Save Fairmont Hotels--Chateau Lake Louise and Banff Springs

[Rod Hagen]

Just got back from long weekend in Banff and at the Chateau Lake Louise. We had a very Eloise-worthy suite with a spectacular view of that diamond-blue glacial lake. It really doesn't get any more perfect than Banff and the Lake Louise.

 

But both hotels have been hit REALLY hard. The restaurants are being closed "for the season" and lots of stores have shut down. The Banff Springs Hotel, Canada's perfect castle just finished a genius renovation that fits perfectly with its style. But now they've laid off a lot of employees. It's not inconceivable that the Spa may close for a few months at a time to save the hotel some money. A stay at the Banff Springs Hotel without their world famous spa would feel hallow.

 

Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise cannot be allowed to fold. Imagine if those hotels became Hyatts or Marriots. That's frightening.

 

Visit both hotels if you haven't been to Banff in awhile. And if you've never been to Banff, what are you waiting for? There really isn't any place more majestic on earth and the poor Canadian dollar is quite thin at the moment.

 

As for me I plan to make at least one more visit this winter and hopefully again after that.

 

See you there.

[al]

Yes the hotel/tourist industry is in serious peril. One weekend last month the Copley Plaza, a five star hotel in Boston, had a five percent occupancy. I am traveling this weekend to NYC and staying at the New York Hilton for $88 per night(courtesy of Priceline). The normal rate for this hotel is almost $300 I believe.

[Guest JT]

>But both hotels have been hit REALLY hard.

 

Rod, must be your serious pounding! ;-) Just kidding!

 

 

>The restaurants

>are being closed "for the season" and lots of stores have

>shut down. The Banff Springs Hotel, Canada's perfect castle

>just finished a genius renovation that fits perfectly with

>its style. But now they've laid off a lot of employees.

>It's not inconceivable that the Spa may close for a few

>months at a time to save the hotel some money. A stay at

>the Banff Springs Hotel without their world famous spa would

>feel hallow.

 

 

Actually you're right. I was there last week for a short stay and found out the same things. I talked with one of the managers at Chateau Lake Louise who told me that their business has been down at least 20 % since 09/11. :-(

 

 

>Visit both hotels if you haven't been to Banff in awhile.

>And if you've never been to Banff, what are you waiting for?

> There really isn't any place more majestic on earth and the

>poor Canadian dollar is quite thin at the moment.

 

Thx for the advertising, Rod! :-) May I suggest to my fellow clients that they bring along their favourite escort(s). Oh Marc Anthony, BTW, when are you going to start your Canadian Twink Tour? :-) Oops sorry, I digress.

 

Personally I have had some wonderful times at those two hotels. I always enjoy peering into the misty, frozen, tranquil, and majestic Lake Louise in the winter morning while standing beside the window in the hotel room. Then, it's even more wonderful when I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my chest, a hot body pressing behind my back, a soft voice whispering into my ear, and a hard...

 

What more can I say? Just a truly unique Canadian experience!

 

 

>As for me I plan to make at least one more visit this winter

>and hopefully again after that. See you there.

 

Good for you, Rod! Hope to see you there too!

 

 

JT

[Guest IM_Moore]

>

>Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise cannot be

>allowed to fold. Imagine if those hotels became Hyatts or

>Marriots. That's frightening.

>

I try so hard to like or simply accept you though you keep making it so very hard! We have people straving in the streets, 6,000 plus people killed on Sept 11th, various industries hit hard due to current events ... and your major statement is to save a few hotels because they might (hold your breath now and close your eyes) become "Hyatts or Marriots." That isn't frightening, it is scary that you would even make such a plea.

 

I personally feel it is worse than HooBoy constantly complaining how much this site costs to run (wink wink nod nod)and always asking for donations.

 

We definately will have to agree to disagree on this one Rod.

My goals and concern for the situation our Country is in takes on a slightly different direction than yours, and I'm trying to be polite here. Stick to insulting clients, it is more becomming (and expected)of you.

[BuckyXTC]

IM_Moore:

 

I realize your response is to Rod, but I also wanted to respond to your concern. While the suffering your describe in NYC and in the U.S. as a whole is on a different order than the effect it is having on places like the ones Rod described, I'm not sure the best approach is to make this comparision and conclude that somehow Rod is unsympathetic to the plight of those most directly affected. I don't think it is an either/or situation.

 

Let me cite a personal example. A few weeks ago, I was enroute to a disaster response meeting at the WTC Family Assistance Center in Jersey City. Had to go through the State Police, show my credentials, etc., to gain access. While I was waiting for our meeting to begin, I took a stroll, first through the an area called "The Wall of Remembrance", where family and friends had posted photos and messages of their loved ones lost at WTC. I didn't make it much past three or four of the displays before I found the tears flowing. And after regaining my composure, I struck up a conversation with a state policeman, mentioning that for all the years I had lived in this area, I had never taken the time to visit the Statue of Liberty, but today I was going to stop there on my way home. He told me not to bother, because it was closed and might not be open again for some time. As far as I know, it is still closed to the public, because it is considered a prime target for terrorism. I went on to my meeting, feeling shocked that this was the case, and quietly mourning the fact that this was what things had come to at the present time.

 

I've also had the pleasure of visiting Banff and Lake Louise, though I haven't had the pleasure of staying at the places Rod mentioned. I am familiar with them, however, and I would agree that it would be a shame if they were closed or somehow changed from their present character. No, I don't put it on the same scale as a single human life lost due to the terrorist attacks, but I would bet Rod wouldn't either. I know for a fact he was very upset about what happened in NYC and DC and Pennsylvania because he shared as much in other threads, if my memory serves me correctly.

 

The bottom line is that folks have suffered to one degree or another, throughout the continent and even further as a result of the heinous acts that occurred on 9-11-01. And the closer you happen to be to Ground Zero, the suffering may in fact be more pronounced. I just don't find it useful to make such comparisons, implying my suffering from 12 miles away is somehow more acute than say, a worker in one of those Banff hotels who lost his job and won't be able to provide for his family. I think the better approach is to recognize that we've all suffered from this in one form or fashion, that we're all in this together, and that we'll all work to move forward and help each other through the tragedy. Since that fateful day, my own work week involves about two to three days of direct participation in the recovery effort, and there are those who are doing it seven days a week. I'm grateful that I can be directly involved as much as I am, and I know that the 7 day folks don't hold it against me that my participation is quantitatively less than theirs.

 

So please don't judge Rod so harshly if his concerns seem less worthy than your own. We're all in this struggle together,and all on the same page, or at least we should be.

BuckyXTC

[+ nycman]

All I was going to say was "lighten up Francis"...

 

Thank you Bucky for being more eloquent and thoughtful than I.

[Rod Hagen]

IM_Moor,

 

I've tried to be nice to you, I even did you a great favor. But you know what? Go to hell, moron.

[Rod Hagen]

My email to IM_Moor

 

Are these posters, Sports, Jackboy, Bitchboy, IM_Moor who simply revel in making me out to be the asshole I'm obviously not, thick headed or just meanspirited?

 

"IM_Moor,

 

You son of a bitch. How dare you? You know that it was just a lighthearted post to let all those who are interested know that I was just away on a fun vacation, and that those are two great hotels that deserve preservation.

 

Not once did I say or imply that saving those hotels takes precedence during this tragedy.

 

I went out of my way to help you because I thought that you may actually be a good person who was mislead by the manipulations and proven untruths of Jackboy and bitchboy. I was wrong. You are as mean spirited as they are.

 

Go to hell."

[Guest Sports]

Hagen's Lovely Weekend

 

I don't know why Hagen mentioned me it his post. I said nothing about him.

[Guest soccerstud]

I guess some people are just innate jerks like IM_Moore and can't stand that others have some joy in their lives. A frequent contributor (Rod Hagen) decides to share his vacation experiences and concerns that he has about the viability of a beautful spot in the world and the jobs of people working there. I guess in IM's world of hurt, that's a no-no, and that no one should post here unless they're wearing a hairshirt and ashes.

 

IM, take your mean-spiritedness somewhere else. It's great to disagree (that's part of what this Center is all about); but just don't go way out your way to try (very unsuccessfully) to take someone else down to your level. The rest of us can be thoughtful and concerned while we try to conduct our lives.

 

By the way, I assume that since 9/11 you've gone to no restauants, no theater, and no parks. Probably just as well for the rest of us.

[Guest IM_Moore]

RE: My email to IM_Moor

 

>Are these posters, Sports, Jackboy, Bitchboy, IM_Moor who

>simply revel in making me out to be the asshole I'm

>obviously not, thick headed or just meanspirited?

No we simply see through your BS!

>

>Go to hell."

You are a real asshole Rod. Your harsh words do NOT take away from your silly and unimportant "cause celeb." Now go save Walden Woods and leave me alone you cyber-stalker.

[Guest IM_Moore]

>I guess some people are just innate jerks like IM_Moore and

>can't stand that others have some joy in their lives. A

>frequent contributor (Rod Hagen) decides to share his

>vacation experiences and concerns that he has about the

>viability of a beautful spot in the world and the jobs of

>people working there. I guess in IM's world of hurt, that's

>a no-no, and that no one should post here unless they're

>wearing a hairshirt and ashes.

>

And others are morons like yourself> Rod wasn't sharing his vacation with us, he was sharing his (LOL) "cause" with us. This is from the same man who was appalled that a client would call him on Sept 11 or thereafter yet continued to answer his "escort only number" though there was no need for him to do so. This is the man who had an interesting comment about clients on another board and when confronted backed down as quickly as possible claiming it wasn't him, huh? Rod's post is an insult to every kid who went to school today with breakfast, to every child who doesn't have clothes to wear or is sleeping in a woman's abuse shelter with theri Mom or is living on the street, to every vertran who has fought a real war, and is now homeless to every person who is suffering and trying to live with AIDS. Rod is one of the most self-centered people escorting in Socal that I know of. If pointing this out makes me a jerk I can live with myself and sleep well at night.

[Donnie]

RE: My email to IM_Moor

 

>leave me alone you cyber-stalker.

 

Can we please reserve that word for the real deal? Does Rod claim to know where you live? Does he make veiled threats against your life? I think not.

[Rod Hagen]

RE: My email to IM_Moor

 

>Can we please reserve that word for the real deal? Does Rod

>claim to know where you live? Does he make veiled threats

>against your life? I think not.

 

I sent him an email last night stating that a decent human being would call me so that we can talk directly about his grievances. This makes me his stalker.

[Rick Munroe]

>Rod's post is an insult to every kid who went to school

>today with breakfast

 

It's only an insult if they had to eat my mother's lumpy Cream of Wheat.

[Rod Hagen]

>It's only an insult if they had to eat my mother's lumpy

>Cream of Wheat.

 

Rick, I thought you were your mother's "Lumpy Cream of Wheat".

[Guest regulation]

RE: Hagen's Lovely Weekend

 

>I don't know why Hagen mentioned me it his post. I said

>nothing about him.

 

Sports, one or two of the flakier people here are saying that you are one of my screen names, so I will thank you not to post without my permission. :-)

[Guest regulation]

I really don't think Rod meant any harm, but I would remind those who are yelling at IM that an atmosphere has been created here that encourages accusations of "insensitivity," and IM is not the one who created it. Those who live by the sword, etc.

 

And by the way, I believe it is against the Message Center Rules for people to have a knock-down, drag-out fight here without involving ME, so everyone please keep that in mind. :-)

[Traveller]

Reg

 

I'm stunned that you dropped into a thread with a Save Fairmont Hotels topic. Just as there are message center rules regarding you, all frivolous crap is my domain. Levity and fluff reign. Please remember that going forward.

 

Later.

 

PS. Mea culpa, mama mia, Mia Farrow. Meant to give you a positive rating, but slipped on pounding the right hole. I'm just not a great top.

[Guest TruthTeller]

>Meant to give you a

>positive rating, but slipped on pounding the right hole.

>I'm just not a great top.

 

To cure this problem in the future, I suggest that you think of the rating selection process as akin to licking the right hole, rather than pounding it. I'm quite certain that this will improve your efficiency. Given that, through your carelessness, you deprived poor Reg of a (much-needed) positive rating, I think you owe him at least that much.

[Traveller]

>Given that, through your

>carelessness, you deprived poor Reg of a (much-needed)

>positive rating, I think you owe him at least that much.

 

T2,

 

This is what has given me the most heartache. Consequently, I donated $100 to reg's favorite charity, the National Rifle Association. I know that it's not the same, but it helps me heal.

 

Later.

 

PS. Thanks for the licking tip. Always the most generous puveyor of all that is right and just, you.

[Guest TruthTeller]

I agree that the initial post was repulsive, but not because it demeaned the tradegy of <said with whispered reverence> "the victims of September 11." That's giving it way too much credit. Instead, it was repulsive because it's an extreme example of an escort who is desperate to prove that -- despite the fact that he earns his living selling access to his hole -- he's still very refined and elegant and tasteful. Everything he says (and everythign other escorts with the same desperate need to justify what they do say) is designed to beseech people to believe that.

 

Hence, all the patronizing, pseudo-elitist references to the Marriott and Hilton and the effete, melodramatic lamenting of the demise of upper-class resorts -- all perpetrated in a tone suitable to Queen Elizabeth.

 

It's basically nothing more than: "I'm a whore, but please, PLEASE realize that I'm a really important, high-class whore, so I'm very elevated and cultured, and the thought of having to mix with the unwashed masses - those who stay at the Hilton - is just absolutely horrifying to my cultivated sensibilities."

 

Don't get angry. Just give him $150, meet him at a Sheraton, gag his mouth and shove things up his ass. That will shut his yap about Chateau Lake Louise and Banff Springs.

[Guest WetDream]

RE: Tone Deaf?

 

"all perpetrated in a tone suitable to Queen Elizabeth"

 

TT: I would have thought by now that you would have discovered that this board full of queens talking to other queens. Should Rod used a tone suitable to Prince Phillip?

 

P.S. Suggested reading: Concerning the Excentricities of Cardinal Perelli by Ronald Firbank. One of the minor characters is a historian writing a book called Female Queens of England.

[Rod Hagen]

>-- despite the fact that he earns his living selling access

>to his hole --

 

I'm a top.

 

he's still very refined and elegant and

>tasteful.

 

I fart all the time. Sometimes I get really constipated too.

 

>Hence, all the patronizing, pseudo-elitist references to the

>Marriott and Hilton and the effete, melodramatic lamenting

 

Both hotels have a significant history in Canada. If you traveled much, you'd know. It would be the equivalent of turning the St. Louis Arch into a Starbucks, and you don't want that do you pudwack?

 

>Don't get angry. Just give him $150,

 

$220. Plus the price just went up for you.

[Rod Hagen]

RE: Tone Deaf?

 

> Should Rod used a tone suitable to Prince Phillip?

 

Isn't he gay? Oh wait, that's prince William. Sorry.