Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/354800
DoubleTree by Hilton and by Robin Brunet F or 40 years, the Mayfield Inn and Suites in Edmonton's West End was a landmark for visitors to the province as well as local patrons of its perennially popular Stage West Dinner Theatre. But when it came time to overhaul the facilities two years ago according to the new owner's standards, the hospi- tality industry had evolved to the point where being a local landmark was no longer good enough to attract a global clientele. For t unately, the new f ranchise brand belonging to SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts – namely, Hilton – is well-skilled in bringing the world to its doorstep, and for this particular property they did it via its DoubleTree and Home2 Suites by Hilton brands. "DoubleTree is Hilton's conversion brand that allows a fair amount of latitude in design, which means we were able to retain architec- tural and structural elements that had made Mayfield an icon while bringing the entire property up to the compa- ny's world-class standards," says Grant McCurdy, DoubleTree by Hilton's general manager. While DoubleTree approximates the full service Hilton guest experience, Home2 Suites is a mid-tier apartment- style concept for cost-conscious trav- ellers; together, these two facilities provide 365 guest rooms and suites. The $65-million conversion was not without its challenges. "We thought we would strip the old Mayfield facil- ity by about 40 per cent, but we wound up having to strip it by 80 per cent, in many cases right down to the studs," says McCurdy. "There had been three substantial upgrades to the property over the decades, with asbestos being used throughout." Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning consulting teams were retained to help bring the new Double- Tree to life, while Chamberlain Archi- tects was responsible for the new Home2 build. The architectural and interior design concept for the old Mayfield was meant to resolve a number of objectives, one of them being to replace a building envelope on the north tower that had reached the end of its life cycle and was inefficient. "We also wanted to create a more sophisticated service and cus- tomer appeal ref lecting today's trav- ellers' needs," says Kasian principal 106/ AUGUST 2014 DoubleTree by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton