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WASHINGTON – 22 November 2024 – Canada’s October hotel average daily rate (ADR) exceeded CAD200 for the first time on record, according to data from CoStar. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. 

October 2024 (percentage change from 2023):

  • Occupancy: 68.5% (+0.8%)
  • Average daily rate (ADR): CAD200.59 (+2.4%)
  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD137.32 (+3.2%) 

“In addition to the room rate growth, occupancy increased after contracting in September, notably driven by transient and weekday occupancy, pointing to strength from individual business travelers,” said Laura Baxter, CoStar Group’s director of hospitality analytics for Canada. 

Among the provinces and territories, Nova Scotia recorded the highest occupancy level (74.7%), which was 0.3% below 2023.

Among the major markets, Toronto saw the highest occupancy (79.6%), up 3.5% over October 2023. 

The lowest occupancy among provinces was reported in Prince Edward Island (58.2%), up 3.2% against 2023. 

At the market level, the lowest occupancy was reported in Edmonton (-1.0% to 58.4%).

“Looking ahead to 2025, STR and Tourism Economics recently downgraded the RevPAR growth forecast to 1.5%, while ADR is expected to grow more or less in line with inflation. Overall, we are expecting a marginal occupancy decline due to new inventory growth outpacing improvements in demand. Hotel development activity has picked up, with just fewer than 6,000 rooms in the final phase of the pipeline that are expected to open in 2025. 

“From a demand perspective, consumers and businesses continue to contend with the lagged impact of higher interest rates, but we are anticipating spending to gradually increase throughout the year, particularly in the latter half of 2025. Group and international travel are expected to drive hotel performance growth next year.”

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.costargroup.com.

 
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Kingston, Ontario – On November 27, 2024, the DoubleTree and Home2 Suites by Hilton Kingston in Ontario, Canada officially marked the grand opening of the two hotels as well as the Ambassador Event Centre and Cannery Kitchen & Social in Kingston.

Attendees included Kingston’s Mayor, Bryan Paterson, Karen Cross, CEO of The Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, Mark Kochhar of Hilton, and a delegation from Tourism Kingston to celebrate the grand opening. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and food and drinks hosted at the Cannery Kitchen and Social restaurant. With a combined 256 guestrooms, 13,500 SF of flexible meeting space, large indoor pool, 1000 SF fitness centre and full service restaurant, the hotel complex is owned and managed by Manga Hotel Group.

“Our goal with the DoubleTree Kingston was to provide the city with a full-service, elevated option for both business and leisure travellers. Meanwhile, Home2 Suites by Hilton brings a unique, updated extended-stay offering to Kingston, Ontario. The Ambassador Event Centre is the site of the largest meeting space between Toronto and Ottawa and we are thrilled to bring back event space to Kingston for both large scale and intimate gatherings”, said Sukhdev Toor, President and CEO, Manga Hotel Group.

Offering two exceptional Hilton brands, the region’s largest hotel and convention complex is the ideal choice for a wide range of group and transient business needs and can deliver on all fronts. Ideally situated in the heart of Kingston’s mid-town and just minutes to all attractions, the complex can accommodate a variety of guests with varying needs and requirements due to its size, ample free parking, and the many features found within. The 129-room DoubleTree boasts beautifully appointed accommodations and amenities. The 127-room Home2 Suites offers all-suite accommodations with fully accessorized kitchens and modular furniture, providing guests the flexibility to customize their suite to their style and preference. The pet-friendly hotels feature a 1,000 square foot fitness facility, equipped with modern cardio equipment, Peloton bikes, and free weights. The large accessible pool is complimented by an outdoor sun-soaked patio featuring soft seating and a fire pit. Modern amenities and exceptional service further enhance the guest experience throughout the complex. 

The Ambassador Event Centre offers 13,500 square feet of flexible meeting space of various sizes over two floors, from intimate boardrooms to the region’s largest ballroom that can accommodate up to 600 guests for any occasion. All meeting spaces are outfitted with modern audio-visual equipment and are serviced by a skilled and experienced food and beverage team. The Ambassador Event Centre is able to host all types of events from corporate meetings to weddings, banquets and balls.

Delicious meets fun at the brand-new Cannery Kitchen and Social restaurant. In a modern and bright setting, you can enjoy contemporary fare as well as classic Canadian dishes.  The Cannery Kitchen & Social celebrates Canada's vibrant history and roots on the East Coast. With a nod to a slower pace of life, guests are welcomed to relax and enjoy food and drinks in a beautiful gathering space.

 
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Toronto, Ontario, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abell Pest Control today shared alarming results from a survey conducted at the recent Canadian Health Inspectors (CIPHI) conference in Regina, revealing a significant increase in rodent activity across Canada. The situation is especially critical in British Columbia, where a ban on second-generation rodenticides could be intensifying the issue.

Key Survey Findings:

When asked during regular visits what percentage of Public Health Inspectors encountered rodent-related issues 50% of the time or more, 28% reported yes — a concerning statistic. In British Columbia, the number rose significantly to 46%.

When asked if there has been a change in the frequency of rodent sightings over the past 3 years, 62% of inspectors agreed. In British Columbia, that number rose to 75%. These increases are most observed in apartment buildings, food manufacturing facilities, and people’s homes.

Sixty-one percent of public health inspectors who completed the survey expect rodent activity to continue escalating over the next three years. In British Columbia, the increase is predicted to be even more severe, with over 87% anticipating a rise.

While respondents identified poor sanitation, structural issues like gaps and holes that allow entry, and inadequate food storage practices as the most common attractants for rats and mice, these factors do not fully explain the difference between British Columbia and the rest of the country.

“These findings highlight the increasing severity of rodent problems across Canada, particularly as we head into winter,” said Heimbach, Vice President, Business Development, Abell Pest Control. “The ban on second-generation rodenticides in BC may be exacerbating the challenge, making it even more crucial for businesses and property owners to take proactive steps in protecting their homes and properties from rodent infestations.”

 
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When EHL Insights formulated their Top 10 hospitality industry trends for 2024 earlier this year, the first trend addressed the ongoing problem of staff recruitment and retention. EHL observed that in addition to offering perks, many hoteliers “also invest in training programs to motivate staff and allow mobility up the corporate ladder.”

EHL added, “Empowered employees not only have a positive impact on how guests feel and their decision to become repeat guests, but also help attract other employees to build a cohesive, high-quality workforce.”

While such an outcome is really more of a goal than a sure thing, there’s no question that training is vital to the smooth operation of any hotelMelissa Di Blasio, vice president, training and development, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, points out that “Businesses change, guests needs change, and with that, it’s important companies and business owners change, which is why we’re committed to giving hotels the best tools and resources we can to help keep them educated and ahead.

That said, Jon Kiely, vice president, products and programs at Tourism HR Canada, reports that “We’re still running into labour issues in many areas, and the number of people between 15 and 24 whose first job is in the hospitality sector has shrunk considerably.”

Filling this gap are newcomers to Canada or people in career transition, among others; and given that they are just as likely to regard hospitality as a stepping-stone to other ventures, Kiely acknowledges that the impulse among many hoteliers is to not invest as heavily in training as organizations like EHL recommend.

“However, perhaps the situation should be regarded differently,” he says. “Perhaps we have to accept that the people we hire will only stay a few years before moving on – and train them so that they’ll be the best they can be for the time we have them. Operational efficiency will be ensured, plus the skills they obtain will be important to secure the careers they really want.

“In the long run, sending the message that the training they receive will benefit them in other industries will go a long way in attracting newcomers and filling the labour gap, in addition to motivating them to perform better. Put it this way: this is a better option than hiring people, not giving them adequate training, and them remaining in the industry.”

Emerit is one of Tourism HR Canada’s primary training brands:developed by industry for industry, Emerit provides National Occupational Standards, flexible online and paper-based training, and professional certification for tourism and hospitality employees in a wide range of occupations.

As with any successful training system, Tourism HR Canada is constantly tweaking and improving its product. “For example, the latest iteration of our e-learning is that we provide wrap-around support, which takes the form of training meted out in smaller chunks, printable curriculum, and content deployed on smart phones much more efficiently than was the case in the past,” Kiely says.

Kiely’s organization has also learned lessons from the Covid lockdowns. “For example, we’ve created classroom tools that can be used in group settings: if we have an e-learning course for front desk, it has been developed to suit different learning rates, and deployed in a group setting with group activities – because the rate and rapidity of learning is enhanced when people collaborate in groups.”

From the hotelier’s perspective, such initiatives are invaluable in helping create a solid and reliable staff team. With more than 9,000 hotels around the world, it’s imperative we make it as easy as possible for owners and hotel staff to access educational materials,” Di Blasio says. “Through our owner engagement platform, Wyndham Community, owners can access everything from their hotel’s latest performance data to training programs and resources through Wyndham University. Wyndham University delivers in person, virtual and self-paced online training focused on everything from property operations, hospitality management, quality best practices, service culture and more.”

Di Blasio goes on to note that, “Wyndham University also provides curated and customized training that supports the unique needs of the hotels.”

Over at Ann Arbour Consultants Inc. (which has gained recognition as a one stop shop to locate, recruit, and seamlessly immigrate global the global talent that is required for Canadian companies), chief executive officer Sharmila Perera is coming to grips with Ottawa’s new restrictions governing the ability of people in the hospitality sector to hire and retain temporary foreign workers in the low wage category.

The restrictions consist of three key changes. First, low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) will no longer be processed in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) where the unemployment rate is six percent or higher (ironically, the agriculture, healthcare and construction sectors are exempt from this rule). Also, employers are limited to filling only 10 percent of their workforce with temporary foreign workers in low-wage positions, down from the previous allocation of 20 percent (exceptions apply to those in agriculture, healthcare and construction). Finally, the maximum employment duration for low-wage LMIAs has been reduced from two years to one year.

From the government’s perspective, these reforms aim to reduce the employer’s dependence on temporary foreign workers and encourage business to prioritize hiring Canadians and permanent residents. But as any hotelier will attest, temporary foreign workers are key to filling critical positions in venues across the country.

“It’s a tremendous blow, considering hoteliers rely on this labour pool for everything from housekeepers to cooks, especially in rural areas,” Perera says. “Resorts in places like Banff will especially be hard hit – and the new regulations also prevent employers from renewing existing temporary workers, at a time when a good 500,000-600,000 of them are up for renewal next year.”

Worse, further regulations are said to be in the works that will affect high-wage workers. “We can tap labour from Ottawa’s Francophone program, which was recently opened up for unskilled workers, and we can also leverage free trade agreements to bring in chefs from places like Chile and Peru – but this hardly makes up for the restrictions to temporary foreign workers,” Perera says. “Hotel associations are lobbying hard against these restrictions, but we can only wait and see what 2025 will bring.”

As such, the familiar two-fold challenge of recruitment and retention remains as acute as ever as we move into the New Year. Only the comprehensive training and education programs such as those provided by Wyndham Hotels, combined with constantly upgraded formal third party training plus the lobbying power of industry, will ensure that the sector is replete with dedicated and knowledgeable labour - whatever their volumes may be.

 
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Vrancor Hospitality Corporation, has added another hotel to its growing  hospitality portfolio with the completion of the new Holiday Inn Express® hotel in  Hamilton Ontario. Holiday Inn Express Hamilton – Upper James is owned and operated by 1276 Upper James Limited and managed by Vrancor Hospitality Corporation.

This new hotel represents the latest addition to InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) more than 6,000 hotels across the globe. Located on Upper James Street, on the Hamilton Mountain. The 105 room, 6 storey hotel is ideally situated right off the Lincoln Alexander Parkway, steps away from a variety of restaurants, shopping, and conveniently a short drive from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport making it ideal for travelers.

“Hamilton, Ontario is poised to become a top Canadian destination, celebrated for its’ vibrant neighbourhoods, captivating, nature-based activities and burgeoning food scene. We are thrilled to welcome IHG’s newest property, Holiday Inn Express Hamilton – Upper James to the party.” Lisa Abbott, Director, Tourism Hamilton.

The new venue features free parking and free Wi-Fi. Guests start their day with complimentary Express Start® hot breakfast bar, offering both healthy and hearty options. They will also have 24-hour access to cardio and strength training equipment in the fitness centre. The new hotel is conveniently steps away from a variety of restaurants such as The Keg, Turtle Jacks, and Shoeless Joes. As well there are numerous retail stores directly on Upper James or within a short drive to Hamilton’s CF Limeridge Mall for shopping.

 

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