About Niagara-on-the-Lake Lodgings

Niagara-on-the-Lake Lodgings is a membership association of Cottages and Bed & Breakfast accommodations in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Canada. We serve two masters. First, prospective guests considering a trip to our wonderfully charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and next, our constituent lodging owners who rely on us to take a leadership role in promoting the town and its vast array of accommodation choices.

Our Manifesto: A-Z

In the formation of this membership and in the creation of this website, our goals were precise, simple and highly motivating. We present our A-Z "manifesto":

1. to fill a glaring void on the internet with a professionally-designed web portal that is both official and comprehensive in its exclusive dedication to the promotion of Niagara-on-the-Lake
2. to make that website in such a way that respects the interests of prospective guests above all else since guests are the lifeblood of our tourist-driven community
3. to embrace a philosophy of transparency and democracy that will empower our members to decide item by item what future initiatives are worthy of their time and financial contribution
4. to remember that our members do not serve our club; rather, our club serves its members. Our unpoliticized approach ensures that the "tail will never wag the dog"
5. to treat B&B and Cottage lodgings with equal respect and coverage without favouring one over the other
6. to embrace the best technologies available so that the website would be built on a tightly integrated database and file structure. Our goal is to make it so that our technology is "invisible" and stays out of the way of the guest/member experience
7. to depict Niagara-on-the-Lake in all its charm and glory and to outline the many alluring qualities of a town that is the psychological centre of wine country in Southern Ontario
8. to employ graphical elements that are cohesive and integrated. A website, like a person, should have integrity
9. to be mindful and respectful of the copyrights of others and to put safeguards in place to prevent/remedy any abuses
10. to make an important distinction for our unique town so as to differentiate Niagara-on-the-Lake from its more energized "cousin" to the south in the city of Niagara Falls. We achieved this by restraining ourselves from employing any prominent visual reference of Niagara Falls on our homepage, which we believe would have diluted the Niagara-on-the-Lake brand and would have cheapened the sophisticated ambience of the character of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
11. to develop a logo and slogan that would be visually captivating and compelling like no others representing Niagara-on-the-Lake
12. to design a website whose core content and direction would be manageable by its members and contributors, not by some overseeing body
13. to expand on an existing family of websites all under the GuestServe umbrella so that our members would need only manage one rates/availability calendar for their primary reservation sources in Niagara
14. to source only local suppliers in the development of the website and not to go to some other province or country when world-class talent exists right in our own backyard. We believe that to achieve our desired homespun feeling on our website, the design would need to be conveyed through people who have actually traversed the streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake... for years... (decades actually!)
15. to provide an official (i.e. direct) interface between guests and lodging owners so that guests would get the most accurate and up-to-date information available as well as the best possible rates and the most personalized interaction with lodging owners
16. to limit advertising to vendors who only have a direct relevance to guests. We will not "litter" this website with visual distractions even if it means foregoing lucractive revenue opportunities
17. to provide as many services as possible without commission so that the guests would be assured they are getting the best possible value for their travel investment
18. to provide a "one-stop shop" for guests looking to source accommodations and Shaw Festival tickets and everything they need to know about Niagara-on-the-Lake
19. to take advantage of any new social networking services that would enhance the guest experience and our visiblity on the internet
20. to be respectful of the guests' time and prospective financial commitment to make travel plans to our locale. A "holiday" or a "weekend getaway" is not some superfluous indulgence. Humans have a basic need to unplug from the rigors and stresses of daily living. We also have a need to elevate our spirits and to seek inspiration. Niagara-on-the-Lake offers pristine natural landscapes, theatrical performances, rolling vineyards and wine tours, spa facilities and a historical perspective on modern life. It is incumbent upon us to deliver this message successfully
21. to seek partnership with other tourism stakeholders in order to cross-promote the charms of our destination and in order to co-operate in reaching our common goals
22. to be highly respectful of cultural and ethnic differences in both our members and in our guests
23. to make sure that our marketing and technology pursuits always give due consideration to longevity and the ability to scale up
24. to find imaginative ways to offset costs without passing any fees on to guests and without burdening lodging owners with capital costs for any quickly-depreciating digital assets
25. to give a voice to our members so that even the most reserved lodging operator can feel their needs are expressed and heard
26. to never forget that we are partners in our ambassadorship as representatives of Niagara-on-the-Lake to the world

Our Logo

In our experience, no other logo has ever captured the essence of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We set a very high standard for ourselves when we embarked on fulfilling that objective. The logo had to say "Niagara-on-the-Lake Lodgings" both in word and in form. The visual depiction is important from an aesthetic standpoint, but also serves a practical purpose because many travelers do not speak English as their primary language. The logo had to convey a rustic feel, but with a sophistication and a promise of what Niagara-on-the-Lake might hold in store for them. The inclusion of a guesthouse with Lake Ontario in the background would be crucial. We present to you the fruits of our labour...

Our Slogan

The slogan of an organization or a business must convey a promise to prospective customers. We meditated on this and came up with something that we believe offers a promise that can be upheld. Old Towne in Niagara-on-the-Lake is reminiscent of a small village in South Wales or a little town on the shores of the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Steeped in history and filled with quaint town streets, we have always thought of Niagara-on-the-Lake as a little breath of the "old world"... right in the heart of North America. One does not have to take flight across the Atlantic to enjoy European flavours for a day or two. One need only traverse the beautiful drive (or boat ride) to our haven on the lake.

Yet, there is no denying that Niagara-on-the-Lake presents many "new world" delights. In the last 20 years, dozens of wineries have emerged offering an artisan-inspired, but modern technology-enabled approach to the wine-making process. As well, in this little corner of the "new world", sandwiched between two Great Lakes (Lake Ontario to the north and Lake Erie to the south), there are many wonderful experiences to be had. The natural beauty along the Niagara River trail, the views at Queenston Heights, high-energy excitement of nearby Niagara Falls... These, to us represented new world wonders... that is, a reason for people from the old world to come here. We present the slogan that sums up our view of Niagara-on-the-Lake and our promise to would-be travelers:

Old World Charms, New World Wonders ™

Thank you to my team at GuestServe Inc., an extremely dedicated and caring bunch of people who just "get it".

And... thank YOU for visiting us on the web. We look forward to seeing you in person in the wonderfully charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Paul Tomori, President
GuestServe Inc.