estate, people, guest expectations, and external forces all at once—and often with tight margins. The biggest challenge has always been balancing consistency with evolution. How do you grow without losing what made you trusted in the first place? One surprise, in a good way, has been just how loyal our team and guests have remained. During tough stretches, like the pandemic, the amount of support we saw was humbling. It reminded me that this business runs on people, not transactions. That’s been a huge motivator. Spotlight on Business: What advice would you give someone looking to start a business in the PEI hospitality industry? Mark Rodd: For anyone starting in hospitality on PEI, along with building for tourists, build for the community. This island is built on relationships. If you focus on quality, stay consistent, and respect the place you’re in, word of mouth will do more for you than any ad spend ever could. Word of mouth has been the very base of our legacy. And be ready to wear multiple hats. Spotlight on Business: Can you tell us why the role of community and local partnerships play such an important part in The Rodd Hotels & Resorts brand? Mark Rodd: We’ve grown up alongside the towns and cities we operate in. These aren’t just markets to us. They’re home. Take Rodd Charlottetown, we’re supporting the Island Tides Festival, The Charlottetown Festival, The PEI Symphony, PEI Music Festival, and more. We put these events front and centre for our guests because that’s what makes the destination real. We do this across every property—whether it’s working with local artists, featuring island- made products, or building partnerships with suppliers who’ve been around longer than we have. It’s how we’ve always done business, investing in the place we’re in. And frankly, our guests notice. They don’t want a generic hotel experience. They want to feel where they are. That’s what we give them.
We’re not trying to be the biggest. We’re focused on being the most trusted, and that’s a title you earn one stay at a time.
SHANIA TWAIN
TYLER HUBBARD
LAINEY WILSON
Spotlight on Business: The Rodd family has continuously evolved the brand for 90 years now, without giving away any secrets, what is upcoming for the rest of 2025 and beyond as you head toward the century mark? Mark Rodd: Ninety years in, and we’re just getting started. The goal is to take what’s worked and build it in smarter, sharper ways. 2025 and beyond is about raising the bar across the board, from guest experience to infrastructure to how we show up digitally. You’ll see continued investment in our core properties, upgrades where they matter, tech where it enhances the stay, and design choices that reflect where the brand is going. We’re also looking at how we grow, not only in volume, but in value. Strategic partnerships, possible expansion, and a tighter focus on what today’s traveller actually wants. We’re heading toward our 100-year mark with purpose. The next chapter will feel different, because it should. But it’ll still be
Rodd at its core, authentic, Atlantic Canadian, and built to last.
Thursday, July 10
Friday, July 11
Saturday, July 12
JOSH ROSS BRYAN MARTIN SACHA TONY STEVENS THE WILD PALOMINOS
STEPHEN WILSON JR. MEGHAN PATRICK ADRIEN NUNEZ NATE HALLER AMANDA RHEAUME
WYATT FLORES BAYKER BLAKENSHIP TIM & THE GLORY BOYS ABBY ANDERSON JUSTIN FANCY
Spotlight on Business: In closing, are there any items that we might have missed that you would like for us to share with our readers about yourself or The Rodd Hotels & Resorts brand? Mark Rodd: We’ve talked legacy, we’ve talked growth, but at the end of the day, what matters most is the experience we deliver every single day at every single property. That’s what defines us. Rodd Hotels & Resorts is a living legacy, built on family, shaped by community, and carried forward by purpose. It’s guests who return year after year because they feel connected, not just checked in. If there’s one thing I’d leave readers with, it’s this. We’re not trying to be the biggest. We’re focused on being the most trusted, and that’s a title you earn one stay at a time.
MORE INFO
18 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 25 ISSUE 3
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 19
JULY 10-12, 2025
CAVENDISH, PEI
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator