Westin Hotel’s new manager has wealth of hospitality experience
A career in the hotel industry means always being prepared to move to different properties to gain the necessary experience to climb the ladder of success.
Arjun Channa has a wealth of international hospitality expertise, but says he was delighted to relocate to Calgary to accept his new position as general manager of the Westin Calgary Hotel.
His previous position was hotel manager for the past three years at Sheraton Centre Toronto, Starwood’s flagship hotel in the Canadian market that boasts 1,400 guest rooms and a staff of 800.
Born in India, Channa left in 1989 to study hotel management in Switzerland, where he met his Italian wife, Catia Rossi.
His career began as the Maitre D’hotel of the restaurants at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi before transitioning to the Sheraton Entertainment Centre in Amman, Jordan, as entertainment centre manager. From there, he was off to Beijing as food and beverage director at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel before returning to the Middle East to join the team at Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort and Towers Hotel in Dubai as executive assistant manager.
After spells in management positions in Nairobi, Hainan Island and Vanuatu, Channa relocated to India as general manager to open the Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa, a 240- room property set near the banks of Fatehsagar Lake.
Channa was invited to join the Starwood Hotels corporate team in New Delhi in 2012, leading brand compliance and acquisition development throughout India, and moving to Canada in January 2013.
During his first days in Calgary, he made contact with the managers of other properties and is fast learning the strengths of this city as a place to do business and visit with families.
Channa looks forward to getting involved in our local community and is a strong believer in promoting the entire city, believing the purpose is to attract people here, then they will make a decision as to where to stay.
He also has a strong belief that in managing a team, it is important to get to know them well. The team at the Westin Calgary Hotel is already well respected within the chain for its great service attitude and Channa looks forward to working with them in helping guests to leave feeling better than when they arrived.
Channa is looking for a house to welcome his wife, daughter and two sons, who will arrive in January.
The Westin Calgary Hotel features 525 guest rooms and suites and 26,000 square feet of meeting space, one of the brand’s more than 200 hotels and resorts in 40 countries and territories.
NEWS AND NOTES
The International Property Measurement Standards for Office Buildings, an international coalition of more than 60 organizations worldwide, is launching in Calgary at a presentation at Fort Calgary on Oct. 1.
New measurement standards are shaping the real estate industry for investors, occupiers and service provider, s helping to drive consistency and transparency and delivering clearer, necessary information.
Karen Barry, president of Barry Commercial Real Estate, will moderate a panel to explain the standards, how they’re used across the industry and the impact of using the new standards on real estate portfolios.
The panel is made up of Doug Johannson, a principal with Avison Young, Laurel Edwards, managing director, Colliers International, and Michael Brooks of CEO REALpac.
Calgary Sash & Door opened for business in 1936 and has been providing the best of doors and windows ever since. But president Ralph Spanier, his son Gordon and daughter Lorie have decided to wind down the business and the 28,000 square feet of under- roof buildings where the machinery, equipment and inventory are sitting idle.
Spanier said he tried to close in March but customers kept asking for more — but now the company has finally shut down and staff have relocated to other jobs Spanier helped them find.