Strap on that helmet: Accent Inns now a true, bike friendly hotel
May 18, 2011, Victoria, BC
Mandy Farmer President & CEO
A new program by the BC family owned and operated hotel chain Accent Inns is going to make travelling with your bicycle a whole lot easier.
The program, called “Bike Love,” rolls out May 20, 2011 at all five Accent Inns’ hotel locations and is aimed at bike lovers who enjoy travelling with their two-wheeled friends.
“Vacationing and competitive cyclists – both amateur and pro – already know all too well how tough it can be to find bike-friendly accommodations,” said Mandy Farmer, CEO of Accent Inns. “As an cycling enthusiast and mountain bike lover myself, I figured the time was now to introduce a bike-friendly program to the BC hotel marketplace – one that went above-and-beyond the standard ‘leave your bike chained to the rack outside,’ deal.”
Accent Inns Bike Tuning Station
Guests of the Bike Love program can now reserve a “bike friendly room,” allowing cyclists to safely store their bicycles inside their own hotel room and can take advantage of the Accent Inns’ bike wash and tuning station (complete with a professional-grade bike stand and an assortment of bicycle specific pro mechanic tools, pump, hose and plenty of rags). And the hotels’ on-site laundry facilities will help get cyclists feeling fresh and ready for a new day of biking.
To help kick off the new program, Accent Inns is launching a Bike Love Photo Contest: participants are invited to visit the Accent Inns Facebook page (www.facebook.com/accentinn) and submit a photo of themselves with their bike. The winner, picked based on the number of total “likes,” will receive a $1,000 Norco gift certificate. Contest runs from May 20 to July 31, 2011. Visit the Bike Love contest tab on Accent Inns Facebook page for details.
Accent Inns Bike Washing Station
As corporate supporters of Victoria’s Tour de Victoria (May 28) and Bike to Work Week in both Kelowna and Victoria (May 30 – June 5), Accent Inns is also unveiling a new, contemporary Bike Love sticker (free to guests) to help celebrate all the Bike Lovers everywhere. To view it, visit /about-us/bike-friendly/.
And for cyclists just pulling out their bikes from a long season of storage, Farmer is offering up her top five tips on how to make this summer enjoyable for both you and your bike:
1. Blow off the dust. (It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?)
2. Inflate those tires. Too many people ride without properly-inflated tires – too squishy and riding can be miserable, too fat and you can easily get a flat.
3. Oil that chain. Not too much – the excess will get all over you. In the spring and summer, you just need a light lubrication.
4. Visit your local bike store for a tune-up. In addition to helping you put air in your tires and oiling your chain, your local bike techs will ensure your gears, brakes and steering is in good working order. A good shop will also check that your bike fits you properly. (They might also advise that it’s time to trade in that grade nine relic.)
5. Go for a short ride before a long one. Take a cruise around the neighbourhood before taking off on a long cycling trek – it’s important to make sure everything is still working properly.
Located in five British Columbia communities (in Burnaby, Kelowna, Kamloops, Vancouver Airport-Richmond and Victoria), Accent Inns supports a variety of community-based activities and two-wheeled events. And in recognition of Accent Inns’ commitment to protecting the natural world through a range of practices and policies, all of the hotels have been rated as “Four Green Keys” by the Hotel Association of Canada.
Our Wicked Bike Love Sticker
For more information about Accent Inns’ new Bike Love program, visit www.accentinns.com/special-offers/bike-love, and remember to enter our Bike Love Contest!
About Accent Inns
The award-winning Accent Inns is a family-owned and operated company based in Victoria, British Columbia, with hotels located in Victoria, Richmond, Burnaby, Kelowna and Kamloops. All Accent Inns are rated 3 1/2 stars and have developed a reputation for their accent on quality, reasonable rates and excellent service.
Note to Media: images are available (including one of CEO Mandy Farmer peddling her bike in her business suit!)
Media Contact:
John Espley, Accent Inns: 250-360-1511 or [email protected]