Completion of the Hotel first stage of investment

Quality Inn & Suites Val-d’Or also honoured with 10th Platinum Guest Satisfaction Award by Choice Hotels Canada

Val-d’Or, Quebec (April 17, 2024) – Today CREECO announced the completion of the first stage of an exciting hospitality investment at the award-winning Quality Inn & Suites property on Rue de l’Escale. To coincide with this, Choice Hotels Canada recently announced that the hotel has won its 10th Platinum Guest Satisfaction Award.

Since opening in 2011, the hotel has earned six Awards for Property Excellence, two Gold Guest Satisfaction Awards and 10 Platinum Guest Satisfaction Awards, which are awarded to the top 3% of over 330 Choice Hotels in Canada. This award is determined largely by verified customer feedback through guest insight surveys and likelihood to recommend scores. In addition, the hotel has won the top honours of Canadian Hotel of the Year and the Choice International Hotel of the Year, not once, but twice.

CREECO announced at the end of 2023 a major investment in its hospitality company. The first phase is the completed renovation to the existing property. This includes an impressive overhaul to the lobby, the breakfast room, a newly-dedicated meeting room (a tribute to Rusty Cheezo, a long-standing CREECO Board member and Chairman), as well as updates to the existing guest rooms. An exciting new addition includes a marketplace for guests, which features locally made snacks and prepared foods, along with beer and wine. Guests can take food to enjoy in their room or in the beautifully designed lounge.

“We are proud to unveil the first stage of our significant investment in this top performing hotel,” says Derrick Neeposh, president, CREECO. “This extensive renovation is part of our ongoing commitment to development and represents the values of the Cree Nation, proudly reflected throughout the property”.

For the renovation, the team worked with Johanne Aubin, an interior designer and artist from the Maliseet First Nation, drawing inspiration from indigenous cultures and traditions. In the newly-designed rooms, tapestries represent the ore and the mining territory, the curtains represent water and rivers, important circulation routes for the First Nations, and the carpets represent lichen, an integral part of the northern vegetation. In addition, works by visual artists Julie Landry-Pletinckx, Natasia Mukash and Tim Whiskeychan hang on the walls of the hotel, as well as photographs by Theresa Macleod.

Concerned about the environment, the team has taken steps to minimize the environmental impact of the renovations. Some materials have been reused or repaired. For example, the headboards have been covered and a local cabinet maker was commissioned to create new bedside tables.
“CREECO’s decision to further invest in the hotel not only positively impacts the local economy, but also truly represents the culture and values of its owners,” says Brian Leon, CEO, Choice Hotels Canada. “When it comes to guest satisfaction and hospitality excellence, this property consistently ranks as one of the very best in our system and we are certain that this investment will only serve to strengthen its position of leadership in the industry.”