Ghost Walk at Retro Suites - June 25th

For those that missed May's ghost walk through the streets of downtown Chatham, here's your next opportunity. Fans of the paranormal will soon be treated to stories of ghostly manifestations, as the Retro Suites Hotel presents Take a Walk on the Dark Side 3: The Ghost of David Frye. On June 25th, Participants will be taken on a new route in one of Chatham’s oldest neighbourhoods.

In addition to stories of murder and suicide, this year’s ghost walks will deal with family tragedy and the paranormal activity surrounding the Duchess of Wellington. “There’s no question this year’s highlight will be a visit inside Rick and Antja Bodneruk’s bed and breakfast,” said Ron Laroche, the Retro Suites Hotel’s Marketing Director. “The Duchess is said to be haunted by the spirit of a little boy, and the tour will touch on the circumstances surrounding his death.”

Historians Sheila Gibbs and Jim Gilbert will once again lead the tours, focusing on stories in the area of King, Cross, West and Wellington streets. The hour-long walking tours will start at 8 p.m., rain or shine, from the lobby of the Retro Suites Hotel, located at 2 King Street West. Admission is $10 per person and $5 for children 12 and under. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel at 1-866-617-3876. Ghost walks will also take place on July 30 and August 27.

Retro Suites Offering Packages to Opening Festival

The Retro Suites Hotel is pleased to announce it is collaborating with the Chatham Capitol Theatre to offer Count Your Lucky Stars, a series of packages to be offered during the Capitol’s Opening Festival. In addition to a night’s accommodation at the Retro Suites and a $50 dinner voucher to the Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar, hotel guests will also receive a pair of tickets to a performance by Bill Cosby, Josh Turner, André-Phillippe Gagnon, Colm Wilkinson or Tap Dogs.

The packages start at $240, with pricing based on the particular performance and hotel suite. “We are excited to be playing a role in showcasing world-class talent in Downtown Chatham,” said Ron Laroche, the Retro Suites’ Marketing Director. “We are confident that pairing high caliber talent with Ontario’s premier boutique hotel will entice audiences from far and wide.”

The list of packages and pricing are as follows:
Tap Dogs – August 3-7, 2010, 8 pm – starting at $240*
Josh Turner – September 18 & 19, 2010, 8 pm – starting at $287*
Bill Cosby – September 22, 2010, 6:30 pm & 9:30 pm – starting at $310*
André-Phillippe Gagnon – September 23, 2010, 8 pm – starting at $275*
Colm Wilkinson – September 24, 2010, 8 pm – starting at $266*
* Packages are subject to availability, based on double occupancy and taxes are extra.

In addition to the Opening Festival packages, the Retro Suites Hotel has several other offers, including the Picnic in the Vineyard and Rondeau Discovery packages. Reservations can be made by visiting retrosuites.com or by contacting the hotel at 1-866-617-3876.

The Chilled Cork's twitter account has a new look. Check it out at http://ping.fm/a58Ja

Retro Suites Hotel Welcomes RetroFest 2010

It was a fantastic long weekend in May for the Retro Suites Hotel and downtown Chatham, as RetroFest 2010 rolled into the Maple City. Thousands of car buffs descended on the Classic Car Capital of Canada with hundreds of cars lined up and down King Street West. Photographer Les McCracken snapped pics of some of the vehicles that were parked in front and at the rear of the hotel.

Check out video from Doors Open 2009 at the Retro Suites. http://ping.fm/39beZ

Doors Open Chatham-Kent on May 8th. Pay us a visit from 10 to 4. http://ping.fm/7mxo1

Retro Suites’ Ghost Walks to Reappear May 21

Fans of the paranormal will soon be treated to stories of ghostly manifestations, as the Retro Suites Hotel presents Take a Walk on the Dark Side 3: The Ghost of David Frye. Beginning on May 21, in conjunction with RetroFest, participants will be taken on a new route in one of Chatham’s oldest neighbourhoods.

In addition to stories of murder and suicide, this year’s ghost walks will deal with family tragedy and the paranormal activity surrounding the Duchess of Wellington. “There’s no question this year’s highlight will be a visit inside Rick and Antja Bodneruk’s bed and breakfast,” said Ron Laroche, the Retro Suites Hotel’s Marketing Director. “The Duchess is said to be haunted by the spirit of a little boy, and the tour will touch on the circumstances surrounding his death.”

Historians Sheila Gibbs and Jim Gilbert will once again lead the tours, focusing on stories in the area of King, Cross, West and Wellington streets. “We never know what might happen on one of these walks and people should be prepared for anything,” stated Gibbs. “Over 250 people took part last year and some participants did indeed report experiencing something strange.”

The hour-long walking tours will start at 8 p.m., rain or shine, from the lobby of the Retro Suites Hotel, located at 2 King Street West. Admission is $10 per person and $5 for children 12 and under. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel at 1-866-617-3876. Ghost walks will also take place on June 25, July 30 and August 27.

The official Retro Suites Hotel video is now online. Let us know what you think. http://ping.fm/GdPub

Visit the Retro Suites at tomorrow's Bridal Confidential show in London. http://ping.fm/w7JSc

Chilled Cork is on Twitter! Lunch, dinner specials and so much more. Follow the Retro Suites' street-level restaurant @chilledcork.

One week til our Open House. Need info on a corporate or special event, see us then. RSVP by Apr 23. See the flyer at www.retrosuites.com

Mother's Day at the Chilled Cork

On May 9th, why not treat mom to a delightful brunch at the Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar, the Retro Suites Hotel’s street-level restaurant? From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the restaurant will be featuring table service and à la carte menu items. For reservations, call 519-354-7818.

Retro Suites Quenches Traveler’s Thirst

We had a lot of excitement at the hotel last week. On Thursday night, the Retro Suites played host to Kevin Brauch, who was in town for the Parade of Chefs. The Thirsty Traveler was the special guest and emcee for the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s 8th annual fundraiser. The Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar’s chef extraordinaire, Michel Bonnot, also took part by handling the desserts for the evening. Organizers were hoping to raise $20,000 for a blood gas analyzer. Brauch, who’s also the floor reporter for Iron Chef America, is probably one of the most energetic people I’ve ever met. When asked to pose for a photo, Brauch insisted a few more wacky ones also be taken. Kevin, it was a pleasure to have you stay with us.



Friday brought along with it a whole different level of excitement. After over fourteen years in the making, Chatham’s Capitol Theatre reached a significant milestone by announcing the lineup for its opening week. General Manager, Dan Donaldson, made the details public in the Retro Suites’ banquet hall to a large crowd of theatre enthusiasts. Starting September 17th with the Grand Opening and the Mayor’s Gala, the rest of the week will also feature the likes of singer Colm Wilkinson, impressionist André Phillippe Gagnon, and legendary comedian Bill Cosby. As the anticipation of its opening continues to grow, the Retro Suites Hotel looks forward to working with the Capitol to promote a unique theatre/hotel experience to those visiting the area. In the coming weeks, look for special package deals for the weeklong celebration. In the meantime, you can find more information about the Capitol’s opening and performances at chathamcapitoltheatre.com



It’ll be interesting to see what this week brings.

Retro Suites Going Dark for Earth Hour 2010

For the second consecutive year, the Retro Suites Hotel will participate in Earth Hour, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) event focusing on the issue of climate change.

On Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m., southwestern Ontario’s premier boutique hotel will take part in the global initiative by turning off all principal lighting and encouraging hotel guests to do the same in their suites.

“Earth Hour is an opportunity to demonstrate our continued commitment to reducing our impact on the environment,” said Ron Laroche, the hotel’s Marketing Director. “This event compliments our existing conservation efforts and illustrates how individual contributions can add up.”

In addition to powering down non-essential lighting, the Retro Suites and the Thames Art Gallery will host an open house with Jordan Broadworth, as the New York City artist wraps up his weeklong residency in the hotel’s storefront studio at 30½ Jahnke Street. The Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar, the Retro Suites’ street level restaurant, will also offer a candlelit dining experience.

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2 million residents turned off their lights. Last year, the WWF estimated that over one billion people participated in 80 countries.

Retro Suites Hotel Rondeau Discovery Package

The Retro Suites Hotel is eager to bring visitors out of their winter doldrums, as southwestern Ontario’s premier boutique hotel gears up to offer its Rondeau Discovery Package. Consisting of a night’s accommodation, entry into Rondeau Provincial Park, and a boxed lunch for two, the package will be available beginning March 20th, 2010, in conjunction with the park’s annual Wings of Spring event. The package will be available until October 31st, 2010 and is based on double occupancy, starting at $169, plus taxes.

Birding enthusiasts may also wish to take advantage of the Enhanced Rondeau Discovery Package from May 1st to May 24th, 2010. During that time, the package will also include a guided bird hike and a list of bird species found at the park. “We hope this package will entice out-of-town guests to visit one of Ontario’s oldest provincial parks and to enjoy a unique accommodations experience,” said Ron Laroche, Marketing Director for the Retro Suites Hotel.

Due to its unique peninsula, Rondeau Provincial Park is home to some of the best bird watching in Ontario “The experience of witnessing the migration of song birds is truly unbelievable,” stated Emily Slavik, Rondeau’s NHE Specialist. “Their numbers typically reach their peak in the month of May.”

Retro Suites Dream Wedding Giveaway

The Retro Suites Hotel has once again partnered with Chatham's very best wedding professionals for the Dream Wedding Giveaway. We've taken care of everything from the venue, to the photography, to the flowers - $10,000 in prizes.

To enter, visit winaweddingchatham.com to download your passport. Visit the participating vendors or see them at the kickoff that's taking place on February 17th at the Retro Suites Hotel from 4 to 8pm. You also need to submit your completed passport at the event. After the kickoff, the giveaway committee will verify all completed passports. Ten semifinalists will be drawn and their names posted on the website the following day. The competition then heats up, as the semifinalists will be required to submit photos of themselves and essays explaining why they should win, by no later than February 25th, 2010. The contestants will have nearly a month to have family and friends vote for them on the website. The contest will close on March 24th at 4pm, and the couple with the most votes will be declared the winner of the Dream Wedding Giveaway.


Here's a list of the participating vendors.

Reception at the Retro Suites Hotel. Reception venue for up to 120 guests & overnight bridal suite.

Gown by Enchantment Bridal. $1000.00 towards a Maggi Sattero wedding gown.

Invitations by You’re Invited. $1000.00 custom invitation and stationary package.

Photography by John Lyons Weddings. Up to 10 hours of wedding day photography with digital negatives (jpg files) on DVD, along with online slideshow and online proofing.

Tuxedo’s by Bud Gowan Formal Wear. Groom’s tuxedo & $50.00 off each attendant’s tux.

Entertainment by Toast & Jam. A night of musical entertainment, courtesy of Toast & Jam. Live music, with a unique twist. Songs to keep everyone dancing and singing along all night. Value – $1,000.

Flowers by Purple Pansy. Floral package.

Decorating by To Suit Your Fancy. $1000.00 decor package.

Eve Chocolatier. $500.00 custom gift package.

Modern Trends Hair Studio and Day Spa. $500.00 spa and hair package.

A Lunch of Olympic Proportions: Silken Laumann Visits the Chilled Cork

It’s not every day that a three-time Canadian Olympic medallist walks into your restaurant for lunch. But, that’s exactly what happened today, as Silken Laumann joined us for a midday meal at the Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar, the Retro Suites’ street-level restaurant.

She worked up an appetite helping the GoodLife Kids Foundation deliver a $17,500 cheque to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chatham-Kent’s pilot program, Go Guys.

It’s certainly a little ironic that we’re just 9 days prior to the Vancouver Olympics and in walks a Canadian Olympian. Grated, the winter games are coming up and Laumann medalled in the ’84 (bronze), ’92 (bronze) and ’96 (silver) summer games for rowing, but it’s very unexpected nonetheless.

She was very approachable and kindly posed for a photo with our server, Deb Lacasse. And, if you were wondering what a Canadian Olympian has for lunch, Laumann ordered a caramelized pear salad.

Valentine's Weekend at the Retro Suites Hotel

Treat your sweetheart to a night at the Retro Suites Hotel this coming Valentine’s weekend. Our Suite Dreams romance packages start at $179 and include a night’s accommodation, chocolate-dipped strawberries, long-stem rose, use of our Retro Suites bathrobes, continental breakfast for two the following morning and late check-out. A couple’s massage can also be arranged. For additional information, visit http://www.retrosuites.com/ or contact our reservations department at 1-866-617-3876.

While at the Retro Suites, why not dine at the Chilled Cork Food Emporium and Wine Bar? The hotel’s street-level restaurant will be featuring dinners for two at $79 per couple. You’ll have your choice of appetizer, soup or salad, entrée and dessert, along with coffee or tea. Book early, as seating is limited. The restaurant will also be open on Sunday, February 14th. Visit http://www.chilledcork.com/ for more information or call the restaurant directly at 519-354-7818.