The Delta Fredericton Wants New Brunswickers To Make The Most Of March Break

Share:

FREDERICTON – Since the pandemic has halted travel for this March Break, the Delta Hotel by Marriott Fredericton is using a themed week to give their guests an international experience from home.

“It’s a Small World After All” is offering a staycation that gives families the fun of travel while staying in their home province.

When planning the event, hotel activities manager, Lita Pardy, asked herself: “What are we going to do that’s fun for people in Fredericton that’s different?”

She settled on activities based in different parts of the world, from an Outdoor Arctic Safari to Tropical Bingo. Other events include maple candy making and building your own birdhouse.

“Our engineering team has been really busy cutting up some wood and getting things in place to help guests build their own little birdhouse,” said Pardy.

Throughout the day, guests have the option to participate in a variety of staff-led, self-guided and virtual activities. The themed week is a welcome change for workers as well as guests.

“When we do these themed weekends we really embrace the whole team,” said Pardy. “So everybody is going to get involved with this.”

To get the community involved, Delta reached out to fellow Fredericton businesses.

“We have a really big focus on local and how we can support local and shop local,” said Pardy.

Delta brought in businesses they traditionally use for weddings to decorate the hotel. Their restaurant, the STMR.36 BBQ and Social, also partnered with Picaroons to make a special brew.

“We’re all in this together,” said Pardy. “If one of us succeeds we want the rest of us to succeed as well.”

In partnership with Fredericton Tourism, guests will receive $50 Downtown Dollars or Business Fredericton North Dollars.

“So that’s $50 they can take out into the community and spend off our property,” said Pardy.

Guests will also be entered in a contest to win a free night at the Delta Moncton, Delta Prince Edward and Halifax Marriott Harbourfront this summer. For now, an Atlantic road trip will have to wait until restrictions loosen.

“We’re restricted,” said Pardy. “We can’t really leave Zone 3 at the moment. We were just trying to find a way that we can all kind of escape this March Break.”

With the Covid-19 pandemic devastating the hotel industry, Pardy said events like this one help the Delta to get people back into their hotels. She says past themed weekends in the summer and fall were a success.

“We’ve had great success with this because everybody’s kind of in the same situation where nobody can really go anywhere,” said Pardy. “We are trying to build fun little pockets for people, give them something to look forward to and give us something to prepare that’s something a little more out of the box from our normal day-to-day.”

It’s a Small World After All runs until March 7. Looking forward, Pardy hopes to see her old guests return soon but in the meantime will continue to explore creative alternatives.

“We’re not alone in trying to find these creative new ways to pivot ourselves and keep ourselves relevant.”