VICTORIA BC (Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ territories) | August 11, 2025 – This week, Canada's sex-positive hotel brand, Hotel Zed, opens The Love Nest, their swanky new specialty room intentionally designed for sex. A retro-inspired sensual escape at their Victoria location, The Love Nest welcomes all rebels in all relationships looking to achieve connection or expand on their sexual wellness journey.

“This is truly a passion project for me,” says Mandy Farmer, CEO of Hotel Zed. “Good sex can reduce stress, improve sleep and boost confidence. I’m honoured to have created an empowering destination that celebrates intimacy and exploration.”

Since opening their doors in 2014, Hotel Zed has been pushing the envelope on sex-positivity in the hotel industry with their Valentine’s Day Nooner campaigns, including 2025’s promotion. With the launch of the new Love Nest, they are taking it even further--encouraging guests to have open conversations and explore their desires without shame.

To ensure guests have the tools and resources to break out of their comfort zones, Hotel Zed has created a space that encourages exploration across every surface, while providing a library of resources to help inspire guests on their sexual journey. Specially designed features and furniture such as a Playpen Sofa, a Tantric Chaise, a dancing pole and custom grab-bar headboard offer functionality while the room itself is lavishly adorned with mood-setting retro-inspired décor and lighting that evokes the thrill of a speakeasy.

Guests also have access to Love Nest Necessities kits-- containing premium lubricant and toys—curated by BC-Based, female-owned . These unique, inclusive kits are available Love Nest guests to purchase, because every unforgettable night needs the right essentials.

For those looking for extra guidance to enhance their sexual journey, private coaching sessions will be available for booking with Certified Somatic Sex Educator. Guided sessions tailored for The Love Nest experience include (Design Your Desire, Conscious Kinks and Erotic Play,), and a special three-session journey (The Love Nest Immersion) for a deeper arc of connection, play, and post-experience integration with your stay.  Sessions are available online or in-person in Victoria. “Working with community experts in the sexual wellness space turns The Love Nest from a room to a sex-positive, immersive experience that can radically enrich our guests' lives” says Farmer.

Hotel Zed recognizes that conversations of sex and consent go hand-in-hand. Hotel Zed’s initiatives are grounded in consent, education, and respect for all individuals. Hotel Zed is a long-term supporter of Good Night Out, a non-profit focused on sexual violence prevention to support their mission in promoting consent culture in hospitality, nightlife and entertainment.

Hotel Zed Victoria’s Love Nest is available to book now! More information and booking is available on the website at

Choice Hotels International has purchased InnVest Hotels’ remaining 50% share in Choice Hotels Canada, shifting to a fully direct franchising model in the country from the previous master franchising framework.

The deal was closed last month and had a value of around $112m. It was financed using Choice Hotels' on-hand cash and its existing credit line.

Choice Hotels International president and CEO Patrick Pacious said: "By consolidating operations in Canada and expanding Choice Hotels Canada's owner success system from the current eight hotel brands to our full portfolio of 22 brands, we are opening doors to remarkable opportunities for our franchisees and guests, while paving the way for accelerated growth across Canada."

The transaction signifies a focus on the Canadian market and its franchisees.

Management anticipates that for the full year of 2025, the total Choice Hotels Canada business will generate around $23m in fee revenue and $18m in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA).

Choice Hotels' Canadian portfolio comprised 350 hotels and 30,000 rooms, with an additional 2,500 rooms in the pipeline. The company noted that 26,000 of the 30,000 rooms were part of the Choice Hotels Canada joint venture.

This encompasses the introduction of its inaugural Cambria Hotel, expansion with four Radisson hotels, and more than 20 new Quality, Comfort, and Ascend Collection hotels.

Choice Hotels Canada CEO Brian Leon will continue to lead operations in Canada.

Leon said: "This is an exciting moment for Choice Hotels Canada and our franchisees.

"With the full backing of Choice Hotels International, we are well-positioned to deliver even greater value to our franchisees and guests as we write the next chapter of our success story."

InnVest Hotels, previously a joint venture partner and the largest franchisee of Choice Hotels in Canada, will continue to play a role by owning and operating 50 Comfort hotels across the country.

This acquisition is part of Choice Hotels' broader strategy to accelerate growth outside the US, which saw a 5% increase in the net international rooms portfolio to more than 140,000 rooms in Q2 2025.

Bethesda, Maryland – (August 6, 2025) – Marriott International today announced the expansion of its partnership with Canadian nonprofit , strengthening its commitment to addressing food insecurity across Canada. Through the ready-to-cook soups initiative, the two organizations will work together to distribute 500,000 portions of soups to communities in need by the end of 2025. 

(Caption: Amped Up Ready-To-Cook Soups Events Take Place in Vancouver and Montreal) 

This initiative builds on Marriott’s long-standing efforts to support and uplift local communities and is closely aligned with the company’s global sustainability and social impact platform, . The program is featured in Marriott’s 2025 Serve360 Report, which outlines the company’s progress toward its environmental and social responsibility goals.

“At Marriott International, we believe in the power of hospitality to make a meaningful difference,” said Paul Cahill, Chief Operations Officer, Canada, Marriott International. “Our expanded partnership with La Tablée des Chefs through the ready-to-cook soups initiative reflects our commitment to reducing food waste and addressing food insecurity. By engaging our hotel teams nationwide, we continue to strengthen the connection between our associates and the communities they serve.” 

Since 2023, Marriott Hotels of Canada have partnered with La Tablée des Chefs to donate surplus food to local communities. Today, more than 75 Marriott properties across nine provinces have participated by donating over 127,000 meals to local communities in need. The expanded partnership through the ready-to-cook soups program will empower Marriott teams to give back directly to local communities through the preparation and circulation of dry soup packets to food banks and shelters in their respective regions. To date, 45,000 soup packets have been distributed through participating Marriott properties across Canada. 

"I'm incredibly proud to see Marriott Hotels of Canada actively engaged in the fight against food insecurity. Whether through our Food Recovery program or by producing and distributing dry soup to families in need, this institution demonstrates a solidarity and generosity that resonates across the country," said Jean-François Archambault, founder and general director of La Tablée des Chefs. "Having started my career with Marriott, I find it particularly touching to see that they support the social movement we've built. It's always stimulating and reassuring to work hand in hand, with the same values and convictions, to build a better world." 

La Tablée des Chefs is a Canadian nonprofit organization whose mission can be summarized in two words: feed and educate. Since its inception in 2002, La Tablée des Chefs has worked closely with community and industry partners across Canada to tackle the growing issues of food waste and food insecurity for Canadians through the redistribution of over 21 million portions of surplus food provided by hotels, event venues, and other institutions within its network. With over 25% of Canadians experiencing food insecurity, these collaborative partnerships are vital in providing support to combat this widespread issue. 

As of year-end 2024, Marriott reduced waste to landfill intensity globally by approximately 23% and food waste to landfill intensity by approximately 29% compared to a 2019 baseline.  

For further details on the partnership, and additional information on Marriott International’s environmental, social and governance initiatives and developments, the full 2025 Serve360 Report can be accessed at

Canad Inns founder, Leo Ledohowski, has passed. He left a tremendous legacy on Manitoba's hospitality industry as one of Manitoba's largest employers and the 14th-largest hotel chain in the country.

Canad Inns has nine locations in Manitoba and one in North Dakota.

Born at Winnipeg on 15 March 1944, one of six children of Walter Ledohowski (1916-1987) and Anne Zasitko (1923-2005), he was proprietor of the CanadInns hotel chain. In 1968, he married Joanne Dengis and they had four children. He received a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), and Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022), and was inducted into the Order of Manitoba (2022). He died in August 2025.

"The best hoteliers do something very special for a community; they create an unforgettable sense of place, and sense of welcome," Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"Leo achieved this with stunning success, so that people always felt at home and always wanted to return: and all Winnipeggers have benefited from what he accomplished."

Ledohowski was a community advocate who supported local causes, including Partners in the Park, the Health Sciences Centre Foundation and the United Way of Winnipeg.

Michael Juce, president and CEO of the Manitoba Hotel Association, said Ledohowski's death was a huge loss for the industry. Juce said Ledohowski was a member of the association for decades and volunteered as a board member. The Canad Inns founder was always quick to offer to help out, Juce said, pointing to Ledohowski's efforts to grow the industry and the wider community it serves.

"He had a tremendous impact, tremendous legacy and [he's] an icon of the industry," Juce said.

Ledohowski also served on the board of the Hotel Association of Canada and the Business Council of Manitoba.

The Business Council of Manitoba said “Leo was a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the hospitality experience in Manitoba. Under his leadership, Canad Inns evolved into the province’s largest hotel chain”.

Beyond business, Ledohowski was a committed community leader. He served on the boards of the Bank of Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Manitoba Hotel Association, and Hotel Association of Canada. He was also the honorary consul of Ukraine in Manitoba and an honorary colonel of the Air Force Military Police Group.

A recipient of the Order of Manitoba and the University of Manitoba’s Distinguished Service Award, Ledohowski was a longtime member and past board director of the Business Council of Manitoba.