company, plus the backing of Perkins International, which provides standards and menus to keep things fresh. It gives us a better product than what it was in the past, and it’s less headache for the owners and managers,” shares Martindale. Whether you band together or go it alone, what’s key to running any type of restaurant, notes Kassam, is to remember that consumers want choice and variety. Keeping your menu offerings fresh and providing a breadth of choice for a reasonable price will put you in good standing. “What people want is casual, or casual-premium, and variety in what they eat,” says Kassam. “If you have a menu that doesn’t change, guess what? They’re going to eat somewhere else.

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BCHA Member Benefits

by Louise Thompson

Utilizing BCHA’s Website Here at the BCHA we strongly encourage our members to take advantage of the great free benefits available on our website. With the updated user-friendly website www.bchotelassociation.com it’s now easier than ever to either add a special accommodation rate or to place an item for sale on the Marketplace. The website is designed to be user-friendly and offers quick, simple tools for members, requiring no more than 4-5 easy steps before members can reap the benefits. Our office often receives calls from our members throughout the province looking for special accommodation rates within BC or the Yukon, whether they are travelling on business or leisure. The “Special Room Rates” section is both an opportunity to enjoy special rates as valued members of our industry or, on the other hand, is yet another chance for you to fill your guestrooms. This program is 100% flexible to fit your property’s needs; some of our members consistently offer a number of different seasonal rates throughout the year. The feedback on this program has been extremely positive and we encourage you to consider posting a rate for other BCHA members. Simply log in to your account at www.bchotelassociation.com, click on “Special Room Rates” and follow the simple steps provided. You can add just one rate or enter different rates to appear throughout the year, it’s completely up to you! On our Marketplace page (previously known as the Buy & Sell) you can

place an advertisement for any number of items that may be looking for a new home, due to renovations or replacement. To date, we’ve had items as varied as a pizza oven to a highway billboard posted on the Marketplace. And now, you can sell your items even quicker by including up to three photos. The Marketplace was recently opened up to our Associate members. It’s a great new opportunity for industry suppliers to promote their companies and highlight product, while offering a special deal to BCHA members in search of value. Associates can pick the dates when the offer is valid and it will automatically expire and be removed by our site at that time. There are plenty of opportunities for Associates to customize their accounts and offerings to our hotel members. One of our new Associates has had tremendous feedback from our hotel members due to an advertisement recently added to the Marketplace. I encourage you to regularly log in and review your company profile. Update your employee records to ensure that all of the appropriate people within your property/company can utilize the benefits offered by the Members Only portal and keep current on industry issues. Each employee that you add will be assigned his/her own user name and password. All of the above tasks are very quick and easy to do. If you can’t remember your user name or password or need assistance, email me at [email protected] or call the office. Louise Thompson is Member Services Coordinator at the BCHA and can be reached at 1-800-663-3153 ext 756, 604-443-4756, or [email protected].

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Marketing Tips Past Issues Editorial Schedule Advertising Rates emcmarketing.com InnFocus 21

Collective Bargaining by Dan Pelletier

Compromise is essential to the process of conflict resolution. After all, there is no way to mediate two no’s. A Brief History Collective bargaining finds its roots in the early 1800s, and would be best understood with other concepts such as trade or labour unions and arbitration. Though vastly different from when it was born, its core remains the same: trade unions give labourers more bargaining power by treating them as a collective and not as individuals. If the collective is unhappy with its work environment, the employees could simply strike or lock-out. Striking is a lose-lose situation; employers lose their source of trade for business and employees lose their source of income. However, one

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can hardly expect an employer to deal privately with each employee and come to more than a hundred individual agreements. That would be time-consuming, unfair, and excessive. This is where collective bargaining enters the picture, and the most obvious form of collective bargaining is a joint committee with the employer on one side and the union on the other. This type of process was introduced in France early in the 19th century by Napoleon, and it still exists. The process consists of an equal number of representatives from each of the two parties most vitally concerned. Each party elects its own representatives. England later adopted a similar system. Their favourite process involved an umpire chosen by

the representatives of the employers and employees. The umpire is generally a third party who is not connected to the trade. This is the predecessor to the current system in BC. According to the Labour Relations Code, both employers and the union may request that the other party commence collective bargaining. The other must then “bargain collectively in good faith, and make every reasonable effort to conclude a collective agreement.”

The Process The negotiation that leads to a collective bargaining agreement between unions and employers is a process where we attempt to apply rational solutions to a sometimes irrational process. It can go smoothly or be unbelievably acrimonious. It can be simple or drag on for what seems like an eternity. An important factor during negotiations is the willingness and ability to listen to the other side’s position. This is not an acceptance of their position, but rather an honest attempt to hear what they are saying and why they are saying it. You need to be able to express your position clearly and to hear the opposing view, consider alternative views, and think laterally

An important factor during negotiations is the willingness and ability to listen to the other side’s position.

rather than straight ahead. Your way may not be the only way. The ability to compromise is essential. It is also important to prepare prior to entering a negotiation. Keeping records of ongoing grievances and complaints, knowing the general economic trends and wage settlements in the industry, and knowing developing trends and legislation are all important to successful negotiations. Part Four of the Labour Relations Code is a good starting point in terms of understanding the process of collective bargaining. The Code recognizes the difficulties involved with the negotiation of collective agreements. If the parties jointly request assistance in concluding a collective agreement, the Labour Relations Board will appoint a mediator. Alternatively, the parties may also agree to

mediators provided by personal referrals, the Mediate BC Society, a private mediation service provider or mediation organization, or even the Lawyer Referral Program of the Law Society of British Columbia. The mediator’s job is to help the parties reach their own agreement voluntarily. They are highly experienced in the process of collective bargaining and will do all they can to assist the parties in arriving at a solution. However, it should be clearly and absolutely understood that the mediator’s job is to look for a settlement, not one side or the other’s deal, just a deal. Mediators will not knowingly harm either party’s ability to function but they will use their considerable skill to bring about a settlement if possible. They will do all they can to ensure fairness and equity. The parties cannot engage in a strike or lock-out during the mediation process.

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If the parties are bargaining to renew an existing agreement, notice to require the other party to commence bargaining can be served only when four months or less is left in the term of the existing agreement. This may occur as frequently as once a year or any time period the parties have agreed to. If neither party to the agreement serves notice to commence bargaining, then the Code presumes that notice was given ninety days before the expiry of the existing agreement. Once a notice to commence bargaining has been served, the union and the employer must begin “good faith” bargaining within ten days. Good faith bargaining is synonymous with the willingness to compromise and the sincerity in the attempt to reach an agreement. Under the Code, all collective agreements must provide for a joint consultation process for the parties to deal with workplace issues that arise during the life of the collective agreement. The purpose of joint consultation is to: · Promote cooperative resolution of workplace issues; · Respond and adapt to changes in the economy; · Foster the development of work-related skills; and · Promote workplace productivity. As mentioned before, the Code is merely a starting point for negotiations. Successful collective bargaining is more like art than science. What works for some may not necessarily work for others. Academics have come up with alternative methods, such as zero-based bargaining, bargaining by objectives, Boulwarism, and final offer solution. However, in my experience, the unregimented nature of free collective bargaining seems to work best. Each process will differ according to the parties. In all my years of industrial and labour relations, no bargaining has been the same. To anyone involved, considering being involved or scheduled to begin collective bargaining, particularly for the first time, I offer my congratulations as well as my condolences. Dan Pelletier has been with Hospitality Industrial Relations as Assistant Director since 2004. There are nine different unions involved with H.I.R. In the next twelve months alone, the company has 22 collective agreements to negotiate with 88 hotels and properties and approximately 3,950 employees. Dan has many years of industrial relations work behind him. He has held a variety of positions, ranging from being a Union Representative with the United Steel workers of America to being Industrial Relations Officer for the Provincial Ministry of Labour. He has conducted union certifications, final offers, union decertifications, and competing union votes. He has investigated and resolved hundreds of workplace disputes and acted as a Settlement Officer for union employee grievances.

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InnFocus 25

Tourism Marketing

by John Kearns

Discounting Danger in an Oversupplied Market ADR in BC has dropped dramatically - down 8% compared to last year - yet occupancy has remained relatively flat, according to the August edition of PKF Consulting’s Trends report. An oversupply of hotel rooms appears to be a large contributing factor to this problem. The Greater Vancouver area annualized 2008 supply level was 8,339,000 room nights. The additions to supply since January 2008 totalled 1,008,000 additional room nights, bringing the total annual available room nights at the end of 2011 to 9,347,000. This represents a 12.1% increase in the supply of available rooms in this region. In 2011 we learned that in an oversupplied market, attaining Olympic level occupancy, discounting appears to be creeping into the hotel offer. For the months of May and September, occupancies were exceptionally good due to citywide convention business. According to the 2012 forecasted convention schedule, the market will experience about a 40% decline in delegate room nights next year. The effects of what economists call “The Great Contraction”, especially profound in the US and Europe, have reduced demand for rooms in Canada.

With the prospect of a bleak showing in 2012, hotels need to review the effects of rate discounting, which can worsen an already grim situation.

Dangers of Discounting In an oversupplied market, the power lies with the buyer. This is no more evident than when a hotel receives a RFP. Last year’s rates may be exploited with a demand for a 5% reduction. I recently heard of a corporation with 8,000 room nights in the market being offered a 15% rate reduction year over year by a 5-diamond property competing with other players. This does not bode well when RFPs are issued in subsequent years since the ability to lift rate is compromised. If you extend this argument to the competitive set, assuming all true market competitors are dropping rate offers for certain core segments, the result for the competitive set can be an overall year-over-year decline in RevPar relative to the entire market. Do not be fooled by the influence of various competitive market reporting systems. These compare price as well as relative growth or decline in a competitive set. These reports are not a value for product comparison

shopping. The failure to maintain or achieve a competitive advantage is more often linked to the failure to develop a Distinct Selling Proposition (DSP), via communication, values, and strategies. Studies have found that hoteliers are increasingly setting prices relative to their competitive set instead of pricing relative to the demand in the overall marketplace. Thus the pricing strategy is selffulfilling and, in many cases, reflective of the competitive set. Discounting can have an adverse effect on NOIPAR. The hotel as a performing fixed asset has a very high fixed cost ratio. In many 3 to 5-star properties, $1.00 relinquished in ADR can have a flow-through effect in the 80% range at certain occupancy levels. Moderate or deep discounting, without a clear understanding of the impact on flow-through or the bottom line, is akin to asking the bank to be calling looking for future cash calls. Discounting relative to your true competitive set may raise the level of occupancy, however, studies demonstrate that hotels in direct competition experience higher revenues when they maintain rate structure and do not discount to have heads in beds. This is verified in the recently updated Cornell University research study, Why Discounting Still Doesn’t Work, by professors Cathy Enz and Linda Canina. Discounting without a solid knowledge of your current mix of transient vs. group business and its contribution to revenue may result in segmented cannibalization or erosion if customers’ perception of value for price paid is altered by a non-targeted strategy. Room rate lift results are difficult to achieve at a later date because customers now anticipate that the lodging facility will observe low demand, panic, and then cut rates. When hotels follow this scenario, it reinforces guests’ behaviour in waiting to book until rates have dropped. Discounting group business to build occupancy may result in under yielding. Smaller groups of 1-100 rooms have adopted a last minute booking strategy with the result that they are behaving much closer to the

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Hotel Rate Parity Trends in North America The figures below show the percentage of hotels with cheaper rates on their own brand website compared to their rates on other OTAs (Online Travel Agency) from October to December, 2011.

Three-Star Hotels City

Toronto Chicago Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New York

% of Hotels in Parity

0% 18% 7% 3% 14% 12%

% of Hotels Cheaper on Brand Sites

41% 28% 24% 15% 21% 21%

% of Hotels Cheaper on OTA Sites

59% 54% 69% 82% 64% 67%

retail customer profile. The changing market forces may result in the group booking off-block to take advantage of last-minute specials. Discounting through third party sites such as Expedia and Hotwire have virtually commoditized hotel rooms. Hotels wrestled back control since 9/11 and SARS from the online booking companies by offering best rate guarantees. However, an educated consumer and profound change regarding the lead time required to book rooms was developed during this period. All the sites say that waiting until the last minute is better. The current strategy in these channels is directed towards packaging to create value by offering an experience to the customer, in advance, at a perceived discount. New supply growth will continue to challenge historical occupancies. The performance gain in various hotel tiers affected by this growth will mean that improved year-over-year profitability can only be achieved through innovative and tangible strategies as well as perceived value by guests.

John Kearns, CHA, CHE, CMP is the Chief Experience Officer General Manager for the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel and instructs in the Hospitality Degree program at Vancouver Community College.

Four-Star Hotels City

Toronto Chicago Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New York

% of Hotels in Parity

0% 5% 0% 2% 24% 11%

% of Hotels Cheaper on Brand Sites

38% 19% 11% 26% 6% 19%

% of Hotels Cheaper on OTA Sites

63% 76% 89% 72% 71% 69%

Five-Star Hotels City

Chicago Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New York

% of Hotels in Parity

0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

% of Hotels Cheaper on Brand Sites

0% 29% 14% 0% 22%

% of Hotels Cheaper on OTA Sites

100% 71% 86% 100% 78%

Source: RateGain.com

InnFocus 27

Keeping Walk-in Guests by Lydia Miller

The term “customer service” has become overused and undervalued in the marketplace. We must realize that it’s the customers we have that keep us in business. Competition isn’t going away but is getting stronger. In order to keep our businesses viable, we must deliver exceptional service that goes beyond the customer’s expectations and do it consistently. Customer service means different things to different people and is an extension of our personal values in how we deliver that service. Consequently, our expectations regarding the level of quality dictate our perception of service. Say you’ve just walked into an upscale clothing store like Holt Renfrew and you see staff standing around but no one acknowledges you? What’s your perception of service here? What were your expectations? On the other hand, how do you feel when you walk into McDonald’s and stand just a few feet from the counter, and someone immediately looks at you, smiles, and says “Welcome to McDonald’s, may I take your order?”. In my world, service is all about adding value to the process. For example, if a walk-in customer enquires about getting a room at your best corporate rate, the front desk clerk should take it a step further and ask what type of amenities they are looking for. Here are 10 solid tips you can invest your time in to ensure you get and keep your walk-in guests who could become your loyal customers.

1. Never Make a Promise you Can’t Keep. It’s important to recognize what is within your control and not have to rely on others to deliver on the promise. Do not exceed your own limitations and expect others to pick up after you. 2. Personalize your Service Delivery. Truly get to know your own personal style in regards to how you communicate with people; how you interact on an interpersonal level, whether it’s face-to-face, via email,

28 InnFocus

or over the telephone. You can’t fake it - you must be genuine and show you actually care. Make your customer feel he/she is the most important person.

3. Ask Questions to Determine Needs. We can’t help if we don’t know what the problem is, right? Let’s ask open questions in order to get our customers to describe the situation and talk to us about the issue. It’s similar to diagnosing a problem based on the symptoms displayed. Open questions should begin with the words: how, when, where, what, or who. Truly listen to what your guests are saying. Based on their responses, you can formulate a positive solution - an exceptional solution. 4. Match your Capabilities to the Customer’s Needs. This is really a no-brainer - don’t offer something you don’t have or can’t get. Refer to Tip #1 if in doubt. 5. Take Ownership of the Situation. Remember that old sitcom, “Sanford and Son” from the mid-70s? Redd Foxx’s character as a cantankerous junk dealer had a favourite mantra: “Not my job!” This is definitely not the case when you have customers relying on you to help them with any situation or a simple query. 6. Surpass Expectations. When you have a guest reaching out to you for assistance, don’t just get it right 80% or even 99%; go that extra

step and strive for that 110%. Providing only 80% of your full capabilities will definitely cost you down the road.

7. Ensure You Follow Up. This is part of going that extra distance to deliver exceptional service. Always follow up with your customers to ensure that what you promised them in fact did occur and they are happy with the results. As we all know, when things go wrong, dissatisfied customers are inclined to tell 20 times more people than when something actually goes right. Remember to say “thank you” when all is done. 8. Continuously Build your Knowledge Base. Over 20 years ago, one of my mentors told me: “Knowledge is power; the more knowledge you have, the more powerful you become to your clients.” The reason for this is that your customers/guests now look upon you as the go-to person who is reliable, responsible, and knowledgeable in anything pertaining to your industry. 9. Practice Lateral Selling of Services. “Lateral selling” is the practice of referring your guests to other departments for products or services, which they might also enjoy. So if you’re offering up-scale dining on your property, you might also want to mention the bistro or espresso bar in the lobby to your guests. The textbooks refer to this as suggestive selling, which ultimately means more revenue in your pocket and more amenities for customers to enjoy. Learn to anticipate as you discovered with Tip #3. 10. Live your Brand through your Attitude and Passion. Your customers come to recognize and respect you as a “brand” just like they recognize the name “Ford” and respect Albert Einstein. Demonstrate your level of customer service in every aspect of your life and career through your personality and your attitude. Show your passion for what you do each day in your practice to keep it healthy, nourished, and growing. Treat your staff like valued customers too. Try one of these tips each week and practice it for 7-10 days. Keep building upon the previous one and you will see an improvement in satisfaction ratings from your guests as well as within your operation! Lydia Miller is a Certified Hospitality Sales Professional with over 25 years of sales and marketing experience accumulated from within the finance, performing arts and hospitality industries. For more information on Lydia Miller and The Miller Touch Training Group Inc., please visit www.millertouch.com, email [email protected] or call 604.984.7445.

What’s New?

by Debbie Minke

Dickens & Hawthorne, a long established boutique toiletry brand from Australia, now has a new Cucumber & Acai Collection developed and formulated for the hospitality industry by Essential Amenities, Inc. All of the new collection’s liquids and exfoliating soaps are enriched with soothing cucumber and natural acai berry antioxidants to provide a pleasurable and healthy cleansing experience for the guests. Invigorating tea tree oil, a natural ingredient from Australia, is also included in all of the hotel personal care items. Rubbermaid has developed the first integrated water filter that cleans mop water right inside the bucket, resulting in cleaner water, cleaner mops, and cleaner floors. The new HYGEN™ Clean Water System reduces the need to stop cleaning the floor to get clean water. When the mop water gets dirty, the user simply tilts the bucket 90 degrees to transfer the dirty water into a filter chamber. The water then runs through the integrated filter system in the bucket and returns to the clean water chamber, ready to be used again. An integral floor drain in the bottom of the bucket means that when the water finally does have to be changed the user can drain the bucket without having to lift it to a sink. The bucket has a built-in scrubber and wringer, and the system includes nine task-specific microfiber mop pads, a two-sided frame and ergonomic mop handles as well.

MicroFridge® with Safe Plug® is an innovative refrigerator/ freezer/microwave combination appliance that now offers a Dual-Outlet Charge Station and a Cord Clip in front of the microwave, allowing guests to safely charge personal electronic devices such as laptop computers, iPods, cell phones, and more. Safe Plug® technology, a patent-pending power management system, limits power draw to just 11 amps, and requires only one dedicated circuit for the combination appliance. This environmentally-friendly unit makes your space more functional and appealing, while reducing energy consumption and the risk of circuit overload.

BCHA Annual Buyers’ Guide In March the BCHA 2012 Buyers’ Guide will be published. This reference guide is mailed out to 2,000 buyers and is given to new BCHA members when they sign up. It lists all associate members and provides an opportunity for you to highlight your products and services in a display ad. Members prefer to deal with members, so build trust and confidence in your company by showcasing your products to the industry. See rates online at www.emcmarketing.com/innfocus. For only $150, you can enhance your basic listing with a 50-word description and company logo to focus readers’ attention with a box around your listing.

The deadline to book space in the 2012 Buyers’ Guide is February 3rd. Call Joyce at 800-667-0955 for more information.

InnFocus 29

Names in the News

by Debbie Minke

Welcome to our new BCHA members: Alder Inn Hotel, Aldergrove; Buena Vista by the Sea, Qualicum Beach; Chilkoot Trail Inn, Whitehorse; Chinook & Oasis Motel, Kelowna; Mount 7 Lodges, Golden; New Caledonia Hotel, Fort St. James; Northway Motor Inn, Dease Lake; Pandosy Inn, Kelowna; Quatsino Chalet, Port Alice; Ramada Limited, Quesnel; Schell Motel, Vernon; Seaview Beach Resort, Qualicum Beach; Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa, Summerland; Travellers Hotel, Cranbrook; The Coast Fraser Inn, Williams Lake; Westwind Motel, Chetwynd; and Yellowhead Motel, Valemount. New BCHA associates include City Digital Media, Class Act Art Inc., Gordon R. Williams Corporation, NorthWest Organics, Ultimate Bedding and Vinci Park. Congratulations to the new general managers at the following properties: John Aitken , Best Western Plus Wine Country Hotel & Suites, Westbank; Shatha Al-Reihani, Plaza Heritage Hotel, Kamloops; Michelle Augustine, Robson Suites Vancouver; Julia Barreiros, Sandman Hotel & Suites Squamish; Sean Barrington, Days Inn Vancouver Metro; Ryan Bazett, Sandman Suites Surrey - Guildford; Don Bilodeau, Driftwood Motor Inn, Sechelt; Ruth Brenning, Imperial Motel, 100 Mile House; Dave Brown, Best Western Tin Wis Lodge, Tofino; Charlene Chouinard, Super 8 Valemount; Gary Collinge, Hilton Vancouver Airport; Richard Cooke, ShangriLa Hotel, Vancouver; Bobby Deep, Valleyview Lodge, Kamloops; Sunny Dosanjh , Best Western Plus King George Inn & Suites, Surrey; David Goguen, Holiday Inn Express Vancouver; Cecilia Guerrero, Four Points by Sheraton Kamloops; Shannon Gu, Best Western PLUS Downtown Vancouver; Lynn Hampel, Riverland Inn & Suites, Kamloops; Russell Haubrich, Silver Star Club Resort, Vernon; Robert Hodson, Sandman Hotel, Penticton; Glen Iles, The Brew Creek Centre, Whistler; Aliya Bhatia, Hampton Inn & Suites, Vancouver; Ian Jones, Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites, Victoria; Jimmy Kim, Spruceland Inn, Prince George; John Mayne, Pinnacle Whistler Hotel; Kelly McAree, Hastings House, Salt Spring Island; Delco McEvoy, The Fernie Hotel & Pub; Tony Medd, Summit Lodge & Spa, Whistler; Cyrus Merchant, Sandman Suites on Davie Vancouver; Stewart Parrin, Quality Inn - Victoria Downtown; Dale Patt, Best Western City Centre - Prince George; Rhonda Perepelkin, Holiday Inn & Suites Osoyoos Lake Resort; Colin Perry , Delta Whistler Village Suites; Joann Pfeifer, Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown; Dani Pretto, Burrard Inn, Vancouver; Ulrich Samietz, Hyatt Regency Vancouver; Bob Se, Travelodge Nanaimo; Robert Simpson, Dilworth Inn, Recreation Inn & Suites, Kelowna; Jonie

Tee, Coast Surrey Guildford Hotel; Johane Thibault, Georgian Court Hotel, Vancouver; Nizar Virani, Ramada Royale Inn and Suites, Pitt Meadows; Kevin Ward, Old Dutch Inn, Qualicum Beach; Judy Warren, Sandman Inn - Princeton; Barry Wilks, Manning Park Resort; Michael Yeh, Canada’s Best Value Inn - River View Hotel, Whitehorse; and Dikran Zabunyan, Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, Halfmoon Bay. Mark Jeanes is the new director of operations at the Delta Ocean Pointe in Victoria. The Thriftlodge in Kamloops is now the Valleyview Lodge. The River View Hotel in Whitehorse is now Canada’s Best Value Inn - River View Hotel. The Best Western Terra Nova in Trail is now the Best Western Plus Columbia River Hotel. The new Days Inn Surrey offers a 24-hour onsite self-service business centre and other amenities.

Kim Campbell has been appointed to the position of Director, Industry Human Resource Development for go2. Kim takes over the HR portfolio from Peter Larose, who has been appointed Director, Policy and Research. Peter is now responsible for tourism employment policy and labour market research initiatives, and is facilitating the update of the BC Tourism HR Action Plan. Michael Guzmicky has been named Program Manager, Certificate of Recognition (COR). Ralf Strub has been promoted to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer for Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. Strub joined Bellstar in March of 2010 as Vice President of Operations with over 28 years of international and Canadian hospitality industry experience. William (Bill) Oliver has been named Vice President and General Manager, North America of VingCard Elsafe. In this newly created role, Oliver is responsible for leading all sales and customer operations in Canada and the US. SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts has entered a partnership with Marriott International, Inc., and their first venture together will be a Residence Inn by Marriott in Vancouver. SilverBirch is undertaking a $25 million extensive revitalization of the Cascadia Hotel and Suites in Vancouver that will see the 201-room hotel become the newest Residence Inn by Marriott - an all-suite extended stay hotel. Features will include spacious suites with fully equipped kitchens, free WiFi and in-room high-speed Internet access and complimentary hot breakfast. When the Residence Inn by Marriott opens in early summer 2012, it will be the only branded designated extended-stay hotel in Vancouver. If you have any noteworthy community contributions, please email Debbie Minke at [email protected].

Advertisers BCHICE20 BC Hospitality Foundation 26 Bell Satellite BC Canadian Mattress Recycling 27 Canadian Star Quality Association 14 Care Pest & Wildlife Control Ltd. 28 Cimarron Sales 11 Coinamatic Commercial Laundry 9 Coldstream Commercial IFC

30 InnFocus

Dragontex22 Essential Amenities 4 Fortis BC 23 Gordon R. Williams 8 Hospitality Industrial Relations 21 MJB Law  13 Northern Feather 24 RONA8 Restwell Sleep Products 19

Rising Tide Consultants 12 Shaw Cablesystems 5, IBC Tricom26 Urban Art 12 Western Financial Group Insurance 7 Whiteshell Chairs 24 ZLC Financial Group  15

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