Even as a young child, the hotel world always fascinated Cory Haggar. The Trenton, Ont. native began his career there as a busboy/dishwasher at the Holiday Inn, where he was able to glean the customers’ eating habits. “I noticed who was and wasn’t finishing their plates. I ended up becoming great friends with the chef as I could tell him what the customers were eating,” quips the 42-year old hotelier.
Interestingly enough, Haggar worked at the Trenton hotel four different times in his career — first as a dishwasher, then server, restaurant manager and, finally, as the hotel’s F&B manager.
For the past five years, Haggar has been working at the 102-room Falcon Crest Lodge in the majestic Rocky Mountains, nestled between Canmore and Banff National Park. The luxury hotel features 75 condo-style rooms with private patios, balconies and gas barbecues. The hotel has 12 timeshare units, while the remaining rooms have full-time owners. The hotel is part of Clique Hotels, which manages five different Alberta properties.
Though still in its infancy, the Falcon Crest Lodge has already won Trip Advisor’s Top Award four times. “We are the only hotel in Alberta that has received this award in 2016,” boasts Haggar. “We strive to welcome our guests to their home-away-from-home in the Canadian Rockies. Falcon Crest finds different ways for customer service to be way above the expectation of all our guests.” A complement of 40 associates keeps the hotel humming. “Falcon Crest Lodge is all about training and challenging the right staff; they use their own personalities to strive to be the best they can be.”
The father of two motivates staff with incentives to create new ways of increasing revenues and guest satisfaction. “I value hiring and working with staff who are passionate, creative, willing to take risks and try new things. I enjoy coaching [them] while constantly trying and learning new things.”
Haggar is an avowed risk taker, quick to instill the importance of learning through mistakes. “I want them to learn something new every day. I have trust in my team and strive to lead them to the next level.”
Never content to rest on its laurels, the hotel is constantly looking to evolve its offerings. “We’re presently trying to increase the use of technology within our hotel; it’s also getting ready for a full revamp. Starting in January 2017, we will have a completely new and fresh lodge look.” Always eager to give back, Haggar is also looking to partner with a college so he can “teach and inspire others about hotel management.”
Volume 28, Number 4
