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Natalie Corbett has decided the glass is half-full rather than half-empty.
The new president of the Kelowna Hotel Motel Association admits the industry has been through its most brutal winter ever, but there's reason for optimism going into the summer and beyond.
"We are looking forward to a strong summer 2021, but it will likely take three or four years to fully recover to the peak of 2019," said Corbett, who is the Kelowna-based director of continuous improvement for the eight Accent Inns and Hotel Zeds in BC.
Corbett estimates hotels and motels this winter have only been about 20% full thanks to strict COVID travel restrictions.
Usually in the winter, Kelowna hotels and motels average 50-60% occupancy.
However, without groups on tours, sports teams in town for games and tournaments, skiers and snowboarders, business travellers and convention delegates hotel stays have been slashed by up to two-thirds.
Last summer, there was still a pandemic, but people were allowed to travel within BC and Canada.
Kelowna emerged a star with 90% hotel occupancy as tourists sought out the city's stellar weather, beaches and watersports, wineries, restaurants and outdoor and indoor activities.
Corbett hopes for the same this summer if travel bans are eased and a vaccine is rolled out.
"Kelowna can recover faster because it's a phenomenal destination," she said.
"Kelowna is a great place for growth."
The Kelowna Hotel Motel Association represents 31 properties in the city with 3,200 rooms.
While times are tough now, Corbett estimates there will be demand for more hotels to be built in the city when the economy is firing on all cylinders post-COVID.
For now, the association is concentrating on helping hotels with resources for government aid, training, liaison with Tourism Kelowna, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Go to HR and preparing for the post-pandemic world.
In Corbett's own job, with the eight Accent Inns and Hotel Zeds in Kelowna, Kamloops, Richmond, Burnaby, Victoria and Tofino, she used this COVID time to institute the technology for contactless check-in with mobile keys and a guest text message system.
She's also working on customer service improvements and updates to room layouts and amenities.
After all, her title is director of continuous improvement.
Before starting that job recently, she was general manager of both the Accent Inn and Hotel Zed in Kelowna.
Before that, she spent 10 years with Fairmont Hotels at the Chateau Whistler and Pacific Rim in Vancouver.
A stint running the 1,500-room Suncor oil-and-gas workers lodging in Fort Hills, northern Alberta is when she met the man who would become her husband.
That guy was also from Kelowna, thus the eventual move to Kelowna.
"When I worked for Fairmont, I lived in Squamish, so the Sea to Sky lifestyle was pretty hard to beat, but Kelowna has beat it," said Corbett.
"We live in Black Mountain, which is handy to both the city and Big White Ski Resort."
2021 Kelowna Hotel Motel Association board
- President: Natalie Corbett, Accent Inns and Hotel Zed
- Past-president: Dale Sivucha, Coast Capri Hotel
- Vice-president: Cedric Younge, Hyatt Place
- Secretary: Emma Whanstall, Hotel Zed
- Treasurer: Heather Schaub, Casa Loma Resort
- Director: Christa Park, Royal Anne Hotel
- Director: Daniel Ruel, Fairfield Inn & Suites
- Director: Rick Andre, Kanata Hotel
- Director: Dean Fay, The Royal Residences
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