2.  Superb culinary experience at the 3 restaurants and in-room dining

3. Friendly local staff and comfortable accommodation in historic 1929, fully restored, property

4.  Affordable rates for your meetings or family getaway

5.  The hotel gives back to the local community with La Tablée des Chefs

Enjoy the video showcasing our beautiful region and Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu!  See you in Charlevoix this winter!

March 1st: Re-opening of The Plaza, a Fairmont managed hotel
After a two-year, $400 million restoration, the world’s most renowned landmark made its return in majestic style. The Plaza is a must see while in New York. If you are thinking about going to the Big Apple this winter, you can get a third night free until April 1st when booking 2 nights at the regular rate of $595 US  (or more).

June 26th: Demolition Party at The Royal Monceau in Paris
The Hotel first auctioned off all of its furnishings and then held a VIP destruction event where guests were encouraged to smash anything leftover. Stars were invited to this unique party with the best DJs! The Royal Monceau is now under the creative eye of owner Alexandre Allard and renowned French designer Philippe Starck for a 16-month refurbishment. The French Masterpiece will be transformed into an ‘’art deco revisited’’ hotel with the main goal to attract a younger clientele under the Raffles banner.

September 20th : Bomb attack at The Marriott Islamabad, Pakistan
This was a very sad event that claimed the lives of too many people. The hotel reopened on December 28th. Let’s hope this won’t happen again.

November 27th : Taj Mahal Hotel and Oberoi complex’s Trident hotel attacks
Unfortunately and once again, India was the target of terrorism. This time, two major hotels and guests were involved with many casualties. The hotels recently reopened but it will take many months to bring every back to the way it was.

Dec 22nd: Steve Wynn’s Encore Hotel opens in Vegas
Despite the recession, 2.3 billion Encore Hotel opened with 2,034 suites. Encore is a casino-resort that was designed to grab up the wealthiest, most sophisticated visitors in town and charge them top dollar. Through the end of October, tourism for the year was down 3.2%, room rates were down 9.7%, and gaming revenue was down 8.5%. And even though some rival projects around town have been stalled or killed, other competitors are still rising. Only the future will tell us if Las Vegas is overbuilt or not…

My wishes for 2009
Obviously I hope for fewer acts of terrorism in 2009 and for a better economy so our colleagues in hotels won’t loose their jobs. I am confident hoteliers will continue to be creative and bring the hotel business to a different level. Happy New Year to all and continue to book hotel stays!

I’ve stayed at all the 8 Canadian Faimont hotels mentioned on the list and agree they are top choices. I hope that a member of the Travel + Leisure‘s global team will make it to the beautiful area of Charlevoix in Quebec next time.

Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island, ranked 5th in Canada, has a special place in our heart and I would like to thank the owners, Frederique and Sinclair Philip, for a lovely stay. We had the Harbour Seal Room and very much enjoyed our culinary experience.

As for the best hotel in the world, The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, India, it certainly looks fabulous and reminds me of the forts and palaces I have seen in Rajasthan… When are we going back?

The Fairmont Hotel is part of the Mayakoba Resort, a unique community of luxury brands. 4 more developments are under construction in that pristine white beach setting: Viceroy, Rosewood, Banyan Tree and the last one not announced yet by Madrid-based land owner and developer Obrascón Huarte Lain (OHL).

Designed around a network of crystal clear waterways, The Fairmont Mayakoba encompasses 45 acres within a master-planned luxury community that includes an 18-hole Greg Norman golf course.

Mayakoba embraces local ecology and was developed after an extensive 6 year study by a team of engineers, architects, biologists, hydrologists and hoteliers. There is no other place like it and I will return for sure!

The Mayan Trilogy:

• The Fairmont Mayakoba: a unique luxurious Mexican Resort
• The Fairmont Mayakoba: Restaurantes – Una experiencia única (to follow)
• The Fairmont Mayakoba: El Camaleón golf course and Willow Stream Spa (to follow)

My Hotel Geek is a blog about premium hotels development and acquisition, historic restorations and the next generation of hotels in key city and resort destinations. I’ll also introduce you to current and past hotel gurus, tell you their stories, their legacies, talk about new hotel trends and share recipes from our world-class renowned Executives Chefs.

Take a trip around the world and participate in this interesting journey with me. I look forward to reading your comments and feedback.