BIO – DANIEL EDWARD CRAIG

Originally from Vancouver, Daniel Edward Craig began his career in hotels as a front desk agent at the Delta Chelsea Inn in Toronto and has since worked for a variety of upscale hotels in positions ranging from duty manager to vice president.

Craig’s writing career began at four years old, when he carried a notebook around entitled “Poims”. Over the years his spelling and writing improved (though not his poetry), and in high school he received an award for excellence in journalism—although he gained more notoriety for an underground newspaper he founded that reviewed local parties.

While a duty manager at the Five-Diamond-rated Pan Pacific Hotel Craig began his first serious work of fiction. “I should have started with something a little less ambitious,” says Craig. “A short story, a poem—a haiku. But I naively thought it would be fun and easy to write a mystery novel. They say write what you know, so I set it in a hotel. Ten years later, Murder at the Universe was published.”

Craig has since published two more novels in the series, Murder at Hotel Cinema and Murder at Graverly Manor. “In my books I draw from the many bizarre and wonderful people and situations I’ve encountered in the hotel business,” says Craig. “There’s a lot of truth there, but fortunately the murder part is pure fiction.”

In 2002 Craig opened Opus Hotel as director of sales and marketing, and became general manager in 2004. Opus has consistently performed as one of the top hotels in Vancouver and was named one of the World’s Top 100 Hotels by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Craig spearheaded a number of firsts in the industry, such as the General Manager’s Blog and the Lifestyle Concierge. In 2007 he became vice president and oversaw the launch of Opus’s sister property in Montreal, home to the popular Koko Restaurant and Bar.

Craig holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia and has studied film, writing, acting, and languages. He has held positions as area sales manager with Canadian Airlines (now Air Canada) and as vice president, sales and marketing for internationally-renowned Vancouver Film School. His articles have been appeared in a variety of print and online publications, including The Globe and Mail, the National Post, and the book Facts and Arguments. His popular blog provides an entertaining insider’s look at issues in the hotel industry and is considered essential reading for travelers, hotel employees and hotel management students alike.

Craig travels extensively, speaks French and Spanish, and is particularly passionate about hotels, having stayed in—and managed—some of the best in the world.