The Stars were all in alignment last night, when the Lord Elgin Hotel won top prize at the Stars of the City Gala. We are all still on a high today - what a fabulous night!!

With over 400 Stars awarded, the hotel was one of three finalists for Star Property of the year. We had quite the presence - nearly 60 of the hotel staff - almost all of whom were ‘Stars’, attended the event and we were not quiet. Every time our name appeared on the screen, we stood up and cheered like little kids - clapping and cheering!! Not only did we win Star Property, but the hotel had 3 finalists in different categories - all big Stars in their own right and the Evening Star went to our very own Christopher Ward. Chris, who works at our front desk, is one of those guys who just genuinely likes to help people and is always going above and beyond. He alone received over 49 nominations for Stars - an all time record says Ottawa Tourism.

FYI - Stars of the City is a program that Ottawa Tourism started years ago whereby visitors to our city can nominate those people that truly stand out. The program also delivers training that all of our staff can participate in, that encourages great service.

You know the really nice thing to see was when Chris won, each one of us went over to congratulate him. We were so happy for him. He truly deserved the award!! But it was also a testament to what great people I get to work with everyday at this hotel - truly committed people who love what they do. It’s also a testament to a great boss, our fearless leader, David Smythe, who really ignites all of the employees at the LE. He is a great champion for his team!!

Thank you to all our guests for the Stars!! You made our year!!

Each year since it’s opening, the Lord Elgin has hosted thousands of soldiers – those on active duty and veterans, as they come to Ottawa on military business, or to join with other’s to remember those who have lost their lives fighting for their country.

This year, we felt it was timely to do something special for our military and their families. The recent war on terror in Afghanistan has certainly created a heightened awareness of the difficulties our soldiers and their families face before, during and after their deployment. Personally, I have four sons, ranging in age from 17 to 22 and so I think of these families as they send their loved ones overseas and how difficult it must be.

And so, to honor the many Canadian soldiers past and present, this Remembrance Day we are offering a block of complimentary rooms (value of $199) to active military personnel and their families through the Military Families Fund, as well as offering extra rooms at a special discount for additional military families who would like to visit Ottawa during this year’s Remembrance Day services. Guests will also be asked to make a donation to help support the Military Families Fund during this period.

We actually have two web-cams on top of our hotel - one overlooking beautiful Confederation Park and the other with a clear view of the War Memorial, which is just two blocks north of the hotel. You can see both from our web-site home page where there is a link. So if you cannot make it to Ottawa for the ceremonies, you are welcome to take it in through our web-cam.

Last March, as some of you know, we had a promotion called “Dreaming of Diamonds”, where once a week one guest would open a card that had a lucky ticket to win one of four diamond rings we were giving away that month. It worked wonderfully well, except that many people were so skeptical, they actually threw the ticket out. What a shame!

One of our lucky winners, Pamela Fralick, with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, took her diamond ring and decided to put it to good use. She donated it to her Association to be used in one of their fundraisers. Today, she checked in (she is a regular guest) and told us that ring raised over $7,000 for her organization. I was so thrilled! What a good news story and one I wanted to share. We may be on to something. Perhaps when we run the promotion next year, we should challenge the winners to see who can raise more funds than Pamela did in ‘07.
So ladies and gents, when you stay in ‘08 when we are running our Diamond promotion and there is an envelope on the pillow, don’t be a skeptic. Open it. It really could be your lucky day!

It was such a great night! We hosted a lovely reception in Confederation Park on Sunday evening (June 24th) and despite the cloud burst, our guests were kept dry and comfy under the protection of the tent we had compliments of our friends at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.

As long-time sponsors of the Jazz Festival, we were able to invite our guests to a great night under the stars with the amazing drums of the Conga Kings - an 11 piece Rumba Group with 3 of the master congueros of Afro-cuban music. It was a great evening .. great music, fabulous food and drink and great company.

To our delight, this year, our partners at the Ottawa Jazz Festival awarded the Lord Elgin Hotel with the ‘Corporate Award of Distinction’. We have been working with the Jazz Festival for well over 10 years and it was so rewarding to have this award presented to us. With our location, it makes so much sense to give back to these festivals that provide the color and culture that make this a great town! Kudos to the unfailing efforts of people like Catherine O’Grady and the heads of all the other wonderful summer festivals and all those behind them for all they do to bring such fabulous entertainment to our city! We are proud to be a part of what you do!