Spring Break Stress? Staycation Instead!

Fourth-year Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management (BHTM) students at Algonquin College School of Business and Hospitality learned a thing or two about the perks of staying close to home as part of their research project. Professor Zainub Ibrahim brought them on location and introduced them to the team and amenities at Brookstreet Hotel, right here in our vibrant city!

Students were warmly welcomed by two exceptional leaders, Annie Corriveau,CHRL Vice President of Human Resources, and the General Manager, Nyle Kelly. Their insights, guidance, and hospitality made the day memorable, and the insights gained played an important role in the direction of their research projects.

The Brookstreet Hotel, a gem in Ottawa’s hospitality industry, is known for its commitment to excellence and innovation. Our students had the privilege of delving deep into its operations and learning from the best in the business.

This project gave students a chance to see things from the perspective of operating a hotel that is independent; rich because there is a lot more flexibility in terms of what the hotel can do. Key take aways from the students’ research was the importance of environmental factors such as nearby entertainment venues and identifying competitors for such a unique hotel. When students expanded their definitions, they found that sometimes hotels that were further away were more direct competitors than others that were closer in proximity.

Lessons learned from the project included evaluating the usefulness and challenges of survey data. There were many discussions about identification of target market, and how difficult it is to specify and identify target markets based on demographic information gathered. The staycation market was one of particular interest due to the hotel’s amenities!