Confessions of CEO

Mandy Farmer President and CEO of Accent Inns
Mandy Farmer
President & CEO
Accent Inns

Mandy is a third generation Victorian, and the third generation to run her family business. She is currently president and CEO of Accent Inns, a hotel chain with six properties in BC. Mandy is passionate about community and sits on a number of boards. She was named one of Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 Under 40. A true Vancouver Islander, Mandy loves nothing more than being outdoors - either on her mountain bike or with her two young children.

 
 

Fire Takes Restaurant But Not Hotel Spirit

Saturday, April 13th, 2013
Accent Inn Victoria sign we're open after ABC fire

The Accent Inn Victoria, Open for Business

April 13, 2013

Victoria B.C.

 Fire Takes Restaurant But Not Hotel Spirit

This past Thursday night, April 11th, a suspicious fire did irreparable damage to the ABC country restaurant located at the Accent Inn Victoria, 3233 Maple St. Fire is certainly something feared by everyone but even more so when it comes to a large complex like an apartment or hotel. When the call came into the Accent Inn front desk, the staff immediately followed the procedures they had been taught. Calls went out to their management and staff and evacuation procedures quickly began with police and fireman joining to assist. The restaurant being closed, luckily was empty with no staff present there.

People and pets had the opportunity to stay warm in waiting BC Transit Busses. After rooms had been cleared and head-counts taken the hotel staff proceeded to secure rooms at other local hotels for all guests, some of whom were still in their pajamas. ..more about the Victoria fire

 

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Kelowna “It” Shopping Destination

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012

Shopping on Bernard St

I was recently in Kelowna on a cool November day with a few hours to kill and a looming deadline of my husband’s birthday fast approaching.  I headed for Bernard Street in the cute heritage downtown right by the lake (a short walk from my Accent Inn) and was soon embarrassed by the obscene number of shopping bags I was holding!

The shopkeeper in Blackfish Apparel assured me that all the bags was a very good thing, especially shopping local and supporting a vibrant downtown Kelowna.  Well, I sure did my part in her store which is unbelievable for ladies looking for funky but low priced dresses.  I walked out of there with 3 new little numbers all under $100.  The shop owner was so friendly and helpful when I guiltily explained that I was supposed to be looking for my husband’s birthday gift; she pointed me in the right direction down to X.10.Sion (yeah, I haven’t a clue how to pronounce it either, but it’s right below Earl’s at the end of Bernard across from the lake… speaking of Earls, what an awesome place to have lunch! A beautiful view of the water…. or try the Memphis Blues BBQ one block up on Bernard if you like ribs… wow, they are good). Read More about the Kelowna's great shopping

 

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SCARY

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

“Scary”

Aside from the usual nightmares that I’m sure everyone has (just last night I woke up to the image of my daughter sinking deeper and deeper vanishing into dark water while I struggled furiously to remove the cross country skies I was bizarrely wearing) there are a few things that scare the pants off me.  Read More about confession from our President & CEO

 

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Confession: Rebranding Accent Inns – Why? How? Huh?

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

Accent Inns 3Spot

Eek! I’m so excited! This week, we officially launched our new brand and it’s so electrifying because it completely resonates with who we are. We are so pumped about it I wanted to share with you the story of how it came to be.

Late last year we were just finishing our massive exterior renovations at all 5 Accent Inns when it occurred to us that this was a much needed rebirth for our 26 year old company. Realizing this opportunity, we felt the time was right to take a look at how the marketplace viewed our brand, because if we ever were going to make any changes, this would be the time. ...read more on why?how?

 

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The Blue Roof Believes in Green

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

We are all trying to be “greener” at home but what about when you travel? Staying in a Hotel like the Accent Inn in Victoria BC  can be a real treat but Hotels are often culprits of excessive waste production. Serving thousands of guests a year, it’s hard to provide the amenities that people want and expect without sacrificing the environment. However, hotels can take action to make operations more sustainable, resulting in large-scale waste reduction.

 

“It’s a family belief that we just don’t waste”, Mandy Farmer, President & CEO of Accent Inns

 

Green hotel actions include:

  1. Offer recycle bins throughout the hotel, including in guests’ room
  2. Provide our guests with reusable items such as ceramic cups for coffee
  3. Educate our guests so that we don’t wash towels after every use via good signage that express our water saving effort.
  4. Install low flow showerheads, toilets and faucet aerators
  5. Use non-toxic cleaners that are natural and biodegradable
  6. Use soap dispensers instead of individually packaged soap (saves on packaging waste)
  7. Install energy efficient LED lighting throughout the hotel (LED bulbs use a fraction of the energy and save on costs)
  8. Use bike racks and employee engagement to encourage ridership by both staff and customers. Biking is one of the best ways to tour and experience a new town
  9. Educate our staff about sustainability!

 

So the Accent Inns with our famous blue roofs sincerely believes in being GREEN.

 

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Confession: I put my oxygen mask on first

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Mandy at the OlympicsYup, I take care of numero uno. I have to because if I don’t, who’s going to do the rah-rah-sis-boom-bah at Accent Inns? I don’t need to tell you that during these never-ending recessionary times a little pom-pom magic is a crucial element of success! I know that a lot of my personal success has to do with bringing energy into the room, whether I’m giving a speech to the Chamber of Commerce or acting as a barometer for my watching team, I need to be at my best. Here are a few things that I do to keep my energy where it needs to be. ..read more

 

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President & CEO says, biking to meetings is easy!

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Accent Inns President makes it look easy

Bike to Work Week is coming up and I often get asked the question, “How do you bike to work when you’re a business person? I don’t have a shower at work and I have appointments that I need my car for. I just can’t do it”.

Of course you can! First off, why on earth do you need your car for appointments?  I ride my bike to meetings and I swear I get there at least 10 minutes before everyone else because I didn’t have to find parking, fiddle with the meter, and then hoof it to the appointment.  The door to door advantage of a bike is huge, not to mention bypassing all the traffic. ..read more on riding your bike to work

 

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Earth Day – A Great Reminder

Monday, April 23rd, 2012
Mandy Farmer CEO of the Victoria BC hotel chain plants BC dogwood in honor of 25 years

Mandy Farmer Pres of Accent Inns plants BC Dogwood with help from Bill Turner of the TLC

Yesterday was Earth Day which was a perfect opportunity for me to reflect.

I’m thrilled to congratulate my whole team on achieving and maintaining a rating of 4 Green Keys! Yes, that’s right, all five of the Accent Inns throughout BC are rated as Four Green Key Properties by the Hotel Association of Canada. This is the second highest available rating and one that shows national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide ranging policies and practices. ...read more of Mandy's comments

 

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Timesavers, Juggling ideas and other secrets

Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Victoria BC hotel chain CEO Mandy Farmer, multitasking at home

Mandy Farmer multitasking at home

Hot on the heels of my secrets to success blog post, here’s a random smattering of shortcuts and tricks of the trade that I often employ to help me get the most out of my day. Please note some of these are desperate measures and are not to be used daily!

For instance, the first one – Dry Shampoo – should only be used on occasions when you are really pressed for time or just can’t stand the thought of wash, rinse, repeat, blow-dry, style, hairspray routine. Just sprinkle this dry powder on the roots of your hair and voila! No need to shower, but maybe an extra layer of deodorant wouldn’t hurt. ...read more on time saving ideas

 

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Secrets to Success

Monday, November 28th, 2011
don't tell anyone the secrets to success

sssshhh it's a secret

When it comes to success I sure don’t have all the answers, so I reached out to people who I think are very successful to get their take on this topic. But, before you read any further, the first and absolutely most important step to take when it comes to success is to define it.  Success could mean giving up all your worldly belongings and meditating on top of a mountain, or finding that gorgeous trophy husband who spends his entire day cooking, cleaning and eagerly anticipating your arrival.  It’s all in how you define it.  Here are a few secrets from successful people in my life:  read more to learn the "secrets to success"

 

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