52 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2016

How above and beyond hospitality can create beautiful vacation memoriesBy Sarah Sawler

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HOSPITALITY

Despite the fact that we generally expect travel and relaxation to go hand-in-hand, these two concepts don’t get along as often as we’d like. We try and plan every detail, reserving our hotel rooms and booking our flights, spending months waiting in anticipation for that trip down south or that week at the resort in the next province over.

Then the vacation arrives and, sometime between the gleeful goodbye to our co-workers and our first step out the front door the next morning, it all starts to fall apart. Maybe a passport’s missing, or the kids have grown out of last year’s swimsuits, or the text messages from work are still coming. By the time you get to your destination, you’re exhausted.

But book the right hotel, and plan the right activities, and even vacations with the bumpiest take-offs can be saved.

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Put hospitality fi rstNova Scotia’s White Point Beach

Resort and Charlottetown-based D.P. Murphy Hotels & Resorts (which operates various properties across Atlantic Canada, brands such as IHG, Hilton, Starwood, Wyndham, Future Inns, and Dalvay by the Sea) both thrive on off ering customers a comfortable, hospitable experience.

At White Point Beach Resort, staff are asked to treat guests like they’re family. According to Joanne Veinotte, White Point’s general manager, that means listening carefully to their guests and stepping up when they see a way to help.

“As soon as we can surprise them, delight them, with an unexpected experience that they wouldn’t normally have, it takes it all well beyond anyone’s expecta-tions,” says Veinotte. “For example,

the bonfi res are really important to folks; being able to roast marsh-mallows and that sort of thing. So when a staff person overhears a child with a family by the fi replace saying, ‘What do you mean there’s no marshmallows?’ and then that staff er sweeps in with marsh-mallows and a couple of sticks. It’s about active listening.”

This approach can make hosting more challenging, but Veinotte says it’s well worth it.

“Word gets around that these kinds of things are happening and people do raise their expecta-tions,” says Veinotte. “Always trying to stay alert and on top of every-thing really is kind of like having a family, where everyone has all their expectations and you’ve got to outdo yourself from the previous year.”

53atlanticbusinessmagazine.com | Atlantic Business MagazineSUPPORTED CONTENT

Hospitality.. . Like Never Before!

H o t e l s a n d R e s o R t s

dpmurphyhotelsandresorts.com

Saint John • Fredericton • Moncton Charlottetown • Dalvay • Halifax • Sydney

Hospitality.. . Like Never Before!

H o t e l s a n d R e s o

dpmurphyhotelsandresorts.com

Saint John • Fredericton • Moncton Charlottetown • Dalvay • Halifax • Sydney

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Dalvay

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FrederictonCharlottetown

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Saint John

MonctonMoncton

Based on a White Point Room, double occupancy, per person. GROUP RATE: Minimum 8 people. Plus tax. Gratuities included.

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If Edmundston, New Bruns-wick’s on your travel itinerary this summer, tourism coordinator Janice Arseneault has a few recommendations for you.

“The New Brunswick Botanical Garden is not to be missed. It has an herbalist pavilion, where you can learn about medicinal plants and herbs, and there are usually tastings, so you can try a drink,” says Arseneault. “The botanical gardens are also livened up by 3D plant sculptures.”

If you want to pick up the pace a little, you can also go canoeing or kayaking, or try one of Edmundston’s single-track mountain bike trails.

And then there’s the food. Visit one of the boutiques or restaurants within the Acadie Gourmet group and try a taste of the local off erings. “While you’re in Edmundston, you need to try ploye,” says Arseneault. “Some people say it’s like a pancake, but it’s not, because there’s no egg or milk. It’s made with buckwheat fl our from our region.”

And once you’ve had your fi ll, wash it all down at the region’s microbrewery, Brasseurs du Petit-Sault.

54 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2016

D.P. Murphy strives to create “Hospitality…Like Never Before,” off ering thoughtful touches like a complimentary beverage upon arrival, two free bottles of water waiting in the rooms, snow removal from your vehicles, and weekly guest receptions. 

“September through April, we also off er fresh soup in the lobby in the evening followed by fresh snacks,” says V.P. of Operations Christie Neate. “It provides our guests with a nice option, for those who have had a long day of travelling.  We are always striving for new ways to express our sincere appreciation to our guests.”

So the next time you start planning that vacation, remember: it’s not hard to make the most of your downtime when you choose a resort or a hotel with a reputation for hospitality. And when it’s time to go exploring, do your research. Find out what the region has to off er — then jump right in. •

Feedback:*dchafe@atlanticbusinessmagazine.coma @AtlanticBus; @SarahSawler; @WhitePointBeach; @DPMurphHotels; @VisitEdmundston; #BeMyGuest

Looking for must-see experiences?

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“ We are always striving for new ways to express our sincere appreciation to our guests.”

Christie Neate V.P. of Operations D.P. Murphy

(506) 739-0000 • 1 888 735-0001www.bestwesternedmundston.com

(506) 739-8361 • 1 888 739-8361www.choicehotels.ca/cn240

(506) 735-5525 • 1 866 612-9800www.choicehotels.ca/cn529

(506) 739-7321 • 1 800 576-4656 www.fourpointsedmundston.com

(506) 263-0000 • 1 877 595-2952www.daysinnedmundston.com

Meet and Greet... Go ahead and plan your next meeting!

EDMUNDSTON – OPEN FOR BUSINESS

www.tourismedmundston.com 1 866 737-6766

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