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  Skyline Hotels & Resorts Appoints Chris Lund as General Manager for the
405-room Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada

HUNTSVILLE, Ontario, October 11, 2011 – When Chris Lund walks through the doors of Deerhurst Resort October 13 for his first day of work as the general manager, it may seem as if he never left a job he held there 13 years ago.

“Coming back to Deerhurst for interviews was a bit déjà vu,” Lund laughs. “The hotel has evolved a great deal, but many of the team I knew are still here.”

That was a boost to Lund, who is already re-learning the intricacies of the 760-acre, 405-room landmark Ontario resort which encompasses 45,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, two 18-hole golf courses and other, less expected features like a private airstrip and a maple sugar bush.

“It truly is the people who deliver hospitality every day and make a difference in this business,” he says.

Beginning in 1991 and for the next seven years, Lund served as general manager at Deerhurst Resort, then managed by Canadian Pacific.

Skyline Hotels & Resorts, an arm of Toronto-based Skyline International Development, acquired Deerhurst last March and has already rolled out a master plan for significant resort enhancements and expansion starting with next month’s opening of the new Legacy Hall event venue, this winter’s transformation of existing junior suites into 120 eagerly anticipated Summit Lodges condo accommodations, and the soon-to-be-released addition of 95 new golf cottage homes on lots around the Deerhurst Highlands course.

“We were all impressed by his recent career with Delta, where he oversaw 11 properties,” notes Skyline Hotels & Resorts President & COO Kevin Toth.

“The scope of his operational experience and his in-depth knowledge of our backyard, make Chris a great fit for working with both Deerhurst’s business and leisure customers alike, in the highly competitive Ontario market.  And with a complex, historic asset like Deerhurst, it’s a bonus to welcome back someone who already knows the lay of the land.”

Lund explains, “My vision for this property matches Skyline’s outlook.  My goals are to seek new opportunities for growth, to maximize Deerhurst’s already strong service levels, and to enhance its profitability.  From economics to demographics, our marketplace is always shifting, and Deerhurst will stay ahead of that curve.”

In a “getting close to 30” year Canadian hotel career, most recently as regional vice president of operations for all Delta’s Ontario hotels and GM of the Delta Toronto East, Lund has also worked at other heritage properties like the Royal York and New Brunswick’s Algonquin Resort.

Most of all, he and his family are excited about returning to a place they once called home.

Lund is active in a number of business and community organizations, but there’s one new Deerhurst feature that really resonates with the former Huntsville Minor Hockey coach.  “Come January you’ll definitely see me out on the lake for the Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships,” Lund confirms.  Deerhurst hotel staff painstakingly builds 26 outdoor rinks for the world’s largest event of its kind, which now spans two packed weekends.  “Heading up a resort with a front yard full of hockey ice – how cool and Canadian is that?”

About Skyline Hotels & Resorts
Skyline Hotels & Resorts is the hospitality arm of Skyline International Development Inc. a Toronto-based real estate and development investment company founded in 1998 by Gil Blutrich, Ernst and Young's 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year. The Skyline Hotels & Resorts collection includes downtown Toronto boutique properties the Cosmopolitan Hotel and the Pantages Hotel, Horseshoe Resort, a family oriented ski, golf and adventure park destination near Barrie, and Deerhurst Resort.  Skyline also holds an ownership interest and serves as asset manager for the King Edward Hotel. In 2008, Skyline purchased the land for the development of the Skyline Tower, which will comprise 624,000 sq. ft. of mixed use office, hotel and condo space in the heart of downtown Toronto. www.skylinehotelsandresorts.com

About Deerhurst Resort
Although Deerhurst Resort emerged on the world stage when it welcomed leaders like Obama, Sarkozy, and Merkel as host venue for the 2010 G8 Summit, the lakeside retreat has been evolving into an Ontario landmark throughout its storied 115 year history.  The 405-room Muskoka hotel also encompasses 45,000 sq. ft. of meeting venues, two 18-hole golf courses, a Shizen Spa, an extensive waterfront, a live stage show where Shania Twain once performed, and Adventures in Excellence teambuilding. A founding member of the Savour Muskoka culinary trail, Deerhurst is the only resort in North America to produce both its own maple syrup and wildflower honey, as well as shiitake mushrooms, herbs and other foraged produce on property, one hallmark of its commitment to local sustainability.  Visit www.deerhurstresort.com
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Contact: 

Anne White
Director Communications
Skyline Hotels & Resorts
Tel. 416-566-9297 or 416-368-2565 x2226
[email protected]

 


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Also See: Joseph Klein Appointed General Manager at Deerhurst Resort, Muskoka, Ontario / October 2005

Clee Varon Named Director of Sales and Marketing for Deerhurst Resort, Muskoka, Ontario / June 2005

Delta Hotels Commences Management for ClubLink Corporation’s Four Muskoka Resorts; Chris Lund Appointed Regional Director Resorts Ontario / Jan 2001
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