Sandman Hotels Leans Into Canadian Pride With a 25-Year Travel Contest

Canadian travellers riding the wave of patriotism now have one more reason to stay and travel locally this summer with Sandman Hotel’s Key to Canada contest.

Nearly 80% of Canadians are actively choosing to buy homegrown brands, particularly those with clear Canadian ownership and operation, However, research revealed that only 13% of consumers were aware of the Sandman Hotel’s Canadian heritage.

To firmly reinforce their Canadian identity and reward loyal guests, Sandman Hotel’s is launching the Key to Canada contest. The unprecedented grand prize will give one lucky winner a prestigious, one-of-a-kind room key that unlocks a week of free stays every year for 25 years.

"We wanted to create a contest that resonated with Canadians and truly celebrated our deep roots in this country," said Fiona McFaul, vice president of marketing and loyalty for the Sandman Hotel Group. "The 'Key to Canada' taps into the current surge of Canadian pride as a platform to tell our story and offer a truly exceptional reward for choosing to 'Stay Canadian' with Sandman."

Sandman Hotel Group‘s creative agency, Full Punch developed the contest and the multi-faceted campaign to support it. “We aimed to create something so big, unique, and undeniably Canadian that it speaks for itself,” said Chris Zawada, founding partner and chief creative officer. To enhance the theme of Canadiana, Full Punch collaborated with JMP Flow + Design, based in Victoria, BC, to create a custom room key card that serves as the lucky winner’s key to Canada. “What’s more Canadian than a premium one-of-a-kind key card made of Canadian maple wood and infused with a unique maple syrup resin?” Chris remarked.

The 'Key to Canada' contest is on now through the summer and concludes September 2, 2025. Participants can enter by booking a stay at any of Sandman's 57 locations this July and August at sandmanhotels.com.