A place of serenity

For Gynette Cousineau, a recent conversation with a hotel guest brought home the importance of a service the Travelodge Hotel recently began to offer.

On top of their own rooms, hotel guests who are in Sudbury for a medical reason or to visit a patient at Health Sciences North are given keys to the “Serenity Suite,” which features a fully-stocked kitchenette, dining area, television, lounge and laptop with Internet access.

“We have one gentleman who has been with us for about three months now, and the other day he stopped me in the lobby,” Cousineau, the hotel's general manager, said.

“He said 'I was with my wife at the hospital until 11 p.m. last night. I came back and I was so hungry, and all I wanted was a bowl of soup. How nice was it that I could come down here and have my bowl of soup and watch the late news?'”

The Travelodge, located close to Health Sciences North, on Paris Street, is a popular accommodation choice for those accessing the hospital, Cousineau said.

Because there are so many of these guests at the hotel, the Travelodge decided to launch the new service about a month ago, she said. The room was named the Serenity Suite because it's a calm place where guests can go to wind down at any time of the day.

The Travelodge's rooms don't have kitchenettes, so the cooking facilities in the suite are especially appreciated, she said.

“We've had extremely great success with it,” Cousineau said. “Those who are here love it.”

A few friendships have also been forged as a result of the Serenity Suite, she said.

“Normally, it's one person who comes down and looks around, and they're a little apprehensive at first,” Cousineau said.

“Then they see someone else, and say, 'Hey, what are you doing here?' The conversation starts, just as simple as that. Really, it's building a network of support for some of these people who might see each other over a long period of time.”

For more information about the Serenity Suite, phone the Travelodge Hotel at 705-522-1100 or visit www.travelodgesudbury.com.

Posted by Arron Pickard