Sandman, Oscar and Some Celebration!

For most normal folk, February festivities include Valentine’s Day, Family Day, and we’d like to say Groundhog Day – but really, let’s be honest, when you live in Canada it’s hard to celebrate an early spring when spring is essentially the same as winter…but with more rain.

In any case, there is one other exceptional day to celebrate this month , and that’s (drumroll please…) The Academy Awards – or The Oscars – (we’re still not sure which title is correct). Possibly the most anticipated award event of the year, this annual exposition of glamour, glitz and a one-too-many inflated Hollywood egos is the perfect event to watch with a bottle of your finest $10 Cabernet Sauvignon. Allowing you to indulge in the fantasy world of fame, fortune and, oh yes, cinematic arts – the merry occasion lets you enjoy that Hollywood fun, while also relishing in the fact that you live a life of blissful normalcy, untainted by flashing lights, paparazzi and that dreaded red carpet interview with Joan Rivers.

That being said, we love our movies just as much as the next person, and wouldn’t have the Oscars done any other way – especially since the master host Billy Crystal is back – bringing with him a night of cute comical gags, in addition to that calm, smooth charisma that certain former hosts have lacked (sorry Anne Hathaway and James Franco).

Our beautiful lobby at Sandman Calgary Airport

With the event happening this weekend Sunday Feb. 26 at 7pm eastern/4pm western, we think this is the one time of year that you can add a little luxury to Sunday night dinner, and if you want to go one step further, you can head to a Sandman and take in all the sights and sounds from one of our plush king-sized beds. In fact, if you live in Calgary you can celebrate the Oscars with our special movie night package at Sandman Calgary Airport, where you can stay-in and get cozy while watching a movie with popcorn, 2 chocolate bars and two cans of pop. More info here: http://ht.ly/9fwZg .

Staying home? Well that’s just fine too, and just in time for the annual event, we’ve got a few interesting facts to keep you up to date with your Academy Awards past and present.

• The awards actually have an interesting connection to hotels, with the first ceremony being held at a dinner held in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and thereafter between several other buildings including the Biltmore Hotel and the Ambassador Hotel’s Coconut Grove.
• The first awards were presented on May 16, 1929, in front of an audience of roughly 270 people. The post award party was held at the Mayfair Hotel and tickets for the affair cost just $5.
• No one – not even The Academy itself – knows why the Oscar is called well…an Oscar. Their official website claims that the name may have come from Academy librarian Margaret Herrick – who once remarked that the statue looked like her uncle Oscar. Yet other people claim that Bette Davis named hers after her band leader (also named Oscar).
• It wasn’t until 1939 that the “Oscar” nickname became the statue’s official moniker.
  

  Sit back, relax and enjoy the show (our warm lobby at Sandman Edmonton West).

• Only 3 movies have won 11 awards in all of Oscar history:
  • Ben-Hur
  • Titanic (1997)
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
• This year’s “Hugo” and “The Artist” have been nominated for 11 and 10 nominations respectively.
• The Artist is the first Silent film to be nominated for Best Picture since “The Patriot” in 1928.
• This year’s host, Billy Crystal, will entertain the Academy elite for the 9^th time… and that being said, 2012 is a great year to watch – no matter if your at home or in one of our sweet suites (see our other ‘Hot Deals’ here:http://www.sandmanhotels.ca/specials-rewards/hot-deals/ ).

Focus Montreal…

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE (February 16 – 26)

“Cities like Montréal don’t happen very often.” – LonelyPlanet.com

If you’re looking for some winter getaway inspiration, then look no further than this blog.

This week, we’re profiling events in the fabulous city of Montreal. Whilst some argue that the city is best seen in the summer months – (long balmy days and al fresco dining do have their appeal) – we’d like to take a few moments to sing the city’s winter praises.

In addition to the history, culture, cuisine and world class shopping that Montreal is famous for, you’ll also find a number of unique, winter themed events and spectacles throughout the city this season!

Snow Village (open until March 31)

The Snow Village is a new attraction for the city, located in Parc Jean-Drapeau. It’s an awe inspiring reconstruction of Montreal city, made entirely out of ice and snow! The Snow Village also incorporates a very real hotel, restaurant, bar, convention centre and even an ice chapel where you can get married! The Snow Village will return annually to Montreal in the guise of different cities from around the world!  http://www.snowvillagecanada.com/

Igloofest (Until January 28)

Igloofest is a unique winter festival that celebrates the electronic music scene. Now in its 6^th year, the festival takes place on the Quays at Jacques Cartier Pier on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in January! Enjoy a ‘unique and punchy audio-visual ambiance’ and partake in the ‘wacky one piece ski suit’ contest – it makes for a highly entertaining winter experience! This festival has started already – but never fear – there are 5 nights remaining! January 20-21, 26-27 and 28! http://www.igloofest.ca/en/info

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE (February 16 – 26)

This 11 day festival is apparently the biggest winter festival in the world – and a firm favourite with locals. Inspire your senses with a program of exciting gastronomic delights and displays, wine tasting activities, exhibits, concerts and an impressive illuminated site (Thurs-Sunday – free entry) at the Old Port. http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/home.aspx

If spending the night on ice at the Snow Village isn’t for you, then we have a hotel just a metro ride away! Warm rooms and comfortable beds await at the Sandman Montreal – Longueuil! http://www.sandmanhotels.ca/hotels/montreal-longueuil/

For a full list of activities in Montreal this year, visit: http://www.tourisme-montreal.org

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?

A quick tour through the histories and legends surrounding Valentine’s Day will lead you to a disjointed tale starting with persecution and executions in ancient times. Not very romantic, eh?  There appears to be no one, definitive origin but the general consensus is that Valentine’s Day as we know it, was inspired at least, by several Christian martyrs named ‘St. Valentine’ who lived around 1800 years ago.  

We’d challenge anyone to find a link (beyond a name and a date) between these histories and modern Valentine’s Day… which is perhaps why a number of legends have been created to fill in the romantic blanks.

The romantic in us wants to believe in the legend of St. Valentine, a cleric who defied a Roman Emperor’s law that forbade young men from marrying, believing it distracted them from their military duties. So the story goes, St. Valentine continued to conduct secret wedding ceremonies until he was found out and thrown in jail. A modern day embellishment on this tale – created by American Greetings – concludes that once in jail and on the eve of his execution, St. Valentine himself sent the first ‘Valentines’ card to his beloved – ‘from your Valentine’.

Fast forward a lot of centuries (past a few vague references in the middle ages) and you find that modern Valentine’s Day practices have their roots in the late 1700s when an English publisher decided to give the romantically challenged a helping hand in expressing their feelings – in the form of sentimental versus. Soon these versus were produced on cards and with the postal system becoming more accessible, so started the popularity of sending cards. The first mass produced factory cards actually date back to the late 19^th century – a little earlier than you were expecting perhaps?

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day 2012 is just around the corner! How will you be celebrating? If you’re pro-Valentine’s day, perhaps a romantic getaway to a Sandman or Sandman Signature Hotel is in order? We have hotels in many of the destinations that Amazon.ca has just named Canada’s most romantic destinations – including Victoria, Toronto, Kelowna, Langley and Regina.

Hate it? Then perhaps you should check out your nearest Anti-Valentine’s Day events! Gather up your friends and check out the Sutton Place Hotel’s “Be My Anti-Valentine” package   in Vancouver. Build your own Sundaes in your room, get unlimited in-room movies, a voodoo doll, cocktails in the Gerard lounge, breakfast and a late check out!

However you choose to celebrate (or ignore) Valentine’s Day – here’s hoping you have a fabulous February 14^th!

Learning the Language of Love

Learning the language of love is no easy task, but thankfully, around the world most cultures have some way to express the ever confusing conundrum that is “amore.” Thank goodness for that, because, as most of us know, expressing affection can be a terribly tricky (dare we say difficult) task that even the most skilled Lothario can struggle with.

Of course in North America we’re used to saying “I love you” whereas in Japan they say “Kimi o ai shiteru”. In Korea they say “Dangsinul saranghee yo”, in Spain they say “Te amo”, while in France and many parts of Canada it’s “Je t’aime”. In several countries they even have one single word to say it all, such as “Nakupenda” in Swahili or “Ngiyakuthanda” in Zulu (try saying that five times fast).

However, we wanted to go beyond the lyrics and delve in to the customs, because as we all know, nothing says I love you like roses, chocolate, jewellery, dinner, or a romantic night in at your favourite hotel – the best idea of all if you ask us. Click here to see some of our best Sandman Signature romance packages.

It might interest you to know that around the world, not everyone celebrates V-Day with the customary flowers and fancy cards, and in fact, some don’t celebrate it at all. In addition, sometimes the celebration of love isn’t relegated to couples, and extends to children, friends, family and more.

• In Japan for example, generally women only give chocolates to men on Valentine’s Day, then they wait until March 14th, when on “White Day”, men return the favour with non-chocolate candy gifts for the women.

• The tradition in South Korea is similar, but adds a special event for the single folk too, where on “Black Day”, April 14^th, all the lonely people go to a Korean restaurant to eat black noodles and mourn their single life. For the more festive folk in Korea, every month has some special occasion that is loosely related to love, all of which fall on the 14th including: Candle Day, Valentine’s Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day and Hug Day.

• In South Africa, many young couples celebrate the day with friends at a nice dinner or a fun event.

• In some parts of England, specifically Norfolk , they celebrate with a character named “Jack Valentine” who knocks on the back door and then leaves sweets and presents for the children (guess that defeats the purpose of telling your kids not to take candy from strangers though…).

• In Finland they celebrate the day with Ystävänpäivä which translates into “Friend’s Day” and, as you may have guessed, the day is focused on remembering all your friends, in addition to your loved ones.

• The friendship theme continues in many Latin American countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peurto Rico where they celebrate “Día del Amor y la Amistad” which stands for the “Day of Love and Friendship”. What do they do? Well the rules are vast and generally extend to “performing acts of appreciation” for friends and family.

Any way you slice it, whether you say it, gift it, card it or cook it, there will always be some way for you to express your love, and if you can’ think of anything good, at least take solace in the fact that all around the world people are struggling with the same romantic predicament– so you’re not alone (and that’s the point of this silly holiday isn’t it?).

The Best Housekeeping Team in Alberta!

Sandman Hotel Group is pleased to announce that its Lethbridge hotel, Sandman Hotel – Lethbridge – has been awarded with a prestigious ‘Housekeeping Award’ for 2012, issued by the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). This is the sixth year in a row that the hotel has had the honour of receiving the title, which is awarded to properties who demonstrate ‘excellence in cleanliness, comfort and maintenance’.

The Housekeeping Award presentation will take place on Monday, April 16, 2012 during the AHLA’s annual convention at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Bruce Primeau, General Manager at the Sandman Hotel Lethbridge and his fabulous housekeeping team for their efforts in maintaining this exceptional level of service!

“This award is our sixth in a row since taking over the property in 2005-06 and it’s a source of great respect and pride.” Mr Primeau comments. “ I would like to congratulate Brenda McCoy, Executive Head Housekeeper and Leah McColl, Housekeeping Supervisor and the entire housekeeping team at the Sandman Hotel Lethbridge for such an incredible run.  Our housekeeping team includes; Hanne Burgemeister; Carol Hilton; Maria Dudas; Lorna Gilday; Patricia Breton; Leena Speakman; Charlene Mintz; Melinda Loxton; Melody Robinson; Terri Brown; Jesse McCoy; and Dakota McCoy.”