Aimbridge Hospitality Acquires Canadian Hotel Management Company, Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, Ltd.

Aimbridge Hospitality, North America’s largest independent hotel investment and management firm, announces its Canadian affiliate has acquired Canadian condo-hotel management company, Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, Ltd. 

Founded in 2003, Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, Ltd., manages luxury destination resorts across western Canada. The company ensures each managed property maintains its unique individuality with a corporate mission of exceptional experiences for guests, owners and employees.   

“I am excited to pass the torch to Aimbridge Hospitality, a company just as dedicated to innovation and revenue growth,” said Dale Hodgson, CEO at Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. “The robust infrastructure and proven managerial performance Aimbridge brings to the table bodes really well for our owners and guests going forward.”  

The transaction adds seven Canadian properties with a total of more than 600 keys to Aimbridge Hospitality’s ever-growing hotel portfolio.

The newly acquired properties, all independent assets located in Western Canada, include the following: 

Grande Rockies Resort, Canmore, Alberta
●    Situated in the Bow Valley of the Canadian Rockies, the resort features 104 guest rooms and suites that are ideal for family travel, corporate groups or mountain weddings. 

Solara Resort & Spa, Canmore, Alberta
●    An award-winning wellness resort designed for corporate conferences, luxurious family vacations and romantic getaways, the stylish mountain retreat provides 154 luxury accommodations and resort amenities amid the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Glacier Mountaineer Lodge, Golden, British Columbia
●    Located in the heart of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort alpine village, the ski-in/ski-out lodge offers 106 guest rooms and suites with sprawling views of the surrounding mountains. 

Kicking Horse Homes, Golden, British Columbia
●    A selection of six spacious and luxurious on-mountain townhomes providing a perfect setting for extended family getaways.

Palliser Lodge, Golden, British Columbia
●    Steps away from Kicking Horse Mountain Resort village, the 40-suite resort offers  tranquil setting within the glades for easy ski-in/ski-out access. 

The Royal Kelowna, Kelowna, British Columbia
●    This 70-key all-suite downtown hotel backs directly on to Okanagan Lake, and features some of the largest suites in Canada’s Okanagan wine region.  
  
The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, Vancouver Island, British Columbia 
●    Located on the site of the historic Island Hall Resort, this luxury property offers 149 guest suites on Vancouver Island’s east coast, along with an onsite spa, seaside pool and hot tub, fitness centre, and onsite dining options. 

In addition to the seven condo-hotel management agreements, Aimbridge will acquire a corporate office in Calgary that currently employs 18 people in support of the Bellstar portfolio. 

“The acquisition of this robust company and its seven thriving properties is a huge addition to Aimbridge Hospitality’s international portfolio,” said Dave Johnson, Chairman and CEO at Aimbridge Hospitality. “As we look toward international expansion, we are proud to welcome these properties to our management portfolio and look forward to ongoing success in the Canadian market.”  

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts is featured on the cover of Western Hotelier magazine

Calgary, Alberta (November, 2018) — Bellstar is featured nationally in this magazine as our own industry recognizes the extraordinary efforts all our staff have put forward in the past year.  We encourage everyone to read the cover article starting on page 18.

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Announces Kelowna Portfolio Addition

Calgary, Alberta (September 6, 2018) — The Calgary-based leader in hotel and resort management has announced it will be adding Kelowna’s The Royal Private Residences Club to its ever-expanding portfolio of iconic western Canadian resorts.  

As of September 29th, 2018 Bellstar, will be overseeing the management of the 70-unit hotel currently managed by Marriott International’s Delta Hotels brand.  This premier hotel is located on the Kelowna waterfront within the downtown business district and features a roof top pool, fitness area in addition to a variety of luxury suite layouts ranging in size from 730 sq. ft to up to 2900 sq. ft.

“We are excited to see more resort owners converting branded properties to managed independents,” says Robin Cumine, Vice President of Operations & Corporate Development for Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. “Bellstar has a long tradition of offering owners and developers excellent returns while delivering exceptional experiences.  Our goal for The Royal Private Residence Club is to soon become a market leader within the Okanagan region.”

To ensure a smooth management transition, Bellstar has recruited Ingrid Jarrett of IJ Management Consulting to take on the role of General Manager for The Royal Private Residences Club.  Jarrett is a long-time travel and hospitality veteran who has spent more than two decades driving tourism in the Okanagan region and was most recently named 2017 Hotelier of the Year for BC while she continues her role as General Manager and Vice President of Corporate Development for the Watermark Resort in Osoyoos, British Columbia.

“I am thrilled to have The Royal Private Residence Club, and a partnership with Bellstar Hotels and Resorts added to my IJ Management Consulting portfolio. Living and working in my hometown has been one of my goals for my business, I am excited to be focusing on the luxury market in the heart of Kelowna," says Ingrid Jarrett.

About Bellstar

Bellstar manages destination resorts across Western Canada, with locations in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, and in BC at Kicking Horse Mountain, Vancouver Island and now the Okanagan Region.

Learn more about Bellstar.

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Announces Executive Appointment

Calgary, Alberta (June 11, 2018) — The Calgary-based leader in hotel and resort management has announced a new executive appointment as it looks to have another successful year.

Robin Cumine joins Bellstar as Vice President of Operations & Corporate Development. Robin has over thirty years of senior leadership experience operating hotels in Canada. He was recently recognized by the Province of Alberta for his leadership abilities and contributions to tourism and hospitality as the recipient of the 2017 Travel Alberta Alto Ambassador Award and also sits on the board for the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association. Robin will oversee all hotels and the planned expansion of Bellstar’s current portfolio.

According to Chief Executive Officer Dale Hodgson, Bellstar’s success with building independent branded hotels and resorts demonstrates a much more efficient hospitality management model for hotel owners looking for an edge.

“The Bellstar brand is becoming synonymous with strong returns for owners. We expect further updates will be announced in the coming months as our portfolio continues to expand across Western Canada,” said Hodgson. “Robin fills a vital new role at Bellstar with a senior level of expertise in hotel management to oversee and continue to grow our portfolio.”

Bellstar manages destination resorts across Western Canada, with locations in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, and in BC at Kicking Horse Mountain and on Vancouver Island.

About Bellstar

Bellstar is a Canadian-based management company that drives profitability for independent resorts. Bellstar ensures each managed property maintains its individuality, while leveraging key centralized management resources, ensuring efficient and inviting operations. All of its hotels and resorts benefit from Bellstar’s corporate mission of exceptional experiences for guests, owners and employees.

Learn more about Bellstar.

Bellstar Stay® | Green

 

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts introduces social sustainability and responsibility program

February 2, 2018

Calgary, Alberta – As of January 1st, 2018 Bellstar has enhanced its corporate social sustainability practices under the new Stay® | Green program, that has launched across its portfolio of leading Western Canadian resorts.

The program helps support a variety of environmental initiatives within Bellstar’s local communities including the British Columbia communities of Parksville and Golden as well as the Alberta communities of Calgary and Canmore.  An optional nightly Stay® | Green fee of $2 is now applied with over half the proceeds funding environmental grants through an online application process.

“We’re very excited,” said Ian Thorley, VP of Sales Marketing. “Bellstar has always had strong environmentally-friendly practices, the addition of the community grant program allows both Bellstar and our guests to truly make a difference in supporting our communities, and our neighbours, at the grass roots level.”

Bellstar's environmental grants are intended to:

• Support projects with a clear target audience, and a compelling plan to reach and impact that audience in a positive way.
• Support projects that do not expect to earn a profit, or are a registered non-profit charity/organization
• Help ensure sustainability of your work – during review, we often ask: “what happens once the grant runs out?”
• Cover costs such as supplies, program materials, direct travel expenses for program implementation, website fees, discounted professional services, promotional costs, technical support.

Bellstar encourages local organizations with environmental initiatives to apply for funding by going to Bellstar.ca/green.

About Bellstar   
Bellstar Hotels & Resorts manages independent resorts in some of the most naturally stunning destinations across Western Canada. Bellstar ensures each managed property maintains its individuality, while leveraging key centralized management resources, ensuring efficient and inviting operations. All of its hotels and resorts benefit from Bellstar’s corporate mission of delivering exceptional experiences for guests, owners and employees. 

bellstar.ca

Inquiries: Ian Thorley, VP of Sales & Marketing:  iant@bellstar.ca  403.695.3462

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Renews Its Ties to Three Popular Properties in BC and Alberta

Calgary, Alberta (March 27, 2017) — Good news comes in threes this month for Calgary's Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, which has renewed its contracts with a trio of epic Canadian resorts: Kicking Horse Mountain Resort's Palliser Lodge, Parksville's The Beach Club Resort, and Canmore's Solara Resort and Spa. 

Bellstar manages destination resorts across Western Canada. The economic downturn and the effects of low prices in the oil and gas industry over the past five years made for a bumpy ride when it came to recreational property revenues, according to Brian Shell, Chair of the Owners' Rental Committee and a Palliser Lodge Strata councillor. "Beginning in 2015, however, Bellstar began focusing on not only winter ski business but Kicking Horse as summer destination which resulted in an upturn, and more tourists began coming to the mountains," says Shell. "Palliser Lodge's owners began to experience improvements as the benefits of the Bellstar management program began to kick in. Bellstar improved both the owners' and guest experiences, and there was a dramatic improvement on owner returns."

Shell commends Bellstar staff for being accommodating, responsive and professional. He also appreciated that Bellstar's CEO Dale Hodgson got personally involved in the discussions of Palliser Lodge's new agreement. As a result, Palliser Lodge is pleased to continue its relationship with Bellstar, says Shell. "We're thrilled Bellstar is expanding its marketing profile, which will result in direct reservations that won't go through wholesalers."

Palliser Lodge is a ski-in, ski-out property nestled in the glades outside Golden, BC – the home of "champagne powder." The lodge offers 40 one- and two-bedroom suites, some of them with private hot tubs.

Parksville's The Beach Club Resort is one of the country's top resort hotels, and a coveted spot for Vancouver Island visitors. It is now contracted under Bellstar Hotel & Resort management through April, 2022. Located right on Parksville Beach, the resort features 149 suites with ocean and mountain views, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, an indoor pool with a hot tub, a fitness centre, the award-winning Pacific Prime restaurant and Stonewater Spa. 

"We're anticipating a busy summer, as always, at The Beach Club Resort," says Brent Brown, owner and president. "After four years of Bellstar's management, we saw a 50% increase in revenues, which led us to confirm another renewal agreement for five years. We take a lot of pride in being associated with a place that has become an annual pilgrimage for many vacationers, and has become recognized as one of the West Coast's newest gems."

Meanwhile, Canmore's Solara Resort & Spa's fresh air and mountain vistas offer the ultimate getaway for those seeking a health retreat. Solara's renewed contract with Bellstar continues through 2025. This luxurious wellness retreat offers 155 luxury guest suites, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, a movie theatre and a 9,500 square foot spa and fitness centre. 

"With 2017 being Canada's 150th birthday, we expect the Rocky Mountains to be a bigger draw than ever before," says Ian Thorley, VP of Sales & Marketing for Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. "Canmore is just enough apart from the crowds in Banff and offers a genuine small town atmosphere with the same outrageously beautiful landscape. If health and wellness is your goal in the Canadian Rockies, you really can't beat Solara."

About Bellstar

Bellstar is a Canadian-based management company that drives profitability for independent resorts. Bellstar ensures each managed property maintains its individuality, while leveraging key centralized management resources, ensuring efficient and inviting operations. All of its hotels and resorts benefit from Bellstar's corporate mission of exceptional experiences for guests, owners and employees. Learn more about Bellstar.

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Outperforms Industry in 2016

Calgary, Alberta (February 21, 2017) — Bellstar Hotels & Resorts has announced that in 2016, its revenue per available room (REVPAR) continued to grow by double digits. REVPAR is considered the most popular Key Performance Indicator (KPI) in the hotel industry, and this past year Bellstar increased its overall REVPAR by 15 per cent over the previous year. Bellstar also increased its gross revenues from $12 million to $14 million in 2016 as the company drove new group business and international traffic to its portfolio.

Ian M. Thorley, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, was delighted to make the announcement. "Our resorts continue to outperform industry benchmarks with double digit growth the past three years,” he said. “Moreover, we continued to better our competition with our investments across systems, and our advanced digital marketing. We’re confident that we’ll build upon this momentum in 2017, because we believe that we offer hotel owners the best return on investment in Western Canada."

For 2017, Bellstar has launched a fresh new look as it rebrands Bellstar Hotels & Resorts with a new logo, an evolutionary step for the brand. The new logo symbolizes a shift to a more modern and professional hospitality organization. It captures the essence of Bellstar’s personality as well as its open approach to the future.

About Bellstar

Bellstar is a Canadian-based management company that drives profitability for independent resorts. Bellstar ensures each managed property maintains its individuality, while leveraging key centralized management resources, ensuring efficient and inviting operations. All of its hotels and resorts benefit from Bellstar’s corporate mission of exceptional experiences for guests, owners and employees.

Learn more about Bellstar.

Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Announces Executive Appointments

Calgary, Alberta (February 8, 2017) — Two executive appointments by Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, the Calgary-based leader in hotel and resort management, will help ensure that 2017 is another stellar year for the company.

Bellstar manages destination resorts across Western Canada, with locations in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, and in British Columbia at Kicking Horse Mountain and on Vancouver Island.

According to Chief Executive Officer Dale Hodgson, Bellstar’s new strategy for expansion comes at a time when independent hotels and resorts are requiring much stronger hospitality management and innovative marketing skills to stay competitive with major hotel chains.

Michel Joncas, who has more than 20 years' experience as a leader, regionally and at the property level for upscale hotel chains including Marriott, Hilton, Delta Hotels, and Intrawest Resort, has been appointed to Vice President of Operations.

Joncas has demonstrated a successful track record in reducing costs and increasing profitability without any slip in quality standards.

The career of new Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Ian M. Thorley encompasses more than 20 years of hotel and resort revenue development at luxury and upscale hotel chains, including Four Seasons and Delta Hotels & Resorts, as well as with independent brands like Skyline Hotels & Resorts. He is a graduate of the Ryerson University Hotel Management program.

Thorley’s winning formula for the last few years at Bellstar has contributed to its strong revenue growth and ability to outperform industry benchmarks.

“Our hospitality management solutions are built around strong owner returns,” said Hodgson. “The superb judgment and track record of our executive team means we’re able to excel at providing superior management solutions to upscale hotels and resorts across North America.”

About Bellstar

Bellstar is a Canadian-based management company that drives profitability for independent resorts. Bellstar ensures each managed property maintains its individuality, while leveraging key centralized management resources, ensuring efficient and inviting operations. All of its hotels and resorts benefit from Bellstar’s corporate mission of exceptional experiences for guests, owners and employees.

Learn more about Bellstar.