About Us
Partner with Activar Hôtels for investment and development in hospitality projects and hotel management services
We develop and invest in hospitality projects and manage hotel operations for our properties or as a third-party manager. Our goal is to improve a hotel’s key performance indicators and guest experience to increase ROI and render them more attractive to investors and guests alike.
We are inspired by local people, realities and flavours. No two hotel projects are carbon copies.
We like to do things, well,
the way we like to do things.
Of our people. Of our guests. Of the communities that welcome us. Of our business.
Activar Hôtels is in the business of ensuring people’s well-being in the spaces they stay.
To our teams. To the localness of communities. To our industry.
Activar Hôtels strives to listen and discover what motivates a person or what defines a place through meaningful exchanges and co-operation.
Can be unleashed to feed curiosity and inspire creativity.
Activar Hôtels team members and partners demonstrate they can take on a project with entrepreneurial gusto: we celebrate initiative, solution-driven thinking and sound judgment.
Opens the mind to opportunity.
Activar Hôtels team members have a love for what they do and for discovery. It’s our combined joie de vivre that allows us to create memorable experiences.
Activar Hôtels manages hotel operations and supports ideas that foster growth and sustainability.
Local support
Whether we are working with international brands or creating them, we aim to work locally on many fronts: consultants, suppliers, producers, artisans. We like our guests to get a feel for the community in which they are staying.
Industry network
We are connected to key industry thought leaders through our memberships and sponsorships.
Green initiatives
We use sustainable materials in all our new constructions and favour using wood when possible. We implement initiatives in our operational processes that reduce our impact on the environment.
Our core: development, hotel management and financial analysis
Activar Hôtels is made up of bilingual industry leaders in finance, real-estate development and hospitality. The team is supported by aces in marketing, communications and project management.
Mathieu Mault, CEO
mat.mault@activarhotels.ca
In a short 24 months, Mathieu has brought Activar Hôtels from zero to four managed hotel properties through new development and acquisitions. An ambitious and charismatic leader, Mathieu has spearheaded Activar Hôtels growth in terms of projects and people. His entrepreneurial spirit is palpable. He’s raised close to $100M over the years in project funding (debt and equity) to activate infrastructure projects, mostly in the hospitality sector. His knowledge of real estate development, land acquisition, financing and investment and construction leads to opportunity and invaluable partnerships. Mathieu focuses on creating long-term relationships that spark innovative ways of doing business or shed a light on community and culture. He believes that entrepreneurship is a pillar of sustainable healthy communities and works towards supporting and celebrating it.
Danny Purcell, MBA, CPA – VP Finance
danny.purcell@activarhotels.ca
Before joining Activar Hôtels, Danny Purcell was Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer at the Montfort Hospital, Canada’s largest francophone teaching hospital outside of Québec. Danny has a lifelong passion for learning and also works as a lecturer at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and at the University of Ottawa where he teaches courses in Finance, Management Accounting and Financial Accounting. Danny leads the entire underwriting process for new hotel developments, the evaluation of property acquisitions as well as the financial management of current hotel projects which includes operations and investor reporting.
Andrée Albert, Assistant, Finances + Administration
finances@activarhotels.ca
Andrée is driven by integrity, authenticity and continuous improvement. Currently completing her studies in accounting, she practises her meticulous and astute accountant mind by supporting Activar Hôtels’ VP Finance. She has outstanding project management, planning, analysis and budget management skills. Her experience in roles such as project manager and estimator for medium-sized commercial and institutional construction companies make her an asset to the team. Andrée is a CrossFit enthusiast, she plays piano and loves carrying out artistic projects. She’s inspired by ambitious innovations that allow for accomplishment and progress.
Xavier Icardo – VP Hotel Operations
xavier.icardo@activarhotels.ca
Xavier Icardo has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has collaborated with multiple Accor, Wyndham and Marriott brand names. With an international multi-unit operations background – South Africa, the US and Canada – he excels in launching and managing new networks of properties and believes in balancing quality and consistency of service with profitability and productivity while developing and leading human capital to success. Xavier oversees all aspects of hotel management in the Activar Hôtels portfolio, including the selection, training and development of team members, pre-opening of new hotels, revenue management, sales and marketing.
Jennifer Larocque - Marketing and communications
jen.larocque@activarhotels.ca
Jennifer is passionate about creativity and communication: she conveys emotions through words, expressions and images while being able to exude a brand’s values. Jennifer has acquired over 15 years of experience in marketing and communications and is a social entrepreneur for having created and continuing to direct the activities of the Popsilos circuit. She launched her professional career by working for a fortune 500 company in Montréal, then held Marketing Manager positions in the parapublic and co-operative sectors. Since cofounding Activar Inc., a boutique consulting firm, Jennifer is regularly solicited to work on brand strategy and the conceptualization, architecture and messaging of websites, web communications and print materials. Jennifer is lending her marketing and communications expertise to Activar Hôtels.
Geneviève Harvey – Project Manager
gharvey@activarhotels.ca
Geneviève is attentive to detail and a natural leader. She has acquired a solid foundation in financial analysis and Lean Management through her work as an underwriter and team leader at Export Development Canada, over 11 years. She’s passionate about making things happen, particularly in real estate development. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led her to the Laurentians region where she now works as a developer and consultant in real estate project management. Her projects are currently located in the Laurentians and the Outaouais region. She holds a degree in Business Administration, international profile from Laval University. Geneviève is lending her project management skills to Activar Hôtels.