Posts Tagged ‘Opus Hotels’

How Vancouver mends our broken hearts!

June 18th, 2011

Yes, the entire world knows that our hearts were broken when our beloved Vancouver Canucks lost in Game 7 in a hard fight for the Stanley Cup, but unfortunately our hearts were broken even further by the horrible rioting and delinquent behaviour that took  place in our beautiful city. It will take a long time for us to heal, and for the world to forget, but the immense support and love coming out from Vancouverites has been, well, very inspiring.  The spirit and pride of Vancouver is coming out in full colors, especially in recognizing the heroic efforts of the Emergency Personnel who kept us safe. They all played a crucial role, the Fire Department, the Medical Response Teams and especially the Vancouver Police Department.  They say an image is worth a thousand words, how true it is when you see photos capturing the outpouring of messages of thanks and gratitude being displayed on boarded up store front windows, to sticky notes being placed on police cruisers.  It was an amazing playoff run that we cheered our Canucks on; and now, we need to cheer each other on as we rebuild our spirit and love for this wonderful city.

Accomplished Hotel General Manager aka blogger-in-training!

May 18th, 2011

 

A very good friend once told me “An abandoned blog is like a frayed carpet in the hotel lobby – it speaks of apathy and neglect and is off-putting when stumbled upon.” It is a great analogy, which crystallizes the importance of staying fresh and current in the fast paced world of on-line management and social media.

So here it goes…

Hi, my name is Nicholas Gandossi, I am the General Manager of OPUS Vancouver, and blogger-in-training. My predecessor, Daniel Craig, was an extremely gifted child who was born with a pen in his hand, and a natural personality as a hotel General Manager. I on the other hand, was born with ridiculously good looks, charismatic leadership qualities, a strong work ethic, and a thirst for new experiences.

Therefore, I am officially throwing my hat into the ring of on-line blogging, offering an insiders perspective and into the glamorous and not so glamorous life of a hotel GM. The intent of our blog is not for me to become witty and famous, (ok perhaps a little), but more importantly to provide a behind the scenes look at the world of hotels, OPUS style.  I pledge to not subliminally sell OPUS Vancouver to you, (uniquely stylish and always fresh), but instead provide some interesting and captivating snapshots of how we roll here at the hotel.

I look forward to hearing from our guests, potential guests, and from people in general who are curious about this ever changing and crazy world we call the Hotel Industry!

 

Walking after Midnight: How to Avoid Being Relocated from Your Hotel

October 18th, 2010

If you’re a frequent traveler, this scenario might be all too familiar. It’s late. You stagger to the front desk of your hotel, bruised and battered by the horrors of modern travel, only to be welcomed with the words, “I’m sorry, but we don’t have a room for you.”

“What?” you cry. “But I have a confirmation … here! … It says my reservation is guaranteed!”

Silly you. Don’t you know that the credit card number you provide at time of reservation guarantees one thing only: that the hotel will charge you if you don’t show up?

As hotel occupancies climb, relocates are making a comeback. As a long-time hotelier, I have the dubious distinction of having performed scores of relocates in my career, and I know how inconvenient and frustrating it can be for travelers.

But you’re not as helpless as you might feel. While there’s no surefire way to avoid being relocated, there are ways to fight the odds – and, if your number is irrevocably up, to negotiate the most favorable terms.

What exactly is a relocate? Also known as walking or bumping, relocates occur when a hotel has more reservations than rooms. Like airlines, hotels overbook in order to maximize occupancy, banking on cancellations and no-shows, and sometimes we get caught with our pants down. Unlike airlines, however, we don’t announce overbookings to a holding lounge full of travelers or ask for volunteers. We handle relocates discreetly, swiftly dispatching you to another hotel while giving you little choice in the matter. (more…)

If the shoe fits …

April 15th, 2010

Guess which of these handsome devils is a doorman at Opus? Hint: look for a flash of pink.

Now even before you step through the doors of Opus Hotels you know you’re somewhere extraordinary. We’ve partnered with iconic shoe designer John Fluevog to outfit all male guest services employees in Vancouver and Montreal in the Porter Shoe, designed exclusively for Opus Hotels.

Says Fluevog, whose footwear fashions have been spotted everywhere from Madonna’s feet to high-fashion runways, “The Porter Shoe lets guests know that their stay and the service will be of the highest quality, but that it’s still alright to relax and have a wink of fun here and there.”

Put yourself in our shoes by ordering a pair via the in-room mini-bar menu at Opus Hotels or by entering to win a trip for two to Montreal or Vancouver complete with two pairs of Porter Shoes. A limited supply is coming soon to one of Fluevog Shoes’ ten stores in North America.

For more information visit Opus Hotels on Facebook.

With glowing hearts: a post-Olympics wrap-up

March 5th, 2010

The Olympics come to a city only once in a lifetime, and Vancouver was lucky to enjoy a perfect confluence of spring-like weather, an unexpected surge in patriotism and enough gold medals for Canada to break the world record.

About 250,000 people visited the city during the Games, and judging by the herds that streamed past Opus day and night, every one of them made it into Yaletown. The hotel was a hotbed of activity, enjoying a full house of awesome guests from Alberta to Australia.

The hotel kicked festivities off early with the Podium Party on February 9 co-hosted by Tourism Vancouver. Among the media personalities, celebrities and athletes in attendance were Olympic gold medal pairs figure skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier and gold medal rowers Jake Wetzel and Ben Rutledge. Making a rare appearance were the fictional characters that inspired Opus Hotel’s lifestyle décor schemes—Mike, Billy, Susan and Pierre—who performed slice-of-life scenes to showcase our stylish guestrooms. (In typical fashion, diva Dede was a no-show). 

Gold medalist Jake Wetzel tests bounciness of Opus beds with 24 Hours reporter Michael Schratter and virtual resident Billy

Gold medalist Jake Wetzel tests bounciness of Opus beds with 24 Hours reporter Michael Schratter and virtual resident Billy



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Behind the scenes before the Winter Olympics

February 9th, 2010

With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games due to start in Vancouver this Friday, I decided to pay a surprise visit to Opus Hotel to check in on frantic last-minute preparations. I didn’t exactly find what I expected!

 

What to do when things go wrong in a hotel

February 3rd, 2010

People often corner me at social functions to tell me about a problem they’ve had in a hotel. It doesn’t matter if I’ve never worked for the hotel or the incident occurred seventeen years ago; apparently, it’s my duty to listen. Sometimes I get the impression they think I’m somehow to blame.

I don’t mind, though. Bad service stories are fascinating. But often, as I hear the teller describe how the entire hotel staff conspired to ruin her stay, I see a different side. I see employees trying to help, and I see guests getting in the way. And I can’t help but think that if travelers had a bit more insight into how hotels worked, they’d have more time to enjoy their trips. And I’d have more fun at cocktail parties.

To that end, I thought I’d share a few insider tips on what to do when things go wrong in a hotel.  

Should you complain? Probably. Hotels need to know if you’re dissatisfied; it gives us a chance to turn things around for you and to fix things for future guests. But if you set expectations the hotel can’t meet, such as a harbor view in a prairie hotel, resist the temptation to shift the blame. The best way to avoid unpleasant surprises is to check out online reviews before you book. They’ll give you the real story, warts and all. (more…)

So You Want to Work in Hotels, Part II: The Interview

August 14th, 2009

OPUS Hotel

When I last wrote a post about how to get a job in the hotel industry, the economy was booming and hotels were so desperate for staff they were stopping just short of dragging passersby off the street and slapping uniforms on them. These days, occupancy rates have tanked, room attendants are dozing on beds rather than making them, and it seems the only place to find job vacancies is in the obituaries.

Are job prospects that bleak? Absolutely not. Hotels are always in need of great people, but competition is fiercer than ever. Taking the time to understand the unique culture of the hotel industry will give you a leg up on other candidates. Here are a few insider tips to help prepare you for that elusive hotel interview.

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See you on the flipside

December 21st, 2007

December 28 will be my last day at Opus. And wow, what an amazing six years it’s been. For those not interested in hearing me get all sentimental, feel free to fast-forward to previous posts about misbehaving guests, mini-bar sex toys, and makeup-smearing drag queens. For the rest of you, kindly allow me a moment.

There’s one major reason why I’ve come to this place every day for six years, the same reason it’s so hard to leave: the staff. Never before have I worked with such a talented team of dedicated professionals. It’s been a privilege to work with them every day. I’ve learned so much and, most importantly, I’ve had a blast along the way.

I’m proud to be leaving Opus while it leads the boutique hotel market in service, financial performance and reputation. Opus Vancouver is once again named on of the World’s Best 500 Hotels in the January 2008 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine. How has a little independent hotel achieved such success? Great location, style, and quality, yes, but more than anything it’s all about the people.

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