Hotels for the Ages

by Melanie Chambers

Traditional British tea and scones in the afternoon conjure up images of old-world charm while sleek minimalist design evokes cool technology and the future. Or better yet, what about the feel of a prehistoric ice cave? If you’re looking to amaze your next clients or employees, consider a venue whose history or sense of modern style will wow them.

We’ve included three hotels that can evoke a sense of nostalgia or peak into the unknown future.

The Ice Hotel - Quebec City, Quebec

If you’re considering wowing your international clients or employees — those from warm climates who think Canadians all live in igloos — this hotel will debunk that myth: with immense halls decorated with artwork emerging from the ice, ice furniture and ice candelabras hanging from 18-foot ceilings, the ice hotel is anything but a rustic igloo.

Since opening in 2000, this award-winning hotel has hosted over one million guests.

Open from early January, the hotel is left to “disappear” — melt — by the end of March. At the beginning of December, it takes about a month, over 20 workers — 10 more to do the finer details — and over 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice to make this wintery spectacular.

Companies such as The North Face and Ford have hosted events here, and with good reason: “There is no limit on what our team can do,” says Sarah Matthews, communications advisor for the hotel.

Last year when Ford participated in Salon de l’Auto de Québec, a popular car show, guests were invited to the Ice Bar for drinks served in ice mugs stamped with company logos while a DJ pumped out icy tunes. And for special cachet, car company logos were etched out of ice in a giant ice sculpture. The package also included a guided tour, finger foods and local Canadiana drinks — ice cider and maple products from their own sugar shack.

And for a unique team-building event, what about getting everyone to create an ice sculpture (supervised of course)? Guests can also cozy around a fire (it’s fake, bien sûr) to hear tales and legends of Quebec. And to raise the bar, the hotel will even roll out the red carpet.

Only 10 minutes from Quebec City, the hotel is the perfect blend of rural and urban feel: guests can dine at the nearby Sheraton Four Points or opt for an outdoor adventure on a dogsled, near a bonfire or ice-skating.

Every guest attends a training session to answer any questions about sleeping in temperatures that typically range from zero to minus five degrees Celsius. Every guest is given a sleeping bag designed for minus 40 weather and you never actually sleep on ice: there is a mattress on each bed. Guests are invited to have a sauna before bed — to warm up. “It’s like deluxe camping!” says Matthews. www.hoteldeglace-canada.com

Fairmont Chateau Laurier - Ottawa, Ontario

Its copper-clad turrets, spires and towers resemble a fairytale castle. Overlooking the Rideau Canal since 1912, when it was built as a railway hotel for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, the Château Laurier has become part of the Ottawa skyline. It’s a hotel known for its tradition, luxury and attentive service.

And guests, even of the corporate variety, want to know about that history.

To celebrate the hotel’s 100th anniversary next year, employees and clients on a business lunch or meeting can take a tea and tour break: “Our hotel is so steeped in history — for instance the original manager died on the Titanic — guests want to know about this,” says Deneen Perrin, public relations director for the hotel.

The tour only takes 15 minutes, which is then followed by a traditional tea and scones — a Château Laurier tradition.

For the companies that want to wow, they partner with the hotel’s event coordinators to create one-of-a-kind events. Some of the themed events have included a Broadway musical theme or a Hollywood-style event. And, the hotel has literally rolled out the red carpet for guests: “We even shone floodlights on the guests as they entered the room.”

The hotel is also interwoven in the history and festivals of Ottawa: as the official sponsor of Winterlude, winter is a special time for the hotel. For one such wintery event, the Adam Room became a blue room (as in “blue ice”). Ice sculptures were brought in, along with crystals, and cocktails poured out of an ice centrepiece. To add to the wintery wonderland, white flowers were brought in to accent the blue.

During the spring tulip festival, brightly coloured tulips take centre stage: “We have a terrace with a view of the garden that is entirely decorated and feels like a garden on the terrace.”

The hotel can work with a variety of budgets, but their main concern is the memories: “We want employees or clients to say, ‘Remember when we went to Ottawa?’ — we want them to have that wow moment.”

Part of that is the giveaways the hotel helps to organize for an event, which are related to the themed event. For example, for the winter event, the hotel placed hat and mitts in every guest’s room, or for the tulip event, it only made sense to include a potted tulip, which also came with a beautiful note. “People love the notes and the fact that it was nicely packed — there was some creativity behind it. People really have fun with these giveaways.” Another company gave out Christmas balls for the tree or a frame ornament.

Finally, to really capture the moment, some companies have brought in a photo booth and then delivered the pictures — often a series of shots — the next day to the employees’ rooms. “It’s all in the details and taking care that it’s done in the right way — this is what people remember.” www.fairmont.com/laurier

Bank Inn Hotel - Edmonton, Alberta

“The great thing about our hotel is that it is a great blend of old and new,” says Colleen Gilliam, sales manager for the Bank Inn Hotel. Built in 1911, when the population of Edmonton was a mere 24,900, the Union Bank of Canada would see various incarnations as banks, before becoming a 34-room hotel in 1997. With the addition of a contemporary wing about a decade ago, old world meets new.

“The hotel has the heritage and old-world boutique feel that is reminiscent of Europe and then the new wing, which is really suitable for corporate guests, has a modern feel with neutral colours and larger working desks.” The hotel has three intimate venues: the 100-person Giverny Ballroom; the Devonshire Room, a 60-person meeting room; and finally, the Vintage Room is a 14-seat dining or meeting room.

One of the most popular events, in the ballroom, is casino night. “They have a dinner and then they get to mingle around the room gambling with mock money.”

Companies have also blocked off entire sections of the hotel, mostly the heritage rooms, for staff appreciation evenings that include a dinner and dance and then meal. “It’s really a retreat for the office.”

And for those guests looking to kick it up a notch, companies have booked off the entire restaurant. Madison’s Grill is “for bigger events — the kind where you want to make a statement.” The restaurant will create a custom menu and even special evening-only cocktails: “We’ve had companies request drinks that incorporate the colours of their logo in a signature drink, or if we get a company — like a vodka company — we’ve created special new cocktails for the event.”

Companies have even gone one step further bringing in specially made beer for their event. It all adds to the wow factor, no matter the style — old or new. www.unionbankinn.com