Preferred Hotels & Resorts hosts summer showcase

Preferred Hotels & Resorts hosted their annual Toronto summer showcase Wednesday night (June 22), bringing together a selection of hotels that belong to the company’s vast collection of independent properties from around the world.

The showcase was held at Toronto’s elegant Rosewater Room and drew up to 160 agency partners from both the leisure and corporate sides.

“A lot of clients here have booked these properties, so it’s an opportunity to meet the sales directors face-to-face,” Vanessa Gromer, director, global sales, Canada at Preferred, told PAX at the event, which featured an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres and buffet-style dinner.

Gromer said the event was also “a thank-you to the travel agent community for supporting us year-round.”

Travel pros go one-on-one with reps from various Preferred Hotels & Resorts' properties at the company's summer showcase in Toronto

Preferred Hotels & Resorts comprises more than 650 independent hotels, resorts, residences, and hotel groups across 85 countries with almost 40 sales offices worldwide, including an office in Toronto.

“Canada is a very valuable market for us. We’re very excited to be here,” Rick Stiffler, vice president, leisure sales at Preferred’s New York, NY, office, told PAX.

Stiffler said Preferred Hotels & Resorts stands out for “being the largest independent hotel brand in the world,” adding that none of its hotels are alike.

“You’ll never have the same experience at each hotel, but you’ll know what to expect from the facilities and services based on our brand,” Stiffler said.

Among Preferred’s newest properties include the Pulitzer Amsterdam hotel, which joined the company’s collection last year and will soon be completing a two-year renovation in August.

Other newer properties to appear in Preferred’s collection include the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Florida, as well as the Gore, Pelham and Franklin Hotels in London, England, the latter of which is scheduled to open in July.

Catering to travellers who appreciate luxury and style, Preferred Hotels & Resorts divides its hotel collection into five distinct categories: legend, LVX, lifestyle, connect and preferred residences. The categories, said Stiffler, “focus on the consumer” by identifying what kind of traveller they are and what hotel is best for them.

Travel agents should also be aware that Preferred Hotels & Resorts now has a loyalty points program, called iPrefer, which gives customers access to complimentary internet, room upgrades and other special amenities, Stiffler noted.

For more information on Preferred Hotels & Resorts, visit preferredhotels.com.