Josef Ebner announces his retirement from the hotel industry

Josef Ebner, a well-known hotel industry veteran is retiring.

Ebner, the RVP Canada & Managing Director of The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto will retire on Nov. 15, 2024.

The announcement of Ebner’s retirement marks the end of an amazing career spanning over 60 years, 14 properties and 7 countries.

Like many hoteliers in his time, Ebner began his career in an Apprenticeship Training program where he learned first-hand, the importance of excellent customer service and hospitality – an experience that helped him to become a successful hotelier.

Bob van den Oord said that he is the chief executive of Langham Hospitality Group. “There have been many milestones over the course of Josef’s hotel leadership of the Chelsea over the past 32 years, including the transition of the hotel from Delta Hotels to Chelsea (under direct LHG management) 11 years ago.”

And van den Oord continued: “His reputation, not only at the Chelsea Hotel, but across the hospitality industry, has been well recognized through various awards and accolades throughout the years such as the Hotel Association of Canada, Canadian Hotel and Marketing Sales Executives, the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, the Austrian Canadian Council, and SKAL. An especially proud moment for Josef was receiving the 2011 Decoration of Honour in Gold (Goldenes Ehrenzeichen) of the Province of Styria, Austria, and the 2001 Decoration of Merit in Gold (Goldenes Verdienstzeichen) of the Republic of Austria.”

“One of our strategic objectives and goals relates to “The World – To Create a Net Positive Impact”I have never met a person who is more representative of this than Josef. The ability to ‘give back’ to the community is not only an important philosophy of Langham, but it is something he practices every day,” said van den Oord.” Under his direction, the hotel has conducted fundraising efforts and provided volunteers to benefit local as well as international charities. Some of these charities include the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF), Special Olympics Canada and Habitat for Humanity. Since 2013, the hotel’s donation to SickKids Foundation has exceeded $1 million. On a personal challenge, he raised money by climbing mountains such as Kilimanjaro – $30K for Special Olympics and Aconcagua – $25K for the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada.”

Ebner joined the Chelsea Hotel as a sales representative in 1992. He has participated in sales missions in Asia, Europe and the U.K.

Over the years he has contributed to a number of tourism-related student/youth programmes. He has been a mentor to Masters students at Cornell University. Locally, he sat on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Ted Rogers School of Management, at Ryerson University. He also worked with many European tourism schools that offer internships, and personally mentors a number of students.

Rob Housez, general manager, Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, observed: “With genuine passion, Josef Ebner has inspired, shared and developed a vision for the future of the Chelsea Hotel and the tourism industry.”

Housez continued: “Whether tending to his guests and employees, the needs of the owners of Canada’s largest hotel, and contributing to promoting Canada as a destination, he represents the definition of a leader and a master hotelier. On behalf of the team at the Chelsea, we wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

In his next chapter, he will prioritize spending more time at home with his family.