Hotel Industry News | Canada's Travel Industry

By TravelPress Staff

May 17, 2016

Best Western Helps Out

Best Western Hotels & Resorts reports that its charity arm, Best Western for a Better World, will be donating to the Canadian Red Cross to assist those affected by the devastating wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta. In addition to the donation to the Canadian Red Cross, Canadian members of Best Western Rewards, the company’s loyalty program, can also support the cause by donating their points which Best Western will then convert to cash. Those funds will also be given to the Canadian Red Cross, providing even more resources to aid in the relief effort. “Our thoughts and...

By TravelPress Staff

May 16, 2016

‘You Can Have It All’ With Karisma

Karisma Hotels & Resorts has launched a new incentive exclusively for active Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultants and Gourmet Inclusive Agent Rewards Members – You Can Have It All. The program, offered only for bookings at El Dorado Spa Resorts, Generations Riviera Maya, Sensimar Seaside Suites and Hidden Beach Resort, allows active agents to earn special Luxury Points per reservation booked and exchange them for luxe products. The offer is the latest added incentive to Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant program. With the You Can Have It...

By TravelPress Staff

May 13, 2016

Sunwing Introduces Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort

The Dominican Republic's Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort Casino and Aquagames is now available for sale by Sunwing Vacations, and to celebrate the tour operator is offering agents double STAR points for each new booking they make to the resort through May 25. The time-limited promotion applies to all departures between June 1 and Oct. 31. Located on a prime sandy beachfront in Punta Cana and surrounded by one of the island’s biggest coconut groves, this Sunwing SplashWorld resort is the ideal family getaway, offering guests unlimited, free access to the nearby Sirenis Aquagames Water...

By TravelPress Staff

May 13, 2016

Canadians Going For Green Travel In 2016

Green is in and Canadian travellers have made one thing clear this year – eco-friendly travel is a top priority. A recent study by Booking.com found that 62% of Canadians plan on booking eco-friendly accommodation this year and over a third (39%) already consider themselves to be sustainable travellers. Thankfully, it's never been easier for Canadians to pick accommodations that are green. From the Booking.com properties surveyed, over a quarter (26%) have initiatives in place to protect the environment while almost a fifth (19%) support their local community. Over half (51%) of...

By TravelPress Staff

May 12, 2016

Having A Ball At The InterContinental Toronto Centre

The InterContinental Toronto Centre says the reopening of its ballroom clearly underscores that it means business. The hotel held a Wednesday night celebration marking the completion of a 2.5-month renovation of the facility, which hotel general manager Alexi Hakim praised as having a modern, fresh look to it. The hotel also has some 20 meeting rooms that have also been renovated. The InterContinental Toronto Centre tends to see more business travellers during the week and more leisure travellers on the weekend. But Hakim told last night's gathering that his hotel can easily...

By Bob Mowat

May 11, 2016

Power In The Palm Of Your Hand

Booking.com has released its new Booking Messages interface – a chat-inspired communication platform that enables customers and accommodation providers to connect with each other from the moment a booking is made. In addition to being able to initiate any kind of conversation they'd like with the accommodation, all Booking.com customers around the world can now quickly and conveniently manage the most common stay-related requests in just a few taps. The Booking Messages interface features automatically pre-translated templates for certain predefined requests, including arranging...

By TravelPress Staff

May 9, 2016

Raffles Set For China Expansion

Luxury hotel operator Raffles Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement to extend the brand’s portfolio in China to the ancient city of Suzhou. Raffles Suzhou is scheduled to open in the “Venice of the Orient” in 2020. Enjoying one of the best addresses in town, the 150-room luxury hotel will be located in the new super high-rise Keyne International Suzhou mixed-use development in the Suzhou New District (SND) Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone. Signature highlights of the new hotel include more than 1,400 square metres of meeting and conference facilities, five food and...

By TravelPress Staff

May 4, 2016

Grand Velas Los Cabos to Open in November

Mexico's Velas Resorts has announced that the US$150 million Grand Velas Los Cabos will open on the Baja Peninsula in November. The resort is the fifth property of the family owned and operated company. The beachfront property will have a staff ratio of three to one and will have enhanced signature facilities and services of Grand Velas resorts, including duplex wellness suites with juice bars, wine-based features inspired by the proximity to the region producing Mexico’s fine wines, and ocean views and unique spaces infusing every area of the resort. Located between Cabo San...

By Bob Mowat

May 3, 2016

Atlantis Goes Mobile

Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas is making it easier for guests to plan their vacation experience with the launch of a brand new mobile application (Atlantis). Atlantis’ mobile app has undergone significant upgrades, designed to provide guests with the ability to interact with and navigate their booking details and activity reservations with maximum ease and simplicity. While Atlantis’ new tool is available to all guests through the app store, it has exclusive benefits and functionality to guests booking directly with Atlantis. The app is designed to provide...

By Bob Mowat

May 3, 2016

Stay With SpongeBob

So who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Well, if you don't know the answer, ask your kids or your grandkids and they'll tell you it's SpongeBob SquarePants. And this summer, the soon-to-open Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic will open what it's billing as the “world’s first and only Pineapple Villa,” which will be the resort's signature dwelling. The 2-bedroom, 3-bath playful presidential suite is a one-of-a-kind experience that allows guests to step inside SpongeBob’s world. With 2,292 square feet of indoor and outdoor living...