The Saint-Hyacinthe Convention Center, with its 33 rooms and the adjacent Sheraton with its 223 rooms, is very busy, but the watchword to customers is “flexibility” for big events. “The agenda has a few holes for 2024, but we have more and more groups going to Montreal and coming to us because of lower costs, even if we had to increase our fees by 15% for the food and 5% for our rooms,” explains Marie-Ève Brodeur, sales representative.
As for new trends, the delegate notes a craze for cocktail dinners. It must be said that the brand new terrace has something to delight visitors. Other new features: the establishment now has a chef dedicated to allergies and also has a tourist information center in the convention center.
On Saint-Bernard Island, in Châteauguay, Manoir D’Youville donates its profits to the Compagnom Foundation, which works in mental health. “Our mission is to provide social hospitality. We subsidize a lot of organizations. This is why despite inflation, we have kept our prices very low. Only Bistro La Traite, which specializes in products with local flavors, and the restaurant Chez mes sisters saw their prices increase by 7%,” explains Angela Mason, sales director. Unfortunately, it is also the gastronomic side that suffers the most from the labor shortage. “There’s a lot of turnover in the kitchens. This is why we redistribute part of the tips to the cooks. »
Which is new ? Last minute changes that weigh heavily on the organization. “The same day, the customer can ask us for a coffee service or to add around ten people. We also feel that patience is running out and that we want answers right away,” notes the professional. Next challenge? The continuation of the renovation of the 115 rooms to add private bathrooms.
In Sainte-Marthe, the Auberge des Gallant is surrounded by a four-hectare wooded area, a lake and a meticulously maintained garden. With three rooms, the place can accommodate up to 250 guests. Dominic Gallant, general director of the establishment, notes a trend towards segmentation of groups. “Corporate now goes out more often in small groups of 10-12 people. » He also observes another change: “Our clientele is 50% corporate and they come during the week, but we now receive a lot of requests for the weekend which we unfortunately cannot always accept due to lack of space. »
Another challenge: labor. To remedy this problem, Dominic Gallant had no choice but to use six temporary foreign employees to fill positions in the kitchens. “For months I dealt with it myself, but I had to find a solution. » On the inflation side, the increases are of the order of 10% both in terms of rooms and catering.
At Château Vaudreuil, last minute reservations are a new reality like elsewhere, but there is more. Customers who want to negotiate may be disappointed. The company’s room for maneuver no longer allows this. “Our room rental costs have gone up 100%. We also note an increase of 30% on average for rooms and between 11 and 15% for catering,” underlines Sarah Hardat, director of sales and marketing. It must be said that the place underwent a major transformation in 2020 and 2021, which justifies these increases.
Another observation, the establishment receives numerous requests for team building such as escape games. This is why it partnered with the company Activac to help it offer this niche. “For our part, we are also developing our range of activities such as BBQ dinners, tea service menu, etc. “, says Sarah Hardat.
