FORT ST. JOHN, BC — Walk into Home2 Suites by Hilton Fort St. John and the lobby tell its own story. Guests who have been staying for weeks greet each other by name. Co-workers gather around a table playing Monopoly. It looks less like a hotel common area and more like a café.
Hotel Manager Nadya McLean moves through the room the way a host does in their own home, because, for many of her guests, it is.
Home2 Suites by Hilton Fort St. John marked its 10th anniversary on August 26 with a reception honouring a decade of operations in the Peace Region — a run that has placed the property among the most decorated extended-stay hotels in all of North America.
What began as a single extended-stay property in Fort St. John has become a benchmark within the Hilton portfolio, earning brand recognition at a rate few Canadian hotels have matched.
McLean has been with the property since it opened. In a brand built around the concept of a home away from home, she embodies what that means in practice. Her team greet guests the way you would a familiar face, creating an environment that does not happen by accident.
Gil Vallee, Director of Hospitality for Argus Properties, credited the hotel’s performance to the people running it day to day.
"Home2 Suites Fort St. John is a true reflection of what strong hospitality leadership looks like," he said
McLean has managed the property since its opening. In 2018, she was accepted into Hilton’s MVP Program — a recognition extended to fewer than three per cent of extended-stay brand team members — and was later selected as a Home2 brand panelist in 2021.
“This anniversary belongs to her and to every single member of the staff,” Vallee added.
The team’s dedication has earned the property recognition that spans from local community awards to some of the highest brand honours available within the Hilton portfolio.
HILTON BRAND RECOGNITION
• 2017 — Highest Extended Stay Percentage Merit Award
• 2017 — Award of Excellence · Top 10% of all Home2 Suites in North America
• 2018 — Travel with Purpose Grant Award · Only hotel in Canada to receive the grant
• 2019 — Conrad Achievement Award · Top 5% of all Home2 Suites in North America
• 2019–2022 — Outstanding Quality Assurance Recognition · Four consecutive years
• 2020 — Beta Hotel Acceptance · Selected to pilot new brand systems, upgrades, and standards
• 2021 — Award of Excellence · Top 10% of all 975 Home2 Suites in North America — the only Canadian property recognized
• 2022 — Brighter Together Award, Q1 · Top 1% of all Home2 Suites in North America based on service, quality, and community involvement
• 2023 — Award of Excellence
• 2024 — Award of Excellence
GUEST & COMMUNITY AWARDS
Awarded annually since the year noted:
• Since 2016 — #1 on TripAdvisor
• Since 2017 — Best of People's Choice Award — Best Hotel/Motel Category
• Since 2017 — Booking.com Traveller's Choice Award
• Since 2017 — Expedia Excellence Award
• Since 2017 — Hotels.com Traveller's Choice Award
The guests who have made the hotel their base — some for a single night, others for months or years — are equally central to what the property has become. Their familiarity and loyalty, management says, are what transform what could simply be a building with beds and windows into a genuine community.