Four Seasons, Holiday, CP Upgrade Toronto Hotels
<B> Four Seasons, Holiday, CP Upgrade Toronto Hotels</B>
By Carolyn Green
<I>Toronto</I> - Major hoteliers are spending millions to upgrade their facilities here these days, as the local economy gathers strength and inbound business travel takes off.
At the Four Seasons Toronto, the chain's flagship property in the tony downtown Yorkville district, about $5.6 million is being invested in both guest rooms and public areas.
"The last refurbishment was completed eight years ago, so we felt it was time to freshen our look," said Klaus Tenter, general manager of the 380-room property. The hotel often serves as the home-away-from-home for entertainment celebrities, high-level politicians and senior business executives.
The renovation, which began last December and will be completed in September, will include new beds, furniture, carpeting, bedspreads, drapes, upholsteries and light fixtures. The hotel also will install new carpeting in all corridors, meeting rooms and the health club.
Another property, the Holiday Inn on King--located in the heart of the financial district--has added a 3,000 square-foot interactive virtual reality video gaming room and restaurant. Known as E-space, the facility, the first of its kind at a Canadian Holiday Inn, features a selection of electronic games including a golf simulator and an alpine ski simulator. The hotel also has a golf pro on site for guests who want to perfect their swing on the simulator.
"This is not an arcade, but an electronic entertainment complex designed to offer guests an opportunity to relax and release tension in a stimulating and challenging environment," said general manager Marlin Keranen.
Noting that business travelers are asked at the time of booking if they want to select a tee time for the simulator, Keranen said many travel planners reserve the entire facility for employees or clients.
Northeast of the downtown area, Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts recently acquired the former Sheraton Toronto East.
CP is investing about $1.5 million this year to upgrade the property and a total of $2.1 million over a three-year period, said hotel manager Chris Lund.
With business travelers accounting for about 65 percent of the hotel's occupancy, Lund said this year's renovation plans include the creation of a special upper-echelon concierge floor, known as Entrée Gold, with 20 guest rooms and a separate lounge.
And in keeping with the CP chain's move to create business-equipped rooms in all its city properties, all other rooms--about 350 --are being upgraded with cordless phones, desks with business supplies, dataports, in-room coffee makers, and irons and ironing boards.
Since taking over the property earlier this spring, CP has renovated the lobby and redecorated the 10,000 square-foot ballroom foyer. Plans also call for a business center.
Thanks to its proximity to Canadian head offices of such major U.S. and international companies as General Motors, Toyota Canada and Eli Lilly Canada Inc., the hotel sells about 55,000 corporate room nights annually, Lund said, noting the transfer from the Sheraton brand to CP has not had much effect on attracting U.S. business.
"We've contacted all our corporate accounts and they're all continuing to use the hotel," he said. "A lot are very positive that it's CP because CP has a bit of a cachet that Sheraton doesn't have with some of those who are familiar with Canadian Pacific. Most of the U.S. business is referred through their Canadian subsidiaries.