NEWH - Spring 2013 - (Page 26)

Q&A Meet Stephanie Tristani Design associate at Robert J. Chaban & Associates, and the scholarship chair for the Toronto chapter Why did you want to become involved in NEWH? Why hospitality? What do you love about this industry? You have an interesting story in that you started out as a scholarship honoree and now are the scholarship chair for your chapter. What has it done for you? What influencers are you paying attention to? I found it really inspiring to be involved with a community of individuals who all share the same love of the hospitality industry. I also really enjoy the focus on education and wanted to remain involved not only because of how much more NEWH was able to teach me about the industry, but also to be able to help others students. I was—and still am—very grateful to have received a scholarship from NEWH Toronto. Being able to help other students has been quite meaningful to me as I know how wonderful it is to receive a scholarship. To be able to help others meet their educational goals the way I was able to is very special to me and has been a wonderful experience. Becoming more involved in NEWH has strengthened my love of the hospitality industry and has continued my learning of it as well. What are some of the major initiatives for your chapter this year in terms of scholarship? Hospitality is incredibly fun and exciting. I love the diversity of the various projects I have had the opportunity to work on—each has provided unique and exciting challenges and opportunities. I love how hospitality incorporates so many different facets of design; there are residential components, retail components, and many more all in one commercial building. In general, our hotel projects focus on creating a timeless design; however there are several big trends, which have had a large impact on the projects we have worked on. Sustainability would definitely be something that we pay attention to. It has had a major impact on material selection, systems, and many other elements wherever possible. Further, focusing on the overall guest experience is something that is stressed in all of our projects and has been a large influence. Providing guests with maximum comfort and convenience has become a key element of success in every hotel brand we work with and certainly the use of current technologies is part of providing this convenience as well. What projects are you currently working on? Any highlights? Regarding scholarships, our chapter always holds an annual golf tournament and silent auction in August as our primary means of fundraising. It’s a fantastic day filled with lots of networking and fun, and has the really great outcome of supporting the students who we award scholarships to. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to assist with several hotel projects across Canada of varying sizes. Some highlights would include the renovations of Le Westin Resort & Spa in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, as well as the DoubleTree by Hilton conversion in downtown Toronto. Any other highlights for your chapter this year? What’s new and exciting in Ontario? This year, we have a great list of events. There will be everything from hotel and showroom tours to sundowners. We have an exciting mix of events planned that are designed to appeal to our membership and guests alike. Did you always know you wanted to be a designer? Yes. I always knew that I would need to be surrounded by the ability to be creative, use technical skills, and problem solve. I saw interior design as the perfect blend of these elements and knew it would be the path for me. 26 www.newh.org Being just outside of Toronto, we are very close to some of the most prominent design firms in the industry. In recent years it has been very exciting to witness those firms design some of the most luxurious and innovative 5-Star hotels in North America right here in Toronto! When you are not working or at an NEWH event, where can we find you? I can be found spending time with friends and family as well as with my two dogs. I also love to support local art and learn about what is happening in that community. I am currently looking forward to attending the upcoming Toronto event: the Artist Project. ❙❘❚ http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Spring 2013

NEWH - Spring 2013
Table of Contents
News
Who’s Who
Sustainability: Point of View
Award of Excellence
Q&A: Brooke Taylor
Q&A: Stephanie Tristani
Q&A: Jacob Cross
Have You Seen?
Product Know How
On the Scene
For Lily Jack, it’s all in the details
Project: Revere Hotel Boston
Project: Indigo Garden Curacao
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles
Ad Index

NEWH - Spring 2013