Blackburn Radio Auction for United Way of Chatham-Kent A Huge Success

The Retro Suites Hotel would like to congratulate Blackburn Radio on its success with the recent radio auction. Together, 94.3 CKSY, Country 92.9 and their listeners were able to raise nearly $14,000 for the United Way of Chatham-Kent. The Retro Suites was pleased to play host once again and we look forward to raising even more money next year.

Retro Suites Hotel Hosts Blackburn Radio Auction for United Way

The holidays are quickly approaching and you know what that means – battling throngs of people inside shopping malls and at the checkout lines searching for those perfect gifts. Holiday shopping can be, if you’re not careful, a real blood sport. But, it doesn’t have to be. You can cross everyone off your holiday gift list by participating in this year’s Blackburn Radio United Way Radio Auction.

On December 8th, CKSY’s Jay Poole and Katy Uher, along with CFCO’s Dave Palmer and Cheryl Johnstone, will be broadcasting from the lobby of the Retro Suites Hotel beginning at 5:30 am. You’ll be able to phone in, email or bid online on over 80 lots. Some of those items include a body makeover from A New You valued at $2,500, a $1,000 shopping spree courtesy of Leon’s, and a $500 gift certificate for dance classes from All That Jazz. There are so many great holiday gift ideas and proceeds will benefit the United Way of Chatham-Kent’s 24 member agencies.

Avoid the shopping malls, the long store lineups and feel great about helping the United Way reach its $2,000,000 campaign goal. Tune in December 8th or, better yet, drop by the Retro Suites Hotel to have a look at the auction items and say hello to the on-air staff.

Corporate Cheers and a Happy New Year

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and the Retro Suites Hotel is preparing for another festive December. We always look forward to the holidays, like most people. Our housekeeping staff does a wonderful job transforming our lobby into a winter wonderland. Chatham's Downtown BIA also teams up with merchants to offer some awesome savings on some truly unique gifts.

If your company has yet to make plans to celebrate this past year's achievements, why not consider southwestern Ontario's premier boutique hotel? We have two corporate cheer nights coming up which will promise to be memorable. Whether you’re a group of 5 or 50, enjoy a stylish company party with superb service and elegant surroundings that will have the office talking for years to come.

The holidays are also the time to visit family. Through the year, I know, for myself, that I find it very difficult to find time to see family and friends. It's mostly because I live three hours away from them. And I find there's always a lot of build up while my wife and I make our way down the 401, the 403, the QEW and finally the 406 to Niagara. It's a fantastic feeling to arrive at a family member's home and to see everyone there having a great time.

Of course, before you can close out the holidays, there's always the New Year's blowout - and the Retro Suites and the Chilled Cork are promising a huge party to ring in 2010. There's an upscale buffet planned and music provided by The Shake. Count down the final moments of 2009 with us - you won't be disappointed.

Ron

Hunter's Feast at Retro Suites Hotel

Elk, bison and other game meats will be on the menu next month, as the Retro Suites Hotel hosts its first-ever Hunter’s Feast. The Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar will prepare the October 17th buffet dinner.
A portion of the night’s proceeds will be donated to the Kent Cloverleaf Conservation Club. “The event is an excellent opportunity to sample non-traditional meats prepared using a variety of methods,” said Ron Laroche, the hotel’s Marketing Director. “It’s really a dinner for those that enjoy the spoils of the great hunt without having to chase their prey.”
Tickets are $40 per person and are available at the Retro Suites Hotel. The evening gets underway with cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner. Additional information is available by calling the hotel at 1-866-617-3876.

What a party!

Thank you to everyone that stopped by this week for the Chilled Cork’s 1st anniversary. We can’t believe it’s been one year already. Looking back, we had a great time with our street-level restaurant and we did a lot of interesting things. From our New Year’s Eve Party to Oscar Night to Tastefest, we truly had a fantastic time being a restaurant of choice for Chatham-Kent residents and guests of the Retro Suites Hotel. We also appreciate the many well wishes on our anniversary from our repeat customers. Below, are photos of owner Cheryl MacInerney and her Executive Chef Michel Bonnot cutting our anniversary cake. It will be interesting to see what year #2 will bring, but we will continue to strive to give our customers the best cuisine and service southwestern Ontario has to offer.

The Chilled Cork is Turning 1!

The Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar, the Retro Suites Hotel’s street-level restaurant, is preparing to mark its first year in operation with a week-long celebration. The downtown eatery will be offering its patrons free hors d’oeuvres from September 14th to the 18th, between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Birthday cake will also be served on September 15th, commemorating the establishment’s launch. The festivities are meant to thank customers for their loyal patronage.

The joint venture between Cheryl McInerney and Retro Suites owner, Rob Myers, continues to see growth, despite economic uncertainty. “We’re seeing repeat customers, along with people who are discovering us for the very first time,” said McInerney, former owner of Zeona’s Natural Food Emporium. “I think our appeal is due, in large part, to our commitment to customer service, our eclectic menu and unique décor.”

During the week, the restaurant will be unveiling a new menu with fresh dishes, in addition to some traditional favourites. Plans are also in the works to expand the wine list to include a series of vintage wines. The restaurant will continue to offer exciting, savoury daily specials.

Last Supernatural Stroll of the Summer

The Retro Suites Hotel’s summer ghost walk series, Take a Walk on the Dark Side 2, will conclude later this month. The final paranormal tour of Chatham’s downtown streets is scheduled for Friday, August 21st.

Local historians Sheila Gibbs and Jim Gilbert have entertained approximately 150 people since May, with more than a dozen ghost stories about the Maple City. “It’s always fun to discuss what Chatham used to be like and the interesting people who lived here during that time,” said Gibbs, author of The Ghosts of Chatham-Kent. “It’s a different kind of history lesson too, something not often taught in a school setting.”

The walk on August 21st will be the last chance this summer to tour the historic Milner House at night, where ghost sightings are said to have occurred. It is also the final opportunity to receive complimentary tickets, as part of the hotel’s Ghost Walk package.

The walk will begin at 8 p.m., from the lobby of the Retro Suites Hotel, located at 2 King Street West. Tickets are $10 per person and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be reserved by contacting the hotel at 1-866-617-3876.

Exclusive August Offer, Book Online & Save 15%

The Retro Suites Hotel is offering a special rate on our regularly priced suites in August, the perfect time to visit Chatham, Ontario. Based on availability, save 15% during the entire month. The offer applies to new bookings only and taxes are extra. For more information, contact our reservations department at 1-866-617-3876.

Savoury Apps in Downtown Chatham

Downtown Chatham played host to a great event earlier this month – TasteFest. The Downtown Chatham BIA organized a two-day food festival, where area restaurants offered bite-sized offerings, shops had sidewalk sales and farmers brought down fruits and veggies fresh from nearby fields. The Retro Suites Hotel and the Chilled Cork participated with great foods for the passersby. We were also fortunate to have some very talented musicians to entertain the hungry crowd. The Southwest Blues Review, the Traces Steel Band and the Shake had the folks grooving to the music.

Calling All Chocoholics

If you're ever in the area of Chatham, Ontario, staying at the Retro Suites Hotel or otherwise, you have to make a point of stopping in at Eve Chocolatier. Why? Well, who doesn't like or LOVE chocolate? More than that, there seems to be something for everyone - truffles, chocolates and other sweets. But there's also ice cream, specialty coffees and so much more. Most of the goodies are made on site with fresh ingredients, like lavender grown locally at Great Lakes Lavender. Pauline Goodal started her business back in 2003. She takes great pride in paying attention to detail and making sure her customers are well looked after. Why not see for yourself? Eve Chocolatier is located at 14 King Street West in downtown Chatham, a few doors down from our hotel. I guarantee your first visit won't be your last.

Suite Sensation Giveaway – A Sweet Success

Back in February, the decision was made to convert our hospitality rooms into guest suites. Over the years, All Shook Up and Letz Make a Deal had played host to many parties and special events - even musician, Sam Roberts, signed some autographs while he was here. So, as you can imagine, there were a lot of fond memories created in these respective spaces. Still, with the increasing demand for our guest suites, it was necessary to redevelop the spaces. It was with great trepidation that we embarked on a three-month construction project. Carpet was removed, walls were moved, plumbing and electrical were installed, drywall was hung and painted, and new furnishings were added. The result - three new, unique guest suites.

The new suites created an interesting dilemma for us too. What to call them. The Retro Suites Hotel started in 2002 with three suites, and with every renovation phase, came the issue of finding names for these spaces. With the most recent phase, we wanted to let the community in on the fun. The Suite Sensation Giveaway ran for two weeks. We used YouTube, 94.3 CKSY and Country 92.9 to help spread the word. Katy Uher hosted virtual tours for all the suites which allowed people to see the spaces without leaving their computers. We had over 150 people enter the contest, some from as far away as Elmira, London and Toronto. With every person submitting a suggestion for each of the suites, the hotel's selection committee went through nearly 500 names.

Ultimately, Chardonnay, Midtown and Brownstone were the names that were chosen. Kerry Doran of Chatham came up with the wine-inspired name for Suite 230. Blenheim's Myra Taylor-Petit chose an urban reference for Suite 231, while Wanda Hartery, also from Chatham, used the brickwork in Suite 232 as inspiration. For their efforts, each woman won a free night's stay in the suite they helped name.

The contest was a fantastic way to start the next chapter for the Retro Suites Hotel. We are grateful that the community and our hotel guests have embraced what we have sought to do - create a truly unique guest experience.

A Night with Oscar, Part Deux & Earth Hour

The Retro Suites Hotel had a couple of really cool events take place recently that I need to tell you about. A Night with Oscar was a tremendous success, and the group that attended had a blast. Of course, we were all there to watch the Oscars on the big screen and to support a great charity, the United Way of Chatham-Kent. Deryl Hall-Giera, David Drouillard and Karen Kirkwood-Whyte were extremely supportive when I came to them with this idea. In total, with some of the food sales from the Chilled Cork and the silent auction, we were able to raise about $1,000 -- a fabulous start for a first time event. Of course, we weren't able to pull off the evening without a super cast. Phil Beard provided the photography, Pauline from Eve Chocolatier created some wonderful chocolate statuettes, Jaime and Jessica from For the Bride transformed our lobby and banquet hall, and CKSY's Greg Hetherington and Katy Uher emceed the night's festivities. The comments I heard from the participants were extraordinary, so it seems we'll be doing the event again next year. Stay tuned.

Last month, the Retro Suites Hotel and the Chilled Cork took part in Earth Hour. The hotel and restaurant, along with thousands of businesses and millions of people, switched off the lights for 60 minutes to bring awareness to the issue of climate change. In addition to turning off most lights in the hotel's public areas, we asked our hotel guests to participate too. We provided them with complimentary flashlights, since we try to refrain from lighting candles in our hotel suites. We also encouraged our guests to dine by candlelight in the restaurant, where we had The Shake perform. Having the lights off and lighting the lobby and restaurant with candles provided a really different feel to the hotel -- cozier, romantic and even a hint of mystery. We were glad to take part. If you want to read about our participation, check it out in the Chatham Daily News or visit the Earth Hour website. Hopefully, our world leaders take a cue from those that participated and do something momumental with respect to global warming.

A Night with Oscar

Join us this coming Sunday night for A Night with Oscar. The Retro Suites Hotel and the Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar have put together a Hollywood-themed event with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the United Way of Chatham-Kent. The evening’s menu is a tribute to Oscar, with all items named after the 81st annual Academy Award nominees. You can choose from the à la carte menu or bring a friend and you can both dine for $81. The show will be broadcast live from the banquet hall, so you won’t have to miss a minute of the action. Don’t forget to have your photo taken by the paparazzi, as you arrive on the red carpet. Activities will include the Oscar pool, trivia, silent auction, and awards for the most glamourous gown and the most distinguished gentleman. Select suites, priced at $81, still remain. Check out the Oscar event for copies of the menu and Oscar pool. For reservations, call the Chilled Cork at 519.354.7818. A special thanks to Eve Chocolatier for the chocolate statuettes, to Enchanted Affairs for the décor and to Phil Beard for snapping the pics.

Hotel Amenities

This week, it's all about hotel amenities. I know when I visit hotels (and I've been to a few), I look forward to the king-sized bed and the bedding. It's simple stuff, but they both dictate whether or not I'll have a great night sleep. I know others may prefer some finer details, like feather pillows, or chocolates on those pillows, or docking stations for MP3 players and IPods. What do you desire, in terms of extras, when you're choosing a hotel?

What's Your Favourite Hotel Experience? Present Company Excluded.

When we take a vacation or head out on a business trip, one of the first things to consider is where to stay – and it’s probably the most important. A lot of factors go into that decision: price, quality, comfort amenities, etc. Some people may stick to a certain brand, like the Hilton, the Crowne Plaza or the Double Tree. Myself, when I travel, I usually seek a Marriott property. The rooms are clean and modern. But when there is no Marriott in sight, it is an excellent opportunity to try other accommodations. Like most, I traveled through much of Europe this way, and the hotels, bed and breakfasts, and inns were really memorable. I’m sure you have come across similar experiences during your travels, so what’s your greatest hotel experience and what made it stand out?