At the Westin Jekyll Island Resort and Spa in Georgia, paella does not have to be off-limits for vegetarians. The chef makes a superfood version of the classic Spanish dish using quinoa and vegetables and even manages to perfect the art of “socarrat,” in which the quinoa (traditionally rice) on the bottom becomes slightly crunchy.
Four Points by Sheraton Bangor Airport, Maine
It may seem like an unlikely plane spotting base, but the Four Points by Sheraton Bangor Airport, Maine is the last refueling stop on the U.S. eastern seaboard, making it the ideal diversion point for many transatlantic flights on occasion. Once the Dow Air Force Base, it regularly handles military C-47s for the Air National Guard.
It has welcomed Air Force One, Concorde, and private planes for a variety of celebrities, including John Travolta and Clint Eastwood. For a peek at all of the action, book one of the 55 rooms or a suite facing the airfield. Read More
Few people have heard of Jekyll Island, Georgia. But huge, world-changing things once happened in this tiny spot – one of four barrier islands known as the Golden Isles.
Today this former retreat for Gilded Age tycoons is a treasure trove of historic homes, nature, beaches and mighty fine seafood dishes.
Marking the official reopening of the Algonquin Golf Course are Jim Spatz, executive chairman of Southwest Properties, Canadian premiers Stephen McNeill (Nova Scotia), Bob McLeod, (Northwest Territories), Wade MacLauchlan, Prince Edward Island, Brian Gallant, (New Brunswick), Sandy Silver (Yukon), Joe Savikataaq (Nunavut), Scott Moe (Saskatchewan) and Jeremy Buffam, vice president New Castle Hotels & Resorts.
Canada’s premiers helped kick off a new chapter for the renovated Algonquin Golf Course following the annual Council of the Federation summer meeting in Saint Andrews, N.B.
New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, joined by fellow premiers from across the country, took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official re-opening after a two-year, $3-million renovation by Canadian golf course architect Rod Whitman.
“The Algonquin Golf Course is a national treasure which has earned a reputation of being one of Canada’s most impressive courses,” said Gallant. “This redesign will help maintain that well-deserved reputation and draw more visitors to Saint Andrews, one of New Brunswick’s most scenic and historic communities.” Read More
SHELTON, CT—New Castle Hotels and Resorts Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with Full-G Capital, a Toronto-based hospitality real estate investment and advisory firm.
The new partnership will focus on expanding New Castle’s footprint in the Canadian hospitality market. New Castle’s current portfolio includes seven hotels in Atlantic Canada and Toronto, with two more—Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Dartmouth—slated for opening in early 2019. Read More
Challenge: I came to the Westin Jekyll Island to work alongside the bell service team to check-in and check-out guests. It was taxing work, a balance of brawn and grace. It’s also a young man’s job and one I left with a better appreciation of how to operate a successful hotel.
Let’s just say I needed Gatorade and a towel when it was all said and done. That’s the result of pushing, pulling and maneuvering a luggage cart stacked with guest baggage up, down and over the five floors of the Westin Jekyll Island in Georgia. Read More
by Kristin Capano
Hoteliers are starting to do away with old cleaning habits and adopt new, innovative housekeeping strategies to maintain housekeeper and guest satisfaction. But how can a hotel break through that particular paradigm of routine? Shelton, Conn.-based hotel developer and management company New Castle Hotels & Resorts found a simple and effective solution: Communication. Read More
Write Touch PR and Westin Portland Harborview Honored
at 49th Annual Pepperpot Awards in Philadelphia
MEDFORD, NJ– The Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) honored Write Touch Public Relations and the Westin Portland Harborview hotel with a Pepperpot Award for the 90th-anniversary celebration of the hotel’s opening.
The PRSA Pepperpot Awards are a staple in the Philadelphia region, recognizing best-in-class PR campaigns, tactics and professionals. The “Pepperpots” were established in 1968 and named by Bill Parker, APR, then-chapter president, as a play on the famous “catch-all” Philadelphia soup to represent the effort and variety PR professionals put into their campaigns.
The award-winning celebration included an updated version of the hotel’s opening event when the governor flew over Casco Bay and threw the hotel’s key into the water. For the 90th anniversary, Maine’s governor Paul LePage, escorted by the grandchildren of the hotel’s founder riding in a Gatsby-era Packard, tossed keys made of fish food into the bay.
The Pepperpot awards honor public relations campaigns and tactics submitted by organizations across the Greater Philadelphia region. Nearly 100 entries were judged in more than 25 campaign and tactic categories ranging from short- and long-term events, to community relations and fundraising, to crisis and issues communications campaigns. Tactics included op-eds, websites, magazines, annual reports, feature stories, blogs and public service announcements, among others. Judging is conducted independently by partner chapters that are assigned by PRSA National. This year, members of the San Diego PRSA Chapter judged the entries.
Please scroll down for photos of the event and news coverage.
Gov. Paul LePage stands on the Maine State Pier in Portland to mark the 90th anniversary of the Westin hotel by throwing a key made out of fish food into Casco Bay. (BDN photo by Jake Bleiberg)
An alternative headline may have been: “Where’s the governor’s hotel key? The fish ate it.”
As part of a creative 90th anniversary celebration for the old landmark Eastland Park hotel, now the Westin Portland Harborview, Gov. Paul LePage came down to the Maine State Pier and chucked a hotel key made out of fish food into Casco Bay.
Why would a politician throw a key made out of fish food into the bay to celebrate a hotel’s anniversary, you ask?
When the Eastland was opened in 1927, then-Gov. Richard Brewster threw a key – presumably metal – into Casco Bay to signify that the hotel would always be open and welcoming to guests.
So LePage was just performing a modern recreation of that symbolic act, using a key that was more environmentally friendly.
“We’ll hope there’s a mermaid down there,” he said as he tossed the sticky-looking orange key into the water. Read More
A key made out of fish food that Gov. Paul LePage threw into Casco Bay to mark the 90th anniversary of the Westin hotel in Portland. (BDN photo by Jake Bleiberg)
Governor Paul LePage Recreates Opening Ceremony Tossing the Key into Casco Bay
GM Jeff Burrell, Governor Paul LePage, and Nat Thompson, grandson of hotel founder Henry Rines toss commemorative keys into Casco Bay
PORTLAND, Maine – – (June 16, 2017) – – Celebrating 90 years since Governor Richard Brewster opened the doors and threw away the key, the Westin Portland Harborview, a Rockbridge portfolio hotel managed by New Castle Hotels & Resorts, launched a summer-long series of commemorative activities with Governor Paul R. LePage recreating the time-honored gesture.
David Rines, Julie Thompson Fralich, Nat Fralich grandchildren of founder Henry P. Rines and the Gatsby-era Packard used to transport celebrants to the key toss
Governor LePage, along with hotel General Manager Jeffery Burrell and Nat Thompson a great-grandson of the hotel’s founder Portland business owner Henry P. Rines, hopped a ride to the waterfront in a Gatsby-style vintage 1933 Packard to toss a commemorative key into Casco Bay. Hotel industry tradition suggests that because hotels are always open to travelers, they don’t need to lock their doors. Throwing away the key symbolizes a wish that the hotel will remain open for all time. Read More
New Castle Doubles Down on Dual Brands
Reaches Beyond Urban Markets into Beach Resort and Business Park
Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Armory Square Syracuse.
Shelton, Conn., – – June 13, 2017 – – With one of the industry’s first dual-branded hotels, the 78-suite Residence Inn and the 102-room Courtyard by Marriott, operating successfully in Syracuse, N.Y., New Castle Hotels & Resorts President and COO, Gerry Chase is doubling down on the popular business model, taking the concept into a Canadian business park and a beach resort.
Brides looking to combine a little something new with their borrowed and blue might want to incorporate one of these event trends into their wedding planning, says Shawn Kinnear, director of catering and event management for the Westin Jekyll Island.
“Every couple wants their day to be memorable. It’s a major factor in their choice of venue,” said Kinnear. “That’s why we’re designing weddings to give the couple more time to be with each other and with their guests, and less time on formalities that detract from the experience.” Read More
Gerry Chase, president and COO New Castle Hotels & Resorts
Write the story and tell it
Although an independent hotel doesn’t carry a flag, Gerry Chase, COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, said each hotel is its own brand. New Castle has six independent hotels, including soft-branded assets, in its portfolio of 23.
“An independent in its unique state has to become a brand in its own right,” Chase said. “You can’t do that solely through advertising because it’s expensive, so the best way is through the (public relations) process.”
SHELTON, Conn. – – March 6, 2017— Gerry Chase, president, and COO of New Castle
Hotels & Resorts, a leading third-party management company, and hotel developer, today announced that Julian Buffam has joined the company’s acquisitions and development team as director of business development.Read More
“Alex’s leadership of the Westin Jekyll Island during both the pre and post-opening phases, coupled with his success working in convention center markets, demonstrate his readiness for a more complex operation in a top 100 market,” said Gerry Chase, president, and COO in making the announcement. Read More
Runner is a career hospitality executive who opened the Jekyll Island Club in 1986. Originally a 134-room full-service hotel, the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel has evolved into a four-diamond resort largely credited with the island’s renaissance. Read More
New Castle Hotels & Resorts Renews First Franchise Halifax Hotel to Fly Westin Flag for Next 20 Years
SHELTON, Conn. – – (February 1, 2017) – – New Castle Hotels and Resorts, which made history in 1996 when it became the first franchisee of Westin Hotels & Resorts, today announced that it has renewed the Westin franchise for another 20 years for The Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax. Read More
After 2 weeks of touring New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by car, we rolled into our final destination – Halifax. The Maritime city we had seen so many times on the Snapchat account of our good friend Cailin from Travel Yourself – our anticipation had been building for a very long time.
From any given point in Nova Scotia, you’ll be no further than 67km (42 miles) from the ocean. The province’s history, economy, and identity are intrinsically tied to the sea. You could say salt water flows through the veins of every Nova Scotian. Read More
Don Urban Sr. VP Sales & Revenue Management
SHELTON, Conn. – – September 6, 2016—Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading third-party management company and hotel developer, today announced the promotion of Don Urbahn to vice president of sales and revenue management for the company’s growing portfolio of hotels in the US and Canada.
Urbahn joined the company in 1999 as a general manager and in 2007 was promoted to corporate director, a position he held until 2011 when he was promoted to vice president of revenue management. Prior to joining New Castle, Urbahn was a general manager with Vista Host Hotel Group.
by Carri Wilbanks
St. Andrews by-the-Sea is one of those timeless seaside towns and a top destination for those who like to travel in Canada. Located in New Brunswick on Canada’s eastern coast, St. Andrews by-the-Sea sits on the Bay of Fundy, an area famous for having some of the highest tides in the world. Tides in the Bay of Fundy can reach up to 30 feet high. Read More
Cutting a ribbon of mardi gras beads to celebrate the official opening of the Fairfield Inn and Suites Downtown New Orleans, are first guest Emily Voros, Gerry Chase, president and COO New Castle Hotels and Resorts, Patricia Coulter, general manager, Adam Valente managing director Rockbridge, Charles Snyder New Castle director acquisitions development, Ted Stimson vice president Rockbridge, Kurt Weigle CEO of New Orleans Downtown Development District. Rear Ben Johnson, CEO New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.
Historic Hotel Transformed for New Generation
NEW ORLEANS, September 22, 2016—New Castle Hotels and Resorts (NCHR), a leading third-party management company, developer and owner of a diverse, international portfolio of hotels and resorts, celebrated the opening yesterday of the 103-suite Fairfield Inn & Suites New Orleans Downtown/French Quarter Area, the company’s first project in this top US convention and leisure market. Rockbridge Capital provided financing for the project. Read More
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – – (August 15, 2016) – – New Castle Hotels and Resorts celebrated the 
20th anniversary of the opening of the Westin Nova Scotian with a toast by Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, pictured here with long-time
bartender, Jonathan Arsenault, from the first keg of a commemorative brew, Westin 20, crafted by Halifax-area microbrewer, Nine Locks Brewing. Read More
2 Week Nova Scotia Road Trip Back at the start of our #motherofallroadtrips, in June 2015, Josh wanted to visit his bucket list destination, Nova Scotia. Like a mermaid’s siren, he was drawn to it. We made it to Moncton, New Brunswick with full intentions of venturing further east. But it never happened. Our ever-evolving path led west and, sadly, we never made it.
Fast forward to May 2016, merely one year since Josh heard the salty call, and Signature Resorts asked us to experience 3 resorts sprinkled around Nova Scotia and 1 in St Andrews, New Brunswick.
It was fate. Our time had finally come, and so with great anticipation, we flew from San Francisco (hot off the heels of a California Gold-rush road trip) across the continent for a 2-week journey through Nova Scotia… and a little bit of New Brunswick. Read More
St. Andrews, New Brunswick, CANADA – – (July 6, 2016) Gerry Chase, president, and COO of 
New Castle Hotels & Resorts, today announced that top Canadian golf course architectRod Whitman will lead a generational repositioning of the Algonquin Resort’s highly acclaimed course. Whitman most recently gained world renown for his work on Nova Scotia’s Cabot Links, the top course in Canada and winner of the Golf Inc. 2012 Development of the Year award. Cabot Links has secured two Top 100 Worldwide rankings. Read More
Balanced Market Segments Key to Achieving 40 by 2020
New Castle CEO and Founder David Buffam with President and COO Gerry Chase
SHELTON, Conn., June 21, 2016—New Castle Hotels and Resorts (NCHR), a leading developer, owner, and operator of a diverse, international portfolio of hotels and resorts, today announced an ambitious plan to double the company’s roster of owned and managed hotels by 2020. The growth will be split evenly among new management contracts, acquisitions, and new-build hotels. Read More
H
ALIFAX, Nova Scotia/SHELTON, Conn. – – May 31, 2016—Gerry Chase, president, and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator, and developer, today announced that John Wilson, has been promoted to general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax. Wilson previously served as regional controller responsible for the company’s six Canadian hotels, a position he will continue to hold. Read More
PORTLAND, Maine – – (May 9, 2016) – – Jeffery Burrell, general manager of the Westin Portland Harborview, a Rockbridge portfolio hotel, today announced that Deborah Pillatsch has joined the hotel team as director of sales and marketing. Pillatsch previously held the same position at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Portland. Read More
PORTLAND, Maine – – (May 5, 2016) – – Jeffery Burrell, general manager of the Westin Portland Harborview, a Rockbridge portfolio hotel, today announced the promotion of Brian Anderson to director food and beverage. Anderson previously was the executive chef and will continue in that capacity while assuming additional administrative and front-of-house responsibilities. Read More
PORTLAND, Maine (February 5, 2016)- – Jeffery Burrell, general manager of the Westin Portland Harborview, a Rockbridge portfolio hotel, announced the appointment of Elisha Irland as chef de cuisine of the hotel’s restaurant, Congress Squared (C2) and with it, a new concept and menu for the dining room. Read More.
PORTLAND, Maine (February 8, 2016) – – -At the Westin Portland Harborview, Mondays are more than just the start of the work week. Mondays Matter.
Every Monday, five percent of the food sales in the hotel’s Congress Squared restaurant will be donated to a Maine non-profit that has been designated to receive a month of Mondays’ proceeds.
NEW O
RLEANS/SHELTON, Conn. – – February 8, 2016—Gerry Chase, president and COO of New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced that Patricia Coulter, formerly the director of human resources for the company’s Marriott in Racine, Wisconsin was promoted to general manager of the Fairfield Inn and Suites New Orleans. The hotel was acquired by New Castle in 2015 and currently is undergoing a comprehensive, $10 million renovation, with a targeted opening of early summer 2016. Read More
Running, beach and wellness. Three of the things that make me happiest in the world came together during a weekend at the new Westin Jekyll Island in Jekyll Island, Georgia.
The newly opened Westin Jekyll Island sits just steps away from the wide beach where low tides reveal a sandy paradise perfect for running, splashing in the waves, building sand castles or reading your favorite book. I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl Triathlon, 5k and Nest Fest and experience the hotel. Read More
