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.

Today marks my last week as a social media intern for the Lord Elgin Hotel. It’s very much a bittersweet ending, as I am excited to be finishing up my college degree but sad to leave the friends, experiences and memories I made during my time at the hotel.

Working with the sales team at the Lord Elgin was absolutely amazing. Each member brought something special towards the team, whether it was Shannon’s baked goods, Tessa’s warm smile, or Andrew’s theoretical passages on life. The team was like a big happy family, and they always made me feel like not only was I part of the team, but an employee too.

My daily routine at the hotel ranged from a number of tasks. I was of course in charge of the social media aspect, working with different social media tools, creating blog posts, posting videos and pictures, and establishing online connections with bloggers and professionals. I performed daily checks on hotel review sites, like Trip Advisor and Review Analysis. I also promoted the hotel’s restaurant, Grill 41, over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

I also assisted my fellow coworkers when they needed a helping hand. I performed administration work, such as filing, writing email messages, and setting up meeting rooms for clients.

At the Lord Elgin, I always felt like part of the team. My first day of work, I was politely greeted by my fellow employers and department heads, and everyone was always eager to assist me when needed. I was always given lots of appealing work to do, and both my professional and personal skills improved immensely. I am now a stronger writer, more confident when presenting my work, and feel like I can truly succeed in my field of business.

Thank you sales team, department heads, restaurant team and the front desk employees. You have made my time here at the Lord Elgin one I will cherish for time to come.

Spring has finally arrived in our capital, and you know what that means? Festivals, events and happenings galore! We here at the Lord Elgin are looking forward to the major launch of the festivals. The line-up for all the major festival are being announced, and what a summer it will be – Robert Plant, KD Lang, Elvis Costello and more…

Every year, our friends over at Ottawa Festivals throw a start up of the festivals shindig, in May. CEO’S, managers and other very important people are invited to the rather posh event. Last year I had the opportunity of volunteering for the party, and what an experience it was. The event featured food, beverages, entertainment of all sorts and speeches from local celebrities. You couldn’t ask for a better way to bring festival season to life.

My fellow employers at the hotel work closely with a few of the biggest festivals in Ottawa. Bluesfest, Jazz Festival, the Folk Festival and the Tulip Festival are our main partners this season.

Ottawa’s Bluesfest is the largest Blues festival in Canada, and attracts music lovers from all over the world. Artists from diverse genres make their way to Lebreton Flats to perform to fans, and of course the Bluesfest volunteers. Each year fans anticipate the launch of the line-up, which is due out later this month.

Ottawa’s Folk Festival is another main addition to the festivals. This not-for- profit, volunteer based event now run by Mark Monahan of Bluesfest, celebrates the creative side of dancers, artists, musicians, and storytellers at Hog’s Back Park in Ottawa. It’s sure to bring its own unique zest to our city this summer.

And last but not least, the one and only Tulip Festival. As a prestige partner, the Lord Elgin has a long-standing partnership with this festival. In it’s early years the founder of the Festival, Malak Karsh and Don Blakslee, the General Manager of the hotel at that time, worked together year after year locally and at international trade shows to promote the Tulip Festival as Ottawa’s biggest tourism event of the year. It continues to be known internationally as the main draw for Ottawa. 300,000 tulips will be on display at this festival! It’s a spectacle of nature’s you won’t want to miss.

Even if you don’t receive a handwritten invite to the launch of the festivals, you are welcome to take part in the events that each festival has in store. Whether you’re into flowers, volunteering or music: there’s something for everyone.

Big things are happening for us down here at the Lord Elgin this April. Our partners, the Ottawa Convention Centre, have just hosted their grand opening of the newly renovated building. Ottawa’s Bluesfest, Folkfest, Capital Hoedown, and the Tulip Festival are all just around the corner. And, we cannot forget one of the highlight events of the century … we are proud to say the Royal couple are paying our city a visit!

I think it’s safe to say we are ecstatic about Kate and William coming to Canada. Our hotel is almost booked solid, the inquiries for this much anticipated visit are creating such excitement and demand for our Canada Day weekend. Everyone, including residents and out of towners, are making sure they get a room reserved for the festivities.

Down here on Elgin Street, we ourselves are getting involved in the celebrations! We are setting up a special wedding package for a ‘royal’ stay at the hotel and are also presenting our own giant wedding cake right on Elgin Street! We are secretly hoping the newlyweds stop by for a slice.

During their stay in Canada, the couple will be nothing but busy. On Canada Day, they will be visiting Parliament Hill, and say hello to our Governor General David Johnston. After departing from Ottawa, they have a few other stops in store. William and Kate will make their way to the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

Canadians everywhere are preparing themselves for the April 29th wedding and the special visit. The wedding is set to air at 3 A.M. Eastern time.

We are hoping the Royal pair enjoys their time here in Canada. We want them to enjoy everything our country has to offer- beautiful sights, lovely people, and of course, poutine.

The day we have all been waiting for, has finally arrived folks. The brand new Ottawa Convention Centre is due to open its doors on April 13th. We have been watching out our windows with anticipation as they put the finishing touches on this remarkable building – so great to have exciting architecture such as this in our city!

The former Ottawa Congress Centre suited Ottawa’s needs in its early years, however Ottawa’s needs outgrew its capacity very quickly. The new centre will almost triple its hosting capacity, and draw delegates from all over the world to the nation’s capital. We are finally on the radar for those large conventions and can showcase our great city to groups that we could not accommodate before.

The centre will have four different levels and we hear the view from the top floor is sensational – overlooking the Rideau Canal with sensational views of the Parliament Buildings and downtown Ottawa. They also have turbo speed elevators to get you to your meeting in record time… they have not overlooked anything. They worked very hard to incorporate the latest in ‘green’ technologies and practices and will be a model for the rest of us to follow – kudos’ to them!!

We are so excited to finally have a world class facility on our doorstep! Let’s celebrate the opening together and let the new Convention Centre take us for a ride!