Marie Pier Germain: Growing Canada’s most distinctive hotel brand without losing its soul

Sebastien Leitner

This is a conversation about what it means to inherit a legacy, but also what it takes to earn it. Marie Pierre Germain grew up immersed in hospitality. I talked to her about succession, family independence, and the responsibility of growing a brand without sanding down its personality. We get into why Germain Hotels has stayed proudly Canadian and independent, and why culture matters more than standards, and why the company continues to place so much emphasis on local talent, thoughtful design, sustainability, and genuine human connection. Today, as co-president of Germain Hotels, she’s helping lead one of Canada’s most distinctive independent hotel groups into the next chapter, with twenty hotels, fifteen restaurants, three banners, and a long-awaited Vancouver opening on the horizon.

Here’s Marie Pierre Germain, co-President of Germain Hotels, on The Turndown. Marie Pierre, it’s a pleasure to have you on the program. Welcome to The Turndown.

Marie Pierre Germain

Thank you, Sebastian. Thank you for the warm welcome.

Sebastien Leitner

Excellent. I want to kick us off with our standard opening question, which is, what keeps you up at night these days?

Marie Pierre Germain

I’ve had the opportunity to listen to a few of your episodes, which, by the way, are great. And many of the things that were brought up, you know, when we talk about loyalty programs or customer service or artificial intelligence. There are a lot of these things that do keep me up at night, to be honest. The fast pace at which everything is going is it’s hard to keep track of, and it’s hard to stay ahead of the train. So that’s a daily challenge, I want to say, but something more on a personal note that sometimes keeps me up at night are my kids.

Sebastien Leitner

Of which you have two? Three. How old are they, if I may ask?

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah, so fifteen is the eldest, after is eleven, and then I have a four-year-old. So I have a lot of reasons to stay up sometimes.

Sebastien Leitner

We should catch up and compare notes. I have a twelve-year-old and a seven-year-old. So you’re a little bit ahead of me. Maybe you left some pointers for me.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah.

Sebastien Leitner

But in all in all honesty, mean, congratulations. You’re approaching or you are on a one-year anniversary. You just became co-President with your brother, Hugo?

Marie Pierre Germain

My cousin. He was my cousin. Yes. We did kind of grow up together as siblings, but he’s got his own siblings, and I’m the only child. But, yeah, we’re cousins, and we grew up very close to both families were very close growing up.

Sebastien Leitner

So I guess the fact that you’ve become co-president seems not to have kept you up at night these days. It seems to, you know, be okay. How was year one?

Marie Pierre Germain

It’s funny you mentioned that because it’s been a process. Year one has been amazing and extremely exciting. The business is going well, in case you were wondering.

So we came into our co-president roles just about a year ago on June ten, and it’s something that we had been planning for many months, if not to say years. And so we were the day that we announced our new roles, I actually had been planning this for many months, I actually forgot to tell my kids. That was happening.

So sometimes you’re really focused on a task, and it’s what it felt like. But it’s and the company has been doing really well. It continues to be doing well. So we were not coming into this role thinking we needed to change, and all this to say, it’s been a great transition.

Our parents were at the helm of the company. They co-founded the company almost forty years ago. So to be into that mode of slowly letting go and us taking over, and it’s a dance you learn to do together so that running a family business really has some particular, not challenges, but emotions you have to deal with. And this is something that we recognise and that we really embrace.

Working together as a family is a privilege. So, no, it’s been a great first year.

Sebastien Leitner

That’s amazing. You mentioned that business is going well. I guess from all indicators, Canada as a destination seems to be doing well. It’s on fire. Record occupancy, record ADRs. Is that what you’re seeing?

Marie Pierre Germain

It’s what we’re seeing. I think there are some cities that are doing better than others. Like, we are lucky that our portfolio takes us from Calgary all the way to St. John’s in Newfoundland.

And soon, Vancouver. So we can talk about that later, but finally, soon Vancouver. So there are some cities that are performing better. But I think every indicator, you look at the economy from an economic perspective and whatever is happening on a global standpoint, is a bit worrying all of us.

So we keep watching, but in the business, all of the indicators are doing really well.

Again, I think we’ve been through what happened. I don’t know how you would say that in English, but whatever the years of twenty twenty brought was a bit left a big mark, if I can say it like this. So we’re still that leaves us more prepared to be on our toes, you know, and watch the indicators and make sure that the companies we’re working with are also doing well.

Sebastien Leitner

I wanna go back to you becoming co-president and how that happened. I mean, it’s a family business.

At some point, you must have had this, I don’t know, dining table conversation.

I guess question number one: how do you decide to join a family business? You could have probably taken any career.

So that’s sort of number one. And then second, the more important question, how do you and when do you decide to pick, sort of the you know, to retire your parents and become the helm, become the chef, if you were.

I don’t know what the correct expression is. The leader of this family business.

Marie Pierre Germain

That’s an interesting question because I don’t think there was one day when and I can speak from my experience. One day, you can have me go on the show and ask him because he’s got a completely different approach to working with the family. So, I think he knew much earlier on that’s what he wanted to do. I kind of took the path that was less chosen.

I had grown up in this business when I was very young. I had seen my mother work really hard. And it’s something I was at first on the sidelines, really watching the company grow. So when the time came to decide where I wanted to go to pursue my studies, I actually went to something completely different and studied engineering.

And at that point, I thought, okay, well, I don’t really know what I want to do. And again, like working in the family, we had two hotels at that point, three hotels, two in Quebec City, one in Montreal. And I didn’t think that there would be room for me at that point in the business. So I chose mechanical engineering, and my thinking behind this was that, well, at least now I’m going to know how my car works.

So you can see where the strategic thinking went. And it’s only once I finished with my engineering degree that we opened a hotel in Toronto, and slowly we started working on a hotel in Calgary.

Only then did I think, oh, maybe with my background, there would be room for me in the business. And that’s when I started to work on the project in Calgary, really working on designing the space, planning the project. And in Calgary, we have forty residences. We have one hundred thousand square feet of office space. It’s a completely different project. It was our first project in the West, but very different and a big investment for our family. So obviously really motivating to work on that project from all of the different perspectives.

But then again, before I joined the company, I still graduated with my engineering degree and thought, I’m not really sure. So actually, I started to take this yoga class, and I really enjoy yoga. So I actually went to see my mom and said, you know, I think I would like to become a yoga teacher.

So I did that too.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah. And she was very open. I thank her today for really seeing who I was through this whole process and never I think this is something really important in a family business is never to impose anything on the kids. I think it has the complete opposite reaction when you impose your choices on the kids. So I really am grateful that I was able to make my own decisions, and at some point, said, oh, I think there would be room for me. Maybe if I could bring this to the table or and it that was my path anyway. So, and I would kind of do the same again if I had to choose.

Sebastien Leitner

So let me get this straight so that I understand.

You come to your mom and said, I want to become a yoga teacher. Instead of dissuading you and say, not sure this is a great idea, she encourages you and basically supports you and says, sure, let’s do that.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yep.

So I

Sebastien Leitner

And then even though you were already working in the family’s business, you did this path.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah. At that point, it was kind of a student job that I was doing. I was working our F and B side, and I had not become part of the project that I was mentioning you in Calgary. So it was a little interlude.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay. Yeah. But then you came back.

Marie Pierre Germain

I came back. I came back. And that’s when I felt like, oh, okay. You know, there would be room for me, and then this would be something I would like to do. And it was a big detour when you think about that. But I think it paid off in the end. You know, it really contributed to helping me become the person I am today, and it was really helpful.

Sebastien Leitner

Do you still have a red telephone in your office where you call your mom or your dad sometimes and, you know, run some things past them?

Marie Pierre Germain

So I think I speak to Christian four times a day. It’s not a red telephone. It’s a speed dial.

So we’re very close. Same with my uncle.

They’re both still very involved in the business, and they choose the way they wish to be involved, which I think is the right way to go about this. They have their kind of pet projects that they really love and that they not only love, but also contribute in a very positive way. So both Hugo and I are really happy that they are still involved in their own capacity.

Sebastien Leitner

As you were observing them, and I’m really interested to talk about sort of leadership and leadership style. As you were observing them, what was maybe one trait that you said, oh, I wanna do the same?

Or I wanna I really like what they’re doing, and, you know, I wanna make sure I continue that legacy.

Marie Pierre Germain

They both have a great sense of detail and attention to detail, and they both have a different way to display that sense of detail. So like Jean Yves, my uncle, he will be able to zoom in on a certain situation, and he’s got that capacity to stop everything and ask the question you never thought anyone would ask. So he’s really able to bring down value and to get you thinking on some of the things you may not have thought about. And Christiane, she just sees everything. Like, she walks into a place, and right away she knows what doesn’t work, what needs to be fixed, what so they really have a strong sense of attention to detail that for sure is important to continue because I think it makes all the difference.

Sebastien Leitner

That’s amazing. Is this something you’d like to change? Like, or what do you add, let’s say, to that?

Marie Pierre Germain

I think about that, what’s important is that both Igbo and I are extremely complementary to one another, but in a different way than our parents were complementary. And I think moving forward, it’s very important that’s like we’re not trying to be a mini Ja’ive and a mini Christian. We’re our own individuals. So but knowing our strengths is also very important moving forward in this partnership. So it’s not something I want to do differently. It’s just I want to be me and I wish the same for ego moving forward and that we find where our strengths are intersecting.

Sebastien Leitner

How would you describe your strengths? And this is not an interview, clearly, but I’m curious.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah.

That’s an it’s funny because I don’t know that’s a strength, but it’s just something I’ve kind of recently picked up on. I thrive in chaos.

Nice. And because sometimes there are a lot of things happening. Christian, you know, very early on, she’s taught me that balance and trying to do it all well, first of all, you can’t do it all. But balance is not something that happens in a twenty-four-hour period.

And then being a mother, being all the different hats that I try to be, at some point it’s like, how am I going to get through the day? How am I going to get through the week? And then just understanding that the balance will come. There are moments in life when it’s not perfect, but then there are other times when it is. So it’s just a matter of finding your own rhythm.

And, yeah, I don’t get I don’t panic when there’s a lot of chaos around. It’s like, okay, we’ll get through it. And so I think that’s important to recognize that and not always try to quiet down the noise, but more like, embrace it.

Sebastien Leitner

So you embrace it. You remain calm, I assume? Do you seek chaos?

Marie Pierre Germain

Sometimes I wonder if I maybe.

Maybe, but no. I it’s more about, like, I don’t panic. I just I know I’m gonna get through it.

Sebastien Leitner

Yeah. You mentioned Vancouver. Clearly, you’re expanding. You recently got some funding, or a while ago, you got some additional funding. Yes. How do you balance, I guess, expansion with, you know, keeping the brand, I guess, what it is?

Marie Pierre Germain

I love that I love that question, Sebastian, because it’s so important to us, and it’s culture is very key in what we do. And when I say culture, I mean doing things and welcoming people the way we do and caring about people. And this is what we say we do. Like, our job is to welcome people.

And I find sometimes in hospitality, it happens that we kind of lose sight of that. So to me, this is something that is really up there in the priority of what we do. And now it’s going to be Vancouver. We’re at twenty properties in twenty twenty-six.

But we have been growing more quickly in the past. So I worked on this project when I did my master’s because I wanted to talk about culture and how we would be able to maintain our culture as we were expanding. So there was a lot of work that went behind defining the culture, and that happened, I want to say, like ten years ago. And of course, our culture has evolved since, and there’s things that we did that we don’t do anymore and that we do differently.

But knowing, you know, for our employees when they come and join our company, colleagues, and knowing the culture and why we do things and making sure that people can associate and connect with that is really important. So am I worried about opening Vancouver in a year and a half, two years? No. Because I think we’ll find the right people to join our team and to make sure we all signed up for the for the same reason.

Sebastien Leitner

So you’re careful in expansion, I assume.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes. We’re careful because we wanna do projects that where we have fun. We want to do projects that, you know, that fit with who we are. That’s really important. It’s not expansion at the cost of losing, you know, that sense of hospitality and we’re motivated by the ambition to grow. And yes, maybe perhaps one day think of growing outside of Canada.

Like, this is not our only driving force, you know, it’s.

It’s to continue to do projects that fit with who we are and yeah, where we have fun.

Sebastien Leitner

You mentioned staff immediately when we talked about Vancouver. Right? How important it is to find the right people. Is that is the team, the local team in Vancouver that you’re about to hire, or that you will hire at some point, are they the ones that will carry the culture forward?

Marie Pierre Germain

Are people at like, everyone are the one everyone is the one who’s carrying the culture forward.

Mean, I don’t we’re without our team, it’s there’s not much happening, as you know, in our business, there are the ones who every day are in our twenty properties across Canada welcoming our people. So it’s all about finding the right people that are excited to do what we do. And I think this is something that we’ve recently or at least over the last three, four years, we’ve realized that.

Like, human connection and the value of what we do is really important. And we find more and more people wanting to come back to the hospitality industry because they love people.

Sebastien Leitner

Interesting. So we had this challenge post COVID that everyone had left the industry. Right?

Not sure if it was the same for Charlemagne Hotels, but reputation was upright in hospitality. Yeah. And you’re seeing people wanting to come back?

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah. I’m seeing people wanting to come back because they find value in what we do. To be honest, I think young people have you know, they’ve realized that maybe working from home was not really the thing for them, that there is great value in what we do in hospitality. And I think it’s part of their yeah. I really feel that people have realized that this is what they wanna do.

Sebastien Leitner

Nice.

You went through an exercise you mentioned a few years ago to define the culture of Le Genma. How would you describe it?

Marie Pierre Germain

I would well, first, there are many ways that you can talk about culture. I think there are stories that we tell that represent who we are. And one story I really I like to share is about my grandfather, like how he when he opened his corner store in nineteen fifty five, he actually.

Wanted it was a corner store where you would get your paper.

And then where he opened his corner store, the paper would be delivered the next day. And he for him, it was impossible that he would own a corner store and that the paper would be delivered the next day. So he opened his corner store, and he wanted to make sure that his customers would get the paper on the same day. And he would also he was the first one to bring the soft ice cream machine in Quebec City.

And so to me, those stories are really representing innovation and audacious in life and wanting to do things differently. So when we talk about our culture and we worked with our colleagues to find the values, like this is one of the values, how to be audacious and how to bring innovation to the conversation whilst being in an industry that’s very traditional. I look at the mural in front of Le Germain Montreal, which I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to see, but it’s this amazing mural that was done by Canadian artist Michel de Hugvel. It’s one hundred and seventy six high on eighteen stories, and the front of the building is painted, and it’s called Dazzle My Heart.

That was kind of edgy to go ahead and paint a mural in the middle of the pandemic and on a concrete facade. Like now people see it and they’re like, yeah, obviously this was the thing to do. But move back a few years ago, we’re like, oh, should we do it? Should we not?

And to know that idea actually came from people on our team, to me, is like better than the idea itself. You know, like, that’s just really gratifying to see that sixty years ago, sixty years fast forward so many years, innovation is still part of what we do and who we are. So values are important in speaking of culture, stories, anecdotes. So it’s really about sharing those with our people.

And like I said, making sure that people connect those, I think, because ultimately, our people are the ones making the difference.

So

Sebastien Leitner

yeah.

Nice. There is something to be said, and I’m gonna out myself as a fan. I’ve stayed in a few Germain hotels, most recently in La Malbe. And I do, unfortunately, I guess, for my kids travel.

Maybe now as they’re approaching adolescence, they’re probably happy if I’m away sometimes. But anyway, I every time I’m staying in the Leuchermain hotels, I notice that you’re doing something different. Right? That there is some little things that make it somewhat unique.

And it’s refreshing. It is really refreshing, and it sort of goes to show that you are an independent hotel brand still. Even though you’re twenty hotels, but you seek to be different, you seek to be innovative. The mural outside of your building in Montreal, I guess everyone has driven by and said, what is this?

Right? It’s quite impactful. I’ve seen it a few times, and it’s great. But it’s refreshing.

Marie Pierre Germain

Thank you. Thank you. I well, yeah, and again, it’s a fine line between the innovation and delivering the service and delivering on the promise. So there’s a it’s an everyday challenge. It’s really, you know, hospitality.

I don’t need to, you know, give you any lessons on that, but it’s operations. Every day something will happen that you did not plan. So it’s a yeah, it’s a great team effort.

Sebastien Leitner

Marie Pierre, you must have received at least one or two phone calls from either Paris or Washington DC from a hotel corporation or a major hotel chain that has said, join our, you know, partnership, our soft brand, etcetera. Because they do offer loyalty programs, access to, I guess, distribution and the customer base. Why haven’t you joined, you know, one of the major hotel corporations, at least to the state, while remaining an independent Canadian hotel brand?

Marie Pierre Germain

I think we take well, not I think. We take great pride in being Canadian, independently all, soon coast to coast.

And really, I think this is one of our founding values to be Canadian. We do have investors in our family that come from outside of Canada, but they’re a very small portion. And so I and to be honest, like then what? Like, I guess we would all be out of jobs.

Still love what I do, and I still I’m really motivated by what we bring in our contribution and elevating our brand and elevating our company. And I mean, I don’t know what the future will bring.

I can’t speak about that. But it’s not something that we’ve entertained so far. So and, yeah, I see other brands go through that process.

And I can’t say that they have done super well at maintaining their brand identity and agility.

And this is something that I’m really proud of.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay.

Marie Pierre Germain

I think it would change the narrative a little bit. Aren’t you’re the one asking the questions.

But

Sebastien Leitner

No.

I mean, look. I see I mean, I see two observations. One is I see larger hotel corporations creating their own independent hotel brands.

And I wonder why, right? Is right? Because in my head it’s like, it seems like a branded standardized hotel product is no longer attractive to the consumer. Right? Because otherwise, you would just continue having cutty cutter or could Cookie cutter. Hospitality.

Right? Where same layout of bathroom, you have the same layout of hotel room, they have the same mattress everywhere, etcetera. And there were many successful hotel chains that developed with such strategy.

Sebastien Leitner

Yes.

But then at the same time, you know, it seems like customers are looking for that unique hotel experience that is somewhat different that brings in the location of where you are. Right? Where you’re waking up and you realize you’re in Paris or you’re in Vancouver or you’re you know? And there is this sort of experience of traveling again.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah. And when I was earlier, you’re asking me about, you know, the kind of projects that sparked us is like, wanna have fun. And those are the things that you just mentioned that, I mean, that we have fun doing.

I told you I’m an engineer by trade. Like, obviously, I enjoy working on the design and bringing the latest things to the table and elevating the experience. I have a lot of fun doing that.

So I don’t

Sebastien Leitner

Do don’t wanna take that away?

Marie Pierre Germain

No. Yeah.

Sebastien Leitner

You sounded very excited about Vancouver. I wanna go back to your project in Vancouver. What can you share about this project already? And I’m sure a lot of it is still on the works, but you know the location. You know the building. Yes. What can we look forward to?

Marie Pierre Germain

Amazing location. The convention center in Vancouver is on the water in Coal Harbour, and our building is well, depending what kind of golf you play, but a long par three or a short par five, like, it’s two blocks away.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay.

Marie Pierre Germain

You can sit in your room and watch the border planes land.

Sebastien Leitner

Fantastic.

Marie Pierre Germain

Location is amazing.

And what I love about that project is that we purchased an existing office building. And in the whole idea of converting buildings and re gentrifying buildings, I find a lot of pleasure in doing that. So we’re actually converting an office building where the floor plate is small enough that it can turn it can be converted into a hotel. Because as you convert office space, if the floor plate’s too big, then you end up with hotel rooms with no windows, which kind of does not work in a hotel.

So the floor plate is actually very boutique, which makes it a perfect conversion from office to hotel. And so that will be really exciting. And the building is built in nineteen sixty seven, so same year as Le Germain in Montreal, which has a lot of that brutalist kind of architecture. So that is also something that will be exciting to bring into the design perspective.

Sebastien Leitner

And I assume it will have a fantastic restaurant or some food and beverage that stands out.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes. And it’s a short building, so we’re actually looking to do something very cool on the on the rooftop.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay.

Marie Pierre Germain

Stay tuned for more.

Sebastien Leitner

You may need, I don’t know, umbrellas or something because I hear it does rain in Vancouver quite often.

It’s

Marie Pierre Germain

a We’ll plan.

We’ll plan for that. You’ll be comfortable.

Sebastien Leitner

Excellent. I wanna ask a few quickfire questions. Right? And the way this works is, you know, there’s no right or wrong answer. I’m just gonna throw things at you, and you go as quickly as possible. No pressure, whatsoever.

And then I wanna wrap us up talking about sustainability and luxury, which is, you know, something that you’re very passionate about as well. So what’s harder? Maintaining standards or maintaining culture?

Marie Pierre Germain

I have to go quick. I don’t like standards, so I wanna say culture.

Sebastien Leitner

One hotel that changed your perspective on hospitality.

Marie Pierre Germain

The Amman Hotel in Ubud in Bali, which I have to give you context. Am I allowed to give you context?

Please. No.

Sebastien Leitner

Please. Let’s go. Let’s go to Bali.

Marie Pierre Germain

Then you’ll know how old I am. But this was many years ago. I was about eighteen or nineteen years old backpacking, and my mother joined me in Bali for a few days. So I have been on a one load of laundry for many weeks.

Sebastien Leitner

Then That’s quite the contrast. Yes.

Marie Pierre Germain

Then we had a few one or two nights at this amazing Amman Hotel, and I just thought this really changed my perspective on hospitality at that point.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay. Now I have to double click. Why has it changed your perspective?

Marie Pierre Germain

Oh, that whole sense of taking care of people and having every detail thought out and going from staying in hostels to this very luxurious experience. It was the first time I was really exposed to that level of luxe, you know, of luxury.

It really imprinted an image.

Sebastien Leitner

It’s very funny. I had a similar experience right next door at the Four Seasons Siam.

Marie Pierre Germain

And you still remember?

Sebastien Leitner

I still remember it. I remember.

But I was a student at that time, so maybe a few years older than you. Similar budget.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah. Anyway.

And you know what I actually liked also was how they really played out their culture. And this was, I mean, like thirty. I don’t know. I forget how old I am. But anyway, like twenty years ago and.

Like, we didn’t talk about culture the way we do now, but when you were there, you knew you were in Ubud. It was in everything you felt, you smelled, you like, the attention to detail. Like, that was really it was really powerful even a few years ago.

Sebastien Leitner

And it’s all inundating. Right? You see the rice fields. You hear the noise. Yes.

You it’s the heat. It’s the smell. It’s everything.

Marie Pierre Germain

It’s part of the experience, and it’s three sixty.

Sebastien Leitner

I’m failing completely at this point.

Marie Pierre Germain

Okay. Go.

Sebastien Leitner

Alright.

Let’s come back to the next one. First thing you notice when entering a hotel? Smell.

Smell. Okay. One luxury trend you secretly hope disappears.

Marie Pierre Germain

Or I wanna see more of less is more.

So how does how them how this whole, like, showing off thing and the need of people to, like, display everything when I find that less is really more. And what I mean by that is.

Like.

The bucket list thing is like, well, can you enjoy what’s happening right now? Like, can we be can we appreciate what we have in the moment now, you know, and also less people less than so, yeah, less consumption. You know, try to welcome people with showering them with things.

It’s like, no, like, just can we first ask or can we can we just be listening to what people are really looking for rather than throwing things at them?

Sebastien Leitner

So less is more?

Marie Pierre Germain

Less is more.

Sebastien Leitner

And less is more luxury, if you will.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes.

Sebastien Leitner

Okay.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes.

Sebastien Leitner

Most underrated hotel amenity.

Marie Pierre Germain

Most underrated hotel amenity would be attention to ergonomic design.

Sebastien Leitner

Give me an example.

Marie Pierre Germain

Plugs in the room where they locate On

Sebastien Leitner

the right height or in the wrong location?

Yes. Both?

Marie Pierre Germain

I find that to be very underrated. And sometimes people, when they plan out spaces, they don’t think about where things are going to go. And there are small details, but when you do them wrong, they cost a lot to fix.

Sebastien Leitner

One thing guests value more today than they did five years ago.

Marie Pierre Germain

People. ESG also. Okay, wait.

Sebastien Leitner

What is ESG and what is p sorry. Okay. People first. Let’s go people first.

Marie Pierre Germain

Let’s go people first. I find that one thing we realized as a society is that we’re social animals and that we need each other and we feed off of each other. And I don’t think this was as clear to people a few years back. I don’t know how we call this pre twenty twenty period, but people, they came back to visit, they wanted to get outside, they wanted to meet. I think this is something that has changed. And the social environmental aspects is something now that is taken for granted.

People, our guests expect us to have made the right decisions more

Sebastien Leitner

than Already?

Yeah. Okay. What do you hope people feel when they leave a German hotel?

Marie Pierre Germain

Oh.

Sebastien Leitner

And I recognize this may not be a quick fire question. This may be a you know, it’s not a good question.

Marie Pierre Germain

I really hope we succeeded at making them feel welcome. Yeah. And I understand, like, what I’m gonna say is really kind of not in the clouds, but it’s a big wish, like, to feel like the connection was human, was authentic, But that’s really what we aspire to, is that we don’t treat people as numbers, that people, when they walk in, they feel like they were expected.

Like, those are kind of basic needs today.

But it’s not people. I’m not dying. Like, takes a whole team of people to make that happen.

Sebastien Leitner

Yeah.

Okay. You mentioned sustainability.

And you said at some point that it should be treated as a standard, not a luxury.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes.

Sebastien Leitner

Have we misunderstood the relationship between the two?

Marie Pierre Germain

Oh, I think.

We’re lucky in our company that this is something we’re able to treat as a standard and as something that we plan out right from the beginning. When we start working on projects, We have the luxury to develop our hotels, to choose the locations, to plan out the design, to choose materials, to make all of those decisions ahead of time so that when we actually open the doors, a lot of these decisions have been made, have been taken into account. That’s a luxury that we have as a company because we are involved from beginning to end. I don’t think every brand has that possibility.

So we’re lucky that we’re able to make that a statement and that we’re able to make some of these decisions right from the beginning, such as geothermal heating and cooling systems. We opened our hotel in two thousand and eight, and we had drilled, like, thirty holes underneath the building to make room for geothermal wells.

I mean, that was amazing. And when you think of operating the hotel in the long run and operating it for fifteen, twenty, twenty five years, you know that the payback will be there.

If you’re building the property to quickly sell the building, it’s a different perspective.

Sebastien Leitner

But you do you put that on your, I guess, website that you use geothermal? Sure. I mean, do sorry?

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes. We do. And so, unfortunately, not every property were able to do it. But Yeah. Out of twenty, I believe eleven properties have geothermal heating and cooling systems.

Okay. Yeah.

Sebastien Leitner

And you see that customers are starting to or care, react, engage?

Marie Pierre Germain

Well, those are two things. Like I said, today, I think this is something that’s now taken for granted. And then I feel like I’m speaking from both sides of their mouth, but it’s something that we integrate and that we believe in.

It’s a decision that we’ve been making, a choice we’ve been making for even before ESG became a thing. I gave you the example of geothermal cooling systems, but we also brought the key card interrupter in the room when electricity was never a currency in Canada. It was in Europe, but not So now it’s becoming more a thing people talk about, and dual flush toilets.

But we’ve been making those choices for many years. Like, we challenge our suppliers that we want the soap bottles to be refillable.

We started that, again, with the Alt brand in two thousand and eight. Because before that, remember, you had the little soap bottles in the hotel rooms.

And it’s not a guest of ours that came and said, you should change that for refillable bottles. We’re like, you know, it doesn’t make sense to throw out all of these bottles on a daily basis.

It doesn’t make sense. So we actually went to see our suppliers, and we work together with them. And ever since, it’s an evolving an evolving project.

Sebastien Leitner

Yeah. I did notice in one of my stays in Calgary, I think at the time at the Le Jalen properties, you had these larger dispensers, the and I think it was fifteen, twenty years ago, it was quite a novelty for a North American hotel. Yeah. For sure. You’re also making an effort to source locally. Yes.

Is that driven by sustainability, more by guest experience, or like food experience? Or both?

Marie Pierre Germain

Both. Plus fun factor. Okay.

What do you

Sebastien Leitner

mean by fun factor?

Marie Pierre Germain

Well, I take a lot of pride in working with local entrepreneurs. And, you know, those examples I gave you on sustainability can also carry over to local entrepreneurs. So it’s really gratifying to develop a product and to help someone develop their business and help them elevate their product, you know. So whether it’s Ruby Brown that we worked with to develop the soap amenities, and I’m going to talk about Marie St.

Pierre also. She doesn’t need us to build her business, but this was also a fun project to do all of our uniforms with her. So we have these projects that really, you know, they’re fun to work with and they also bring, yeah, fun to the equation. It’s important.

Sebastien Leitner

So fun is important, but sustainability and, I guess, showcasing local artistry Yes.

Marie Pierre Germain

Local artists. I talked to you about Michel Augved, who is a Canadian artist, but I think it’s really important when we have the opportunity to showcase our talent to do so. Like, we have a responsibility as a as a showcase to do so. And also food wise, there are amazing products that we have here that we have the responsibility to bring forward and bring to the table.

Okay.

Sebastien Leitner

You mentioned Ubud, right, the Aman Hotel. I’m more curious more recently, where do you find inspiration? Because clearly, you’re constantly innovating, seeking for a better way, right, in hospitality.

So more recently, where do you find inspiration or ideas?

Marie Pierre Germain

Yeah. So I told you about the crazy life at this time with the kids. So I wish I had more time to travel. And it’s maybe the one thing in my life where I’m like, ugh. So I rely on people that do travel and do have more time to do so. But now we have we have a lot of people around us who inspire us on a daily basis and bring back ideas. And it’s really important that we keep ourselves kind of connected with whatever is happening out there and new products and always be on the It’s setting that mindset, you know, to have that explorer mindset where you’re always curious about what’s happening and what are new and interesting trends out there.

Sebastien Leitner

Yeah. You talked about the challenges of, you know, raising family.

But you’re also involved in a charity or Yes.

Marie Pierre Germain

Yes. It’s a it’s a great charity. Mères avec pouvoir. We supported both Christiane and I this year.

They help women that are I’m looking for the word in English, but soloparental, not just Single mothers. But single. Like, meaning there’s no other support. Like, you’re really on your own kind of thing.

And this it’s a I don’t mind sharing this story because we talked about it when we supported the cause, but my mother also raised me on her own. So when we found out about this cause that they’ve been operating for many years, but we felt very connected to supporting the cause. So they do wonders. Like they all the women live together in a community and they have access to different services to help the mothers actually go back to school.

And there’s they care for the children and it really changes their trajectory in positive sense.

So

Sebastien Leitner

That’s amazing.

Yeah. In Montreal? In Montreal. In Montreal. Okay. Great. Before we wrap up, I do wanna I guess, I have two more questions for you.

One is around you alluded that at some point you may be going outside of Canada for projects.

Marie Pierre Germain

I did say that.

That will follow me after I’m in in trouble.

Sebastien Leitner

I just paid attention. I just paid attention.

I don’t want you to disclose anything you’re not comfortable with, but let’s stay on brand. What would be a destination that you would think would fit well with the Le Germain brand?

I’m really, I’m very passionate about Vancouver, right, so closing the sort of the gap between East and West.

Marie Pierre Germain

Okay. So I’m not gonna answer your question specifically, because I will get into trouble.

What I will say is that I think there are and you do what you want with my answer, how you interpret it. But I think there are markets that our brand would really be well suited, different countries or where there is a fit. And I think before we our interest for growth was really to be, you know, a Canadian brand and be established coast to coast. And I think soon well, not I think, I mean, Vancouver is really happening, as will no longer be a thing of the So I think it would be interesting to do a pilot project at some point to see if we could take our brand to another market.

And there are a few that could work.

Sebastien Leitner

Without wanting to lead the witness, you know that the famous Montreal pizza place that my kids love a lot, which is nine hundred, recently opened a, I guess, store in Lyon, France. Not that I wanna, you know, lead you in any directions, but I thought that was an interesting fun fact.

Marie Pierre Germain

Well, I’m learning I’m learning something today, Sebastian. Thank you. Let’s go.

But that’s also a great brand. They just managed to, like, grow and keep their culture intact. It’s a fun place to visit, for sure.

Sebastien Leitner

Yeah. When you have your, I guess, mother’s legacy, you know, you’re now President. When you fast forward, and it’s sort of my closing question, when you fast forward twenty years from today, you know, sorry.

Marie Pierre Germain

No. That’s okay. I’m with you.

Sebastien Leitner

I don’t know how long you want to do this, but you seem to be having a lot of fun, and when you fast forward to you giving, I guess, the legacy to the next president of Le Jean Arhotel, what would you want to have accomplished?

What do you want your legacy to be? Is I guess the way of positioning?

Marie Pierre Germain

I’m really into.

And this is something we’re asked a lot and or not asked, but people like they kind of go, oh, third generation, good luck, you know, because not so many companies make it that far and not many families manage to pass on to the next generation. And I think I kind of want to look at it the other way around, where not many companies make it past ten years. And we’re already been almost celebrating forty years. So I think it’s amazing that we’ve made it so far and that our company is strong. And this is the legacy I want for the company, is to keep growing, but also keep the company strong and alive and true to itself, you know, whether we talk about generations or but more about, like, you know? What’s that word in English?

Like, so that it stays.

Sebastien Leitner

I don’t even know. I’m sorry. I’m drawing a blank right now. Yeah.

Marie Pierre Germain

So that the company stays alive for a long time. Like, it continues to it survives. Time. You know? Yeah.

So It

Sebastien Leitner

has a certain resilience, and it has a we’ll look it up.

We’ll put it in its top title. We’ll find the exact I feel like we’re not doing it justice. But so that is it? That’s your legacy, keeping it?

Marie Pierre Germain

Well, you know, we could have done this interview on artificial intelligence and distribution, and what’s happening for the future of our own hotel distribution, because there’s a lot to be said about that. And just to stay ahead of that is very challenging. And, you know, no one knows today what it will be like in a year. So when you start to when you stop and look at that, I think it can be a bit daunting.

But I want to I prefer to see past this. And I think, to me, the legacy is to continue to welcome people and to do the things we do well and to bring value, whether it’s, you know, local entrepreneurs. And when you travel to our hotels, you feel like you’re at Le Germain. You know, we’ve managed to keep this brand this brand alive and to bring more cool experiences because you also you talked about the restaurant that your kids like to go to. But the whole F and B experience is also something people look for when they travel now. Like, it’s not just a nice, comfortable bed.

So we have a lot to work on just to keep that company where it is today and continue to take care of our people and welcome them.

Sebastien Leitner

I thought it was refreshing not to talk about AI for a minute.

I thank you so much for your time, for your insights, for sharing unfiltered, you know, your opinion and what you’re working on. So, really appreciate your time. Thank you for joining the program.

Marie Pierre Germain

It was a pleasure. Thank you so much for welcoming me.

Sebastien Leitner

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