OTTAWA, June 4, 2025 — The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) today announced its 2025/2026 Board of Directors, following its Annual General Meeting.

HAC welcomes new Directors, Shazma Charania (ZS Holdings), Doug Hayes (Sandman Hotel Group), Jeff Hyslop (InnVest Hotels), Kevin Toth (Fox Harb’r Resort), and Mark Reeves (IHG). Returning to the Board are Michael Juce (Manitoba Hotel Association), Mark Kochhar (Hilton Hotels), and Olivier Rochefort (Atlific Hotels). The full HAC Board of Directors can be viewed on the .

“Our HAC Board of Directors is highly collaborative and brings tremendous depth and industry expertise to our organization,” said Tony Cohen, Chair of the HAC Board of Directors. “With their collective leadership, I am confident that HAC is well-positioned to guide our sector through both the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

“The Board is integral to helping our team deliver on our strategic plan and champion the interests of the industry,” said Beth McMahon, HAC President & CEO. “In the year ahead, we will keep up the momentum on key issues that position the sector for growth—tourism marketing, investment policies, and workforce—to position our industry for long-term success.”

HAC extends its sincere gratitude to long-serving, outgoing Directors — Robert Pratt (Sandman Hotels), Brian Leon (Choice Hotels Canada), Marc Staniloff (Superior Lodging), Tony Elenis (ORHMA), and Ingrid Jarrett (formerly of BCHA) — for their outstanding leadership, and unwavering dedication to the organization. Their contributions have been instrumental to our success.

Background: HAC’s Governance & Nominations Committee led a rigorous national search to identify highly qualified candidates from range of backgrounds. As a committed participant in the Canada 50–30 Challenge, HAC continues to advance diversity and inclusion within its leadership. With 10 women on the Board of Directors, the organization is making strong progress toward gender parity, while continuing its work to build more equitable and representative governance. The election process adhered to HAC’s Bylaws, with results formally announced at today’s Annual General Meeting.

Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, MB - Later today, a fifty-year-old west end institution, will become the Birchwood Inn once again. The Birchwood, as still affectionately referred to it, has always been synonymous with family celebrations, business meetings, fundraising dinners, and conventions and a great place to find a good night’s sleep.

“We are so thrilled to be returning to the name many still call us, the Birchwood Inn,” says Bruce MacKay, General Manager, the Birchwood Inn. “We remain locally owned, by the same family who built the hotel in 1976. The Birchwood Inn was their original name for the hotel, an homage to hardy, resilient birchwood trees of Manitoba.”

Under any name, the hotel has provided five decades of quality service to its guests and visitors.

“Whatever name we use, we remain committed to the same level of quality we’ve come to be known for over the years. Our team of dedicated staff may now answer your calls differently, but they are the exact team that has gone above and beyond for decades to provide the highest level of hospitality they can ensure our guests leave here with smiles.”

There are some improvements guests will see on the heels of the name change: renovations will begin shortly to the guestrooms, front entrance and lobby areas to provide guests a warmer sense of arrival to the hotel.

“To be honest, we don’t need much of a spruce up,” says MacKay. “Our local owners have continuously reinvested in this property over its life. In the last few years we’ve completed room renovations, revamped our beloved pool and play structure, and re-envisioned our restaurants and banquet rooms. We even added the nostalgic fish tanks back into the elevators because guests loved that original 1975 amenity and begged us to bring them back.”

In its 50 years, the Birchwood Inn has provided a good night’s sleep to over 5,000,000 people, hosted thousands of functions, served millions of glasses of orange juice in their onsite restaurant

Guests who have reserved either room nights or functions, do not need to rebook. All room and function reservations have been seamlessly moved over to the BW Premier Collection® platform.

Vancouver, BC (June 3, 2025) – Today, , has debuted Suite X - a one-of-a-kind concept designed in collaboration with internationally acclaimed Canadian visual artist and author, and the hotel’s co-owner and developers, and . Inspired by Generation X, Coupland’s novel that helped define and popularize an entire generation, this immersive experience pays tribute to the demographic that reimagined identity, technology, and art.

Blurring the lines between art, design, and hospitality, Suite X is a vibrant extension of the newly renovated Fairmont Gold experience, offering guests an exclusive opportunity to step inside Coupland’s world - a living gallery inspired by his fascination with contemporary culture, technology, and Canadian identity. Drawing on his signature pop-art aesthetic, the suite integrates bold visuals, custom-designed furniture, an in-suite bar, and unexpected design moments that invite introspection and spark conversation.

“I’m very much a product of the late 20th century, and this suite reflects my deep love for that era." says Douglas Coupland. “When I was growing up, Vancouver felt like nowhere - and then, post-Olympics, it suddenly became somewhere. I never expected to witness such a transformation, but I’ve had the privilege of being part of the city’s full evolution.”

Located on the Fairmont Gold floor and offering sweeping views of Vancouver’s waterfront and mountains, Suite X features original works by Coupland and curated literature from the artist’s own personal collection and the TASCHEN library. The experience evokes the feeling of sitting in Coupland’s own living room - every detail has been thoughtfully considered by the artist himself.

Suite X marks a bold evolution in Fairmont Pacific Rim’s ongoing mission to celebrate local art and culture while offering guests next-level experiences rooted in creativity and design. It also expands on the hotel’s reimagined Fairmont Gold offering, which now offers a nature-inspired sanctuary featuring elevated amenities and bespoke services tailored for the discerning traveler.

“Suite X represents the intersection of hospitality and artistry, a place where inspiration lives and guests can connect with a truly unique Vancouver story.” says Jens Moesker, Regional Vice President and General Manager, Fairmont Pacific Rim. “Collaborating with Douglas Coupland has been an incredible creative journey.”

Suite X is now available for booking. For more information or to reserve, visit.

CHICAGO—June 3, 2025— (HCN), a leading provider of AI-powered in-room guest engagement solutions, announces the acquisition of Crave Interactive, a UK-based innovator specializing in digital guest experiences for luxury hotels. This strategic move positions HCN as a dominant force in the global hospitality technology sector, expanding its reach across the four- and five-star hotel markets. The deal closed today for an undisclosed amount.

, established in 2009, has built a reputation for delivering high-quality in-room tablets and AI-driven guest services, catering to an elite clientele that includes MGM Resorts, Fairmont, and Hyatt. Their platform facilitates seamless guest interactions, from room service orders to spa bookings, enhancing the overall guest experience.

HCN's acquisition of Crave Interactive is a calculated step towards integrating complementary technologies and expertise and expanding HCN’s growing ad network, which allows hoteliers to acquire the substantial capabilities of this powerful guest engagement platform at greatly reduced rates through HCN’s newly introduced ad-subsidized model. HCN is combining can’t-miss proactive digital signage with global brand advertising that pleases guests and creates new sources of revenue for hotels.

HCN and Crave tablets are set to transform the hotel experience globally with a true AI breakthrough. A multilingual human-looking AI Concierge is introduced to each guest via the tablet, becoming their personal assistant, a helping hand with hotel communication, a city navigator, and an itinerary builder.  With ad revenues supporting this innovation, the technology is now within reach of every hotel globally. HCN offers hotels a new level of personalization and service for every guest on a mass scale.

“This acquisition is more than a merger of technologies; it's a fusion of visions aimed at redefining the guest experience," said Kevin Bidner, CEO of HCN. "By combining our strengths, we will deliver unparalleled value to hoteliers and guests alike."

HCN views this acquisition as a significant consolidation in the hospitality tech space. The combined company will have operations and installations in 25 countries with both tablet and mobile applications. With this acquisition, HCN has created a truly global solution for an industry seeking to modernize their in-room services and guest experience strategies.

For more information about HCN and its expanded suite of services, visit