A group of us like minded, Victoria BC, businesses are banding together on Friday April 20 in celebration of Earth Day 2012 (April 22).  Us environmental warriors have been busy conjuring up a contest that will pit us against one another and the best part is there will be no losers. 

So here are the details and if you are in our area please come by and be part of our team (the keeners)! Starting at 12 noon sharp for one solid hour we will focus on any garbage found along the beautiful shoreline of Laurel Point.

• *  We will supply the gloves and the environmentally friendly garbage bags
• *  We will scour our land (and as a waterfront Victoria BC hotel, not such a bad offer) and pick up all the garbage we can find
• *  We will count each piece, so 1 cigarette butt = 1 piece.  I like to say “Think Flower Count only with garbage”.
• *  We will beat our competing business and  claim our prize of the Golden Garbage Award!!
• *  At 1:45 we will host a brief ceremony presided over by a Victoria VIP (TBA) and that is where we will claim our award (fingers are crossed – makes typing interesting)

Inn at Laurel Point's Green Queen, Theresa Dickinson, greeting her loyal public

We believe the environment needs more friends.  Can you blame us for being vain?  Our guests and community enjoy one of the most scenic, pristine settings in the world and we want to keep it that way.  As BC’s only carbon neutral hotel (just ask Offsetters) this is the least we could do to give back to that great lady … Mother Nature.

Stay environmentally friendly!  #cleanupyyj

Avril

@ilpvictoria

As one of the West Coast’s top go-to wedding destinations, our event managers are, well, know-it-alls. Not only do they stay up on all the trends by attending numerous tradeshows, liaising with other wedding professionals and reading thousands of on- and offline articles (you should see the stack of magazines in the corner of the office), but they’ve really seen and done it all, from hosting intimate ceremonies to throwing extravagant affairs (and, of course, everything in between).

And as a trusted weddings resource, our events team gets many questions from brides and grooms, asking anything from what the season’s hottest colours are to where one should seat that overbearing mother-in-law at the reception. I’ve often wondered how I could turn this wealth of information into something that’s useful for all brides- and grooms-to-be, and not just clients. And then, as I sat drinking my mid-day latte the other day, it hit me: why not launch a blog that’s all about weddings?

So, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our new blog: It’s Inn the Details (snappy name, huh?), written by no other than Laurel . Laurel is a 30-something Type A event manager who just looooves weddings (well, as long as she doesn’t get cake icing on her Chanel pantsuit). 

 What should you expect from our new blog?

Videos, photos and music clips (oh my)

Brides and grooms already know that the decisions associated with throwing that big day ceremony are endless: will the invitations be on heavy cardstock with hand-scripted calligraphy, or on a DVD with an animated love story? For the first dance, should they waltz to Etta James’ At Last, or shuffle to Michael Jackson’s Thriller? And for the cake, will they spring for a four-tiered fondant masterpiece, or go for whimsical cupcakes? Add these choices with a saturated Internet, packed with videos, photos and music clips, and we just might have a bride- or groom-zilla on our hands. To make it easy for our gentle readers, Laurel’s going to put in the legwork: trawling the web and sharing her top wedding finds.

A couple of the gals getting ready

Trends (both the upcoming and the passé)

In the wedding industry, trends move faster than you can toss a tulip bouquet (just look back to mom’s wedding dress: helloooo high collars, lace sleeves and other fashion faux pas that’d raise the eyebrow of any 2012 bride). From sustainable, Earth-friendly nuptials to breezy photo shoots against a Pacific Ocean backdrop, Laurel will keep you up-to-date on the hottest dresses, themes, décor and more. 

Questions from the soon-to-wed

How much should brides tip their hairstylist? Can one ask their vegan bridesmaid to BHOD (bring her own dinner)? And just how uncouth is a cash bar? All these questions (and more) will be answered by Laurel. And if you have a query that needs a response, feel free to post them on this blog – who knows, maybe you’ll be featured on an upcoming blog! (Anonymity is guaranteed, too!)

A whole lotta fun

The road to getting married is fraught with emotions, stress, happiness and, best of all, fun. On the new blog, Laurel promises to light up readers’ days with posts that’ll make them smile, chuckle and even give out a good ole’ belly laugh. And if you have any ideas on how you think this blog could be even better, we’re 100 per cent receptive to new ideas and post themes.

I hope you’ll join me in giving Laurel a warm welcome and I look forward to seeing you over on It’s Inn the Details. Mazel tov!

Wed different,

Avril

As I reflect on all the fun we have had over this last Month of Love (4,000 notes on love on pillows, provided 29 days worth of quotes on our reader boards, served up a whopping 10 pounds of cinnamon hearts, 3 pounds of candy message hearts and over 400 red heart shaped lollipops) I can’t help but consider our LOVE of the environment that we enhabit here at our Victoria BC hotel.

And can you blame us for being so vain?  Our guests and community  enjoy one of the most scenic, pristine settings in the world – and we want to keep it that way.  That is why being BC’s first and only carbon neutral hotel  is as much a part of our culture as our stunning locale.

We believe the environment needs more friends so I would LOVE to take this opportunity to highlight some of the amazing enviromentally friendly partners we work with  every day.

1. *  Silk Road - okay arguably THE tea & skin care retail and spa in Victoria, specializing only in organic and sustainable product.   We are just so darn proud to partner with them to bring our Erickson Wing guests an amazing amenity package using essential confier oils ethically harvested from the Great Bear Rainforest, right here in BC
2. * Eagle Wing Whale Watching – there are  many tour operators to provide whale watching in Victoria but this one really stands out.  Canada’s first Carbon Neutral Eco Whale Watching Tour company! Click here to see a package we run with them.
3. *Harbour Air Seaplanes - If you have not been on a seaplane I would highly recommend it, super efficient, quite economical and handsome pilots (not that I am saying).  And they are North America’s first carbon neutral airline.  Say no more.
4. * Shaw Ocean Discovery Center an aquarium of the Salish Sea.  Not only is this a premium experience these folks are deeply committed to the education and protection of the environment.
5. * Helijet – Bucket list item to fly in a helicopter?  You bet so go get busy.   Helijet works with Pacific Carbon Trust to offset green house gas emissions with programs focused around BC specifically.
6. * Ocean River Adventures - if you have been kayaking or would ever consider it these are the fine folks to set off with.  They are have a very experienced and committed team to guide you on any number of tour options and frankly no better way to experience the enviroment in an up close and personal manner.  We are proud to partner with these guys and bring you Victoria’s 150th Anniversary Package. 

So there you have it.  Go forth, leave no footprints and have a blast.

Live different!

Avril

So, Evan Norris, I hope that you have a furry friend at home or know someone that does cause we have a dozen of Chef Ito’s Inn-baked Doggie Cookies on their way to your place.  And, if that wasn’t enough to mark your quick wit and sharp intelligence (wink), we would also like to waive the pet fee for your next stay at our  Victoria, BC Hotel with a four- legged friend.

Evan’s caption read:

I know it doesn’t go with my eyes, it doesn’t stop me from smiling!

Nice work Evan!!

Stay tuned for more exciting blog posts that are all brought to you by the Month Of Love

 Avril

Her work here has broadened, with her basic training complete,  she now welcomes  guests -  especially the 4 legged ones.  Personalized welcome cards, from Ruby, are left for these furry V.I.P.’s and Chef Ito’s Inn-baked  Doggie Biscotti and heart shaped cookies are always at the ready.  Ruby  takes her job as the official taste tester very seriously. 

So that is why our next Month of Love contest is dedicated to our love of Ruby and all our furry guests.  This is a caption contest and we want to get your creative juices flowing.   The prize on this Love contest is a dozen of Chef Ito’s Inn-baked Doggie cookies delivered to your door and a complimentary Pet Package for your next visit to our little Victoria, BC hotel.

 All you have to do is:

• *post your caption as a comment on this blog
• *post before Monday Feb. 20 to be considered
• *post as many times as you like 
• *be okay with us using your caption and your name on social media platforms
• *understand that we will pick the caption we like the best
• *bonus points will be awarded to anyone who tweets their caption and uses the hashtag #MonthofLove and @ilpvictoria
• *Extra bonus points will be awared to anyone who posts their caption to our facebook page
• *not be a colleague of the Inn at Laurel Point

Good luck and don’t forget …

Stay in love

Avril

And just so you know choosing one winner out of this amazing list was a very difficult task for our Managing Director, Ian Powell. 

So without further ado Kathleen Burton, hope you don’t have any plans for Feb. 14th cause we have a suite in your name!!

Here is Kathleen’s winning Haiku

My heart over flows;

Your head rests on the pillow…

Love at Laurel Point.

Kathleen we felt that your haiku was clever, cerebral and love how you suggested without saying directly.  Way to go!

Thank you to everyone for your participation.  Stay tuned cause there more fun opportunities coming up in the Month Of Love (said in a very deep,echoish voice).

Stay in love

Avril

So write a Love Haiku about our privately owned,  watefront, Victoria BC, Hotel (keywords, check) and we will consider you to win the following amazing prize!!

One unforgetable, ultra-lux night in our Dream Suite on February 14th, that’s right, on Valentine’s night!  You will have all the waterfront you can possilbly absorb, a balcony that never quits and a built for two, jetted tub that we guarantee will rock your world. 

In order to win you must:

*post your Love Haiku about the Inn at Laurel Point as a comment on this blog

*must use the words Laurel Point or Inn at Laurel Point or ILP(counts as one syllable)

*follow the correct Haiku format 

Hai-ku  - A Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.

*post before Monday February the 6th at 5pm

*be okay with us using both your Haiku and your name on social media platforms

*understand that we will pick the Love Haiku that we like best

*bonus points will be awarded to anyone who tweets their Haiku stanzas in sequence using #MonthofLove and @ilpvictoria in your tweet

*not be a colleague of the Inn at Laurel Point

Awesome, so go get busy.   We can’t wait to see what you come up with and we’ll be sure to post the winner on our Facebook page and right here on our blog.

Haiku to you

Avril

Here are a few teasers with more info coming soon…

• *Win one night in our amazing Dream Suite for you and your special someone on  Valentines Night 2012 – Can you imagine that!!
• *Win a night in one of our fabulous full water view penthouses over looking beautiful downtown Victoria BC!

So keep our little Victoria BC hotel , in the heart (get it heart)  of James Bay in mind when you are thinking of romance this month.  We’ll set the stage and leave the rest to you 

Stay in love

Avril

 For this year’s Business Excellence Awards (an annual event put on by Vancouver Island’s Business Examiner publication), the Inn was honoured with a nomination in the category of Be Green. But in the company of five other top-notch (and highly-sustainable) Vancouver Island businesses, what would be the odds of us coming out on top? Turns out, pretty good!

Here at this downtown Victoria Inn, being green is just a way of (hotel) life. And we’ve done such a good job of streamlining luxury and sustainability (who says they can’t go hand-in-hand?), that many of our guests and partners aren’t even aware of the little things we do to better our corner of the planet. So, for just a minute, let me toot the Inn’s own horn while I share 10 eco-friendly, socially-conscious, betcha-didn’t-knows about the Inn:

10.          We offer our guests biodegradable room keys, pens and dry-cleaning bags.

 9.  We’ve partnered with the BC Cancer Society to offer cancer patients a year- round discounted Courage Rate. 

8.   We have an in-house Green Committee that’s made up of (and accessible to) all staff.

 7.  We donate lost-and-found items to local charities and shelters.

 6.  Our housekeepers use ecoSafe cleaners and recycled-content paper towels.

 5.  In AURA, our chefs cook with locally sourced and organic ingredients as well as herbs from our on-site garden. (We have plans to expand this garden, too!)

 4.  Whenever possible, we use hydrothermal technology to heat and cool the hotel. (Can you say that 10-times-fast?)

 3.  You name it, we recycle it: paper, glass, aluminum, tin, plastic, cardboard, cooking fat, batteries, toner cartridges… The list goes on.

 2.  We’re BC’s first carbon-neutral hotel.

 1.    Our guest amenities are Earth-friendly and socially responsible! The products are created by using tree bough oils, sustainably harvested from BC’s Great Bear Rainforest by members of the Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative (a collective that works to create meaningful employment for First Nations communities in BC) and blended by Victoria’s Silk Road.

Other businesses named Be Green finalists include Wetlands Pacific Corp. (a Nanaimo-based wastewater management system); Blue Toque Sports Swap (a used and consignment sports store set in Courtenay); Canada Laminate and Hardwood (a flooring shop located in Victoria); Island West Coast Developments Ltd. (a medium-sized commercial construction company in Nanaimo); and The Beach Club Resort.

Treat our planet different,
Avril

 Inn at Laurel Point is the premiere harbour side hotel in Victoria, BC. Overlooking the waterfront, the pet friendly Victoria hotel is perfect for business meetings, conferences, weddings and your Vancouver Island getaway. To reserve your Victoria waterfront hotel accommodation, call 1-800-663-7667.

These creations are made by some very inn-spired bakers, both professional and amateur.  Some start in August, if you can believe that, and others put their creation together over a long weekend. 

All of this hard work and artistic focus comes together to raise awareness and funds for Habitat for Humanity Victoria.  This amazing organization believes in housing for all, human dignity, partnership, diversity, and inclusiveness.  And in the end, they work with community partners to help build affordable homes for purchase by local hard working, low-income families.  Seriously does it get any better than that?

We are very proud to be able to support this amazing charity and continue our community give back in our own special way. As an independant and locally owned hotel this fits right in with our core values and fits with our appetite for fun!

Check out our Facebook album, I put up lots more photos of these amazing creations.  Have a look and let us know which is your favorite.

Stay spicy!

Avril