From the few months working on social media for the hotel, I am amazed of how fast time flies. It feels like yesterday that I started and now it has already come to an end. I have learned so much more about social media from being here and I’m so glad that I had the chance to meet the Lord Elgin staff. The sales staff is hilarious to work beside and they made me feel apart of their family. Everyone was very welcoming and always helped me when I needed a hand.

I got to learn a lot about the hotel itself and I have booked rooms for the Tulip festival coming in May. I am definitely going to use the skills I picked up from these past months for my future. From blogging, making press kits, and being on Facebook and Twitter, along with everything in between, there was always something to be learned each day.

I want to thank everyone at the hotel for making me feel apart of the team and at home. I couldn’t think of a better place to stay in Ottawa and I will always return to say hello. I have learned a lot more about Ottawa from being here and more about hotels, sales, and what its like to work in a team or as I would say a family, at the Lord Elgin hotel.

Thank you!

- Katrina

When spring comes around that usually means most students are almost done another year of university or college. April is the last month of school for these students before they go off and start a career or just have another summer vacation and prepare for the next year. For those finishing their last year of school like I am, you will be searching for careers and thinking of getting your life and career started. It’s a scary thing knowing you will have to find a job instead of just going back to school because all we have known was when September comes around it’s time to do that back to school shopping, but for myself it will be much different.

Once April hits it’s time to start a career and time to put that backpack away. It’s crazy how time flies when you think about how many years you have actually been in school and now that part of your life is over. It’s exciting knowing you will be getting your life in motion and that you’re growing up, but we all know that we will miss living at home with parents and going on that school bus each morning.

Spring is really a time of hope. It’s when high school graduates are waiting by the mailbox hoping for their acceptance letters for university, a time to start a new year and hoping it will be better than the last. It’s a time for new jobs, new friends, and a total new you for some, but most of all it’s hope for this year to be life changing and exciting.

This year I am hoping to travel and see things I haven’t before. I’m starting off small and have decided that I will return to Ottawa in May to attend the Tulip Festival and also in July for Canada Day…. I heard the fireworks are amazing so this year I will see them for myself.

What will you do this year?? Let us know on our Facebook page or on Twitter!

Making a “party day” for the kids is always fun and simple. Make invitations and cupcakes and have some neighborhood kids/ friends over for a tea party. Have a slumber party and make pizza with the kids, visit dad at work and go for lunch, road trip to a local sugar bush is something the kids always would like and of course some crafty things are a good idea to keep the kids busy for a few hours.

Taking kids swimming or to a day camp is another way to get some time to yourself or if you’re working it’s a great way for the kids to have fun and it keeps you from trying to find a babysitter.

No matter what, there is always something fun to do for the break and it doesn’t have to be crazy hectic. Ottawa has a lot going on for March Break that would make the week fly by. Have fun!

This year for Family Day Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush will be opening. They have all kinds of amazing activities for the kids but also some cool things for parents. They have a nature trail, maple tour, horse drawn rides, face painting, and the best part… MAPLE TAFFY! It is open from Feb. 18 – April 22, 2012, and you shouldn’t miss it. This is one of the places where you can go with the kids and get away for a day and become a kid again. It’s when we start to feel the beginnings of spring… the warmer sun, the melting snow.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I will be checking it out with my family this year for sure. If you want more information you can go to the website and they have prices and more details on events happening.

http://fultons.ca/?page=spring_activities

Have an amazing Family Day no matter what you’re planning.

Hotels are booming around Valentine’s Day because everyone wants to get away and have someone cater to them. The Lord Elgin has amazing romance packages that will knock your socks off. This year there is a special steamy romance package available from the 5th- 19th. We will provide everything for a romantic and intimate evening. You even get red roses on arrival in your room! Don’t miss out on this one. Check out this amazing package on our website.

It’s easy to make a great night on the town if you decide to go for a romantic skate on the Rideau Canal and then get a Beavertail, after come back to the hotel and relax. There are also many restaurants that will have great deals for Valentine’s that are affordable for everyone. Even if you don’t feel like spending money you can always walk around town together, go skating, or even stay in and watch some cute movies with some popcorn. As long as you’re with the one you want to be with, it will be a perfect Valentine’s Day no mater what.

Our package for Valentine’s Day – http://www.lordelginhotel.ca/specials_packages/index.aspx

We want to know how you will spend your Valentine’s Day. Tweet at us @lordelginhotel or write on our Facebook page to let us know.

Blaize Shaw, who is another public relations student and who is doing the same placement as I am but at Hotel Indigo, showed me some rooms, the fitness centre and the spa which was apart of another hotel. Hotel Indigo has other hotels attached in it so it made it a little confusing to get around but we managed. It was nice to be able to see a few hotels in one.

I got the chance to show The Lord Elgin as well and it was a good experience to teach someone about a hotel and its history… even though I am still learning. I enjoyed looking at other hotels and seeing the different between them all. It was a fun experience and was nice to catch up with a classmate.

So the next question is always “so when are the slow periods?” It’s not always what you think. For our hotel, the slowest period is the summer. As a downtown hotel, we rely primarily on business, government and association travel. Even though tourism travel goes up in the summer, it is not large enough to compensate for the drop in regular business-type travel. Organizations do less travel in the summer because their staff is on vacation. So, if you can plan your meeting July or August, we can offer you a lower rate.
But many organizations feel they can’t meet in summer for the same reason. So what’s next? If you can’t meet in summer, try to meet during the “shoulder months.” These are the months that aren’t as busy as the prime months but not as slow as the summer. Generally, the busiest months are May, June, September, October and November. That means January, February March, April, and December are slower. However, February can still be quite busy with Winterlude so which days you plan to stay are critical. Finally, at any time of the year, a city-wide conference can fill the downtown core for a short time and drive the rates through the roof. Just think about the NHL All-Star game scheduled for January 27/28-2012.

So just remember that off-season is best to save money with an understanding that at any time, a hotel might be sold out for special event. Be flexible with your dates. Ask your sales manager if there is any need periods that come with a discount. They will gladly share that information with you and you both will come out a winner.
Next blog will be about which days of the week can save you money as well.

Andrew Horsfield
Senior Sales Manager
Associations, Non-profits

Last year my friends and I decided to go downtown and check it out and boy am I glad we did. We were shocked that there were so many sculptures and since we went at night we saw the fantastic lights. It was absolutely amazing and despite the cold we stayed far longer than we expected.

A few days later in photography class our teacher decided that we should go on a field trip to do an assignment on Winterlude. We went during the day to take photos and skate on the canal. That was the first time I saw The Lord Elgin Hotel and to be honest I thought it resembled a castle. I imagined that it was an upper class hotel and you had to be somebody big to be able to stay there…. It’s nice that I get the chance to have my placement here.

Winterlude has many events that bring the city together for the winter season. It makes families and friends spend time together, whether it be skating on the canal, eating beavertails, shopping or taking part in Winterlude, it’s amazing that Ottawa holds these events to keep everyone together and take part in community events. This is one reason why I love Ottawa. Ottawa always has something going on that brings tourists from around Canada to gather in our capital for one reason or another and most continuously return.

I would recommend checking out Winterlude this season because last year was amazing and I can feel this year will be even more excellent. From the Lord Elgin Hotel I can simply walk over the Confederation Park where the Ice Carving Competition is held…, which means each day I’m at my internship while Winterlude is going on I will be able to look out the window and keep everyone updated.

Keep updated with me on Twitter @lordelginhotel and like our Facebook page for more photos and posts with information on the hotel and Winterlude.

I had always passed The Lord Elgin hotel and the restaurant while walking downtown with friends or going to the Rideau Centre but I never had the chance to go inside or eat at the restaurant. I finally got my chance that’s for sure. My first impression was amazing! The hotel is beautiful and has a lot of history and character to it. My supervisor who is the Director of Sales and Marketing, Ann Meelker told me a lot about the hotel and showed me around. She even showed me the Starbucks that was attached! She introduced me to most staff and showed me a few of the rooms they offer. With the new mattresses and a flat screen TV’s they just replaced I wanted to curl up in bed and watch a movie….but I did my best to resist.

After meeting staff and touring the hotel we decided to go to Grill 41, which is the restaurant in the hotel. My first impression was that it looked very fancy and it would be out of my budget but I thought it would be nice to try it out anyways. They had an amazing lunch menu for Winterbites, which included a 3-course meal for only $15…Score! I had a beautiful ceaser salad for an appetizer and salmon for my main course and it was to die for. The salmon came with red peppers and cut potatoes and was served like you were in Paris… très excellent.

I knew The Lord Elgin was an upscale hotel but I wasn’t expecting to be blown away like this. I was so impressed with how friendly all the staff was in welcoming me to the hotel and making me feel at home for my first day.

I am very excited to be doing my placement at The Lord Elgin Hotel and I hope I can do as well as Taylor did last year.