Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa | Digby, Nova Scotia

Surrounded by Nature

Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa has been welcoming guests for over 90 years

Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa has been one of the best places to stay, eat, relax, and golf in Atlantic Canada since 1929.

The hotel was originally built in 1903 by proprietor H.B. Churchill as a three-story hotel in Digby, Nova Scotia called The Pines. It was originally situated in the woods and the grounds contained 51 acres and all the modern conveniences of the time – including electricity and hot and cold water.

In 1913 Churchill gave up the hotel and it was then used for WWI officer quarters. In 1917 the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) purchased the hotel re-opening it in 1918. Construction of the New Pines Hotel began in 1928, next to the original and officially opened June 24, 1929.

The C.P.R. purchased 250 acres of land that same year with plans to construct an 18-holf golf course. In 1931 the golf course was constructed and opened that summer. In 1965 the Government of Nova Scotia purchased the hotel and changed the name to The Pines Hotel. It officially became the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa in 2005 in recognition of the past and in celebration of the future. In 2019 The Province of Nova Scotia sold the hotel to a private group.

The hotel has 85 guest rooms including six suites. There are 31 cottages available.

The hotel has spacious common areas available including the Grand Lounge Veranda. Guests can also enjoy the fire pit, shuffleboard, a giant chess game and hiking trails.

Other amenities include Churchill’s Restaurant and Lounge, 19th Hole Eatery at the golf course, Aveda Conference Spa, conference facilities and the 18-hole Stanley Thompson Golf Course.

“We are a full-service resort located in a rural setting surrounded by nature. Digby is home to the world-famous Digby Scallops and one of the largest scallop fleets in the world. Minutes from the Bay of Fundy, a short drive to some of the world’s best whale watching and our course our Stanley Thompson designed golf course,” shares Val Stackhouse, manager product development/marketing.

The demographic includes couples, families and groups.

“The hotel had wonderful support this season from travellers in the Atlantic Bubble and now from all parts of Canada,” shares Stackhouse.

 The design is Normandy Style Architecture dating back to 1929.

The hotel is currently seeing some renovations.

“Final planning is now in process to winterize the main hotel building after closing for the winter at the end of October. It is anticipated that this work would be completed in time for a Spring reopening in late April or early May. From that time forward it is planned that that hotel will be open on a year-round basis,” explains General Manager, Paul Stackhouse.

The renovations will also include new heat and air conditioning systems for all guestrooms and public areas. It is also planned that some initial upgrades will take place including new flooring and bathroom renovations. In addition, there will be some redecorating of public spaces and additional amenities including a coffee bar in the Grand Lounge.

Val notes that their employees play a significant role in making the hotel a special place.

“We have employees that have been with us for over 30 years, and an incredible team of dedicated staff.”

With everything it has to offer it is no surprise that the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa continues to welcome guests over nine decades later.

Nicole Sherwood | Eastern Hotelier Magazine

The Moose Hotel & Suites | Banff, Alberta

An Alpine Environment

The Moose Hotel & Suites celebrates its local flavour

While The Moose Hotel & Suites in Banff, Alberta celebrates five years this June, its roots go back over two decades.

It took about 20 years, in fact, to accumulate the land lots and to navigate through Banff’s complicated process of securing commercial development allotments.

The physical build started in late 2014 after the removal of three smaller hotel properties and three houses on the site.

“We actually relocated the corner house into the courtyard of the new hotel where it is now the celebrated heritage attraction of the hotel,” shares Gord Lozeman, president & CEO, Banff Lodging Co. “We relocated and restored the corner house because it was the one with the most heritage significance. It was originally ordered from an Eaton’s catalogue back in the early 1900s and became a home in the old coalmining town of Bankhead. It was relocated to Banff in 1926 after the mine shut down. We found the history of the corner house to be interesting, so we wanted to celebrate it by working it into our design.”

The hotel was named The Moose mostly due to its location on Moose Street. The property itself sits on 10 lots and is located at the entry to downtown Banff and the corner of Banff Avenue’s first traffic light. There is a life-sized bronze sculpture of a bull moose that marks the spot, which Lozeman suspects has become the most photographed wildlife in Banff.

It has 174 rooms, half of which are typical hotel rooms while the other half are one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites.

The Moose offers two meeting rooms, one to accommodate larger events and one for more private gatherings. The latter, a hospitality room named the Darch Room is a tribute to Ted Darch, the architect of this crowning achievement in his long (and continuing) legacy of hotel design in Banff.

There is also the full-service Meadow Spa, which features treatment rooms with views and an exclusive outdoor hot pool.

“The feature element of the hotel is the two rooftop hot pools with incredible views. There is also a rooftop sauna, as well as an indoor pool and exercise room all with premium views. It was a key part of the design to allocate prime real estate with views to public amenity areas,” says Lozeman.

Guests are certainly drawn to The Moose for both its prime downtown location and its signature rooftop pools. But they also appreciate being able to enjoy the design elements of a high-end property without the high-end pretension that often goes along with a 5-star property.

Their guest demographic crosses all spectrums – young and old, couples and families, regional and international. If there’s a common theme it’s that their guests reflect the demographic of all visitors to Banff National Park. They have created a quality hotel environment that makes all guests feel comfortable and welcome.

Banff Lodging Co. has a strong do-it-yourself philosophy. They not only procure the land, they also design and build their hotels through their Contracting and Construction Division and then operate them through Banff Lodging Co., their Hospitality Division. 

“That’s very evident in The Moose, where the design benefits from our years of hospitality experience in Banff. And where we’ve built for the long-term knowing that we’re the ones that will have to deal with any deficiencies over time. We’re very proud of it,” shares Lozeman.

The hotel is designed with interior corridors on the lower level, but with outdoor walkways to access the more open levels above it. The effect is a real village feel with views throughout.

There is significant investment and great attention to detail in all of the common areas – particularly the lobby, restaurant, spa and meeting rooms. All these areas feature extensive natural elements designed to bring outside inside to really celebrate their alpine environment.

“Overall, the hotel design has a deliberate local flavour to it. Everything from the extensive lobby millwork right down to the in-room artwork has been built and crafted by local artists and trades. It’s very Banff,” says Lozeman. “All of the rooms feature original artwork by Jason Carter, who also did the bear sculpture in the lobby and numerous paintings throughout the hotel.”

The exterior of The Moose is entirely natural stone with timber accents and the stone is layered in a way that gives it a unique dry-stack appearance. The major investment in the stone exterior will ensure that the building will still be there 100 years from now.

There is extensive landscaping both in the courtyard and around the perimeter, as well as in pods on the upper levels – all designed to bring natural elements into the property.

Like all other hotel properties in Banff, The Moose has been devastated by the impact of COVID-19 – particularly through periods of restaurant, spa and hot pool closures. The hotel itself has never closed and has had COVID-Safe protocols in place from the beginning.

“Our commitment right from the beginning has been to lead with hospitality practices that ensure the safety of our guests, our employees and our community,” says Lozeman.

Looking to the future The Moose just wants to welcome visitors back.

“While travel has looked different this past year what remains the same for Banff Lodging Co. is our friendly, welcoming staff who are committed to providing comfortable, safe and engaging visitor experiences.”

By Nicole Sherwood | Western Hotelier Magazine