Hotels & Resorts
Hoteliers applaud new foreign worker rules
The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has applauded Human Resources Minister Diane Finley's announcement to speed up the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which addresses Canada's persistent labour shortages. "Canada's hotel industry, which currently employs 284,000 people, is facing a nation-wide labour shortage crisis,"said HAC president Tony Pollard. "With that in mind we are particularly pleased that Ottawa will now respond to requests for skilled workers within 10 days instead of the 12-14 weeks it currently takes to get a Labour Market Opinion."The new national regulations will...
New Four Seasons Toronto now accepting reservations
The new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, located in the city's Yorkville neighbourhood, is now accepting reservations for guest stays starting on Oct. 1 and beyond. The hotel offers 259 rooms (including 42 suites), a two-storey spa and fitness centre, function rooms and Café Boulud and dbar by international restaurateur and chef Daniel Boulud. The hotel's rooms boast interactive tablets where guests can order room service, call a cab and even request a toothbrush with the swipe of a finger. For ultimate relaxation, guests can soak in an en-suite deep soaker bathtub while watching a TV hidden...
Palace Resorts teams up with Cirque Dreams
Palace Resorts has launched a partnership with Cirque Dreams to offer a limited engagement of the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy this summer at the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort. From June 29 through Aug. 5, Palace Resorts will treat families to the "most comprehensive all-inclusive vacation experience, offering guests complimentary tickets to 'the grandest circus spectacle east of Vegas' as proclaimed by New York Magazine."Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, presented under a giant, air-conditioned tent, is an exotic encounter inspired by nature's...
St. Regis Atlanta receives ‘Hotel of the Year’ honours
For the second consecutive year, the St. Regis Atlanta is the recipient of the "St. Regis Hotel of the Year"award. This best-in-class acknowledgement by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide demonstrates the exceptional accommodations, service, amenities, and dining experiences available at the hotel. The St. Regis Atlanta opened on April 14, 2009 introducing a "new dimension of luxury and timeless elegance"to Atlanta. Designed by renowned design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, the 26-storey St. Regis Atlanta is surrounded by lush landscaping and features a dramatic façade with expansive...
Starwood properties partner with Picasso in Toronto
Three Starwood hotels in downtown Toronto -- the Sheraton Centre Toronto, The Westin Harbour Castle and Le Meridien King Edward -- have been named the official hotel partners of the Art Gallery of Ontario's (AGO) latest exhibition, "Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris."The hotels have an array of weekday and weekend packages that include two VIP access, "skip the line"exhibition tickets. The AGO is the only Canadian venue to present the rare opportunity to view 147 iconic works from every phase of Pablo Picasso's celebrated career, including paintings, sculpture,...
Hilton Worldwide continues growth in Mexico
Hilton Worldwide has signed two management agreements to operate a Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Queretaro and a Hampton Inn by Hilton property in San Juan del Rio - both in the state of Queretaro, Mexico. Scheduled to open in Q3 and Q4 2012 respectively, the addition of these hotels will bring the total number of Hilton Worldwide properties operating in Mexico to 27. Strategically located just a block from the main highway to Mexico City, guests of the Hilton Garden Inn Queretaro will find themselves just 10 minutes from key industrial parks and the historic centre, two minutes from shopping...
Training camp for kids at Four Seasons Lanai
Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay is offering kids an early insight into the hotel industry. Under its "Hotelier Apprentice Summer Camp"program, children get to "work"alongside hotel staff to learn about Culinary Arts, Botany, Engineering, Health & Wellness, and Marine Biology. This complimentary program is open to kids ages five to 12 and runs throughout July....
Westin to make landmark debut in the Dominican
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. plans to debut its Westin brand in the Dominican Republic in late 2013 at the exclusive resort property, PUNTACANA Resort & Club. Construction on The Westin Puntacana Resort will begin this summer with an opening scheduled for the winter of 2013. Located minutes away from the Punta Cana International Airport within the picturesque Playa Blanca area of PUNTACANA Resort & Club, the 204-room resort will offer 16 suites, meeting and wedding facilities, an expansive outdoor pool, poolside grill, lobby bar, cigar bar, children's club and walking trails....