Alex Kempenaar (right) pictured with Councillor Raymond Louie
(photo by Mits Naga Photography)
January 2008: Alex Kempenaar of Best Western Downtown
My name is Wendy Roper and I and my family and friends would like to give some deserved recognition to one of your front desk staff, Alex Kempenaar.
Our reason for coming to Vancouver was to attend the 2007 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Chmapionships. Our group of five were registered at the Best Western Downton for six nights. The event was being held at the PNE. Your staff member Alex was our first welcoming point of our stay and what a blessing that turned out to be. He was very informative of the event, transportation directions and street maps for our driver.
Most importantly he became a great assistant to my mother who is 95 years young and recovering from a broken hip. She is a very active figure skating fan. Alex and she struck up a real conversation about the skating world. I told Alex she would be alone in our hotel room. He continually contacted her to make sure she was alright and visted her after his shift. He even gave her some of his home made cookies for her to enjoy. Alex's kindness toward her made her lonely stays in the room much more enjoyable. My mother calls him "her guardian angel".
