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A NEW YORK CITY-STYLE HOTEL Journalist: Myriam Sainson

Date: December 23, 2011 Region: Sherbrooke

While staying for the first time at the Grand Times Hotel of Sherbrooke, during the 2011 holiday season, you feel a bit overwhelmed by a sudden and refreshing sense of belonging, we immediately close our eyes only to instantly reopen them on the vision of a new ‘beyond the frontier’ world, cosmopolitan and smoke-free, which attracts and intrigues... the smallest details will not escape our multi-dimensional gaze which opens upon all the opportunities and discoveries that appear within our reach to respond to our moods and desires.

The Grand Times Hotel of Sherbrooke stands out from all the others by its extraordinary location, in the business center of downtown, in the heart of the wealthy historical heritage of the 19^th century and, by its audacious and futuristic architecture. Architect André Roy designed these 6 storeys of concrete and steel, by innovatingly presenting the entire structure as a kind of diamond and cubist arrangement, for a more detailed look. It is far from the traditional and conformist character of many hotels in Quebec, including those which are considered to be stylish and comfortable; on the contrary, the Grand Times Hotel offers an unexplored concept, an example of avant-gardism of interior design, '' New York City style” - in reference to Broadway, which is known for its urban design and which becomes the undeniable promotional mark of hospitality and comfort for its guests. With its evocative slogan: ''Les Temps changent. Vivre la grande vie (Times are changing. Living the high life)”, The Grand Times Hotel is challenging its targeted clientele, toward a more open urban vision, while still respecting the environment...

Built six years after the two Grand Times Hotels in Quebec City, the Grand Times Hotel of Sherbrooke opened on July 1, 2010 and under the supervision of Director General Sylvie Pomerleau, has welcomed over 35,000 guests, according to Assistant Director Nicolas...This prestigious hotel is owned by a group of three businessmen, Jean Audet, président, Jacques Bélanger and Bruno Roussin (Group Roussin).

As we walk through the lobby, we are fascinated by this huge open space, loft-like in style, with a gas fireplace that dimly illuminates a large lounge offering rest and relaxation, closeencounters and easy communication and interactions. This collection of shapes and bright colors in reds,greens and yellows fit in harmony with the black of the Italian leather armchairs and coffee tables, creating a refined and flamboyant aesthetic with windows that reflect, in all its clarity, the sparkling outside decorations of the nearby sites, such as the Marché de la gare with its majestic Christmas tree and those of the Lac-des-Nations....as if we have been watching an unforgettable evening performance...

The Grand Times Hotel also offers access to an indoor pool, a fitness room, a massage therapy service and both underground and exterior parking accommodations. Clients may also shop at the Hotel Boutique.

The Grand Times Hotel also offers a permanent art gallery that displays works by internationallywell-known artists and sculptors like those by Quebec-Montreal painter, Lisabel (Lisabel Filliatrault). Her works are currently exhibited at the Museum of Contempory and Modern Art of Seborga, near Monaco. Her studio is located near the Lachine Canal. Her huge murals made with composite materials and her abstract paintings, like the one on the wall of the entrance of the Centre de congrès Lac-des-Nations, add an unparalleled wealth of art, featured under the DEL projectors which are commonly used in the hotel. In the hallway leading to the conference rooms, it is impossible to miss the impressive, figurative sculpture by Sergio Furnari, sculptor and famous ceramist from Sicile, currently a resident of New York, who designed the same sculpture in the streets of Broadway, a work entitled: '' Lunchtime on skyscrapers'', depicting breaktime for steel workers perching on a steel beam, with a special connotation by the artist for these workers that he considers to be heroes and particularly so, regarding the events of September 11^th, 2001 ( see video link).

The business reception that I experienced while at the Grand Times Hotel, included a reception and buffet which delivered a gastronomical adventure from Estrie, catered by Café Massawippi (North Hatley), since the Hotel has no restaurant facilities on the premises. The presentation offered a terrine de gibier, a plate of crudités with yogourt dressing and onions confits, pasta salad with cucumbers and melons and basilic dressing. The chicken thigh in coconut milk, curry and ginger, sliced flank beef with roasted peppers and mushroom fricassee, with onions andpotatoes were a sheer delight to the palate! Desserts were even more succulent...

Continuing the evening in the lounge with cocktails, creations of the hotel, attracting one’s curiosity and kindling pleasant discussions ‘till late into the night... before venturing onto the fifth floor to find your comfortable room which yields the characteristics of a prestigious decor but without being heavy...

The healthy continental breakfast the following morning is quite surprising and creative, with a Lisabel mural transformed, for the occasion, into general store shelves with pottery vases, a row of toasters and breads of all kinds, cereal products by Kellogg’s, fruits, cheeses, and plastic utensils. Nothing is forgotten in an effort to remain in keeping with the Green Policy of the Grand Times Hotel, “We practice an environmentally-efficient management of our building, techniques using computerized controls tomanage water and heating and the use of compact fluorescent bulbs that are both biological and recyclable”.