By Michelle Ramsay
“Andaz always tells the neighbourhood story, and this—Ottawa—is a big story,” says Matt Graham, General Manager (GM) of a new boutique hotel still under construction at the corner of York and Dalhousie in the ByWard Market.
Andaz is a Hyatt brand, comprising 12 hotels in vibrant urban locations such as Liverpool Street in London, 5th Avenue in New York, and Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. Five more will open this year, including the ByWard Market location. According to Lippincott Corporation, the New York branding firm that named the hotel, “Andaz is a Hindi word meaning personal style.”
The hotel in our neighbourhood will indeed be very personal. The Andaz ByWard Market is being styled for “the traveller who wants to immerse oneself in the local culture. They want to learn about the community and have a deeper understanding of the people,” says Graham. From the environment to the experience, every detail will celebrate Ottawa.
Toronto-based Mason Studio has designed the interior spaces of the 16-storey hotel “to reflect Ottawa’s identity as the capital of Canada,” Graham explains. “At street level, the restaurant is inspired by the land and its abundance. The design of the check-in lounge is inspired by the mind, more specifically the history and culture of Canada.” The second floor is a city-themed event space, with six small rooms that can be opened up as needed.
The design story continues through the tower. Each floor reflects the history and character of a province or territory, beginning with Ontario on the third floor. The rooftop celebrates the view, Ottawa’s neighbourhoods and waterways as far as the eye can see and, of course, Parliament Hill. It’s nice to know too, that it’s built on the actual foundations of the historic Union du Canada building that once stood on the site. The basement of the previous structure was also retained.
Photo by Rachel Kerr, Andaz ByWard Market
The personality of the individual spaces will be expressed with art. Close to 200 pieces are being supplied by the Canada Council Art Bank, which has a collection of 17,000 artworks – including sculptures, paintings, photographs, and, multimedia and textile pieces. The collection being curated for the Andaz includes not only contemporary pieces, but also aboriginal and historically-inspired artwork. The themed guest floors will be home to art that is created by an artist from, and/or characteristic of, the featured province or territory.
Graham and the interior designers are also tapping into and supporting the local art community, via the Ottawa School of Art (OSA) on York Street. An OAS student was hired to design hotel collaterals, including the room key folder. OAS will also mount a continuing exhibition of student art, to be displayed in a custom-designed wall gallery in the elevators. The exhibit will be refreshed every three months.
Also sourced locally: coffee, room amenities, craft beers, various food products and executive chef Stephen La Salle. The Ottawa native moved from the Albion Rooms to the Andaz in March. LaSalle will partner with local markets and farmers to develop menus for the 100-seat ground floor restaurant, 110-seat rooftop tapas and cocktails lounge, and banquet services. “Our food and beverage venues are not just for people staying here,” says Graham. “The restaurant will be high quality, comfortable dining with good ingredients, a nice option for people in the neighbourhood.”
Since he arrived in Ottawa at the end of December, Matt Graham has been out meeting people at all the popular venues in the Market and in other neighbourhoods, such as the Glebe and Westboro. “This hotel is designed for the outwardly thinking person who wants to learn more about Ottawa. They want authenticity and experience. That means everyone who works here has to know the city inside and out.” He adds, “Our guests don’t ask, where’s the closest Starbucks? They ask, What’s the best local coffee shop? That’s Origin, that’s Bluebird, that’s Bridgehead. The staff is not scripted, so it depends on whom you ask.”
The ambiance that staff experience in the Andaz promises to be very different from other hospitality properties in Ottawa. ‘Front-of-the-house’ personnel are not differentiated – there are no bellhops, concierges and front desk persons. Everyone is a host, engaging with guests as peers. Staff are not scripted; they do not have to wear a uniform or name tag. There is no front desk. “Registering has become too transactional,” explains Graham. “We have removed the functional barrier.” Hosts welcome guests to the hotel and Ottawa in a comfortable lounge, sitting down with them and offering refreshments before running a slide show of available rooms on an iPad. Then they register the guests and escort them to their chosen room.
When the time comes to hire hosts for the ByWard Market Andaz, Graham will be looking for “people who know the city, have walked the city, and understand the city.” He adds, “The best hosts have natural humility. The way they interact with their guests will be nice for the community to see and a nice surprise for our guests.”
It’s evident that Matt Graham is a consummate host. Graham says he is “From everywhere. Born in New York City, grew up in New Jersey, haven’t lived in any place for more than four years.” In his 20 years with Hyatt, he has worked in New York City, Washington DC, Miami, Rochester, Boston and Savannah. This posting is his second Andaz brand hotel. He is the only American on staff, chosen to open the Ottawa property because he is so familiar with the Andaz guest experience.
His delight in the guest experience is most evident when describing Andaz Salon, an event series that is common in concept across all the brand’s hotels, yet unique in how it is manifested at each location. “It’s all about connections facilitated by a great space,” Graham states as he explains the concept. The Salon is usually an evening event which highlights ‘cultural insiders’, guides to local knowledge and creative experiences. These insiders can be artists, chefs, dancers, photographers, musicians, even chocolatiers. The hotel invites both guests and local residents to attend.
“In Savannah, we did one with a local beekeeper, Ted Dennard, who talked about his heritage hives. After that, local chocolatier Adam Turoni came and talked about making chocolate. Ted attended Adam’s Salon. About six months later, Adam was producing honeycomb-embossed chocolate bars and honey-infused truffles—all inspired by and made with honey from Ted’s hives. Adam went on to win a big award thanks to the honey connection.” (Editor’s note: In 2015, the Culinary Institute of America named him one of the Top Ten chocolatiers in North America.)
Graham concluded the interview with an invitation to Lowertown residents to come out and see the hotel for themselves. “We’re great at throwing parties and inviting people in. And there will be some introductory pricing for locals who want to stay in the hotel.”
The Andaz ByWard Market will open its doors in late July or early August. Follow its progress at Ottawa.Andaz.Hyatt.com.