Is Green the new Black?

Fashion houses are tripping over themselves to start the latest organic seaweed line, and celebrities tightly corseted in jade-coloured silk grace covers of ‘Green-Edition’ glossies (hello, Madonna’s done 3 of ‘em). It begs the question, is green the new black? I pondered this question from 35 000 feet in the air, on my 3rd non-offset cross- country flight in nearly as many weeks.

More accurately, I struggled to write a few words about the eco-creds of the luxury travel industry. As Rita Selvan, editor of Elle Canada wryly notes in June’s edition, it’s kind of tricky to ‘talk green when the very nature of your business doesn’t exactly scream green’. Well put. She comments, ‘it’s no picnic preaching green from the perfumed perch of a fashion magazine’. Well try the luxury hotel industry, arbiter of taste, style and it must be said, excess. High thread-count sheets (bleached bone white, natch), delicacies flown in from 4 corners of the world for discerning diners, lilliputian bottles of shampoo/conditioner/cleanser/. No expense spared, and all de rigueur. When the guest’s paying top dollar, they expect the best.

Increasingly, being green no longer comes at the expense of earning green – or providing a luxury product. In fact, a lot of travelers want to know what their hotels are doing to be more environmentally friendly – and will make their choices based on this information. This hasn’t been lost on chains such as Fairmont which command high prices, while leading the industry in their commitment to lessen their impact on the environment. Entrepreneurial hoteliers around the world are opening eco-lodges, eco-resorts, and eco-spas to capitalize on the earnest/well meaning/curious/affluent.

What can guests do to lighten luxury’s footprint? A few suggestions for your next hotel stay at Opus.

• Re-use your towels and linens. Using the same towel or sheets cuts down on phosphates and water usage.


• When you’re out, turn off all lights and music, and turn down the thermostat.


• Unplug your laptop! Even when it’s off, leaving it plugged in uses energy.


• Recycle. Every room has a bin for your convenience…please use it! We’ll even sort it for you.


• Sightseeing? Instead of driving, walk or use one of Opus Vancouver’s complimentary bikes.


• Next time you fly, off-set a portion of your flight with carbon credits. Hang on to those ‘free’ earsets that come with purchase of your thousand dollar ticket. The airlines don’t recycle them, so at least you can reuse them.


• Rent a hybrid car (or at least a compact vehicle) next time you’re traveling.

Speaking of hybrids, Opus recently decided to offer guests driving hybrids cars free valet parking. Their vehicle choice benefits all of us, so we’re extending a little benefit back to them.

If you’re curious to check out what else Opus is doing to try and reduce its impact on the environment, visit our About Us section. As a famous frog once said, It’s not Easy Being Green. But we all need to start somewhere.

Return of the Intrepid Blogger

By Daniel Edward Craig

It’s me again! Did you miss me? Did you even notice I was gone? Don’t worry, I haven’t returned to my old job as general manager of Opus. I’ve been asked to do a Special Guest Star appearance on this blog. Apparently Katrina has been “busy”, but every time I walk past Glowbal I see her sipping wine on the patio.

[Note from Katrina: FUNNY, Dan. It’s more like guzzling bad coffee on Montreal-bound flights. Now if we’re talking patio-tippling, I believe there have been numerous sightings of an certain author…]

It’s been five looong months since I left Opus to finish my book, and, well, it’s been hell. If I ever questioned whether I loved my job before, I don’t anymore. Managing a hotel is not easy, but writing is ten times harder. Spending all that time with no one to talk to but an evil voice that keeps telling you you’re a fraud can play nasty tricks on your psyche. (That voice used to say the same thing when I was a hotel manager but there were more people around to drown it out).

The good news is, my third book is done and my second, Murder at Hotel Cinema, is out this month. Continuing with the hotel whodunit theme, this one is about the murder of a troubled celebrity at the opening party of a fashionable Hollywood hotel—that is not unlike Opus. When his prized employees become suspects, general manager Trevor Lambert struggles to protect them from the incriminating glare of the LAPD and the prying eyes of reporters, risking everything to expose the killer. Ooh scary! My launch takes place later this month—where else but Opus? After that I’ll be a free agent, so if you know anyone looking for someone to do very little work for lots of money, send them my way.

Truth is, I never fully severed ties with Opus. Not only do I drop in regularly to beg staff to tell me they still love me, but I’ve also done some project work, most recently having updated the Lifestyle Concierge, which will be up and running soon. On a recent visit I was thrilled to see a development proposal announcing plans for a 250-seat restaurant on Opus’s rooftop. Hot! I’m thinking of applying as a suntan lotion boy, but only if I can wear little white shorts and make enough tips to never have to write again. I was also happy to hear about the opening of Koko in Montreal, which I’m told was the party of the year—and no murders! So much for new writing material.

I used to shy away from commenting on the Vancouver hotel scene, but now that I’m a Special Guest Star with no real accountability, I thought I’d put out a few random Deep Hotel Thoughts:

1. Where are the guests going to come from?
It’s fantastic to see all the new hotels under development in Vancouver, but after the 2010 Olympics it’s going to be a fierce market. Only those who offer a superior product will thrive. Go Opus!

2. Does Vancouver need another Fairmont?
Not that Fairmont doesn’t run fantastic hotels, but with the 415-room Fairmont Pacific Rim scheduled to open in mid-2009 there will be four Fairmonts in Vancouver, plus one in Whistler and another in Victoria. Maybe too much of a good thing? I think Fairmont should give one back. We’ll take the new one.

3. Will Hotel Loden ever open?
I remember the drama when Opus was delayed by a few months and can certainly empathize with the opening team at Loden. By my calculation it’s about seventeen years behind schedule, but maybe it just feels that way. Let’s get a move on, builders, it’s lonely on the boutique front and Opus is looking forward to some friendly competition.

Well, that’s it for now. It’s been great reconnecting. Hopefully I’ll be invited back. If not, you can always visit me at www.danieledwardcraig.com. Until then, be cool, don’t forget to tip the maid, avoid hotel rooms with floral bedspreads, and remember to put on a bathrobe before you put that room service cart in the hallway—hotel room doors self-close.

Oh, and don’t forget to enter to win TV Week’s Sex in the City Weekend package, including two nights at Opus with breakfast and parking, spa treatments at Spruce, a collector Sex and the City DVD set and, la pièce de résistance, a night with me at Opus—but no sex, just cocktails and a signed copy of Murder at Hotel Cinema. Good luck!

Healthy drinking at Opus Hotel

I’m heading off on vacation for a couple of weeks, so inevitably my minds turned to cocktails.

Apparently, I can enjoy my holiday cocktail-ing guilt free now, according to Brad Stanton, Opus Vancouver’s beverage manager extraordinaire. Cocktails have turned healthy? He recently introduced me to the delightfully appealing concept of cocktails as healthy elixirs. Take a peek at Brad’s video where you’ll be introduced to his talent for concocting nutritious, delicious drinks. Next time you’re nursing a cold or fighting the flu, give yourself permission to pour yourself a stiff drink. Stanton’s orders.

Brad works his cocktail magic every Monday to Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. during Happy Hour at Elixir. Make sure you stop by.

For our Montreal friends, you'll be in on the healthy cocktail action soon. Brad's busy creating the cocktail menu at Koko Restaurant + Bar, opening May 10 in Montreal.

Speaking of Koko, make sure to keep checking our Koko Facebook page, as well as the Koko website, where we'll keep you up-to-date with the latest developments as we approach our grand opening.

As for the latest happenings in Vancouver - we have some fantastic events in store for you, including a new Live Art series starting on the last Thursday of every month. Keep up with all our events on the Opus Bar web site and the Opus Facebook page and as always, you can reach me with your comments here on my blog, and soon (very soon!) on my very own Facebook page.

The Importance of Being a Blogger

Since my last post our Facebook page has increased to over 654 fans! I am totally amazed at how viral this medium is and how quickly it can grow. Its probably been helped a lot by the roster of cool events we promoted via FB, including our Leap Year VIP party featuring DJ Stonebridge straight from Sweden, ya. We actually took a podcast of the night which you can check out here. I’ve become hooked on these podcasts, so we organized another one for Friday night. We had K-os in the house! With a guest list of 400 and counting I was a bit nervous about capacity, but it was a huge success! If you didn’t get a chance to come down, be sure to watch the podcast on FB, we should have it posted in the next couple of days.

[BTW: Now that our brilliant social marketers have wrangled us into Facebook, we’ll be using the page as an invite list, as well as posting photos and video, so check back often to see the latest updates and leave feedback. ]

With one FB page down, I just can’t stop. Across the country, we’ve already got a Facebook page set up for the sophisticated Suco Resto-Lounge at Opus Montreal. But, what I’m really excited about is unveiling the announcement of our 9000 foot super-glam new restaurant and bar that is opening in 6 weeks. (Eek). We are seriously down to business getting ready for this huge launch and the days are passing at an alarming pace. I had a sneak peak at the website today though and am completely keyed up about its debut next week. Very sexy! Make sure to check it out…on the QT, we’ll be running a contest on it that you won’t want to miss. Oh yes, and there’ll be another Facebook profile for that too. If you’re dying to know what the name is, you’ll have to check back. It’s top secret until next week.

In case you were wondering, I still don’t have my own Facebook page. I’m working on it! It’s tough to devote a spare second to my virtual self, but I will soon. Looks like the “Get Katrina to join Facebook” group I talked about last time has their work cut out for them.

A blogger is born

As a few of you may have noticed, I’ve sorely neglected updating you on the life and antics at Opus Hotels via the blog. I have a long list of fabulous excuses but will spare you most of them. Suffice it to say, life has been on fast forward here since my boss, mentor and dear friend Daniel left to become a full time ‘auteur’ and left me trying (impossibly) to fill his large and stylish shoes.

When Dan pushed the daunting list of activities across his desk that I needed to pick up after his departure, he made me promise to blog often, wittily and well. While I’d had fun subbing in for him in the past, I’d never considered the pressure of actually coming up with (relevant and interesting) things to say on a regular basis. Needless to say, I’m suffering a case of mild inadequateness that comes from attempting to follow his blogger footsteps. Hm, let’s see … he left to pursue writing as a full time career; media have gushed over his witty blog; students in hotel schools have been assigned to read his blog; and now I have to step up to perform? But here I am, on my 4th flight from Montreal in 8 weeks, resolutely starting my first solo post. It feels good.

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently at Opus Montreal planning the usual spate of marketing and communication activities. In this case, they’re directed at the spring 08 opening of what will be Montreal’s hottest, newest drinking and eating establishment. (More on that next post). As most marketers will tell you, it’s no longer enough to take out a couple of ads and hope the masses will come. Nope, it’s all about social marketing nowadays. I imagine I’m speaking to the knowledgeable and converted, but in the past year I’ve turned away from all but the most nominal advertising efforts (to the dismay of persistent sales people flogging ad space) and have become a convert to the merits of SEO, social marketing, viral campaigns and more. As head of marketing for a couple of stylish and contemporary boutique hotels, it’s my job to stay current on the latest trends. If Opus doesn’t chart this territory, who will – the Ritz?

I confess I’m still grappling to understand these various mediums though. For gawd’s sake, I must be the last person standing who hasn’t succumbed to Facebook - yet. [I’ve been informed there’s a user group for people who swore they’d never join … like me.] Fortunately I have some really smart (and patient) people around me that guide me ever so slowly through the differentiators between Facebook and Myspace, Flickr and Youtube, Ebooks and Widgets, the list goes on! Last week, we created a Facebook Business Page for the Opus Hotel and had almost 300 fans join in less than a week! Our page features an events calendar, photos from previous parties, reviews and a discussion board. (Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, you may want to check out our rocking Valentine’s event featuring London’s own Housexy by Ministry of Sound.)

As I plan the much anticipated spring launch at Opus Montreal, I’m actually getting excited about building our Facebook business profiles and sharing up-to-date information with you through this blog. We’ll even have a weekly video showing the progress of construction. If you come across hotels or bars that demonstrate particular Facebook or blogging brilliance, I’d love to hear from you.

I’m looking forward to adding ‘blogger’ to my bio. Stay tuned for my soon-to-be-created Facebook profile. Look for it under “Groups for people who swore they’d never join”.

See you on the flipside

December 28 will be my last day at Opus. And wow, what an amazing six years it’s been. For those not interested in hearing me get all sentimental, feel free to fast-forward to previous posts about misbehaving guests, mini-bar sex toys, and makeup-smearing drag queens. For the rest of you, kindly allow me a moment.

There’s one major reason why I’ve come to this place every day for six years, the same reason it’s so hard to leave: the staff. Never before have I worked with such a talented team of dedicated professionals. It’s been a privilege to work with them every day. I’ve learned so much and, most importantly, I’ve had a blast along the way.

I’m proud to be leaving Opus while it leads the boutique hotel market in service, financial performance and reputation. Opus Vancouver is once again named on of the World's Best 500 Hotels in the January 2008 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine. How has a little independent hotel achieved such success? Great location, style, and quality, yes, but more than anything it’s all about the people.

Of course, it it weren’t for our guests none of us would be here. They have been fiercely loyal, inspiring and totally cool. The media has also played a critical part in our success. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting writers from around the world, and they’ve told glowing stories about Opus in every medium. Finally, we couldn’t have come this far without the resources, support and expertise provided by hotel ownership. With Opus Montreal now open, this success is now being duplicated in one of the world’s most vibrant cities—en français et à la Montréalaise.

What becomes of me? I plan to take a few months off to write.
Murder at the Universe, my first novel in the Five-Star Mystery Series featuring hotel-manager-turned-house-detective Trevor Lambert, is now in its second printing. Murder at Hotel Cinema hits the shelves in June 2008. Now I’m on to #3. So I’ll be at home plotting my next murder over champagne and caviar. After that, who knows. I might pursue my lifelong ambition to fold towels at Linens N’ Things.

What becomes of the GM Blog? It will carry on in infamy in Katrina’s capable hands. Should you wish to keep tabs on me, I plan to start my own blog on my website. There, no longer constrained by the conventions of being a hotel manager, I’ll be able to speak even more candidly. If you thought hookers and drag queens were risqué, stay tuned.

My departure opens up opportunities for my colleagues, including Nicholas Gandossi, who becomes general manager of Opus Vancouver, Jacques Fortier, who becomes general manager of Opus Montreal, and Katrina Carroll-Foster, who is now Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Opus Hotels. It gives me great peace of mind to know that these highly capable individuals will be carrying the torch into the future.

To my colleagues, guests, clients, suppliers, media and friends in Vancouver, Montreal and around the world, thank you for the privilege and the pleasure. It's been a fantastic party, but it’s now time for me to go home and write about it.

I will miss you. All the best in 2008 and beyond. Au revoir et a bientôt.

Daniel Craig

Photo courtesy of Out Traveler