A mural with images captured by Montréal photographers and troubled young adults is unveiled
MONTRÉAL, May 6, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Today Groupe Germain Hospitalité inaugurated its 10th hotel in Canada, the fifth no-frills-chic ALT Hotel in Montréal's trendy Griffintown.
To mark the occasion Groupe Germain Hospitalité has unveiled an original photographic installation created from images of Montréal taken by some 70 local amateur and professional photographers, as well as by teenagers sponsored by Déclic a charity that supports the education and social reintegration of troubled young adults. The mural, which adorns the lobby of the Griffintown ALT Hotel, is composed of nearly 1,200 colourful photographs that depict the city's familiar icons and hidden gems, its people, markets, architecture and culture.
"We wanted to highlight the opening of our 10th hotel in Canada by creating a truly special work of art, a piece that would have a strong connection to the Montréal community. Thanks to the collaboration with the talented team at Déclic and local photographers, our guests are immediately immersed in a truly Montréal experience as soon as they step through the door of the ALT Hotel in Griffintown," said Christiane Germain, Co-president of Groupe Germain Hospitalité. "This is a project that we are truly proud of and one that will continue to evolve with the help of our visitors."
The mural is made up of three walls covered with images of varying sizes and a screen which displays photos shared on Instagram in real time using the hashtag #altexpo. As part of their collaboration, Groupe Germain Hospitalité donated $8,000 to Déclic in order to support "Focus", their intensive photography programme. Fifteen troubled teens who are currently enrolled in the programme contributed to the ALTexpo project, which made up a major component of their training. They were responsible for taking nearly 500 of the images that make up the mural, in exchange for a financial contribution from the hotel.
"ALT Hotels have pushed the boundaries of charitable donations by proposing a win-win ingenious project to Déclic! Opportunities are rare for troubled youth to demonstrate their skills, their talent and their value. Learning and succeeding along with the feeling of accomplishment that comes from taking part in such an important and concrete collective experience, changes one's outlook on life and is a nice way of giving back," declared Sonia Lombart, Co-director of Déclic.
ALT Hotel Montréal, the first hotel in Griffintown
Open since March 17th, ALT Hotel Montréal Griffintown has 18 floors bathed in natural light. Montréal architectural firm MMB Architects designed the building, made of aluminium panels and bricks recycled from old buildings in the neighbourhood. Lemay Michaud Architecture Design was behind the 154 ultra-comfortable rooms with original and intelligent design, decorated with works of art by Pascale Girardin. The lobby, in addition to the colourful photographic mural, features a superb recycled metal beam and some original furniture pieces designed by Québec artisans.
This is the third Groupe Germain Hospitalité hotel to be built in the greater Montréal area – alongside Hôtel Le Germain Montréal and ALT Hotel Quartier DIX30 – and the first to settle in Griffintown, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Montréal, a booming area expected to become one of the city's major tourist hubs.
Located a short walk from the dynamic Old Port and the iconic Lachine Canal, while being close to the city centre, the hotel is the perfect destination for leisure and business travellers. Already the enthusiasm is palpable: ALT Hotel Montréal Griffintown is already a hotel partner for some of the city's major events such as C2MTL, the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Canada and Divers/Cité 2014.
"Our approach is simple: we focus on the true needs of our guests... A warm welcome, an ultra-comfortable bed, essential services like complimentary Wi-Fi, are just a few examples of the basic luxuries that enhance each stay at an ALT Hotel. It's what we call being ALTernative," highlighted Julie Brisebois, General Manager of ALT Hotel Montréal Griffintown.
ALT Hotel Montréal Griffintown has 8 meeting rooms and two break areas totalling approximately 4,400 ft2, with large format televisions, projection screens and equipment on the cutting edge of technology. The hotel also offers two innovative meeting rooms called "creative lounges" which were specifically designed to hold brainstorming sessions or informal meetings. All rooms offer stunning views of either downtown, Old Montréal or the St. Lawrence River.
The hotel also has an outdoor patio of around 800 ft2, a fully equipped fitness room accessible at all times, and is part of a real estate development integrating the District Griffin condos, restaurants, shops and underground parking.
To celebrate its opening, ALT Hotel Montréal Griffintown is offering its guests a very special rate of $119 per night until the end of May. The regular rate will be $149 per night after that. Those interested in staying at the hotel can make a reservation online by visiting www.althotels.ca
About Déclic
Déclic is a well-established charitable organisation in the Montréal region. Its principal mission is to provide troubled young adults with education and social reintegration programmes. Déclic welcomes young people who often suffer from a combination of psychosocial problems: addiction, mental health, poverty, homelessness, behavioural disorders, severe learning disabilities, isolation and many others. Since its beginnings 20 years ago this year, Déclic's intensive mentoring work has made possible the education and social stabilization of hundreds of troubled youth. Young people who, today, thanks to their courage and hard work have flourished and now participate fully in society. For more information visit www.declic.ca
From one ALT Hotel to another: a nationwide expansion
ALT Hotels are the result of an innovative concept — "no-frills-chic" — that offers today's traveller modern design and eco-friendly features at an affordable price. Built near major highways, airports or in urban centres, ALT Hotels can be found in Québec City, in Brossard's Quartier Dix30, at Toronto's Pearson International Airport as well as at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Two other hotels will also be completed, one in Winnipeg in 2015 and the second in Ottawa in 2016.
ALT Hotels are distinguished by a multitude of energy efficient features: geothermal heating and cooling; heat recovery from ventilation exhaust; energy efficient lighting; huge thermal windows with low emission rates; domestic water heating by geothermal energy; automatic regulation system for ventilation, air conditioning and heating; and a white roof to minimize the formation of heat islands. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.althotels.ca/en.
About Groupe Germain Hospitalité
Ranked as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies, Groupe Germain Hospitalité is a family-run business from Québec City that owns and operates Le Germain Boutique-hotels and no-frills-chic ALT Hotels across the country. The company is renowned for its impeccable warmth and the style that characterizes its hotels. Every year, the 650 member team welcomes guests for 275 000 overnight stays, bringing the total number of stays to nearly 2.3 million since the opening of the first hotel in 1988. For more information, visit www.groupegermain.com.
Architectural renderings of ALT Hotel Montréal Griffintown are available here. You can also watch the video of the ALTexpo mural installation here.
SOURCE: Groupe Germain Hospitalité
Émilie Dutil-Bruneau, T 514-843-2370; Camille Delacour, T 514-843-2388
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