Highlights of 2019 at Germain Hôtels

Between opening and reopening of hotels, awards and web series, this is what kept us busy this year.

JANUARY

We started the year in full force with our official opening night at the Alt Hotel Calgary East Village, which opened in November 2018, with media, friends, family and partners.

FEBRUARY

A few weeks later, we opened the Alt Hotel Saskatoon, creating another pied-à-terre in the Canadian Prairies. Saskatoon is a favorite city for many of us here at Germain Hotels, including Hugo Germain, who is particularly fond of the city.

MARCH

The Alt Hotel Montreal celebrates its fifth anniversary on a beautiful Sunday in March.

APRIL

Our hotels in Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto are in full National Hockey League playoffs fever! Their respective teams, the Flames, Jets and Maple Leafs are participating in the first round of playoffs to the delight of Canadian fans.

Christiane Germain participated to the TV show Dans l'oeil du dragon (‘’the French version of Dragon’s Den’’) for one episode only. Even though she didn't make a deal that day, she was interested in investing in many entrepreneurs.

Our co-presidents and co-founders, Jean-Yves and Christiane Germain, receive the Grands Québécois prize from the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Québec.

The Alt+ Hotel Quartier DIX30 is one year old! On the menu that night: cupcakes, maple products and signature cocktails.

MAY

As tulips slowly blooms in Ottawa, it's time for Le Germain Hotel Ottawa to celebrate its first anniversary.

JUNE

The Toronto Raptors win the NBA Championship and the Le Germain Hotel Maple Leaf Square is in the heart of the festivities. The space between the hotel and the Scotiabank Arena is nicknamed Jurassic Park and it's here that everyone comes together to watch the games on a giant screen and cheer their team.

Earlier in the month, Christiane Germain receives an honorary doctorate from Bishop's University alongside Kim Thúy, Colm Feore and Claude Belleau.

JULY

Long awaited, in July, we finally open Terre Restaurant, located in the same building as the Alt Hotel St. John's. Chef Matthew Swift left Joe Beef’s kitchen in Montreal to move to Newfoundland and open his own restaurant inspired by the land and the sea.

On the other side of Canada, our friends John Jackson and Connie De Sousa, of Charcut in Le Germain Hotel Calgary fame, open CHIX Eggshop, a breakfast restaurant in the Alt Hotel Calgary East Village. It serves gluten-free fried chicken, French toast pie and many other brunch dishes. Their bacon in a bag is an instant hit!

AUGUST

We take advantage of the last beautiful days of the summer to shoot our very first web series, ''One of the Family'', featuring inspiring Canadians who share our passion for the art of living well and hospitality. We meet them in Montreal, Ottawa, St. John's and Toronto. The four episodes are presented the following month.

SEPTEMBER

After a year of intense renovations, the Le Germain Hotel Montreal finally reopens. Great creators participated in this major project, such as Zébulon Perron, Ruby Brown, Marie Saint Pierre, Philippe Dubuc and the firm LEMAYMICHAUD, our long-standing partner.

Christiane Germain welcomes Michelle Obama at the Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City to discuss feminism, personal growth and many other inspiring topics.

OCTOBER

Le Germain Hotel Quebec lands on the top 10 best hotels in Canada at Condé Nast's Traveler's Choice Awards. What an honor!

A few months after welcoming its first guests, we celebrated the official opening night at the Alt Hotel Saskatoon with friends, family and partners.

Having spent the summer documenting renovations at the Hotel Le Germain Montreal, we launch a new web-series: Night Creators. It showcases all the incredibly talented people that created the hotel's new decor, from rooms to the restaurant, as well as the uniforms.

NOVEMBER

We celebrate the opening of Le Boulevardier restaurant, located in the Le Germain Hotel Montreal, with Chef David Pellizzari heading the kitchen. It serves French cuisine in a sublime decor by Zebulon Perron.

Christiane Germain enters the Hall of Fame of WXN's Top 100 Most Influential Women in Canada, an honor given to those who have appeared more than four times on this list.

DECEMBER

The cranes are in place at the Alt Hotel Calgary University District, our third hotel in the beautiful city of Calgary.

We are working hard on the Alt Hotel Ottawa Airport project, which will also be our third in Canada's national capital.

2020, we are waiting for you!