Donna Price & Kim Jones

What do you get when you cross Moliere’s Don Juan, scandalous comedy at the Gateway Theatre, excellent appies and libations in a wonderful atmosphere overlooking Minoru Park on a sunny (and dry!) evening? A great evening out and courtesy of the Accent Inns to boot!

Accent Inns recently hosted an evening of wonderful food and fabulous theatre at a private reception at the Gateway Theatre (Richmond BC) – a thank you to our customers and supporters. 

Attendees mingled and munched on Mini Crab cakes, Popcorn Shrimp, Chicken Skewers, Salmon Canapé and Brushetta Crostini’s excellently prepared by the Boathouse Restaurant.

Sherry Elasoff & Chris Browne

Susanne Haines and Sherry Elasoff (General Manager and Communication Specialist) of the Gateway Theatre respectively spoke to all guests and gave words of Welcome.

Accent Inn General Manager Christopher Browne, Regional Sales Managers Kim Jones and Donna Price were on hand and made 3 draws for 3 lucky winners: Jessica Bush from the Canadian Sport Institute, Sandi Moffatt, A Breast in a Boat and Sylvia Zheng, Odgers Berndtson.

Donna Price & Sylvia Zheng

Accent Inn Vancouver Airport and the Gateway theatre have had a wonderful relationship since 2008 – so much so that Accent Inns is one of the 3 finalists in the Business and Arts category for the 5^th Annual  Richmond Arts Awards as they have been the Accommodation Sponsor for the Gateway Theatre for many years.

Oh what a night…………

Accent Inns and the Arts is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

 
Cardio Training
Golfers need to undergo long periods of physical activity. Cardio training will help to increase endurance levels by improving heart rates and increase blood and oxygen levels throughout the body. Examples of cardio training exercises that are beneficial to golfers are swimming and cycling.
Weight Training
Golfers need some form of weight training to improve strength, power and overall fitness levels. Weight training increases muscle size, strength and endurance. This increased muscle size will improve swing speed and distance. Examples of weight training that will help golfers are dumbbell squats, biceps arm curls, triceps extension, incline bench press and good old fashion push-ups.
Flexibility Training
A good golfer needs to be relax and flexible, not rigid or stiff. The main objective here is to help the muscles gain permanent flexibility. Lack of flexibility creates tension in your lower back and will decrease the ball’s speed and distance.
Pilates is a fitness program that specializes in increasing precise muscle control. Pilate exercises are low-impact and help to tone and strengthen the back muscles.  The stronger your back muscles, the more control you will have throughout your torso, thus making you a more consistent golfer.
Endurance Training:
Endurance helps you maintain your peak performance during a five hour game of golf. Endurance also includes your focus and concentration. If you are tired, it’s easy to lose focus and miss an easy shot.  Yoga classes will help improve your balance, coordination and concentration. Improve your balance and you will create a consistent and powerful swing.

Golfers are at risk for a variety of injuries, so get a head start on your game this year and start training.

Guest Post written by: Carmen Scott on behalf of Diversified Health Clinic, a rehabilitation clinic in Victoria.

Check out Accent Inn’s BC Golf Packages or Contact your travel agent or speak with Ross at BCGolfGuide for some group golf trip planning options.

Top 3 Things To Prepare For The Golf Season is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

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 11^th, 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.

The Saanich fire department did an excellent job containing the fire to the restaurant alone and thanks to concrete firewalls the hotel was left relatively undamaged. In the light of day on the Friday, police and fire investigators began doing their work in regards to the criminal investigation surrounding the possible setting of the fire. Working with the hotel staff, Police and Fire officials had hotel guests collecting any belongings or vehicles left behind by early afternoon. By late afternoon the Accent Inn began welcoming back those guests who had been evacuated and who wished to continue their stay.

“I’ve been receiving many calls and we’ve had guests coming back all thanking our staff for their quick and caring actions, some even bringing gifts. I also want to thank my other hotel colleagues for assisting our guests on such short notice. “  Chris Knight, General Manager.

As of Saturday April 13^th the shell of the ABC restaurant is being torn down as the fire department searches for hotspots and takes care of any safety concerns. Over at the hotel it is a completely different story. The Accent Inn staff are busy preparing for business as usual, cleaning rooms, working with guests and even taking reservations. They are open for business!

The restaurant is gone the Hotel is relatively unscathed.

ABC restaurant will need to be rebuilt

A statement from Mandy Farmer, President and CEO, Accent Inns:

 To our guests – I want to thank (and profusely apologize for the extraordinary inconvenience) my guests who were so understanding throughout the whole ordeal last night, and of course both the police and fire departments who did an amazing job. I’m left with a feeling of total appreciation for you, my team and the emergency responders. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that not one person was injured and that it wasn’t worse.

A personal note:

It’s amazing how an ordeal can galvanize you.

Being woken up at midnight to find out your hotel is on fire is a living nightmare, but to actually arrive on scene groggy eyed and wearing pajamas to see a hole where your restaurant was, is literally a sucker punch to the stomach. I did shed tears at that moment.  Images flashed through my head: I remember my dad building this restaurant when I was just a pre-teen, having a staff meal there when I worked the front desk, breakfast with friends over the years, and soon strategizing business plans over coffee, even taking my elderly nana there for lunch, but most importantly, I met my husband there in one of those bright cheerful booths.

That initial blow soon passed when I saw my lobby full of evacuated guests and my team admirably scrambling to take care of them. My heart ached for all of our guests pulled from their beds to wait in the cold with unrequited hopes of making it back to their rooms that night.  But you know, in all of Accent Inns history (27 years), I don’t think there has ever been a moment that I have been so proud of my team.  Many got up in the night to come down and help, some even working through the whole night to make sure our guests were looked after.  My frontline staff stayed late, with nary of thought of when their shift ended or started. And all of them took such great care of our stranded guests. In particular, I want to recognize Linda, Malcolm, Alvaro, Joan and Dave who truly went above and beyond.

And then the outpouring of love, the emails, the phone calls, the tweets, the posts from the community of Victoria; wow, we most certainly live in a vibrant and supportive community. And so today, now that the smoke has cleared, all of us at Accent Inns feel surprisingly grateful for many reasons:

• The most important thing was that no one was even slightly injured
• Damage was very minimal to the hotel part (unfortunately, the restaurant is literally toast)
• Our guests were so supportive, positive and calm.  They were amazing!
• And as I’ve already mentioned, I have the most remarkable team in the world working for me.

Thank you, my team, thank you.

Sincerely,

Mandy Farmer

President & CEO

Click here to view the embedded video.

About Accent Inns

Not your typical, stuffy hotel chain. Yes, we have modern, clean rooms, but we’ll also tell you where to go (in a good way . We’ll give you the down low on where the locals hang – the hot spots for shopping, dining and hitting the town. Oh yeah, did we mention that we’re also a pint-sized, boastfully BC hotel chain with five locations; Victoria, Burnaby, Vancouver Airport (Richmond), Kelowna & Kamloops.

 Stay local. Stay real.

For more information contact:

John Espley

Business Development Manager (Public Relations)

jespley@accentinns.com

office: 250-360-1511

cell: 250-213-9605

Fire Takes Restaurant But Not Hotel Spirit is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

Camosun golfers L-R: Brady Stead, Grant Maskiewich, Kevin Walz & Jared Hundza

The Camosun College Chargers men’s golf team earned their second consecutive Bear Mountain Collegiate tournament title this past weekend, finishing five-strokes ahead of the competition and starting the 2013 season off with a great win.

“It was a terrific weekend of golf at Bear Mountain,” comments Chargers Head Coach John Randle. “The courses were in fantastic shape and the players had a great time. I am proud of my guys for pulling out a victory so early in the golf season.”

The Chargers won the event with a low team total of 583 over the two-day event (March 23-24). The Grant MacEwan University Griffins (2012 ACAC Silver Medalists) took second place with 588 while Island rivals, the VIU Mariners (PACWEST 2012 Bronze Medalists ) captured third shooting 601.

“Grant MacEwan University played great,” states Coach Randle. “They haven’t seen grass in five months and gave us an impressive run for our title!”Men’s Team 2-Day Totals:

The men’s individual title came down to a three-way tie between Camosun’s Jared Hundza, VIU’s Kristian Hrabowych and Kevin Piper from Grant MacEwan. Kristian Hrabowych collected the win in a playoff with a birdie on the first hole.

Rounding out Camosun’s winning two-day total was veteran Kevin Walz who completed the weekend with 148 and teammate Grant Maskiewich who finished with 150.

The women’s side of the draw saw three teams of two tee-off with Grant MacEwan’s duo of Megan Vermillion and Sydney Johnson-Parker taking first place with a weekend score of 315. Grant MacEwan’s Team No. 2 finished second with 346 while VIU placed third with 356.

“As usual, Bear Mountain was a great venue and we look forward to the 4th annual event next spring,” reports Coach Randle. “Special thanks to Tour Player Darren Griff who came to speak at our post-tournament dinner on Saturday.  He shared a lot of experiences and the student-athletes really appreciated it.”

Camosun College Chargers Win at Golf is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

Karen at the Vancouver Island Outdoor Expo

OK, how does a little hotel chain like Accent Inns combine our love of the cycling community, our fun loving style, our search for adventure (well most of us…) and our key value of community support? It’s easy. A prime example was two recent events we supported; The Banff Mountain Film Festival’s Radical Reels Tour and the Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Expo.

The Radical Reels film tour is a chance for experiencing extreme adventure right from your seat. The films are always filled with laughs and giggles and the ones that focus on cycling (mountain biking) are incredible and awe inspiring. Now add the support from our friends like Russ Hay’s bikes, Ocean River Sports, Robinson’s outdoor store, Capitol Iron and Straitline components (the prizes were superb!) and wrap it all up with donations and profits from the event going to the Garth Homer Center and there you have it! Watch for next years show March 2014 in Victoria.

Supporting the recent Vancouver Island Outdoor show certainly connected us with fellow adventure lovers and also allowed us to showcase our bike friendly hotels in B.C. (we call it “Bike Love”). We also had the chance to remind folks about our great cycling team, the Russ Hay’s Accent Inns team. The fun. Well anywhere our Vancouver Island Regional Sales Manager, Karen England, hangs out is fun by default. In fact every one of our Accent Inn sales managers are some of the most fun, charming and uplifting folks out there. Don’t take my word, go meet them. At the outdoor show we also had the chance to showcase some dear friends that are working very hard to support the community of families dealing with ALS. The ALS cycle for hope is now in it’s second year and growing strong. The founder of the event, Cindy Lister, was extremely kind and even talked about the outdoor show event on her blog, which we encourage you to visit and learn more about the cycle for hope and the work being done for families…

“Due to the ongoing support received from Accent Inns, ALS Cycle of Hope is looking forward to yet another successful and memorable inspiring ALS awareness journey! Thanks Accent Inns for helping us raise greater ALS awareness at the Outdoor Expo on March 22,23 and 24th– and for everything you do to help us make ALS Cycle of Hope a meaningful journey of hope for families living with ALS.”

That’s just a couple of the fun ongoing events that allow us to combine many of the things we like, we support and are just really cool.

Check out the:

•  ALS Cycle for hope upcoming Fashion show and fundraiser.
• The Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival
• The Boys & Girls Club of the Okanagan for their June 1st Race for kids
• Take a Kelowna Wine tour for the BC SPCA
• The Ride to Survive in Kelowna
• SOS children’s villages upcoming events in Vancouver
• Remember to Bike to Work during Bike to Work week in May.

and many, many more that we are thrilled to support.

Oh and make sure you follow the progress of our very cool, extremely talented bike team.

Hopefully you have an idea why Accent Inns is indeed one the very coolest places to work in B.C.

(ok we previously won the 5th Best Companies to work for in B.C. but I think we’re still #1 in the cool category)

John Espley, Mountain Man

Cycling, Fun, Adventure, Support is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

Times have changed.   Now I can’t leave home (even for a weekend) without a whole suitcase full of gadgets that I somehow believe that I cannot live without.

The Travel Alarm Clock is no longer required as many of my other devices have that functionality and most hotels do offer wake-up calls so I have that base covered.  But why do I need all these other things?  Are they just toys or do I really need them for survival?

Of course I need my smart phone.  What if somebody calls or texts?  What if I need to make a call?  If I’m staying at an Accent Inns local calls are free but in many hotels there is a ridiculous charge, just to pick up the phone.  I also need it to display my boarding card at the airport. So, put a check by the smart phone and don’t forget the charger.

I like to read when I travel, especially on airplanes so, of course I need my Ebook.  The big advantage is that it holds numerous books so I am actually reducing the space that would be required to bring along a couple of paperback novels.  I use an eReader that isn’t backlit which saves eye strain but I also need my book light. So put a check by EReader and book light and don’t forget the charger.

When I got my first laptop it was pretty heavy and took up quite a bit of space.  As battery life was pretty short, I also had to carry a spare battery.  My current laptop is quite a bit smaller and lighter and I really need it to do work when I travel.  I also need to keep up to date on my personal email and Facebook and to check for local restaurants and attractions.  Of course if I’m staying at Accent Inns, I can just ask the “local experts” that work in the hotel.  But I can’t imagine being without it.  So put a check by Laptop Computer and don’t forget the charger, the mouse, the external hard drive for backing up and the USB drives in case I need to transport some data to the nearest printer.  At Accent Inns Wi-Fi is FREE and so is access to a desktop computer and printer in all lobbies.  I’ve stayed at other hotels where it costs from 15.00 to 20.00 per day.

I don’t yet have a tablet, but somehow I feel that I really need one.  But as great as tablets are, they can’t do everything so when I get one; it will travel with me in addition to my laptop computer.  I also need to remember to check in advance with hotels to ensure that they have wireless access as some hotels still offer only Ethernet connections so add an Ethernet cable to my laptop supplies for those occasions when I am not staying at an Accent Inn.

My smart phone will take photos but I also like to bring my camera when I go on vacation.  So put a check by my camera and don’t forget the spare memory cards, battery and battery charger.

If I’m going to be renting a car, I absolutely must have my GPS which I confess I sometimes feel is human.  His name is Daniel and he speaks to me in a very nice English accent.  Daniel has gotten me out of a lot of sticky situations.  Unfortunately he has also gotten me into a few.  However, I cannot drive a car without his direction so put a check by Daniel and don’t forget the charger and the mount.

Depending on where I am travelling I may also need my dual voltage hair dryer, flat iron, universal pin converter, electric toothbrush, mpg player and all the cords and accessories that go with them.

Now where do I put my clothes and cosmetics?

The Plugged In Traveller is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

A few years ago,  my colleague Donna Price and myself were invited by Air North to play in their Midnight Sun Golf Tournament and represent our company Accent Inns.- We jumped at the opportunity, and  we both agreed “it’s a once in a lifetime experience to be coming off the golf course at 1:30am when it’s still light out!”  Usually held around summer solstice June 21^st,  when dusk is sometime after 11 pm,  you can still see your score card (unfortunately).

They get a full turn out every year at Mountainview Golf Course,  just outside of Whitehorse where Jeff Wiggins (originally from Saskatchewan) is the CPGA Head Pro.  Jeff kindly warned us not to go too far into the bush looking for a ball because late in the evening is when the critters come out and some are friendly and some not The rules are fairly relaxed anyway with lots of the local beer (Chilkoot lager, Lead dog and Yukon gold) being consumed.   The party starts when everyone is off the course around 1:30am with prizes, a sumptuous buffet and … well yes….more beer.  We called for a taxi at 3:00am to go back into Whitehorse to our hotel and it was still light out. It felt strange going to bed when it was light out but I guess you get used to it when you live in the land of the Midnight Sun…as Robert Service said in one of his poems “there are strange things done in the midnight sun”.

Helen Wright Regional Sales Manager Accent Inns Burnaby

Midnight Sun Golf Tournament is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

Join the fun and checkout the 2013 show!

March 20,2013

The 4th Annual Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Expo comes to Victoria at the Pearkes Recreation Centre this weekend on March 22, 23, 24, 2013. This three-day event features camping, kayaking, hiking, fishing, biking, outdoor getaways, travel, products and accessories – plus so much more!

Expo Highlights!
Try your skills at the 40-foot Air Rifle Range, maybe you might be more interested in the Paint Ball Range, or try riding the Mechanical Bull. Test your balance in the “Bubbles Wild Zorbing Water Balls”
The action is non stop!

Come down and meet those who are dedicated to providing you with all the tools you need in your pursuit of the amazing adventures and excitement that fantastic British Columbia outdoors has to offer!

We live in the BEST PLACE ON EARTH lets all get out and enjoy it.  Be sure to come visit us at the Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Expo at Pearkes Recreation Centre this weekend in Victoria, BC on March 22, 23, 24!

Make sure to visit the Accent Inns booth and speak to Karen. Accent Inns own who has trekked around the world!

You could win a great River Rafting package from Accent Inns and Hyak River rafting!

Karen England and Canuck Duck from Accent Inns

For more information please visit: www.vancouverislandoutdoorexpo.com

Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Expo This Weekend is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

Serval Cat

Representing the pet friendly hotel chain, Accent Inns,  at this first annual Pet lovers show in Abbotsford, I was delighted to see how many people love animals!  The show was very well attended; I think 13,000 or more came through the doors.   There were some very interesting animals there to be seen, Woodchucks, Porcupine (which needed to be handled very carefully), Wallaby, reptiles, and a little petting zoo for kids of all ages.

The very unique Serval and Savannah cats were being shown.   Starting at $1000 to upwards 12,000 for the rich and famous to own!  They are absolutely stunning and reported to be very good companion pets but the big one that was there was NOT happy to be there.  There was a lot of hissing and biting going on.  Poor thing did not like the crowds.  The owner assured us this was not the behavior at home, and was actually friendly and cuddly.  She seemed to have all fingers intact, so I believed her.

The funniest thing I have ever seen was the rabbit show.  Imagine little bunny rabbits doing an agility course just like the Super Dogs do!  Run

Bunny Rabbit Agility Course

you wascal wabbits!  They are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Cute, cute cute!

There were some wonderful rescue organizations there that were able to show case some of their dogs that needed homes.  Thankfully a few of the dogs were adopted out to loving forever homes.

There were plenty of things to buy and sample for your pets, including snacks, toys and garments.

All in all, it was a great event and I look forward to next year!

Kim Jones, Regional Sales Manager Accent Inns.

Editors Note:  Accent Inns is also Proud to be sponsoring the Vancouver Island Pet Expo In Victoria BC, May 25/26, 2013

Pet Lovers Trade Show is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog

The 2013 BC Summer Institute is led by the Family Support Institute in beautiful Vancouver. This event is designed to provide a robust learning environment that will facilitate strategic approaches to inclusion and belonging for all students in BC’s elementary and secondary schools.

Participants will include administrators, classroom teachers, resource teachers, other members of the School Based Team, paraprofessionals, therapists and parents. This institute is designed to give participants the foundation they have been looking for to complement good practice and give access to the resources necessary to properly facilitate belonging and inclusion for all students. Schools are encouraged to register as a team, ensuring that a variety of positions within it are represented.
Individuals from across B.C. will be coming together to work with people who have been doing this work for decades and who have experienced success in all aspects of Inclusive Learning. (Attendees will have the option of also registering in a 3-credit academic course at UBC, if they already have a bachelor’s degree; or at Douglas College, if they do not have a bachelor’s degree.)
Participants will leave with a common language around values, a shared understanding about how to facilitate strategies learned and an improved skill set to better put those strategies and values into action within their schools.

Register Now for the July 15-19, 2013 Event!

For more info, please contact Angela Clancy at 604-540-8374 or email aclancy@fsibc.com

BC Summer Institute for Inclusive Learning is a post from: The Accent Inns BC Hotel Blog