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WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Presenting the winners of the 2011 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence in Sydney SURf'S Up HM checks-in to the new Hilton Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast ALSO IN THIS ISSUE The Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), Shangri-Las new Kerry Hotels brand, Virgin Australia, outsourcing, hotel refurbishments, technology and more
HILTON
ITS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR HILTON, HAVING BEEN NAMED BRAND OF THE YEAR AT BOTH THE 2011 HM AWARDS AND IN THE BDRC BUSINESS TRAVELLER SURVEY
N E W Z E A L A N D A S I A - PA C I F I C
A U S T R A L I A
contents
SpECIAL fEATURE
22 HM Awards 2011
Presenting the winners of the 2011 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence presented by Sealy.
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EXECUTIVE fEATURES
12 HM Q&A
In an exclusive interview, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australias Koos Klein talks about plans for Australias first Indigenous training academy.
14 In Focus
A report on the second annual Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), held during September.
08 Check-In
In-depth news from hotels across the globe, plus exclusive columns.
56 CEO Talk
An interview with the inaugural winner of the HM magazine Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year, Pan Pacifics A. Patrick Imbardelli.
16 Property
Hotel openings, closings, sales, refurbishments and change of management.
58 Key News
A new section in HM magazine presented by the Accommodation Association of Australia.
64 General Manager
HM sits down with the General Manager of Hilton Surfers Paradise, David Kelly.
68 Tourism Forum
How Virgin Australia is chasing a greater share of the business class market.
66 Global Report
Shangri-Las newest brand Kerry Hotels is in the spotlight.
84 HOT Products
A guide to hot products for accommodation hotels.
70 Property Profiles
Interviews with several winning properties from the 2011 HM Awards.
SpECIAL fEATURES
74 Hotel Design
HM looks at some of the leading hotel refurbishments over the last 18 months.
87 Human Resources
Mark Sant, Head of Workplace Relations at Gadens, looks at the perils of social media.
80 Rooms Division
Steve Tochner weights up the benefits of outsourcing.
88 People
Profiles, events and whos moving where in the hotel industry.
82 Hotel Technology
A report on the latest broadband and wireless technology for hotels.
90 Concierge Corner
The latest news from Les Clefs dOr.
hotelmanagement.com.au 5
editorial
Accommodation Excellence on both sides of the Tasman
The Rugby World Cup has come and almost gone. By the time this magazine is published, a world champion will almost be crowned. I wonder whether the All Blacks were able to conquer their demons and win the event on home soil or could Australia have done the unthinkable after having lost to Ireland? No matter which team wins the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the majority of the hotel industry in New Zealand needs a huge pat on the back for putting on a great show in the form of amazing hospitality, and ironically, for offering rooms at affordable prices. There of course were some operators charging through the nose, but even in those circumstances, it was good to see an industry reporting strong numbers after a year of seemingly neverending challenges including strikes by airline staff in the busiest part of the tournament. Looking back on the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, you really have to admire how well the accommodation industry steps up for a major event. A number of colleagues, friends and relatives have been in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup and each have come back with positive things to say about the hospitality they received right across the land of the long white cloud. Hospitable staff is what this industry thrives on and it was an honour once more to host the HM Awards in 2011, an event that saw a record number of people recognised, including from New Zealand, for their dedication to excellence. In fact, one of the years debut awards, that of Rising Star, recorded the highest number of entries out of all 48 categories. It was not only amazing to see that kind of response to award the industrys rising stars, but in reading the submissions, I know the future of the hotel industry is in safe hands indeed. Our annual HM Awards winners spread starts on page 22. Id also like to take this opportunity to welcome the Accommodation Association of Australia (AAA) and its members onboard through a strategic commercial arrangement with HM magazine. In every issue of HM going forward, a special Key News section will be dedicated to AAA news, workplace relations and legal issues, alongside profiles and insightful Q&As. For the team on HM, this marks the start of an exciting relationship and I trust you will enjoy the first installment of Key News from page 58. Yours in hospitality,
James Wilkinson
Adam Daff
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MANAGING DIRECTOR Simon Grover PUBLISHER James Wells MANAGING EDITOR James Wilkinson jwilkinson@intermedia.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Adam Daff adaff@intermedia.com.au CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Roderick Eime rodeime@gmail.com EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Trish Babu, Guy Bentley, Ross Clarke, Michael Georgeson, John Hart, Jennie Langley, John Makris, Peter McBrearty, Rodger L Powell, Richard Munro, Mark Sant, Steve Tochner GRAPHIC DESIGN Ben Akhurst PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au
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a Co nd m N Ra me ew ng rci e al
Br
CHECkIN
OWNERSHIp SYDNEY
JENNIE LANGLEY Independent Chair New Zealand Hotel Council We are now well into the business end of Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC) and we know the fate of many teams in the tournament, but do we know the fate of the event itself? Has it been a major economic boom for New Zealand, have we reached the projected target of 85,000 visitors and have we put New Zealand on the map as a nation that can very proficiently host major international events? It is hoped the post-tournament analysis and assessment will be as thorough as any post-game analysis has been. No doubt the role hotels have played in the event will be scrutinised also. Hotels received a significant amount of media attention in the lead up to RWC, particularly on the topic of perceived price gouging. This is something New Zealand Hotel Council (NZHC) member hotels strongly refuted from the beginning, and as we drew closer to the event hotel room rates met their natural price point, as we had always suggested they would. On key game days prices have been pitched at event rates. Likewise the sector predicted that some mid-week days during the tournament would be soft and room rates have also reflected this. Any concerns about a lull in business prior to RWC did not come to fruition for Auckland and Wellington with a month of higher than usual occupancy and RevPar growth in August, mainly from the Corporate and C&I markets. Auckland enjoyed a 12.5% RevPar growth, while Wellington occupancy was 78.9% - well above the normal early 60% range. The Wellington result was due in part to the World of Wearable Art event taking place earlier than usual to work around the tournament dates and to maximise attendance at the shows. These surges in business are not a phenomenon unique to RWC, it is well documented that last minute business compression prior or lulls in business after, is a common occurrence wherever a major event takes place. As RWC draws to a close, NZHC will certainly be undertaking our own post-RWC analysis. This is too important an event not to document what worked and what didnt. It will put the industry in good stead for future international events which no doubt New Zealand is more than capable of bidding for and winning in the future.
pERfORMANCE WELLINGTON
A strong presence in Australia, filming of The Hobbit and a highly successful 3 Nights for Two campaign are credited with a winter boom for Wellingtons hotel industry, which has seen the citys properties record their highest winter occupancy since 2004.Positively Wellington Tourism (PWT)s Hotel Monitor which tracks nights sold, rooms rates and occupancy of 21 of the citys hotels indicates a 13.5% surge in total rooms sold in the three month period from May to July 2011.
DEVELOpMENTS SYDNEY
Finn Foster APB are Insurance Brokers, Risk Management Consultants and Financial Service Providers. Operating in the Australian and International Insurance Markets for over 40 Years, we are one of the oldest independent and privately owned brokerages in the Country. Throughout the entire time that we have been in existence, Finn Foster APB has been recognised as a market leader specialising in the Hospitality and Leisure Industry throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific Region. We are the appointed Insurance Brokers and Risk Management Consultants to over 150 International Hotels and Resorts and are responsible for arranging and managing the Insurance needs of more than $5 Billion worth of Assets in the Hospitality and Leisure Industry alone.
Our difference lies in our ability to gain an in-depth insight into our Clients business operations. Using this knowledge we then develop a strategy to reduce costs, manage the transfer of risk more effectively and minimise the overall exposure to our Client, through structured Risk Management procedures developed specifically to benefit the Hospitality and Leisure Industry.
Please contact either Steve or Mark for an obligation free appraisal of your companys Risk Management programme.
Steve Brady Director Contact Number (02) 8456 7804 steveb@finnfoster.com.au Mark Dixon Marketing Manager Contact Number (02) 8456 7821 markd@finnfoster.com.au
www.finnfoster.com.au
hotelmanagement.com.au 9
CHECkIN
RODGER L. pOWELL Managing Director Tourism Accommodation Australia We are constantly hearing about the two-speed economy now, and there is no better example of this than what is happening in the accommodation sector. City hotels are doing well on the back of strong corporate travel demand, but regional hotels are struggling as domestic holidaymakers take advantage of the high Australian dollar to travel offshore. Within the accommodation sector a trend in consumer needs and desires is emerging, with boutique and luxury hotels in higher demand. The looming shortage of room supply in Sydney and Perth is likely to become more problematic and will manifest itself in Brisbane and Melbourne before long. Geoff Dixon and Tourism Australia are looking overseas for investors to drive new supply in the sector. It is important that not only large hotel sites (which are easier to get off the ground) are given assistance and encouragement in the development stage but also smaller sites for boutique hotels with unique character and design in a range of diverse locations. There are great examples in San Francisco and London of building conversions and hotel redevelopments of this nature, and locally there is excellent work being done in Sydney by Rydges with their new QT brand in the old State Theatre and Gowings buildings. There are also excellent luxury and boutique examples around Australia such as Saffire in Tasmania and the Louise in South Australia. It is important that market forces remain the key factor for investment decisions. The industry has seen before what happens when government incentives lead to an accommodation oversupply yields are negatively impacted and the entire sector becomes regarded as volatile as an investment class. For the first time in decades, capital city hotels are proving themselves a viable and reputable investment. While governments definitely need to plan zoning sites for hotel development and remove red tape from the approval process, there is no need for overenthusiastic incentives that result in oversupply in the accommodation sector. It is critical that governments manage development so demand is met by quality supply but not exceeded at the expense of ongoing industry sustainability.
AIRLINES SYDNEY
RESTAURANTS AUCKLAND
Fish, Aucklands newest waterfront dining destination, has opened at Hilton Auckland. A partnership between Hilton Auckland and the Nourish Group, Fish is headed by renowned New Zealand chef Simon Gault and his protg of 16 years, Shane Yardley.
will inevitably put pressure on travel and accommodation sectors, he said. Quest has always weathered the storm during economic instability thanks to the customer loyalty weve built over many years. As long as we can continue with this and leverage our leadership position, well continue to grow. As a franchise business, our success is dependent on every link in our network pulling together, working towards a common goal
and believing in the brand. With properties all over Australia from Bunbury, WA to Sydneys CBD, its great to get everyone in one place to reconnect and focus on our new targets and goals. Its also good for our franchisees to take a little time out from what is a very high pressure job. We thank our franchisees and suppliers for the best Quest conference yet,Suriano said. For exclusive video interviews, visit www.hotelmanagement.com.au
choose quality
The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed, financial product adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. For further information on Chant West ratings visit INH_0336_10/11_01 http://www.hostplus.com.au/members/calculators/chant-west-disclaimer
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HMQ&A
INDIGENOUS TRANSITION
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW JAMES WILKINSON
KOOS KLEIN IS THE MAN CHARGED WITH CREATING A CENTRE OF INDIGENOUS ExCELLENCE AT AYERS ROCK RESORT FOLLOWING THE PROPERTYS ACQUISITION BY THE INDIGENOUS LAND CORPORATION. IN AN ExCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HM, HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE PLANS ON MAKING THAT FINALLY HAPPEN.
hen the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) finally made the long awaited purchase of Ayers Rock Resort and its associated assets, including an airport, the group called in a Hotelier with a wealth of experience to run the significant asset going forward. But the job for former Hilton Asia-Pacific chief Koos Klein wasnt to simply run one of the biggest tourism assets in the country, but to transform the property into a centre for Indigenous Excellence. On the cards is a long-awaited National Indigenous Training Academy that plans to train hundreds of Indigenous Australians every year to work at not just Ayers Rock Resort, but in hotels across the country. In an exclusive interview with HM, Klein, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australias Managing Director reveals plans for the Academy, creating jobs for Indigenous Australians and an extensive refurbishment of the Sails In The Desert hotel that includes a new conference centre. Koos, tell us about the acquisition of Ayers Rock Resort by the Indigenous Land Corporation. Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) purchased Ayers Rock Resort (ARR) to create a Centre of Indigenous Excellence where guests will find a genuine Indigenous experience. Furthermore ILC is creating the National Indigenous Training Academy at ARR where up to 200 Indigenous trainees will receive training every year from 2014 onwards in hospitality, tourism, horticulture and other trades. Last, but not least, the intent is to create jobs for Indigenous people and we aim to employ at least 350 Indigenous Australians by 2018. Can the ILC run a multi-million dollar tourism complex? ILC has also acquired Voyages Hotels and Resorts and re-branded the organisation as Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. This provided us with a management platform, including IT and a fabulous group of very motivated and knowledgeable employees. Furthermore a management team with some very experienced hospitality executives has been assembled including Ray Stone (sales, marketing and distribution), Manfred Pieper (operations), Andrew Williams (finance), Paul Barrett (human resources) and myself as the Managing Director. Thats an impressive team youve built up. Tell us about the key responsibilities for the new team. All five of us have experience with operating hotels all over the world, in different cultures and settings. ARR is unique though, because of its location, diversity in product (we manage everything including the airport) and the Indigenous objectives and we often have to draw on each others experience. As much as each member of the team has a focus on his primary responsibilities, we are taking a team approach in dealing with our major strategic challenges and opportunities. What does it mean for the consumer to have Ayers Rock Resort now owned by the ILC? The new ownership means that very long term strategies can be developed because ILC/Voyages will be managing this property for a very
12 Hotel & Accommodation Management Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australias Managing Director, Koos Klein
long time to come. Visitors will see a gradual repositioning of the resort toward the Indigenous Centre of Excellence I described before where, in a fun and playful manner, they will learn more about Aboriginal culture. Tell us about the greater focus on Indigenous engagement and training, listening to the Traditional Owners of the region and working with them. The training academy will start with nationally-accredited courses up to certificate 3 and 4, and hopefully later we can move even beyond that. Although we are operating on the land of the Anangu people, and therefore they will get the maximum possible exposure, we are looking to employ Indigenous people from all over Australia. When will the Academy open, how is it going to work and what timelines do you have in place? The academy will take its first group of 15 trainees in by October of this year, growing to 200 per year from 2014 onwards. Trainees will experience a mixture of on-the-job and classroom training for a 12 month period. Once they have achieved certificate 4 they will be guaranteed a job with ARR.
How important is Indigenous Training to the region and is this something Australia should have established a long time ago? Indigenous training is important everywhere in Australia because we all should be working towards closing the gap. It is never too late for initiatives like ours and I strongly believe that the time is right to take Indigenous Tourism to main stream status in Australia. Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia has significant experience having run a number of key properties how important is that experience when it comes to running such a significant complex as Ayers Rock Resort? As I mentioned before, most employees who stayed with us after the acquisition of Voyages Hotels and Resorts have many years of experience with operating, supervising and supporting ARR so therefore the Voyages input is invaluable. What do people expect when they arrive at Uluru, especially international visitors? Is it more of an authentic Indigenous experience? And how is Ayers Rock Resort going to achieve this? All visitors are very keen to have interactions with Indigenous Australians and learn more about their culture. Our guest surveys confirm this. We will provide this experience in many ways like a daily art and craft market, a daily cultural show, Indigenous music on different times and places throughout the resort, storytelling and so on. Of course all these activities cannot be developed at once and you will see a gradual repositioning of the resort taking place over a number of years. What plans are there for more Indigenous experiences at Ayers Rock Resort? Some Indigenous initiatives I have mentioned already, while others are still under consideration. If our financial situation allows wed also like
Indigenous experiences will player a major role going forward at Ayers Rock Resort.
Photo courtesy of Grenville Turner
to build a spa and wellness centre with Indigenous treatments, and a kids club with an Indigenous theme and activities. Last, but not least, we hope to develop a close relationship with the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where we can jointly develop Indigenous product inside the park for our visitors. What are the plans for improving the guest experience and renovating the resort? We have begun renovating the Sails In The Desert hotel and that will continue until August 2012. At the same time a new conference centre will be developed that will cater for groups up to 225 participants. Over the next five years we hope to upgrade the whole resort, in phases, to a true international level. Its well documented that the ILC has been in discussions with several major international hotel chains about branding the resort can you tell us where this is up to? We are considering associating ourselves with an international hotel group that can assist us in sales and distribution, training, purchasing and so on. We will continue to manage the resort ourselves and the individual hotels will continue to operate under their existing names. Last but not least, how did the ILC convince you to come out of retirement and run one of Australias most important tourism facilities? I initially got involved as a consultant to this project and as time went on became convinced that this project could be the beginning of bringing Indigenous Tourism mainstream. I have become quite passionate about helping Indigenous people build a career in tourism and hospitality and was very enthusiastic to join Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia when the opportunity was offered to me.
hotelmanagement.com.au 13
AHICE2011
AHICE 2011
The leading Hoteliers, suppliers and consultants in the Australasian hotel industry converged on Sydney for the second annual Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) on September 2.
WORDS
JAMES WILKINSON
ore than 200 of Australasias leading Hoteliers, key staff and suppliers turned out in force for the second annual Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney during early September. AHICE, supported by the two leading hotel associations in Australia Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) and the Australian Accommodation Association (AAA) and hosted by HM magazine, tackled the major operational issues facing the industry across Australasia and the South Pacific. During the day, delegates were given a snapshot of the accommodation industry, from an overall outlook to specific topics ranging from social media to the MICE market, food and beverage trends, human resources issues and managing distribution channels. AHICE, held prior to the 2011 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence presented by Sealy was led by a keynote speech from Ross Greenwood, the Nine Networks Business and Finance Editor. Greenwood looked at the state of the Australian economy and gave Hoteliers a unique insight to the resources boom taking over the nation, sending them a message of if youre not in these towns yet, you better be soon. The AHICE Leaders Forum panel featuring five of Australias leading Hoteliers IHGs Bruce McKenzie, Accor New Zealands Paul Richardson, Mirvacs Stephen Burt, Mantras Bob East and Hiltons Ashley Spencer followed and that delved into the key issues of development, the impact of low-cost airlines, international arrivals and the Rugby World Cup.
14 Hotel & Accommodation Management
After a presentation on performance by STR Globals Bryon Merzeo, emcee Howard Kemball then hosted a panel to find out what owners want featuring Nigel Greenaway (Eureka Funds Management), John Hudson (Thakral Holdings Group), Andrew Turner (Shenton Hospitality) and John van der Wallen (Colonial First State Global Asset Management). Kemball asked the panel to dive into a range of issues, including the elusive question of do food and beverage outlets make money for hotels? After a networking break, the conference then split into two forums one called Travel Forum, which primarily looked at inbound and outbound tourism, and Human Resources. The Travel Forum, featuring Accors Simon McGrath, Hamilton Islands Glenn Bourke and AFTAs Jayson Westbury and Asia Pacific PRs Tony Harrington, again identified the Australian government and tourism entities should look closer at firmly capturing the Chinese travelers; while Human Resources, hosted by Murray Wright and featuring Togas Rachel Argaman, Hostplus Arthur Antonellos, IHGs Melanie Smith and the AHAs John Sweetman, identified training as an ongoing major concern. The Sustainability panel (moderated by Ted Horner) and Franchising panel (led by Tony Ryan) then followed and both featured lively discussions. Ryans panel comprising Choices David Bayes, Wyndhams David Wray, Accors Dino Mezzatesta and Quests Paul Constantinou looked at the rapid growth of franchising and why its the hot development model in Australia and New Zealand at present. Horners Sustainability and Technology panel featuring Staging Connections Andrew MacColl, Concept Amenities Michael Matulick, Dalman Architectures Richard Dalman and Four Seasons Hotel Sydneys
The industry leader's forum panel at AHICE moderated by James Wilkinson (R) and below, delegates at the conference
Vincent Hoogewijs then looked at both key topics and how they are evolving closer together. After the successful networking lunch, Kemball interviewed Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australias Koos Klein about indigenous training and the companys plans for Ayers Rock Resort going forward. The Rise of Boutique Hotels followed and featured some of Australasias leading Hoteliers, including Gibraltar Hotels John Uliana, 8Hotels Paul Fischmann, Emporium Hotel Brisbanes Peter Savoff, Art Series Hotel Groups Will Deague and Sofitel Queenstowns Wouter de Graaf. The panel debated food and beverage, branded versus unbranded and why the boutique segment is being chased by the worlds largest hotel chains. The George Hotels Bruce Garrett then gave Hoteliers an update on Christchurch before a very revealing insight into the world of social networking led by Klick Communications owner Kim McKay. The social networking panel, featuring Marriotts Ben Charlton, Spice Magazines Gwen OToole, Netroomz Julian Bish and Pacific Resort Hotel Groups Marcus Niszow uncovered the websites that Hoteliers need to be featured on, the sites best suited for marketing and others to be weary of. Overall, the conference gave Hoteliers, suppliers and consultants in attendance a solid snapshot of where the Australasian hotel industry is at present and what to expect over the coming 12 months.
PROPERTY
BRANDS PARIS
Accor has dropped two of its brands, All Seasons and Etap, as part of as global shake-up of the economy segment aimed at making the ibis brand a global leader in the fast-growing sector. The move will see Ibis become a mega-brand as All Seasons properties are re-flagged ibis styles and Etap hotels rebranded as ibis budget. Accors Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Denis Hennequin, made the announcement in Paris on September 13 and said the ibis re-branding was part of a global project for the worlds largest hotel management company. I have decided to challenge some of the basics of our business model: change is not an option, it is a necessity, he said.The first part of our project concerns the economy segment.
With our international leadership, we will revolutionize our economy brand portfolio around the ibis brand, which benefits from unrivalled worldwide notoriety. Consequently, ibis, Etap hotel and all seasons will evolve into a group of three strong, innovative, modernised brands and become ibis, ibis styles and ibis budget. ibis is now the keystone of our economy portfolio, he said. Accors implementation of the new ibis segmentation is expected to completed worldwide by early 2013, while the rebranding will be complemented with a vast communication campign throughout 2012 according to Hennequin.
As part of the rebranding project, Accor said in a statement it intends ibis, ibis styles and ibis budget to become the brands that offer the highest level of comfort and wellbeing in the economy hotel segment. A key element of that is a plan to modernise the hotels and improve bedding comfort and the company will reconfigure common areas, food and beverage offerings and consumer technologies so that the hotels correspond to new trends and meet the expectations of tomorrows customers. Accor has not yet released a timeline for the first rebranded ibis properties in Australasia, but is expected to make an announcement in the coming months.
Level 1, 184 Papanui Rd, Christchurch, NZ Ph +64 3 366 5445 rd@dalman.co.nz www.dalman.co.nz
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MANAGEMENT WELLINGTON
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FLATSCREEN LAPTOP Luxury Hotel TABLET InterContinental Sydney DESKTOP Hotel Of The Year & Business Hotel
Technology Hotel
hotelmanagement.com.au 17
PROPERTY
DEVELOPMENTS AUCKLAND
The opening of Formule 1 Auckland Airport on August 29 heralded a revolution in New Zealands budget hotel sector. The launch of the first new-build Formule 1 in New Zealand is part of a major new accommodation and hospitality complex at the airport that also includes fast-food outlets, a bar, and mobile phone store.
The Formule 1 and the rest of the complex have been developed by Auckland International Airport. The hotel provides reliable, contemporary accommodation at the highly affordable rate of NZ$79 a night (for up to two people). There are also double, twin and quadruple share rooms, making the hotel ideal for couples,
groups and families. In addition there are five large special-access rooms. The hotel features Formule 1s new Cocoon concept room. The rooms are more stylish, more restful room with soft colours, rounded edges and soothing lighting, as well as extra storage space. Facilities include flat screen TVs with extra channels, wireless internet and a strong focus on sustainability, the Cocoon Room won Best Interior Design at the European Hotels Design Awards and represents a real metamorphosis for the brand, which was first introduced in 1984. The Formule 1 will be the perfect starting point for international visitors wanting to put together all the ingredients for a drive holiday around the country, said Firoze Wadia, F1 Auckland Airport General Manager. They will have affordable comfortable accommodation for under $40 per person, they will be able to organise their transport, banking, phones and shopping all within a few hundred metres of the hotel. Because the airport attracts such a wide variety of guests we are able to offer a full range of room styles from traditional double rooms to family rooms. Some of the rooms even have water views.
For samples & information please contact our Luxury Hospitality experts today!
81-85 Malcolm Road Braeside VIC 3195 Ph: (03) 9580 9977 sales@conceptamenities.com
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cal and international wine list has been created to delight and enhance the overall dining experience. The spacious conference and event space offers banqueting and meeting facilities, celebrations and exhibitions for 18 and up to 130 delegates, theatre-style. Sea Temple Surfers Paradise will be the Mirvacs sixth property in South-East Queensland.
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Dometic proSafes are compact and feature highly advanced webREOS & iAudit technology, which improves security for your guests. Practical to use with a mechanical locking system, Dometic proSafe also features emergency access with an optional master key for peace of mind. Various models are available to suit any hotel room.
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22 RIES COUNT S4 ACROS S ENT CONTIN
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INSPIRED BY COMFORT
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PHOTOGRAPHY
BELINDA ROLLAND
CELEBRATING
THE HM AWARDS WERE HELD FOR THE NINTH TIME ON SEPTEMBER 2, A NIGHT THAT WAS ABOUT CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE INDUSTRYS FINEST STAFF, HOTELS AND SUPPLIERS.
ExCELLENCE
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n front of a record crowd of 600 hoteliers, industry leaders and major suppliers, the winners of the 2011 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, presented by Sealy, have been announced. Held at the prestigious Sydney Town Hall on September 2 and hosted by television personality Larry Emdur, the HM Awards have, for the ninth time, recognised the accommodation industrys finest staff, properties, brands and chains across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Major winners on the night were Pan Pacifics CEO and President, A Patrick Imbardelli (Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year), IHGs COO for Australasia - Bruce McKenzie (Australian Hotelier of the Year), Accor New Zealands Paul Richardson (New Zealand Hotelier of the Year), Accor Hotels (Accommodation Chain), Hilton (Hotel Brand), InterContinental Sydney (Hotel of the Year) and Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa (Environmental Program). Hamilton Islands qualia picked up three key awards (Australian Lodge, Resort and Spa), while Hilton Sydney also claimed a trifecta (Hotel Bar - Zeta, Engineer - Craig Cavers and General Manager - Paul Hutton). Over NZD$60,000 was also raised on the night for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust in the greatest charity display the accommodation industry has seen for years. The accommodation industrys generosity and desire to help the people of Christchurch was absolutely remarkable, said HM magazine managing editor James Wilkinson. I am incredibly proud of the way the accommodation industry dug deep to help our friends and family across the Tasman in what are still such challenging times. The 2011 HM Awards were hosted by HM magazine, presented by Sealy, and cohosted by AHS Hospitality, Intrust Super, ISIS and Philips. Once more we were proud to recognise the industrys finest, particularly the staff that have been doing such an amazing job over the last 12 months, Wilkinson said. Sure a hotel can be rewarded for its aesthetics, style,
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design and comfort, but its the people who work in hotels that gives the accommodation industry in Australasia its soul. This year, our people categories generated the most interest and in the case of Rising Star, held for the first time in 2011, the most nominations out of the 48 categories. On behalf of the team at HM magazine and all of our fantastic sponsors this year, congratulations to all of the winners, highly commended recipients and finalists in 2011, Wilkinson said. Four Hoteliers were also inducted into the HM Awards Hall of Fame. Former Mirvac CEO Andrew Turner was joined by Fritz Gubler, Max Player and Gavin Faull, with the trio recognised for their services to education, having been responsible for starting the Blue Mountains Hotel School outside Sydney and the Pacific International Hotel Management School in New Zealand. The 2011 HM Awards saw not just a record crowd, but also a record number of entries with 1600 this year.
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Brendan O'farrell (Intrust) presents the Award to Trent fraser, Choice Hotels
2. BUDGET ACCOMMODATION
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3. ECONOMY HOTEL
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Finalists: Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney, NSW Fraser Suites Sydney, NSW Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury, SA Peppers Beach Club and Spa Palm Cove, QLD Peppers Salt Resort and Spa, Kingscliff, NSW Quay West Suites Sydney, NSW Quay West Resort Magenta Shores, Central Coast, NSW Quest on William, Melbourne, VIC Sea Temple Resort and Spa Palm Cove, QLD The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, Hobart, TAS Highly Commended: Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury Winner: Fraser Suites Sydney
Finalists: Aarons Hotel, Sydney, NSW Boali Ski Lodge, Thredbo, NSW Country Comfort Ipswich, Ipswich, QLD EconoLodge Sydney South, Sydney, NSW Formule One Kings Cross, Sydney, NSW Formule One Sydney Airport, NSW Regency Palms, Cairns, QLD Scone Motor Inn and Conference Centre, NSW The Lodge Outback Motel, Broken Hill, NSW Top Spot Motel, Maroochydore, QLD Highly Commended: Aarons Hotel Winner: EconoLodge Sydney South
Finalists: All Seasons Cairns, Cairns, QLD Altamont Hotel, Sydney, NSW Best Western Sanctuary Inn, Tamworth, NSW Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra, ACT Ibis Sydney Olympic Park, NSW Mercure Brisbane, QLD Pensione Hotel Melbourne, VIC Thredbo Alpine Hotel, NSW Travelodge Docklands, Melbourne, VIC Travelodge Southbank, Melbourne, VIC Highly Commended: Pensione Hotel Melbourne Winner: Travelodge Docklands
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Gidon Sattinger (Vintech Systems) presents the Award to Vibe Hotel Rushcutters
Travis Anderson (philips) presents the Award to Max player and Brendan Millett (Q Station)
Brett patterson (ISIS) presents the Award to Donna Kessler (The Byron at Byron)
4. MIDSCALE HOTEL
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5. UPSCALE HOTEL
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6. UPPER-UPSCALE HOTEL
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Finalists: Best Western Stellar Hotel, Sydney, NSW Holiday Inn Burswood, Perth, WA Holiday Inn Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW Mercure Hotel Sydney, NSW Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific, NSW Novotel Sydney Olympic Park, NSW The Sebel Harbourside Kiama, NSW The Sebel Melbourne, VIC Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront, NT Vibe Hotel Rushcutters, Sydney, NSW Highly Commended: Holiday Inn Burswood Winner: Vibe Hotel Rushcutters
Finalists: Crown Promenade Hotel, Melbourne, VIC Crowne Plaza Adelaide, SA Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, NSW Novotel Barossa Valley Resort, SA Peppers Salt Resort and Spa, Kingscliff, NSW Q Station Retreat, Manly, NSW Sydney Marriott Hotel, NSW The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, Hobart, TAS The Sebel Cairns, QLD The Sebel Pier One, Sydney, NSW Highly Commended: The Sebel Pier One Winner: Q Station Retreat
Finalists: Crown Metropol, Melbourne, VIC Diamant Hotel Canberra, ACT Four Points By Sheraton Sydney, NSW Grand Hyatt Melbourne, VIC Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, VIC Hilton Sydney, NSW Pullman Sydney Olympic Park, NSW Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney, NSW Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel, NSW The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, Byron Bay, NSW Highly Commended: Crown Metropol Winner: The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
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Bruce McKenzie (IHG) receives the Award from Iain Nelson (foxtel)
7. LUXURY HOTEL
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8. AUSTRALIAN LODGE
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9. BUSINESS HOTEL
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Finalists: Crown Towers, Melbourne, VIC Lake House, Daylesford, VIC Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast, QLD Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, NSW Sofitel Melbourne On Collins, VIC Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, NSW The Langham, Melbourne, VIC The Observatory Hotel, Sydney, NSW The Westin Sydney, NSW Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: The Observatory Hotel Winner: Crown Towers, Melbourne
Finalists: Bay of Fires Lodge, Mt William National Park, TAS Cradle Mountain Lodge, Cradle Mountain, TAS El Questro, Kunnunurra, NT Freycinet Lodge, Freycinet, TAS Kims Beach Hideaway, Toowoon Bay, NSW Longitude 131, Uluru, NT qualia, Hamilton Island, QLD Saffire, Coles Bay, TAS Wildman Wilderness Lodge, Humpty Doo, NT Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa Winner: qualia
Finalists: Crown Metropol, Melbourne, VIC Emporium Hotel, Brisbane, QLD Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, VIC Hilton Sydney, NSW InterContinental Sydney, NSW InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto, VIC Pan Pacific Perth, WA Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach, QLD The Westin Melbourne, VIC Vibe Hotel North Sydney, NSW Highly Commended: Hilton Sydney Winner: InterContinental Sydney
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Troy Cuthberton (Art Series) receives the Award from Brett patterson (ISIS)
peter Savoff (Emporium Hotel) receives the Award from Brendan O'farrell (Intrust Super)
10. RESORT
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Finalists: Crowne Plaza Terrigal, NSW Hayman, Whitsundays, QLD Hyatt Regency Coolum, QLD Peppers Salt Resort and Spa, Kingscliff, NSW qualia, Whitsundays, QLD Quay West Resort Bunker Bay, Naturaliste, WA Quay West Resort Magenta Shores, Central Coast, NSW Sea Temple Resort and Spa Palm Cove, QLD The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, Byron Bay, NSW Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa Winner: qualia
Finalists: Crown Metropol, Melbourne, VIC Emporium Hotel, Brisbane, QLD Grand Hyatt Melbourne, VIC Hayman, Whitsundays, QLD InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto, VIC Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, VIC The Cullen, Prahran, VIC The Olsen, South Yarra, VIC The Sebel Pier One, Sydney, NSW Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: Emporium Hotel, Brisbane Winner: The Olsen
Finalists: Blue Sydney, NSW Diamant Hotel Canberra, ACT Emporium Hotel, Brisbane, QLD Establishment Hotel, Sydney, NSW Grand Mercure Hobart Hadleys Hotel, TAS Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart, TAS Lake House, Daylesford, VIC Lyall Hotel and Spa, South Yarra, VIC The Cullen, Prahran, VIC The Richardson Hotel and Spa, Perth, WA Highly Commended: Henry Jones Art Hotel Winner: Emporium Hotel, Brisbane
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Giselle Griffiths and Gwen O'Toole (Spice) present the Award to Ben Sington (Langham)
Dwane Goodman (Wolgan Valley) receives the Award from Melissa Starbuck (Sealy)
Finalists: Citadines on Bourke, Melbourne, VIC Gibraltar Hotel, Bowral, NSW Outrigger Little Hastings Street Resort and Spa, Noosa, QLD Peppers Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD Quest Cheltenham, Melbourne, VIC Quest Mildura, VIC Spicers Balfour Hotel, Brisbane, QLD The Blackman, Melbourne, VIC The Sebel Newcastle, NSW Wildman Wilderness Lodge, Humpty Doo, NT Highly Commended: Wildman Wilderness Lodge Winner: Peppers Broadbeach
Finalists: Crown Metropol, Melbourne, VIC Hilton Sydney, NSW Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast, QLD Q Station Retreat, Manly, NSW Sheraton on the Park, Sydney, NSW Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, Sydney, NSW The Langham, Melbourne, VIC The Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne, VIC The Westin Sydney, NSW The Westin Melbourne, VIC Highly Commended: Q Station Retreat Winner: The Langham, Melbourne
Finalists: Angsana Resort and Spa Great Barrier Reef, Palm Cove, QLD Huski Lodge, Falls Creek, VIC Kims Beach Hideaway, Toowoon Bay, NSW Lake House, Daylesford, VIC Novotel Lake Crackenback Resort, Lake Crackenback, NSW Peppers Guest House, Pokolbin, NSW Peppers Salt Resort and Spa, Kingscliff, NSW Quay West Resort and Spa Falls Creek, VIC The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, Byron Bay, NSW Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: Kims Beach Hideaway Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa
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Finalists: Angsana Spa, Angsana Resort and Spa Palm Cove, QLD Chuan Spa, The Langham, Melbourne, VIC Spa qualia, qualia, Whitsundays, QLD The Spa, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, NSW Timeless Spa, Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Isika Day Spa and Urban Retreat, Crown Metropol Melbourne, VIC Salus Spa, Lake House, Daylesford, VIC Stephanies Spa Retreat, Sofitel Brisbane, QLD The Byron at Byron Resort Spa and Wellness Centre, The Byron at Byron, Byron Bay, NSW Villa Thalgo Day Spa, The Sebel Windsor, NSW Highly Commended: Isika Day Spa and Urban Retreat, Crown Metropol Melbourne Winner: Spa qualia, qualia
Finalists: Blue Bar on 36, Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, NSW Eau de Vie, The Kirketon, Sydney, NSW Emporium Hotel Cocktail Bar, Emporium Hotel, Brisbane, QLD IxL Long Bar, The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart, TAS Sofitel Lounge Bar, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, NSW Room81, Sofitel Gold Coast, QLD Sotano Wine+Tapas, Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, VIC The Waiting Room, Crown Towers, Melbourne, VIC Water Bar, Blue Sydney, NSW Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney, NSW Highly Commended: Blue Bar on 36, Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney Winner: Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney
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Finalists: Altitude, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, NSW Bilsons, Radisson Plaza Sydney, NSW est, Establishment, Sydney, NSW Etch, InterContinental Sydney, NSW Glass Brasserie, Hilton Sydney, NSW Lake House Restaurant and Cellar, Lake House Daylesford, VIC Maze Grill, Crown Metropol, Melbourne, VIC No35, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, VIC Palate, Saffire, Coles Bay, TAS Spice Temple, Crown Towers, Melbourne, VIC Highly Commended: Lake House Restaurant and Cellar, Lake House Daylesford Winner: est, Establishment
Richard Badanjek (Sanpellegrino) presents the Award to Establishment
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Harley Moraitis (Crown Metropol) receives the Award from Chris Dyball (DOCOMO InterTouch)
Travis Anderson (philips) presents the Award to Wouter de Graaf (Sofitel Queenstown)
19. TECH-HOTEL
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Finalists: Crown Metropol, Melbourne, VIC Establishment Hotel, Sydney, NSW Grand Hyatt Melbourne, VIC Hayman, Whitsundays, QLD Hilton Sydney, NSW InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto, VIC The Langham, Melbourne, VIC Pullman Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush, NSW The Westin Sydney, NSW Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: Hilton Sydney Winner: Crown Metropol
Finalists: Hilton Auckland Hilton Queenstown Hotel St Moritz, Queenstown InterContinental Wellington Pullman Auckland SkyCity Grand Hotel, Auckland Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa The George, Christchurch The Langham, Auckland The Rees, Queenstown Highly Commended: Hilton Queenstown Winner: Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa
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Finalists: Best Western Hygate Motor Lodge, Hamilton Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco Hilton Lake Taupo Peppers Clearwater Resort, Christchurch Quest Napier St Clair Beach Resort, Dunedin Te Wanoui Forest Retreat, Franz Joseph Travelodge Palmerston North Millbrook Resort, Queenstown Wyndham Resort Wanaka Highly Commended: Millbrook Resort Winner: Hilton Lake Taupo
Hilton receive the Award from Lisa fenwick (Sealy)
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HMawards
Richard Rosebery (Blanket Bay) receives the Award from Rob Hassan (Robert Oatley)
Jacinta Chang (Likuliku) receives the Award from Brett patterson (ISIS)
Finalists: Blanket Bay, Glenorchy Huka Lodge, Taupo Kaimata Retreat, Dunedin Lake Okareka Lodge, Rotorua Matakauri, Queenstown Parehua Country Estate, Martinborough Peppers on the Point, Rotorua The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawkes Bay Treetops Lodge, Rotorua Wharekauhau Country Estate, Paliser Bay Highly Commended: Huka Lodge Winner: Blanket Bay
Finalists: InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa Likuliku Lagoon Resort Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji Quest Suva Royal Davui Shangri-Las Fijian Resort and Spa Sheraton Fiji Resort Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa The Westin Denarau Island Resort and Spa Yasawa Island Resort Highly Commended: InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa Winner: Likuliku Lagoon Resort
Finalists: Eratap Beach Resort, Vanuatu InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa, French Polynesia Iririki Island Resort and Spa, Vanuatu Le Meridien Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia Legends Resort Moorea, French Polynesia Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands Royale Takitumu Villas, Cook Islands Sofitel Moorea, French Polynesia Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Samoa Te Manava Luxury Villas and Spa, Cook Islands Highly Commended: Sofitel Moorea Winner: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa
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HMawards
Michael Rodrigues (Time Out) presents the Award to Lisa phillips (Toga)
Greg Brady (Mercure Sydney) receives the Award from Brendan O'farrell (Intrust Super)
Brendan O'farrell (Intrust Super) presents the Award to Steve Ciric (Westin Melbourne)
27. CONCIERGE
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Finalists: Accor Hotels, Australia wide Crowne Plaza Hotels, Australia and New Zealand Emporium Hotel Brisbane, QLD, Australia Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, VIC, Australia Medina Apartment Hotels, Australia wide Mirvac Hotels and Resorts, Australia and New Zealand Novotel Canberra, ACT, Australia Sheraton on the Park, Sydney, NSW, Australia Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa, New Zealand Vibe Hotels, Australia wide Highly Commended: Hilton Melbourne South Wharf Winner: Vibe Hotels
Finalists: Crowne Plaza Newcastle, NSW, Australia Crowne Plaza Queenstown, New Zealand Hilton Cairns, QLD, Australia Hilton Lake Taupo, New Zealand Mercure Cairns, QLD, Australia Mercure Sydney, NSW, Australia Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa, New Zealand Sydney Harbour Marriott, NSW, Australia The Langham Melbourne, VIC, Australia The Observatory Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia Highly Commended: Hilton Cairns Winner: Mercure Sydney
Finalists: Alex Williams, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney Bryan Wilkinson, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa Gary Chan, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney James Ridenour, InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto Jason Aberin, Hilton Sydney Jim Tully, SkyCity Grand Hotel, Auckland Mark Peyton, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Rhett Constantine, The Sebel and Citigate Albert Park, Melbourne Ronald Maskell, Crown Towers Melbourne Steve Ciric, The Westin Melbourne Highly Commended: Ronald Maskell, Crown Towers Melbourne Highly Commended: Alex Williams, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney Winner: Steve Ciric, The Westin Melbourne
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Ms Matheson said she was condent the 2011 result will have just as much signicance as its predecessors, all of which have provided solid benchmarks for the sector following on from what she described as a six year economic roller coaster ride. One thing we do know for sure the 2011 Salary Report Survey will be conducted in an environment where jobs have once again become more plentiful against a backdrop of a deciency of readily available candidates, she said. This scenario has immense bearing on remuneration packages especially with employers once again being forced to outbid each other in order to secure the best available talent in an ever-tightening corridor.
For more information please contact: TMS Asia-Pacic Level 10, 109 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 Telephone (02) 9231 6444 Email: nswjobs@tmsap.com Website: www.tmsap.com
Ms Matheson said the executive search specialist would this year be inviting input from more than 10,000 travel industry personnel across Australia. These again ranged from frontline consultants and middle management through to managing directors and chief executive ocers.
END BENEFITS
The primary purpose of the report, as in previous surveys, is to independently assess the total remuneration packages of sta and management at all levels throughout the country, Ms Matheson said. The end benets of these surveys are manifold. In the rst instance these surveys allow organisations to ensure they are paying market rates thereby maintaining their competitive edge. The surveys also review the link between salary and non-nancial benets and the impact on job satisfaction and retention levels. This is particularly relevant at this moment in time following a period when we have seen the regional market landscape changed dramatically. We are condent the end result and benets of this survey, as in 2010, will prove equally as valuable, Ms Matheson said.
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COPY OF THE 2011 AUSTRALIA TRAVEL/HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SALARY SURVEY REPORT
As in previous years, copies of the nal report will be readily available from TMS Asia-Pacics Sydney head oce. The cost of the document is $250.00.
HMawards
PEOPLE AWARDS
David Downing (franke) presents the Award to Brendon Coffey (Sofitel fiji)
Sally Matheson (TMS, right) presents the Award to Nicole Salonga, four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Finalists: Andrew McCrea, The Sebel Suites Brisbane Anthony Ross, The Langham Melbourne Brendon Coffey, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa Dennis Leslie, Hilton Adelaide Gary Johnson, Hilton Sydney Gavin Hughes, The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa Glenn Wright, Hilton Melbourne South Wharf Jay Olsen, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco, New Zealand Mathieu Astier, Sofitel Brisbane Central Nick Reade, InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto Highly Commended: Anthony Ross, The Langham Melbourne Highly Commended: Andrew McCrea, The Sebel Suites Brisbane Winner: Brendon Coffey, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa
Finalists: Andrew Ausage, Hilton Sydney Cherie Stubbs-Timbery, The SwissGrand Resort and Spa, Sydney Chris Hough, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney Chris Smith, The Sebel Parramatta Daniela Yankov Reid, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco, New Zealand Dhairya Shah, SkyCity Grand Hotel, New Zealand Irene Noordhoek, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa, New Zealand Luke Redington, Eau de Vie, The Kirketon, Darlinghurst Oliver Colgrave, Clarion Hotel City Park Grand, Launceston Steve Wellsteed, Novotel Canberra Highly Commended: Chris Hough, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney Highly Commended: Chris Smith, The Sebel Parramatta Winner: Cherie Stubbs-Timbery, The Swiss-Grand Resort and Spa
Finalists: Amanda Lutvey, Emporium Hotel, Brisbane, Bronwyn Knutson, Mantra Group, New Zealand Cathy Sinden, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour David West, Rendezvous Hotel Adelaide John Timson, Accor Hotels Kate Brough, Hyatt Regency Perth Mathew Paine, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Mike Chep, Rendezvous Hotels, Brisbane Nicole Salonga, Four Seasons Sydney Rowena Carter, 8Hotels, Sydney Highly Commended: Amanda Lutvey, Emporium Hotel Highly Commended: Bronwyn Knutson, Mantra Group Winner: Nicole Salonga, Four Seasons Sydney
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HMawards
PEOPLE AWARDS
Anthony Gallagher (Vacations & Travel) presents the Award to Blair Weir, Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
Chanel Gallen and Annie Lyons (Travmedia) present the Award to Linda Sweeney (Mirvac, centre)
Finalists: Bess Simpson, Mercure Sydney Airport Blair Weir, Sofitel Melbourne On Collins Bruce White, Rendezvous Hotels Brisbane Evelyn Page, Best Western Sanctuary Inn, Tamworth Helen Radic, Sydney Harbour Marriott Ivy Zhang, Sheraton on the Park Karryn Cutcheon, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour Kelvin Dodt, The Sebel and Citigate King George Square Brisbane Suzie Jones, Radisson Resort Gold Coast Tanya Dennis, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa, New Zealand Highly Commended: Ivy Zhang, Sheraton on the Park Highly Commended: Evelyn Page, Best Western Sanctuary Inn Winner: Blair Weir, Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
Finalists: Cristina Magni, Hilton Auckland & Hilton Lake Taupo, NZ Linda Sweeney, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts, Australia and New Zealand Rebecca Freestun, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Australia Pacific Sally Morgan, Hayman Sarah Vickery, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney Sue Currie, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Susan Gibson, Heritage Hotel Management, New Zealand Susan Sullivan, Mantra Group, Australia and New Zealand Tara Bishop, Crown hotels, Melbourne Tessa Anderssen, Toga Hospitality, Australia and New Zealand Highly Commended: Rebecca Freestun, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Australia Pacific Highly Commended: Tara Bishop, Crown hotels, Melbourne Winner: Linda Sweeney, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts
Finalists: Blaine Inch, Hilton Lake Taupo, New Zealand Brett Hutson, The Sebel Suites Brisbane Calisha Allsworth, 8Hotels, Australia wide Christie Love, The York by SwissBelhotel, Sydney, Australia Diane Mouchot, The Menzies Hotel Sydney Joseph Kuchappan, Quest Suva, Fiji Leoni Mitchell, Quest Taupo, New Zealand Mia Vesser, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa, New Zealand Sarah Simpson, Novotel Twin Waters Resort Sunshine Coast Simon Wanstall, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney Highly Commended: Simon Wanstall, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney Highly Commended: Joseph Kuchappan, Quest Suva Winner: Calisha Allsworth, 8Hotels
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James Wilkinson (HM magazine) accepts the Award on behalf of Michael Thomas (Hyatt) from Antony Raiteri (Sealy)
Steve Tochner (AHS) presents the Award to four points by Sheraton Sydney
35. HOUSEKEEPER
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Finalists: Alex Nagy, Marriott International Brandon Rossen, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney John Toscano, Quest Serviced Apartments Lori Finglas, Mantra Group, Australia Malcolm Parker, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Michael Thomas, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Nicholas Grandioso, Accor Hotels, Australia wide Peter Phillips, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts Todd Heatly, InterContinental Hotels Group, Australia Trang Le, Hilton Sydney Highly Commended: Nicholas Grandioso, Accor Hotels Highly Commended: Lori Finglas, Mantra Group Winner: Michael Thomas, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
Finalists: Brenda Olson, Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow Chona Ogilvie, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour Elizabeth York, Chifley Hotel Penrith Panthers Karina Gordon, Diamant Hotel Canberra Myra Sullivan, Rendezvous Hotel Adelaide Nadia Moriconi De Almeida, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Patricia Sutherland, The Sebel Chatswood Rashmi Tulsiani, Crown Metropol, Melbourne Sarah Young, Rydges Hotel World Square, Sydney Sri Yanti, Ibis Hotel World Square, Sydney Highly Commended: Elizabeth York, Chifley Hotel Penrith Panthers Highly Commended: Karina Gordon, Diamant Hotel Canberra Winner: Chona Ogilvie, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour
Finalists: Andre Van Staden, The Sebel Harbourside Kiama Craig Cavers, Hilton Sydney David Hird, Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne Dieter Spielkamp, Novotel Twin Waters Resort Sunshine Coast Greg Mallett, Novotel Melbourne St Kilda Manuel Wong, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Mohammed Sharif, Sofitel Brisbane Central Robin Power, Crowne Plaza Melbourne Sean Smith, The York By Swiss-Belhotel, Sydney Tom Champion, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco, New Zealand Highly Commended: Sean Smith, The York By Swiss-Belhotel, Sydney Highly Commended: Dieter Spielkamp, Novotel Twin Waters Resort Winner: Craig Cavers, Hilton Sydney
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Ross Gage (Sealy) presents the Award to Marcus Niszow (pacific Resorts)
Finalists: Ben Krieg, Mercure Geelong Cory Clark-Goodison, The Sebel Resort and Spa Hawkesbury Valley Daniel Phu, Sofitel Brisbane Central Danielle De Veaux, Establishment Hotel, Sydney Elyse Vartuli, Sydney Harbour Marriott Laura Gibb, Mercure Hotel Hobart Morgan Ulaganathan, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney Rebecca Patterson, The SwissGrand Resort and Spa, Sydney Richmond Rodrigues, Hilton Cairns Ross Jack, Mercure Sydney Highly Commended: Rebecca Patterson, The SwissGrand Resort and Spa Highly Commended: Cory ClarkGoodison, The Sebel Resort and Spa Hawkesbury Valley Winner: Danielle De Veaux, Establishment Hotel
Finalists: Adam Laker, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Fiji Bernard Isautier, Vahine Island, Tahaa, French Polynesia Michael Monks, Shangri-Las Fijian Resort and Spa, Fiji Shane Cunning, Sheraton Fiji Resort, Fiji Greg Maloney, Radisson Fiji Resort, Fiji Julian Moore, Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands Peter Hopgood, Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji Scott Williams, InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Fiji Steve Anstey, Likuliku Lagoon Resort, Fiji Wayne Milgate, Vomo Island, Fiji Highly Commended: Adam Laker, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Fiji Highly Commended: Wayne Milgate, Vomo Island, Fiji Winner: Julian Moore, Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Finalists: Blair Chalmers, Kingsgate Hotel Rotorua Bruce Garrett, The George, Christchurch Callum Mallett, SkyCity Hotels, Auckland Chris Partridge, Hilton Auckland and Hilton Lake Taupo Clare Davies, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco Fraser McKenzie, Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Matthew Anderson, Crowne Plaza Queenstown Philip Hilton, Novotel Wellington Rob McIntyre, Pullman Auckland Wouter de Graaf, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa Highly Commended: Wouter de Graaf, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa Highly Commended: Callum Mallett, SkyCity Hotels, Auckland Winner: Bruce Garrett, The George, Christchurch
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Dwane Goodman (Wolgan Valley) receives the Award from Brett patterson (ISIS)
Christopher Adams (MICROS) receives the Award from Adam Daff (HM magazine)
42. SUPPLIER
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Finalists: Erkin Aytekin, Novotel Melbourne St Kilda, VIC Joost Heymeijer, Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Kelye Woodgate, The York by Swiss-Belhotel, Sydney, NSW Marije Kleverlaan, 8Hotels, Sydney, NSW Mark Wilkinson, Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast Michael Sheridan, The Sebel Pier One, Sydney, NSW Michael Smith, The Menzies Sydney, NSW Paul Hutton, Hilton Sydney, NSW Peter Tudehope, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney, NSW Russell Durnell, Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast, QLD Highly Commended: Peter Tudehope, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney Highly Commended: Michael Sheridan, The Sebel Pier One, Sydney, NSW Winner: Paul Hutton, Hilton Sydney, NSW
Finalists: Hilton Adelaide, SA, Australia Hilton Sydney, NSW, Australia Legends Resort Moorea, French Polynesia Novotel Canberra, ACT, Austalia Pacific Resort Rarotonga, Cook Islands Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney, NSW, Australia Sofitel Melbourne On Collins, VIC, Australia Sydney Marriott Hotel, NSW, Australia Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW, Australia Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Highly Commended: Hilton Sydney Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa
Finalists: AHS Hospitality Coca-Cola Amatil Concept Amenities Corporate Express EZYield MICROS-Fidelio Philips Sealy Vingcard Elsafe Yardley Hospitality Highly Commended: Sealy Winner: MICROS-Fidelio
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MAJOR AWARDS
Ashley Spencer (Hilton) receives the Award from Steve Tochner (AHS)
Simon McGrath (Accor) receives the Award from Melissa Starbuck (Sealy)
Finalists: Art Series, Rydges / AHL Crown, Crown (Melbourne) Four Seasons, Four Seasons Hotels Hilton, Hilton Worldwide Hyatt, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts InterContinental Hotels, IHG Medina Apartment Hotels, Toga Hospitality Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Accor Hotels Swissotel, Fairmont Raffles The Langham, Langham Hospitality Group The Westin, Starwood Highly Commended: Sofitel Luxury Hotels Winner: Hilton
Finalists: Accor Hotels Hilton Worldwide Hyatt Hotels and Resorts InterContinental Hotels Group Langham Hospitality Group Mantra Group Mirvac Hotels and Resorts Quest Serviced Apartments Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Starwood Pacific Hotels Toga Hospitality Highly Commended: Langham Hospitality Group Winner: Accor Hotels
Finalists: Crown Towers Melbourne, VIC Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, NSW Hilton Sydney, NSW InterContinental Sydney, NSW Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast, QLD Q Station Retreat, Manly, NSW Saffire, Coles Bay, TAS Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, NSW The Observatory Hotel, Sydney, NSW Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Lithgow, NSW Highly Commended: Crown Towers, Melbourne Winner: InterContinental Sydney
Presented by PRESENTED BY
HOSTED BY Hosted by
Finalists: Bill Edwards, InterContinental Hotels Group Earl Hagaman, Scenic Hotels Janet McBain, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts Jeff Shearer, Heritage Hotel Management Jeffrey Van Vorsselen, Langham Hospitality Group Matt Taplin, Millennium Hotels Paul Richardson, Accor Hotels Stephen Mansfield, Quest Serviced Apartments Winner: Paul Richardson, Accor Hotels
Finalists: Ashley Spencer, Hilton Worldwide Barry Robinson, Wyndham Hotel Group Bob East, Mantra Group Bruce McKenzie, InterContinental Hotels Group David Bayes, Choice Hotels Australasia Koos Klein, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Paul Constantinou, Quest Serviced Apartments Paul Fischmann, 8Hotels Rachel Argaman, Toga Hospitality Sean Hunt, Starwood Pacific Hotels Simon McGrath, Accor Hotels Stephen Burt, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts Winner: Bruce McKenzie, InterContinental Hotels Group
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HMawards
MAJOR AWARDS
Nigel Roberts (ppHG, centre) in place of patrick Imbardelli, accepts the Award from James Wilkinson and Adam Daff (HM magazine)
Finalists: A. Patrick Imbardelli, Pan Pacific Hotels Group Brett Butcher, Langham Hospitality Group Gavin Faull, Swiss-Belhotel International Greg Dogan, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Jan Smits, InterContinental Hotels Group John Spence, Karma Resorts Mark Greedy, Elite Resorts of Asia-Pacific Martin Rinck, Hilton Worldwide Michael Issenberg, Accor Asia-Pacific Miguel Ko, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Simon Barlow, Carlson Simon F. Cooper, Marriott International Winner: A. Patrick Imbardelli, Pan Pacific Hotels Group
Presented by PRESENTED BY
HOSTED BY Hosted by
Hall of fame inductees: Gavin faull, Andrew Turner and Max player
CO-HOSTED BY
HMAwARDS
CO-HOST MESSAGE
AHS is proud to be a sponsor of the HM Awards and a supporter of the Australian Hospitality Industry. Once again, the HM Awards proved to be the premier event of the year and we were pleased to see so many of our partners win top awards on the night. As Australias largest provider of labour services to the hospitality industry, AHS were happy to be able to contribute to the success of many of the winners through the high quality of services we provide. We know that it takes a team effort to win the top prizes and we were excited that so many of our partners were not only nominated for awards but were also major winners. Over the last 18 years, AHS has created successful partnerships with most of the hotel chains around Australia. We now operate in every state and territory, at more than 140 hotels, servicing more than 8 million rooms each year. AHS has developed a range of operating systems and business models that translate into more efficient and productive departments for hotels. The results are both cost savings and high quality standards. Equally important, the outsourcing model that AHS has developed protects our hotel partners from many high risk elements in their business such as Workers Compensation. AHS looks forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship with our industry partners and providing them with award winning services. Equally important, we are excited at the opportunity to continue our relationship with HM Magazine and being a proud sponsor of the HM Awards.
James Wilkinson, Adam Daff, Christhcurch resident Richard Dalman and emcee Larry Emdur
machine courtesy of Franke; six ultra luxurious The Cloud bed toppers from HotelHome Australia; a bottle of Armand de Brignac champagne; a mixed dozen bottles of wine from Robert Oatley Vineyards; and a limited edition Australian jersey from the 2008 Rugby League World Cup courtesy of Coca-Cola Amatil. Several leading hotels and chains also donated prizes on the night for donors to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust, including: Sofitel Queenstown, Peppers, Hilton Queenstown, Emporium Hotel Brisbane, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, The Rees Queenstown and InterContinental Wellington. We had almost $20,000 in prizes to give away to donors and the generosity from our sponsors and industry friends was absolutely fantastic,Wilkinson said. The 2011 HM Awards were hosted by HM magazine, presented by Sealy, and co-hosted by AHS Hospitality, Intrust Super, ISIS and Philips.
Presented by
Hosted by
CO-HOST MESSAGE
Intrust Super was once again pleased to co-host the annual HM Awards Gala Dinner for 2011, which was enjoyed by a record crowd of 600 guests in Sydney. As a major sponsor and longterm partner of HM magazine, we are proud to support such an important event for the industry. The HM Awards, now in its ninth year, gives the industry the opportunity each year to acknowledge its top people, properties and brands. All of the nominees have been selected for delivering excellence across a range of categories, and it was great to see a record number of entries this year. The contribution of these individuals and organisations has helped to ensure that Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific remain at the forefront of the hospitality industry across the world. As a key service provider to the industry for more than 20 years, were also focused on delivering the highest quality service to our members and employers. We know that great service is a combined effort, so it was pleasing to see people from all aspects of the industry from front-office staff to those working behind the scenes recognised for their achievements. It was also pleasing to see the enthusiasm shared by everyone on the night. Its been another tough year for the hospitality and tourism sectors as natural disasters and a rising Australian dollar have continued to pose challenges, and it was great to see the spirit of the industry in full force. I have no doubt that this spirit, together with a continued focus on excellence, will see the industry rise above these challenges. On behalf of the entire Intrust Super team, Id like to congratulate all the winners and nominees, and also thank HM for the opportunity to support such an outstanding event. I look forward doing it all again next year!
CO-HOSTED BY
HMAwARDS
IN THE SCENE
CO-HOST MESSAGE
ISIS Group Australia, as one of this years co-hosts, is proud to be part of the 2011 HM Awards in recognising hotel and accommodation industry excellence. Special congratulations go to all the category winners and the highly commended and in particular: The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa (Upperupscale Hotel), The Olsen (Hotel Interior Design), qualia (Day Spa), Likuliku Lagoon Resort (Fijian Property) and Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa (Environmental Program). The HM Awards this year has once again drawn the best in the industry, of which can only be described as world class. ISIS Group Australia continues to deliver industry leading outcomes through a commitment to excellence, customer service, transparency and collaboration across all project stakeholders. ISIS has had an amazingly successful year with a number of projects completed and well advanced with completion later this year. Projects completed and currently under construction include Sails in the Desert, Marriott Melbourne, Marriott Surfers Paradise, Novotel Brisbane, Hilton Brisbane, Hilton Cairns, The Langham Melbourne, InterContinental Sydney. Our largest project Star City Casino continues to be transformed into a international destination venue, with ISIS scope ever increasing. ISIS Group Australia looks forwarded to being part of the 2012 HM Awards and continues to recognise hotel and accommodation industry excellence.
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1 Nikki Olsen, Clare Willis, Tara ODwyer and Kerryn Amyes from Accors Sydney Olympic park hotels 7 2 Antony Raiteri, Melissa Starbuck, Lisa fenwick and Ross Gage from Sealy 3 Sally Matheson (second from left) and the team from TMS 4 Ashley Spencer (third from right) and the Hilton team 5 Brendan Ofarrell (left) leads the Intrust Super and Sydney Harbour Marriott teams at the 2011 HM Awards 6 Chris Dyball (second from left) and DOCOMO InterTouch 7 The team at Sir Stamford Circular Quay led by Heather Idoine (middle) Guests enjoyed a gourmet dinner at the Awards 8 8 Bruce McKenzie (second from right) and the IHG team
Presented by
Hosted by
CO-HOST MESSAGE
Philips Hospitality, as one this years co hosts, was proud to be part of the 2011 HM Awards in recognizing this years award winners. This year Philips was joined with some of its partners in the industry and the consensus between all parties was that once again Intermedia were able to produce the finest awards night for the hospitality industry. Philips Hotel TV and its dedicated partners would like to specifically congratulate the following winners Q Station Retreat (Upscale Hotel), Peppers Broadbeach (New Hotel), Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa (New Zealand Hotel), Craig Cavers, Hilton Sydney (Hotel Engineer) and Bruce Garrett, The George, Christchurch (New Zealand General Manager). Philips is introducing a new range of TVs to the hospitality industry, with the MediaSuite (including NetTV for hotels) being the true buzz of the industry. Philips has hosted over 220 industry professionals from across the world to launch its latest range of dedicated hotel TVs. After hosting four successful White Box Experience events during September in London, Paris, Milan and Amsterdam, where over 600 customers have witnessed Philips MediaSuite with NetTV for hotels, the Hotel TV division from Philips brought together the complete industry at the UNESCO-listed Dome Church at the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel. Wouter Staal, Sr. Global Marketing Manager for Philips Hotel TV said: The twoday launch event was moderated by Ted Horner and the speaker line-up consisted of NH Hoteles CPO, Pedro Martinez, Quadrigas CEO Roger Taylor, Ian Millar from EHL, Martin de Neuville from PVCP, Olivier de Montchenu from Euronews, and Michael Zetterlund from Nordic Choice Hotels.
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9 Luke Starr and the girls from Starr pR 10 Sealys Ross Gage gets animated during his opening speech 11 8Hotels CEO paul fischmann (centre) 12 The Intermedia team, led by Managing Director Simon Grover (left) 13 Accors pR A-team: peter Hook, Gaynor Reid, Rebecca freestun and Ginni Ryan 14 philips stars led by Mark poldervaart (left) and Travis Anderson 15 The Mirvac boys enjoying a peroni 16 The Sealy posturepedic bed was popular for photos during pre-drinks
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COVERSTORY featurefeature
n 2011, for the sixth year in a row Hilton Hotels & Resorts was the number one most recognised hotel brand in Australia, in the annual BDRC Business Traveller Survey. The company was also named Hotel Brand of theYear at the recent HM Awards, as well as taking out a suite of accolades across general management, engineering and food and beverage. Under the guidance and leadership of Ashley Spencer, Vice President Operations Hilton Worldwide Australasia, these awards reflect the companys continual investment in infrastructure and human resources in the region. Now, the team has turned its focus to Queensland and the revitalisation and expansion of the Hilton portfolio in Australias Sunshine State.
QUEENSLAND IN FOCUS
Over the past several years, Hilton has made significant progress in expanding their global footprint, adding more than 850 hotels to their portfolio since 2007. Last year, the company opened their 600,000th hotel room worldwide, becoming only the second hotel company ever to reach that milestone. In Australasia, Hilton has more than doubled their presence since 2000 and to date development in the region has been an important source of expansion over the past decade, in addition the revitalisation of the Hilton brand in Queensland has been a major part of the companys growth plans. We are operating in exceptional times of growth, and despite the strong Australian dollar, global economic concerns and natural disasters over the past year, the Australasian tourism sector has faired remarkably well, said Spencer. Development in Queensland has been central to our growth strategy across Australasia, and part of this has been a significant invest54 Hotel & Accommodation Management
ment in the revitalisation of our Cairns and Brisbane hotels, as well as the opening of our new flagship property in Surfers Paradise. These developments have come as the Federal Tourism Minister announces three Queensland locations in the top five busiest flight routes in Australia. Airline passenger numbers are strong, particularly from high growth inbound markets of China and India, said Spencer. Our new property and hotel refurbishments in Queensland ensure that we are prepared to cater to the expected growth in the state. Were also expecting a positive return in the meetings and conferences sector, although not to the level of expenditure we experienced during the boom, he said. However businesses have recognised the importance of face to face interaction across all states, even in times of economic difficulty.
ly leisure market, the hotel has been multipurpose built with growth in business travel in mind. Stage one, Boulevard Tower opened last December, and the second and final stage, Orchid Tower opened this month. The 55-storey properties include a signature restaurant by Luke Mangan, Salt Grill, executive lounge, fitness centre, pool and the highly anticipated eforea: Spa.
CEOTALk
ExPANDING
TIMES
The inaugural winner of the HM magazine Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year, A. Patrick Imbardelli, says expansion is still firmly on the cards for Pan Pacific Hotels Group.
Congratulations on winning the inaugural Asia-Pacific Hotelier of the Year Award at the 2011 HM Awards. How was the Award received amongst the staff within the group? Its a great honour to receive this distinction. We are all excited about the win because more than just a personal accolade, it is a recognition of Pan Pacific Hotels Groups (PPHG) recent milestones. It really is a celebration of the sum total of everyones efforts over the last year and I know everyone shares in the appreciation and gratitude of being recognised. How important are industry awards such as the HM Awards for staff and properties? They are a very important testament to hotels commitment to their guests. There are so many things a hotel or a staff member goes the extra mile to do that doesnt get noticed this is one platform where we can properly recognise and reward the people in our industry who are passionate and exemplary in their work. That these are decided by our own people who live and breathe the industry, and know what it takes to go above and beyond to deliver is the icing on the cake. The Award has come at an exciting time for PPHG, especially given your re-entry into Australia with Parkroyal. Tell us about some of the developments for the group over the last year. Over the last 15 months, the Group has rebranded and opened eight properties. In addition to the four great hotels in Australia Parkroyal Darling Harbour, Sydney, Parkroyal Paramatta, Pan Pacific Perth and the AUD$109 million acquisition of Hilton Melbourne Airport which we rebranded as Parkroyal Melbourne Airport, we grew our portfolio in other markets with Pan Pacific Suzhou, Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Bangkok and Parkroyal Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur. We also inked several management agreements and now have five properties in the pipeline, Pan Pacific Ningbo and Pan Pacific Ningbo Serviced Suites in China, Parkroyal on Pickering in Singapore, Parkroyal Serviced Suites, Green City in Shanghai which will open next year, and Parkroyal Taihu Resort, Suzhou in 2014. What do you have up next? Can you give us an insight into the expansion of PPHG in Australasia? We certainly are continuing to focus on the very vibrant and dynamic region. With the foundation of four great hotels in Australia right now, and a great regional team in place, we hope to keep up the momentum and plant more flags in more cities like Brisbane, Melbourne's CBD, Queensland and New Zealand. As we start to roll out the Parkroyal and Pan Pacific guest touch points in line with our refreshed positioning across both current hotels and new ones we convert, the imperative is to ensure that all our hotels and associates carry through consistently these brand standards and ensure they are delivering on both a functional and emotional level which is what customers today really want. Only then can we ensure that we have strong brands that resonate with customers and deliver value for hotel owners.
56 Hotel & Accommodation Management Pan Pacific President and CEO, A. Patrick Imbardelli
Patrick, what are some of the biggest challenges facing Hoteliers at Asia-Pacific at present? Asias middle class has grown exponentially over the last few years and travel into and within the region will continue to boom, especially from China where we will expect an even stronger inflow of Chinese tourists. Therefore, it is crucial for hoteliers to know who are checking into their hotels and to be nimble in customising their offerings around these customer preferences. The changing face of tomorrows travellers begs the question if brands which are rapidly expanding Asia now, and who have their fundamentals in appealing to the Western/Caucasian traveller, will work for the fast growing Asia middle class. Compounding this challenge is the fact that in the next decade, our workforce and consumers will span four demographics segments baby boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z all of whom may have different needs and preferences. The challenge for Hoteliers will be how to figure out what their guests want (or dont want), how to capture those preferences and provide such relevant choices and customisation to guests. The war for talent particularly in leadership roles in the face of increased mobility, competition is another big challenge. We always talk about the quality of hotel staff in Australia. But how hard is it at present to find hospitable, lively staff that help ensure your guests keep coming back? Finding the right people is one aspect of this issue, the other is ensuring that the right training, both hard and soft skills, are provided to them so that they are always engaged with the brand and hotel they represent. In essence, they need to internalise the brand promise and align service and behavior to what our brands stand for.
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kEYNEwS
Richard Munro (second from left) with Martin ferguson and leading Hoteliers in Canberra
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
MEMBERSHIp
Hilton Sydney
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Program (GPPP) sees major brands such as Marriott, Four Seasons, Starwood, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Toga, Hyatt and Accor partnering with our school. This program gives unique access to our final year graduBlue Mountains International Hotel Management School CEO Guy ates to build important relationships with Bentley looks at some of the major challenges facing the industry. potential employers. Industry partners of the GPPP are required to have a The second element inyoung leaders or corporate There have been many things written about volves education institutions management program for Gen Y and the reality is theyre here and in fully engaging with industry graduating students to parlarge numbers. They know what they want, partners from the conception ticipate in this scheme. In the they want it fast and they want to be sure that of a course, to its delivery, aslast twelve months, 95% of all youre doing the best for them to grow their sessment and re-evaluation BMIHMS graduates surveyed career. This being said, they will surprise you of the curriculum. The opporhave secured employment in with their dedication and their willingness to tunity to build brand recogtheir chosen fields within three work hard when youre committed to their nition into the brand-aware months of graduation. career. Theyre savvier, connected through Gen Ys starts from the moMandy Posetti (GPPP 2007, social media and they understand that there ment that the student first Graduated 2007) is currently a are multiple ways to achieve tasks. If we are thinks about the hospitality Human Resources Executive to capture and inspire this group of young BMHS graduate Mandy Posetti industry. Our approach is to at Courtyard Marriott North people to manage our businesses we have to work with industry partners Ryde and Sydney Harbour deliver education that is highly relevant. We through career information days held at Marriott. I was fortunate enough to secure a also need to deliver it in a way they wish to their hotels or businesses. position with Marriott International on their receive it, whilst instilling in them the values The third element is industry engagement. Executive Graduate Program based in Sydthat hard work, commitment and endeavour To partner with BMIHMS, industry provides ney, before graduating, she said. It was an will bring them success. It is the understandguest lectures and work placements that meet eighteen month program and involved working and appreciation of three key elements industry, education and the individuals deing in the hotel departments, over three howhich will successfully grow young managsired outcome. However, the most critical tels in NSW and two Marriott hotel brands. ers in the hospitality industry, understanding part, after nurturing the student for over three Good business practice for hotel schools the motivation and desires of your student is years, is to take this potential manager from is good business practice for the hospitality the first of these. This allows us the opporbeing a graduate to being a young manager. business. This will provide us with tomortunity to style our delivery methodology for This is also achieved at BMIHMS through rows leaders to ensure the future success of education differently and this brings us to the partnering. Our Graduate Privileged Partner our businesses in this competitive world. second element.
INDUSTRY TRAINING
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kEYNEwS
Sex workers are under the spotlight for hotels across Australia
DISCRIMINATION ISSUES
WORKING
ROOMS
As this article is being prepared there are at least three accommodation providers the Accommodation Association is aware of who are preparing to defend allegations of discrimination levelled against them and one who has recently settled a case. These allegations are not on the basis of race, religion or other factors the industry is generally well educated on but rather on lawful sexual activity. In each case the allegations are brought by a sex worker. In most states and territories, prostitution has been legalised, within a range of restrictions, and with this brings rights for sex workers. Amongst those rights comes protection under anti-discrimination legislation which means that (in relevant states and ter60 Hotel & Accommodation Management
The issue of sex workers in hotels is under the spotlight, says the Accommodation Association of Australias Manager of National Operations, Michael Georgeson.
ritories) as a lawful sexual activity, sex workers may not be refused service on the basis of their employment. There are of course a range of variations and restrictions placed on this based on the legislation in the relevant state, however, an overarching consideration remains that in most states sex workers have the same, or similar, rights to goods and services as any other individual. So, what of the accommodation provider and their business? Operators have reported complaints from guests resulting from regular and constant arrivals and departures throughout the night, drunken and inappropriate behaviour of clients towards staff and guests, solicitation and staff concerns over OHS is-
sues. In some cases, guests have accused operators of running a brothel and indeed the Association has a had a report from a member where the local police warned that should they continue to have multiple sex workers operating from their apartments, they could be charged with operating an illegal brothel the operator was not aware he had any sex workers as guests. Add to these concerns over safety, in case of fire or emergency, and the implications of security where sex workers have clients arriving and departing without the property managers knowledge and the resultant impact on an accommodation business, their staff and general guests may be quite broad and obtrusive. Accommodation providers do, of course, have rights (and responsibilities) as well. Those include the right to restrict or refuse service to anyone based on your own terms and conditions, as long as such restrictions are applied equally to all, and naturally are within legal obligations. Some properties for instance elect to apply conditions that guests in residence do not have their own visitors after a certain hour this caters to guest workers requiring an early start to the day. Similarly for safety and security, some operators require all guests or visitors to be recorded on check-in or at reception. Of course, many operators will also have standard terms requiring restrictions relating to appropriate behaviour, limitations on noise and behaviour resulting in property damage. Also, a growing number of operators restrict the conduct of business from their rooms. What operators need to bear in mind in regard to sex workers is their relevant state legislation and the provision of service to all potential guests. In many states refusing service to a sex worker on the simple grounds that they are a prostitute could lead to a breach of anti-discrimination legislation. There are details and factors that may impact on an operators position such as children in residence, other sex workers already in house and local or state laws regarding brothels. As legislation around this issue can be quite complex, operators are encouraged to gain a solid understanding of their responsibilities at a local, state and federal level to ensure they do not inadvertently breach the law. For more detailed information visit the Accommodation Associations website to further assist with legislation around anti-discrimination, prostitution and standard terms & conditions www.aaoa.com.au Disclaimer: Please note that the above does not constitute a full or legal analysis of the subject. Qualified legal representatives may provide a clearer perspective and advice. Neither the Accommodation Association of Australia nor Michael Georgeson accepts any liability for reliance on this content.
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WORKpLACE RELATIONS
WORKpLACE RELATIONS
failed to attend a meeting that they were requested to attend by the employer. The employer then forwarded a letter to the employee, stating that following the employees failure to respond to the request to meet, and given that the employee did not respond to phone calls by the employer, the employer is now advising that the employees resignation will be processed in accordance with his email of 24 October 2010, and their employment will be terminated effective 14 January 2011. It was determined that the email sent by the employee foreshadowing the possibility
hotelmanagement.com.au 61
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SpONSOR pROfILE
HOSTPLUS
THE ACCOMMODATION ASSOCIATIONS CEO RICHARD MUNRO SITS DOWN WITH HOSTPLUS CEO DAVID ELIA.
Why does HOSTPLUS see it as important to support the accommodation sector and the AAA? HOSTPLUS is the industry superannuation fund for the hospitality, tourism, recreation and sport sectors. Serving those sectors is our primary focus. Within the tourism industry, clearly accommodation is a critical sector both in terms of the number of people the sector employs but also in terms of the role the accommodation experience plays in the overall health of Australian tourism. The sector within Australia is synonymous with quality, and a quality accommodation experience can often be the most remembered element within a holiday, or equally within business travel. Providing a quality experience and quality service is also an element we take very seriously at HOSTPLUS so theres a natural alignment there. What changes in superannuation have you noticed since you joined HOSTPLUS? Like any industry there have been a lot of changes over the last decade or so. But at the same time the basic fundamentals behind our business remain. People often associate super with ongoing rule changes. Yes, there are often changes to regulations around super but mostly these changes are tinkering around the edges and generally, certainly in recent times, they result in improvements for members. There are some major reforms working their way through the Parliament currently and the intention of these reforms is again positive though there might be some specifics we may question. Overall however, the impact of these latest reforms will be minimal on HOSTPLUS because we are already complying with the majority of them. One area that has changed during my time in the industry though would be around the professionalism of the industry itself. Super is now a major component of the economy. It is a AUD$1.3 trillion industry forecast to grow to AUD$3 trillion in the next decade and has become a major employer in itself. Are there any specific issues for the accommodation sector regarding super? Perhaps the major issue for those working in the accommodation sector relates to their work patterns. Many workers will find themselves working for a number of different businesses over their career, and often they may work for a number of employers simultaneously. The sector can also provide great opportunities for those within it to travel to different parts of the country during their working lives. As the fund established specifically for this sector HOSTPLUS provides these workers with a fund they can easily stay with as they move between jobs or as they move around the country. On average Australians have three super accounts, and there generally isnt a good reason for this. With HOSTPLUS accommodation workers, and importantly their employers, can easily maintain their relationship with our fund as their career, or their workforce, evolves. Another important element is around adequacy that is saving enough for a comfortable retirement. It is important to ensure what retirement savings people can accumulate arent eroded by high fees or by paying for commissions. I would urge everyone to investigate and understand the fees they are paying on their super.
62 Hotel & Accommodation Management HOSTpLUS CEO David Elia
How many members did you start with and what has contributed to your growth? The Fund was established in 1987 and when I joined in 1999 the Fund had 364,931 members and $917 million in funds under management. We have certainly experienced enormous growth since then with 985,000 members and AUD$10 billion in funds under management at September 2011. The share market is so volatile at the moment. Have you considered putting some of your funds into the Accommodation sector? We take a disciplined and diversified approach to investing and our focus, as it has to be for a business of our nature, is a very long-term one. One of the things about HOSTPLUS generally, has been our ability to look for different types of investment opportunities whether that has been in funding infrastructure like tunnels, airports, or clean energy, or through other investments into private equity ventures and the like. So its definitely not just about the share market. As part of our diversification strategy we already have exposure into the sector and into areas that support the sector. Are members putting enough in super and what advice do you have for workers regarding super? For most of us the money we have invested in super will be one of the largest sums of money we ever have to deal with. Yet many people barely give their super 5 minutes thought a year. There are some simple, yet important things people can do for their super. Get all of your super together in one account and avoid paying multiple fees. Its easier to keep track of and will save you money. Most funds allow you to choose how your money is invested, in property, shares, cash or a combination. I would encourage people to think about their needs and the level of risk they are happy to take and make an investment choice with their money. Read your statement. We send our members a statement every six months. Take the time to read the statement and understand not just how much is in your account, but how much if any insurance you have, what you are paying in fees and charges, where your money is invested, and whether your fund has all your details.
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LEGAL ISSUES
WORKPLACE RELATIONS
Consultation: the Model Act will introduce consultation provisions which will provide for agreed arrangements, appointment of health and safety representatives (HSRs) and health and safety committees. Union Right of Entry: the Model Act provides entry rights consistent with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). Permit holders will have a right of entry into workplaces if they have a reasonable suspicion that a contravention has occurred, and without notice. Inspectors and Investigations: Inspectors will have the power to compel persons to answer questions or provided documents and records even if doing so incriminates the person. In practical terms this means that anyone giving a statement or providing documents should seek legal advice and claim the privilege against self incrimination available under the Model Act. Nothing in the powers of inspectors abrogates legal professional privilege. Penalties: the Model Act significantly increases the maximum penalties for breaches of the Model Act. The most serious offences will carry maximum penalties for workers of $300,000 and officers of $600,000, and/or 5 years imprisonment. For more information on this topic, including its challenges, visit www.aaoa.com.au John is a lawyer specialising in occupational health and safety matters. He can be contacted on (02) 9513 2564 or john.makris@ middletons.com
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
JAMES WILKINSON
SURfS UP
HILTON SURFERS PARADISE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GOLD COASTS MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECTS FOR YEARS AND TO FIND OUT WHAT GUESTS CAN ExPECT, HM CAUGHT UP WITH GENERAL MANAGER, DAVID KELLY.
David, its been a long time coming you must be excited about the opening of the final stage of Hilton Surfers Paradise. Our team has worked hard to prepare for the official opening of the entire Hilton Surfers Paradise offering, and we were delighted to welcome our first guests on September 14. The opening of Hilton Surfers Paradise is a landmark event for the tourism industry as the first upscale, global hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in more than 10 years and the first leisure-focused hotel and residences from Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Australia. Its been both an exciting and challenging journey, but very rewarding to see it come to reality. A new bar and Salt grill restaurant recently opened in the hotel under the watch of two industry food and beverage leaders. Tell us more. Leading Australian restaurateur and celebrity chef Luke Mangans latest venture Salt grill is a fashionable, urban restaurant where Luke and his team are delivering contemporary Australian food using the finest and freshest ingredients, sourced locally. The restaurant itself has a large open plan kitchen, allowing guests to interact with the chefs and see their meals being prepared right in front of their eyes. It also features a great wine room and three separate dining zones that each have their own unique feel and distinguishing features. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Salt grill features burnt red leather booths, large circular windows and a feature panel of silver hanging beads, which create a spectacular opaque screen. Lukes food is simple and uncomplicated, yet full of flavour. The Salt grill menu features his signature Hiramasa Kingfish Sashimi with Persian feta, ginger and eschallot dressing, which continues to receive rave reviews at The Palace in Melbourne and glass brasserie in Sydney. Right next door is also FIX, our stylish new lounge bar, which takes its name from the common term for a cocktail in prohibition America circa 1920s. Internationally renowned, Sydney based mixologist Grant Collins has introduced the most comprehensive range of internationally sourced bourbons and gins in Queensland and some of the most progressive cocktail techniques seen in Australia. And we understand you have a beach valet service. Tell us more about what you offer and why it was started. The concept of beach valets is well entrenched at overseas destinations such as South Beach in Miami, Florida and Cannes in France, so we have intro64 Hotel & Accommodation Management
Hilton Surfers paradise General Manager David Kelly (and right) the new property
SNAPSHOT
HILTON SURFERS PARADISE
3113 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Operator Hilton Hotels & Resorts General Manager David Kelly Opened September 14, 2011 Rooms and suites 169 hotel rooms and 250 residences available in one, two and three bedroom configurations. F&B outlets Salt grill by Luke Mangan, FIx cocktail lounge bar and The Food Store Recreation facilities eforea day spa, three outdoor pools and an indoor lap pool and spa, outdoor terrace and poolside deck, pool bar, Executive Lounge, Business Centre, movie theatrette, sauna and two fully equipped gymnasiums duced an Australian version of the concept exclusively for Hilton Surfers Paradise guests. Guests are able to book their very own Hilton Beach Valet to transport their beach gear and belongings to and from the beach. Hiltons Beach Valets set guests up on the worldrenowned Surfers Paradise Beach, as well as bring guests cold drinks, ice creams and snacks throughout the day. Hiltons Beach Valets set up a Hilton-branded sunshade or beach umbrella, carry and assemble beach chairs, bring fresh towels and childrens beach toys and provide guests with an Esky filled with their choice of cold drinks, fresh fruit or snacks. The property also has the first purpose built eforea: spa at Hilton in Australia. How did this come about and what has the feedback been like to date? We are excited to have the very first purpose built eforea spa in Australia at Hilton Surfers Paradise, allowing us to provide a facility that ensures our guests have world-class massage treatments and unique spa therapies available within our brand new hotel complex. eforea adds to the total Hilton Surfers Paradise experience, and we have had some great feedback so far as we welcome our first guests to the spa to provide them with an experience like no other.
GENERALMANAGER
tion to the local tourism industry, as the first new upper upscale international hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in over 10 years. The complex was specially designed in response to a demand for more flexible and spacious holiday options on the Gold Coast and guests will be surprised by what they find on offer. And Queenslanders themselves are too backing the Gold Coast, with more than 40% of guests at the hotel coming from Queensland to experience the brand new hot spot. We understand that the Middle East is a big market for the hotel. How excited are you about the potential for growth in this market? Hilton Surfers Paradise played host to many of the 15,000 Middle Eastern visitors who converged on the Gold Coast this year as Ramadan coincides with the Northern Hemisphere summer and school holiday period. We were honoured to have recently hosted the Qatar Royal Family at Hilton Surfers Paradise, which is an immense endorsement of the facilities we have on offer. Now that we are fully operational, I have no doubt that Hilton Surfers Paradise will further add to the Gold Coasts attraction to Arab tourists. Closer to come, whats domestic tourism like at present and are you seeing much growth? It has been great to see Queenslanders supporting destinations in their own backyard, with more than 40% of our visitors coming from the Sunshine State. Domestic tourism is playing a large role for Hilton Surfers Paradise, with a large proportion of our guests also travelling from New South Wales and Victoria. What are some of the unique characteristics of the property in your opinion and what aspects of the property are you getting the best feedback on? Hilton Surfers Paradise is a landmark offering from Hilton Hotels and Resorts as it is the first leisure-focused hotel and residences in Australia. We are also responding to demand for more flexible accommodation offerings, catering to all guests from overnight corporate guests to longer-stay leisure guests with our range of hotel rooms and residences. Last but not least, tell us more about your background and how you ended up running one of the newest hotels in Australia? I have had more than 20 years experience in the hospitality industry with at least 15 of those years spent with Hilton Worldwide, both in Australia and internationally. I was most recently the General Manager at Hilton Cairns, where I undertook major refurbishment projects and successfully restructured the business. Prior to this I was Director of Business Development for Hilton Sydney during the hotels refurbishment and subsequent relaunch. Ive also spent four years with Hilton in New York. It is a great honour to be appointed General Manager of the newest and most eagerly-awaited upper upscale hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in more than 10 years. I truly believe that Hilton Surfers Paradise is set to deliver a new standard of contemporary holiday accommodation on the Gold Coast. Hiltons brand strength comes as a result of continuous innovation and developing hotel concepts that respond to our customers changing needs. The development of a hotel and residence concept caters for customers need for additional space and more flexible accommodation options, without sacrificing upscale service and five star facilities.
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What can guests expect when they open the door to one of your rooms upstairs? Hilton Surfers Paradise guests can choose from 40 different room configurations, catering to all holiday-makers. In response to demand for larger and more flexible accommodation on the Gold Coast, the residences are both fully serviced and self contained. The added benefit is that just like hotel guests, those staying in the residences also have access to all of Hiltons five star services and facilities, including room service, mini-bar, valet parking, concierge and even the daily housekeeping service. Tell us about the technology on offer in the rooms, including the high-end Samsung TVs. Hilton Surfers Paradises residences are extremely well appointed with modern appliances throughout the entire complex. Rooms include 37 LCD televisions with pay TV and free-to-air channels, iPod docking stations and high-speed internet in every room. Add to these views of the famous Surfers Paradise beach, cityscape, and Gold Coast Hinterland and you have the ultimate in five star stay. What are some of the challenges on the Gold Coast at present? While business and holiday tourism on the Gold Coast have seen declines in the past, we are now witnessing both kicking back into gear again. Hilton Surfers Paradise is a key contribu-
GLOBALREPORT
WORDS
SHANGRI-LAS NEWEST PROPERTY IN SHANGHAI HAS SIGNALLED THE DEBUT OF KERRY HOTELS AND WHATS BEEN CREATED IS A NEW KIND OF LIFESTYLE HOTEL, ONE THATS MADE SURE THE WORLDS LEADING UPPER-UPSCALE BRANDS ARE FIRMLY ON NOTICE.
Oversized rooms and suites are a key feature of the Kerry Hotel Shanghai (and below) the hotel has a central location in pudong
hangri-Las Kerry Hotels brand is set to give the lifestyle segment a solid shake-up globally thanks to the opening of a stunning hotel in Shanghai thats a fusion of luxury and contemporary. The Kerry Hotel in the citys Pudong district features 574 rooms, a ballroom capable of seating over 2750 people, a brewery, luxury day spa, sports club and a strong emphasis on highquality food. It adds up to a new style of lifestyle hotel that mixes a number of elements that Shangri-La is famous for, while maintaining a cool, contemporary feel. Kerry Hotels is our new lifestyle brand and it fits right in between Traders and Shangri-La, said Kerry Hotel Shanghai General Manager Ed Brea. And the idea is you have more than just a hotel. We have not only a hotel, but we have a residence, a very large sports club thats 6000-sqm, a huge convention space here in the hotel and its attached to a shopping mall and an office building. So, we have many elements that are attached to the hotel and inside the envelope, we have a number of unique features, including our own brewery, called The Brew. And thats part of our (food and beverage) concept called The Cook, The Meat and The Brew. In addition to the brewery, we have a very nice steak restaurant (The Meet) and our interactive buffet concept (The Cook), which has a number of different showcases, he told HM. Brea, who a number of years ago served as the General Manager of Shangri-La The Marina Cairns, said the Australian market was a key
segment for the hotel going forward, particularly given the economic conditions at present. I think it (the Australian market) fits in quite nicely with what we are trying to do here and I see that market, which has one of the strongest economies in ASEAN, and I hope we would get our fair share of that,he said. Brea said the location has played a significant role to date and he expects that to continue. Were very close to the airport on the edge of Pudong and one of the nice features the Aussies like here, whether they come on leisure or business, is the park thats located across the road of the hotel, which is one of the largest green spaces in Shanghai, its maybe half the size of Central Park in New York, and its an outstanding feature we have here, he said. The Kerry Hotels food and beverage offering with The Cook, The Meat and The Brew is outstanding and it will play a huge role in the success of the brand going forward. While Brea said not all of Kerrys new hotels would feature a USD$2 million brewery like Pudong, food and beverage will indeed be a drawcard at each location. Other elements will be ballrooms to target the domestic and inbound MICE markets, fitness facilities including day spas and well-appointed rooms that suit both business and leisure travellers. Brea said the Pudong property is being used as the benchmark for Kerry Hotels and given the quality of that hotel, other brands in the same space had better keep an eye on Shangri-Las plans for what will no doubt be one of the worlds best lifestyle offerings. For exclusive video reports, visit www.hotel management.com.au
Biodegradable plastic tubes and caps Recyclable paper packaging No plastic wrappers Formulated with Aloe Vera extracts
TOURISMFORUM
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JAMES WILKINSON
irgin Australia has upped the ante on trans-continental flights, with the carrier now offering business class on every departure from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Perth and vice-versa. A number of brand new Boeing 737 aircraft featuring two rows of Business Class have been delivered to the former low-cost carrier this year and those aircraft will complement the existing Airbus A330-200 services from Sydney to Perth. Expected to commence flying on the route from September 28, 2011, the Boeing 737 Business Class offers a similar seat and the same service as the Airbus A330, but those up the front wont have seat-back entertainment, with Virgin instead opting to provide guests with Digiplayer XTs loaded with six movies, ten television programs and a selection of music. Virgin Australia Group Executive Commercial Liz Savage said the new Business Class offering would come at a competitive price for travellers. Im pleased to announce our Business Class fares are now on sale commencing from $1299, representing great value for money on every coast to coast departure, she said. Our Business Class cabin with the new Boeing Sky Interior sets Virgin Australia apart for in cabin style and comfort with luxurious leather seating with 38-inch seat pitch and gourmet Luke Mangan designed meals, she said. Those on Business Class fares will also receive priority check-in and boarding, along with entry to the Virgin Australia lounge and, for a limited time, complimentary limHotel & Accommodation Management
ousine transfers within 60 kilometres from the airport at either ends of the journey. The majority of the Boeing 737 aircraft fitted with the Business Class seats are those that feature the new Boeing Sky Interior a new style of cabin that was recently introduced by the manufacturer and one that offers an increased amount of space thanks primarily to the re-design of the overhead bins. However, those in Economy on the new Boeing 737s will find a major change from the rest of the 737 fleet no seatback in-flight entertainment. While the Airbus A330-200s are fitted with an on-demand in-flight entertainment system thats similar to whats on offer on V Australias Boeing 777-300ERs, the new 737800s are yet to receive any TVs. Industry speculation is rife that the Live2Air system that broadcasts live Austar and Foxtel would not be installed on the new 737-800s and removed from the remainder of the existing 737 fleet, instead replaced by a similar system to the A330s and B777s. When asked if this was the case, a spokesperson for Virgin Australia said the airline was still assessing options at this stage and will make an announcement in coming months. Either way, consumers are set to benefit from any in-flight entertainment move by Virgin Australia as the airline continues to chase a larger share of the nations government and business travel market. Live television or a range of films is still a long way from how the airline started out 11 years ago as a low-cost carrier with just four aircraft operating from no-frills terminals around the nation.
Well be doing all this quite quickly, although it will still take most of 2012 before it is on most of our aircraft, he said. Meanwhile Cathay Pacific has announced the introduction of non-stop services from Adelaide to Hong Kong from November 24 until March 24, 2012 on three of the airlines seven flights a week from the South Australian capital which are currently running via Melbourne. Cathay Pacific has been flying to Adelaide since 1992 and in this time we have grown to seven flights a week and seen growth in demand from travellers across the business, leisure and student markets particularly to and from China, said Cathay Pacifics General Manager - South-west Pacific, Dane Cheng.
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ONE OF THE LEADING APARTMENT PROPERTIES IN COOLANGATTA HAS SIGNED A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH ACCOR HOTELS.
lue C Apartments Coolangatta in Queensland has joined Accor Hotels' upscale Grand Mercure Apartments brand in time for the approaching summer season. Perfectly positioned opposite iconic Coolangatta Beach, the newly renamed Grand Mercure Apartments Coolangatta boast a convenient location just five minutes drive away from the Gold Coast International Airport, ideal for guests travelling from interstate or overseas destinations. The propertys management team Robyn and Dick Douglas say its no coincidence they chose a hotel group with both domestic and international scope for growth. Our first experience with apartment hotels was a small management contract at Palm Beach in 2000 before successfully taking over management of the then new Blue C in 2004, said Robyn. Blue C represented a great opportunity for us to own and run our own business in a beautiful environment, with the added benefit of meeting interesting and friendly people along the way. But after seven years, we felt the time was right to join a franchise and sought to engage the assistance of Accor. Robyn and Dick said that after meeting with several of the Accor personnel they felt confident that the association would be mutually beneficial and that apartment owners and the business as a whole would flourish. Everyone we met from Accor was extremely friendly, helpful and down to earth. Despite being an international hotel group, there still seems to be a family feeling that certainly complements the environment at our Coolangatta property. Accors General Manager Franchise Hotels Dino Mezzatesta said the Coolangatta property is in fact a perfect example of the sort of apartment hotel that can benefit from signing up with Group.
Grand Mercure Apartments Coolangatta comes to the Accor network with a very impressive base of loyal return clients, which is a great place to start, he said.Our aim of course is that via Accors established sales, marketing and distribution channels, well be able to build on this and provide a more even market mix that will complement existing business and help take the property to the next level over the coming year. We expect that Accors A|Club and Accor Advantage Plus loyalty programmes, which offer in excess of seven million members worldwide, combined with the companys extensive database of corporate and leisure travellers will increase visitation to what is an already popular apartment resort. The modern 15 storey high rise holiday resort provides a great choice of 45 one, two or three-bedroom air conditioned, luxury apartments, all with beautiful ocean views of the magnificent Coolangatta Beach and beyond. Guest facilities include a heated lagoon style swimming pool, spa, a gymnasium and sauna. The north-east-facing beaches of Coolangatta, Greenmount Snapper Rocks and Rainbow Bay are just moments away. Dino added that that Accor has been very proactive on the franchise frontier in 2011 and has actively sought out key business and leisure destinations to expand its portfolio. Queensland in particular has been a target area for us, and were thrilled to add Coolangatta to our network. It joins another two franchise agreements announced this month the Grand Mercure Magnetic Island and the much anticipated Mercure Gladstone, a new build project we expect to be completed in September 2012. So overall its a busy and prosperous time for us and our franchise partners. For more information about Accors franchise network call Dino Mezzatesta on +61 (0)2 9280 9832 or go to www.accorfranchise.com.au
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AUSTRALIAS
INTERVIEWS
fINEST
JAMES WILKINSON
WINNERS OF THE 2011 HM AWARDS SPAN THE WIDTH AND LENGTH OF AUSTRALIA. TO FIND OUT HOW THE AWARDS WERE RECEIVED AND WHATS IN STORE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, HM SPOKE TO A FEW OF THE WINNING GENERAL MANAGERS.
qualias General Manager Michael Shah says his team was thrilled at winning Australian Lodge, Resort and Day Spa of the Year at the 2011 HM Awards.
The team at qualia were naturally delighted (with the three HM Awards). I was receiving a constant stream of texts and tweets from the island during the awards asking if wed won, and then huge congratulations from everyone once the announcements were made. Receiving these Awards is unequivocal proof that we are doing things right, and it sets a high expectation. We are only as good as the experience we have given the last guest to leave yesterday and the first arrival today. We have to win awards with every guest every day. That is the challenge. We are delighted with the position of qualia after only four years in operation. This has been an extremely difficult year for tourism in Queensland, let alone an island property in Queensland but we are confidently projecting positive growth for qualia as we extend our relationships with key agents, recognise an increase in return guests and consolidate our position as an easily accessible destination for the East Coast which helps for our international guests as well. Our events such as Great Barrier Feast, The Australian Ballet and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week naturally allow us to showcase qualia to new and repeat guests and have been a great way of showing that we can deliver these world class activities. I had a lot of experience in the MICE segment earlier in my career and business tourism is a growth area for us. After three years we understand how qualia works best for corporate groups and what we can realistically achieve on the property. We have just reviewed our MICE offering to provide a much greater degree of flexibility to groups. We are also looking at increasing our exposure in Europe by strengthening our marketing relationships in that area.
qualia
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Under the guidance of General Manager Greg Brady, the team at Mercure Sydney have excelled in helping those in need.
The team at Mercure Sydney was thrilled to receive the (Service to the Community) Award because we all understand that it is the community that ultimately makes a hotel successful, so it is essential to return the favour and support worthy causes. It is even better to be recognised for it (because it was) in the HM Awards. Our community projects are obviously completely altruistic and we dont expect anything in return, but when we are asking our staff and guests to support these projects it is really positive to receive recognition via such a prestigious award. It really helps to inspire and motivate the team. With the support of our owner Dr Jerry Schwartz who is passionate about supporting the community we launched Room for Hope to support two very important charities, Royal Far West, and Stewart House. As the name implies, Royal Far West provides a wide range of essential specialist health services to meet the needs of country children and their families in the west of NSW. Without their support, many of these children would go without many services that we take for granted in the city. Stewart House also helps children across NSW and the ACT. They come and stay at Stewart House, during which they receive optometric, dental and medical treatment as well as emotional support. This is balanced with health and educational programs and out of school activities to boost their self-esteem and to promote a healthier lifestyle. Thanks to the generosity of our staff and guests who are asked to add $1 to their bill to help - we raised AUD $10,000 for each of the organisations. Mercure Sydney has a strong relationship with several other organisations, which we support by way of fundraising and donations.
Great fundraising job: Mercure Sydney
Mercure Sydney
InterContinental Sydney
Its been a big year for InterContinental Sydney, one thats been capped by winning two important gongs at the 2011 HM Awards, says General Manager Fred Matti.
The hotel team is absolutely elated to receive two of the top accolades in this years HM Awards (Business Hotel and Hotel of the Year). The team has been working hard to take personal responsibility for service delivery and being recognised for our efforts is a great motivator. Our colleagues at IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) are also delighted. We have received a tonne of well-wishes from across the board. Its fantastic to have our efforts recognised by our industry peers and the good people at HM. These awards encourage our team to continue to strive hard to provide an extraordinary experience for our guests. They also play a positive role in helping to lift overall standards in the industry. InterContinental Sydney is enjoying a successful year, in terms of business performance. Although the markets have softened somewhat of late, we are expecting a strong last quarter. The segments where we expect strong performance in 2012 are corporate transients and meetings and events. We are already close to capacity on mid-week days for most of the year. The past 12 months have been particularly busy for InterContinental Sydney when it comes to renovations. We have renewed our exclusive Club InterContinental Lounge on the rooftop of the hotel. We have enhanced the business centre and renovated our live broadcast centre the only hotel-based facility of its kind in Sydney. Most recently, we have totally transformed our restaurant, Caf Opera and we are now renovating one of our most popular events spaces, the bi-level Harbour Room on the 31st floor, which looks out over the harbour and the Botanic Gardens. Once completed, it will be an even more elegant venue for small gatherings, private dining events and product launches.
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The Langham, Melbourne General Manager Ben Sington says winning the HM Award for best MICE hotel has been very motivating for his team.
Winning an industry award such as the best MICE hotel is very motivating for our team and a great talking point to share with our valuable clients. We receive many positive comments from our clients but recognition from the industry is affirmation of what our MICE team aims to consistently deliver to our clients. We are very proud to share the details of the accolade with our colleagues in our sister hotels internationally and global sales offices. At the property, we can acknowledge and celebrate the success with all colleagues. It is an accolade that can be used as a testimonial. Its been a strong year for us and the team are very confident that the remainder of the year will continue to track at pleasing levels. The city responds positively to our diverse events calendar and 2011 is no different with AFL Grand Final, Spring Racing Carnival and the President's Cup still to come before year end. The hotel is ideally located and designed to service both business and leisure travel, so both segments are regarded as exciting in 2012. The city very much lends itself to combining business with Melbourne leisure activities sporting events, theatre, concerts, restaurants, shopping and regional tours. It is exciting to see growth in the MICE segment for specialist events that want an all encompassing venue offering exclusivity. Melba continues its popularity with Melburnians and hotel guests as a restaurant offering a range of international cuisines prepared in open kitchens by smiling chefs. Melbas appeal is found in the variety of cuisines, quality and the location overlooking the river and city (and) its ambience and atmosphere suits all ages.
Top MICE hotel: The Langham, Melbourne
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WEATHERDON
www.weatherdon.com.au
CORPORATION
AS DEMAND CONTINUES TO GROW FOR HIGH-QUALITY ACCOMMODATION ACROSS AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC REGION, HOTELS HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PUT IN MORE CAPITAL THAN EVER TO ENSURE THE QUALITY IS ON A LEVEL THAT THE MODERN TRAVELLER ExPECTS. HM LOOKS AT SOME OF THE LEADING RENOVATIONS ACROSS AUSTRALIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
SUITE BUILDING
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or the last few years, hotels spanning both ends of the branding scale spectrum from economy to luxury have been pumping millions of dollars into ageing hotels to compete for the budget conscious traveller. Thats a trend industry leading hospitality refurbishment and construction specialists ISIS Group Australia is expecting to continue to for the foreseeable future. Over the next two to three years, we expect to see an increase in the number of hotel refurbishments particularly in markets such as Perth, Sydney and Adelaide, said ISIS Group Australias National Executive - Hotels and Leisure, Brett Patterson. With hotel occupancies now regularly above 80% and room rates improving, there is now a greater demand for hotels in all capital cities. The availability of suitable hotel sites is limited and therefore hotel owners and operators will need to become more creative with potential conversions of existing office buildings into all types of hotels from 3- to 5-star. We are regularly asked to assist with feasibility options for these properties, he told HM. Some of the projects ISIS has been involved in recently has included Marriott properties in Melbourne and Surfers Paradise, along with Novotel Brisbane, Hilton Cairns, InterContinental Sydney, Crowne Plaza Terrigal, Sails in the Desert and two huge projects at The Star (formerly Star City) in Sydney. We are refurbishing the top two floors of the existing hotel, including bringing all of their Suites and Penthouses to a luxury standard, Patterson said of the project at The Star. At The Darling hotel we are doing a fit out of the Signature (suites) on levels 11 and 12 to a Luxury standard not seen in any other hotel in Sydney. Also involved in The Star project has been creative genius Paul Kelly from Paul Kelly Design, responsible for creating the BLACK and Sokyo restaurants. BLACK is a seriously beautiful restaurant with chef Teage Ezard from Melbourne at the helm, Kelly told HM.It is a classic steakhouse
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with a twist a handmade interior as dedicated to design as the chefs are to the culinary excellence in production. A fusion between Sydney and Tokyo, Sokyo is going to change the way we view Japanese lifestyle and cuisine. Chef Chase Kojima (former head of Nobu worldwide) is behind this 300 seat restaurant and bar project that is seriously tight. At the Crowne Plaza Terrigal, ISIS was involved in the AUD$2.9 million renovation of the hotels Florida Beach Bar and Lounge, a space that will have a capacity for seating 700 inside. Florida Beach Bar and Lounge features large windows and bi-folding doors with views out to Terrigal Beach and as part of the renovation, a new bar was constructed that includes a decor of natural textures, combining elements of stone, sand and wood and a 30-metre long bar serving a selection of local wines, spirits and cocktails. Down at InterContinental Sydney, ISIS helped create a refreshed look for the hotels Caf Opera restaurant that now includes new buffets, a bar and a private dining room. The decision was made to move away from the traditional hotel restaurant space and do something different, InterContinental Sydneys Executive Chef, Tamas Pamer, told HM. We set about brainstorming ideas for a fresh new dining experience, one that was on par with other offerings in Sydney and beyond. Were really excited to be offering something different. The whole team really got behind the Caf Opera project and pitched in to make it work. It was an extensive and intense process, as these things are, but the results speak for themselves, he said. On the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa has just unveiled its new-look guestrooms, restaurant, lobby, lagoon pool and functions centre in the coming weeks, following a AUD$20 million refurbishment. Patterson said ISIS was involved in the refurbishment of the propertys 330 guestrooms and suites, including all new furniture, carpets and painting, along with a refurbishment of the hotels spacious lobby.
EXCLUSIVE!
HOTELDESIGN
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HOTELDESIGN
the Grand Mercure Melbourne, Flinders Marriott Surfers paradise Lane building by recently completing a multi-million dollar makeover of the hotel. The project is the most ambitious in the history of owners, Accor Vacation Club, who have spent AUD$4.3 million to bring the property back to its glamorous glory, so well known by stars of stage and screen over the past two decades. The design philosophy of Penny Del Castillo from In Design International drew inspiration from those early fashion house days with a view of creating an expression of sophisticated elegance, through an individual design concept that would remain unique to Grand Mercure Melbourne, Flinders Lane. The result has turned this apartment hotel into a market leading boutique product, which presents a contemporary range of sophisticated suites that infuse The 144-room Mantra on the Park Melbourne completed a modern design philosophies with the architectural and historical AUD$4 million refurbishment in mid-September, upgrading a popular heritage of the building. apartment hotel for both business and leisure travellers. The refurbishThe fashion designers who occupied the building in days gone ment included stylish new furniture, 37-inch LCD TVs, iPod docking by would have appreciated the creative elements and chic flair used stations, curtains, carpet and paint throughout all apartments, along in the overall design and we would like to believe they would be with new kitchens and appliances, carpet and paint in all corridors and proud knowing that their influences live on today, said Accor Vacalift lobbies, and interior directional signage on all floors. tion Club CEO, Craig Wood. Hyatt Regency Coolum has created a contemporary new look for its popular King Rooms, the latest in a series of stylish refurbishments at the resort. An initial 40 rooms have been completed, part of an ongoing program that has already seen the upgrade of Golf Villas, Lakefront Villas and the extensive health and beauty facilities of The Spa. Hotels The newly refurbished rooms are now named Golf Kings and Garden Kings and will be joined by a further 116 renovated King Rooms due for completion in coming months. At 46-sqm each, each King room has been refitted in contemporary style, with crisp modern tones to complement the sub-tropical Queensland environment that surrounds the property. The luxurious Shangri-La Hotel Sydney has been in the process of completing a AUD$20 million refurbishment of the hotels 477 guestrooms, complete with purpose-built window seating, iHome docks, media hubs and custom-designed furniture. The guestroom upgrade will further strengthen Shangri-Las position as the city's leading 5-star deluxe hotel in Sydney, said ShangriLa Hotel, Sydneys General Manager, Franz Donhauser. Interior designers Hassell spearheaded the guestroom refurbishment, with senior interior designer Grace Guo in the lead role. GVA Project Control Group Australia were the project managers. In line with the global revitalisation of the Sheraton brand, Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast has announced a full refurbishment plan that will include 293 rooms and suites, accommodation corridors, lobby, reception desk, guest lifts, port cochere, hotel entry and pool area landscaping, Terraces Restaurant and Breakers Lounge. At Rohrig we plan construction so Due for completion early 2012, the refurbishment plans include a your guests can sleep in peace and renewal of all guestrooms and suites. Boasting spacious hotel rooms hotel income continues. starting from 43sqm, the new luxurious appointments include the Its all part of an impressive Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed, flat screen televisions, WiFi access, cusexperience designed to achieve tom woven carpets, designer furnishings, casual lounge and dining your goals. Find out how we manage settings, bedside decor and accessories plus bathroom fittings includa dream construction project at ing tapware, baths, toilets, vanity and refreshed marble surfaces. www.rohrig.com.au The 4-star Mercure Melbourne Spring Street has added the finishing touches to its AUD$4 million refurbishment of 164 rooms and is the first hotel in Australia to showcase new Mercure design standards. Brisbane Melbourne Sydney Rooms have been fitted with new bathrooms complete with walk-in showers, large hand basins and LED mirror lights. New lighting, LCD
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Shangri-La Sydney
Resort Interiors International unTVs, glass fronted fridges, internet access, dertook a full FF&E for the project, includroom safes and clock radios with iPod docks ing the design, procurement, manufacturhave been installed to modernise the rooms. ing, delivery and installation of furniture The Best Western Ambassador on and finishes. Ruthven in Toowoomba, QLD, has recentWith a total of 145 apartments on five ly undergone an extensive AUD$500,000 levels, comprising of 20 one bedroom refurbishment thats had a dramatic effect apartments and 125 studio apartments, to the look of the property. Resort Interiors told HM they were excited The rooms have been completely transto be a-part of this project. formed from very dated, cluttered and unGrand Mercure Melbourne, flinders Lane The final product fulfilled the initial comfortable ones to meticulously designed, brief and the overall experience of this spacious, warm, stylish rooms featuring cusproject was a positive one, the company tom design decor. The motels restaurant has Resort Interiors said. Resort Interiors were privileged to also been transformed from a very ordinary have worked on this exciting project. dining room to an area exuding style and elWhile unfortunately it remains closed egance, highlighted by an ornate chandelier. because of its location in the citys red Over in the Cook Islands, the Pacific zone, the Holiday Inn City Centre Resort Hotel Group has responded to the Christchurch has been one of New Zeagrowing trend of luxury family travellers lands most impressive refurbishments in with refurbishments at two hotels creating recent times. two exciting new room offerings. The Holiday Inn City Centre refurbishPacific Resort Aitutaki created a new ment of the public areas was particularly room category called the Ultimate Beachfront pleasing because of the great spaces we had Bungalow, which caters to both small and to work with, and the strong desire of the large families by offering a new choice of one client to provide something unique and speor two bedroom configuration with separate cial,said Dalman Architectures Managing Director, Richard Dalman. lounge area with a maximum occupancy of up to seven people. The one Artworks were selected to complement the dcor but not exactly bedroom expands on the comforts of the main bungalow to include a sepblend in totally with it each artwork makes a statement of its own arate lounge area furnished with two day beds, 42 inch flat screen TV, coffee and contributes to the overall quality of the space. table and private deck. These day beds will accommodate children up to Our client, Philip Carter, had the goal of providing a hotel with the the age of 12 enabling the family to enjoy one bedroom option in comfort. best public area artwork in the city, and he has succeeded. Artwork was Pacific Resort Rarotonga, meanwhile, capped off a USD$500,000 selected for each location within the space, and we have even engaged refurbishment with conversion of Garden Villas into two-bedroom internationally renowned Christchurch sculptor Graeme Bennett to Premium Garden Villas. The villas underwent a complete renovation specifically create a large installation above the reception counter. and refurbishment, providing guests with a new design for the kitchen The lobby is not just about great art. It is also practically laid out and bathrooms and a fresh interior throughout with extra space. with comfortable seating, an upgraded bar area and a new business This month (October 2011), Grand Hyatt Melbourne is expected to centre. New pendant lights have colour changing LEDs that create difcomplete the final phase of the hotels extensive AUD$65 million redevelferent moods as required. opment. A complete interior redesign of all 548 guestrooms complements Artwork in this hotel is not confined to pictures and sculptures. It a refresh that has included spectacular new upper and lower lobbies, along also finds its way into the architectural fittings by way of David Truewith a new restaurant (Collins Kitchen), bar (RU-CO), as well as the adbridge cloud light fittings and a 'woven' screen suspended full height dition of an exclusive retail environment and innovative events venue,the from the ceiling that separates the bar from the reception area, as well residence. The transformation, which began in 2008, will be completed as a locally made Dilana rug in the bar, Dalman said. just in time for the hotels 25th birthday next month (November). The hotels owner Philip Carter said: Dalman Architecture underAlso in the Victorian capital, Mint Resorts and Apartments has stood what we were trying to achieve with our specific requirements completed a refresh of its latest acquisition, Rhapsody, in Melbourne. for the public areas of this hotel. They have created a functional refurThe refresh of the 145 room apartment hotel, now renamed Mint bished lobby/bar space that our guests love. Rhapsody Melbourne, was designed by Trudy Tozer, who had alAs the hotel is located in the central Christchurch earthquake red ready been responsible for a number of Mints 4- and 4.5-star properzone, it is currently closed for business. ties on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.
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Black by Ezard.
At The Star Casino, Paul Kelly Design has developed a truly international dining experience.
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ROOMSDIVISION
HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS
AHS HOSPITALITYS CEO STEVE TOCHNER ExPLAINS WHY HOTELS SHOULD CONSIDER OUTSOURCING DEPARTMENTS.
n todays hospitality industry, running a hotel is significantly different than it was twenty years ago. Hoteliers are no longer all-round generalists. Rather, hotel managers have become specialists. Today, hoteliers focus on brand management and yield management, while delegating the minor day to day tasks that are outside of their core KPIs. No longer do most hotels think about providing their own security, running their own laundries, or even baking their own croissants. The outsourcing of these areas have not only been proven to be more cost effective and efficient when performed by a specialist provider, the concept of the outsourcing of these areas are now taken for granted. Within the last 10 years, the outsourcing of areas such as housekeeping services have also become commonplace in the industry. It todays economy, its all about finding the right business model for a particular hotel. Its about reducing risk in the business and guaranteeing results for the stakeholders. Outsourcing has been able to provide this to our partners through: Better control of staffing and labour levels; Access to a contractors recruitment network; Provision of a flexible workforce; Access to a very large workforce (AHS, for example, employs over 3800 team members in Australia); Reduction of workers compensation risk and ultimately premiums for hotel partners; Reduction of hotel management's time and resources in areas such as IR and HR; Access to a contractors systems and procedures that control quality and result in consistency of services; Increased control for hotel managers over their labour and their service results; Provision of a contractors management infrastructure at no additional cost to hotels, to assist in managing the departments, planning and completing projects, and handling all employee related tasks accordingly; and Allowing the hotels senior management to focus on revenue generating departments. What savings can hotels make? The savings that can be achieved through outsourcing depends upon the particular hotel and the labour structure being used at the site. However, from experience, a typical housekeeping department can directly save around 10 per cent of their current costs. In addition to that, the savings of indirect costs through outsourcing can be just as lucrative to a hotel as the direct cost savings. These indirect costs can include things such as reductions in the hotels infrastructure that is required to operate that particular department. It
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Outsourcing departments can save hotels in a number of ways, not just financially
can also include the costs of equipment repairs, cleaning supplies, and chemicals. It can include costs that are often forgotten such as recruitment, advertising, induction, training, and turn over costs. As the contractor includes the provision of all cleaning equipment required, it can also eliminate capital expenditure requirements for hotels in these areas. How can it improve outcomes for the hotels as well as customers and staff? Ultimately for hotels, outsourcing can produce a more efficient and profitable business. By avoiding spending valuable management time dealing with routine details, hotel managers can focus on critical business KPIs such as increasing room occupancy and average rate. In addition, hoteliers will increase the financial and operational control they have over their operations. Equally important, within the department that is outsourced, hotel managers can control their operating costs perfectly and save money as a result. They can reduce risk in their business and reduce the required HR / IR involvement. Equally important, they can increase flexibility in their workforce. Hotels guests will enjoy an improved consistency of cleaning through independent systems and procedures. Most importantly, through a large workforce and focus on part-time staff, contractors can turn around rooms very quickly thus resulting in less wait time for guests to check into the hotel. At the end of the day, its all about the guest experience for the guest.
hotels can perhaps accommodate a taller trolley whereas a resort style hotel where the trolley is pushed along pathways may need a slightly shorter version so the person pushing can see where they are going. There are many practical ways of improving the standards of cleanliness and, if care is taken in the planning stage and good practice is followed much will be achieved. The Numatic is available from Yardley Hospitality. Visit www.yardleyhospitality. com.au or call 1300 659 053
We sell sleep
HOTELTECHNOLOGY
BANDWIDTH
HM LOOKS AT THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO MAKE SURE GUESTS ARE WELL CONNECTED, ON THE BILL AND OFF.
BUSTING
F
ree hotel Internet is a bit like give them an inch and theyll take a mile. Just like bathroom amenities, bottled water and even clean towels, Internet at a nominal charge, or even complimentary, is fast becoming an expected inclusion for contemporary hotels. Travelling overseas, we find that Internet is offered without extra charge in some far-away places. Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are moving to a free Internet model. But as hoteliers, you know there is no such thing as a free download. Somewhere along the line, someone has to pay. Its all well and good to plug in a computer and hand out access codes, but what are the implications of the all-you-can eat Internet offering? Simon Cooper, President and managing director, Asia Pacific for Marriott International, was keen to remind the media that Marriott was the first of the big brands to offer included internet in their executive room rates. We upped the bandwidth in preparation for the launch, Cooper told HM during a recent Sydney visit. But do we need more? Yes. Are we adding more? Yes. The message is clear. When the service is offered, it will be used, and to your maximum installed capacity. Checking e-mail and web-browsing is not the issue, he said.But so much content is now streaming audio and video that it really consumes your capacity. Accor recently completed a comprehensive business traveller survey which brought the issue of hotel internet to the forefront. Corporate travellers increasingly want quality internet access above merely free internet access, said Accor Asia-Pacifics General Manager of Communications, Peter Hook, at the recent World of Accor event. Internet access was high on the list of preferred services for the overwhelming majority of respondents, but increasingly corporate travellers are seeking quality download speeds rather than just free (slower) internet. They want to be able to work fast and efficiently, and many will pay a reasonable amount for the service. Others just want to answer emails and print out airline tickets, and a large number of Accor hotels have introduced free internet stations in the lobby areas. While Accor is gradually including internet into premium room offerings at Novotel and Mercure, standard rooms will continue to pay extra for connection. All Seasons offer a limited internet time at no extra charge and many Accor properties now have Wi-Fi available in the foyer. US-based A J.D. Power and Associates survey of 53,000 travellers found free wireless Internet access ranked above complimentary
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breakfast and free parking as a hotel must have - across all classes of hotel. Curiously its usually the most expensive hotels that insist on Wi-Fi charges. It follows that broadband management solutions is now a rapidly growing business unit for technology companies. ReiverNet, the dominant hotel broadband supplier in our region, connect more than 250 hotels and 35,000 rooms on a revenue share model that they claim is both fair and transparent, but not necessarily the cheapest. Their benchmark broadband system includes real time reporting of data usage, number of connections and billing summaries with clients retaining control of the look and content of portal pages. Without managing bandwidth, the hotels entire Bandwidth can be consumed by a few individuals who are streaming videos or sharing files using peer to peer applications, a term we describe as Bandwidth Hogging, said iBAHN Managing Director of APAC South, Allan Smith.This results in the remaining users having an unacceptable Internet experience. So portion control exists in bandwidth management as much as in chefs kitchen. But Roger Bilson, CEO International Hotel Technologies, reminds us that some ingredients in guests menus can cause much more than indigestion for all concerned. In the case of New Zealand the new Copyright Protection Act makes hotels legally responsible for guest content downloads, warns Bilson. Expect this copyright issue to spread to other Australasian countries as the movie and music distributors battle illegal downloads. In New Zealand, essentially a test market for intellectual rights campaigners, you can now be fined or even have your internet services into the hotel blocked by a court or tribunal. The topic of guest internet services, whether free, included or addon, is a burning issue with hotels at present. At stake is brand reputation and guest satisfaction, or in the case of New Zealand, serious financial penalties. Consult widely and examine your options before plugging in. The Langham, Melbourne recently upgraded their wireless LAN offering with a new solution from Meru Networks and the guest feedback to date has been overwhelmingly positive. The 25-floor, 387-room luxury hotel on Melbournes Yarra River was keen to maintain a high level of satisfaction for all guests despite some engineering challenges. Additionally, the many tech-savvy, affluent guests were frequently arriving with the latest technology devices and placing maximum de-
mand on the hotels network, especially during conference and events. The Langham, Melbourne Information Technology Manager, Neeraj Subramanian, said: We needed a wireless LAN solution that could provide a strong, stable signal strength, despite the potential hurdles of our concrete buildings. The ideal solution for our guests is to be able to surf the Internet without any interference in different areas of the hotel and this is made possible with the Meru product. This is especially important for guests who expect seamless connection whether they are relaxing at the bar or busy working on events in the conference rooms. We needed a WLAN provider that could not only reach every corner of the hotel, but one that could also accommodate unexpected surges in guests online activity. The Langham, Melbourne explored a number of solutions, all of which were time consuming in terms of installation, before choosing to deploy a Meru Networks 802.11n wireless local area network (WLAN) on the premises. Meru Networks virtualized WLAN solution uses unique architecture that enables all Access Points (APs) to operate off a single, seamless channel, eliminating the need for channel planning. The solution enables IT administrators, who may not be wireless experts, to easily compensate for coverage holes by simply adding additional APs. Helping hotels keep guests connected is DOCOMO interTouch, which provides secure broadband internet access (both wired and wireless) designed exclusively for hotels and their guests. The DOCOMO interTouch broadband system is a flexible and modular solution that supports the different requirements and service levels of hotel and guest segmentation. With a global coverage in 65 countries, they are an industry leader in broadband deployments and support. Some of the benefits of DOCOMO interTouchs Broadband Internet Services include: Modular architecture, for scalability in supporting future applications and services; Customizable and interactive guest portals, enabling hotels to incorporate branding features; Ultra-flexible bill plans and pricing modules, allowing creative billing strategies based on duration, download quota, bandwidth speed, and number of users, to be implemented. Ability to create price plans around guest segmentation; Support for bill-to-room wireless roaming within the hotel; Web based user interfaces, for ease of use and secure remote access for ease of maintenance and upgrades; Security functions for network protection against attacks are professionally evaluated and verified by Hewlett-Packard; and Two-way billing integration with the hotels Property Management System.
71% OF GUESTS SAID SPEED OF THEIR INTERNET CONNECTION WAS A KEY FACTOR IN THEIR CHOICE OF HOTEL*
With an ever increasing amount of guests now carrying multiple devices, the demand on your bandwidth is like never before.
Talk to us about managing your hotels current bandwidth to give your guests a premium Internet experience on their laptop, smartphone or tablet whilst creating an additional revenue stream for you.
*Results taken from iBAHN proprietary survey of 1.2 million users
hotelmanagement.com.au 83
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ACCORS
BONDI STAR
From Indigenous Jobs Ready Program graduate to HM Award winner, its been quite the year for Cherie Stubbs-Timbery.
Rising star Cherie Stubbs-Timbery won the HM Award for the best Food and Beverage Associate remarkably just one year after completing Accors Indigenous Jobs Ready Program. As Food and Beverage Team Leader at the Swiss Grand Resort and Spa at Bondi, Stubbs-Timbery says that Academie Accor and its Indigenous Employment and Training Programs were instrumental in giving her the skills to win this prestigious award. She is a strong ambassador for Indigenous employment and has been selected to represent the state of NSW in Accors Indigenous Cadetship Program. I am very grateful for the support Accor has given me in developing my career in hospitality and in providing the training I needed to achieve the highest levels of service, Stubbs-Timbery said. Accor really is committed to improving opportunities for Indigenous staff and I could never have afforded to do this sort of training on my own. Stubbs-Timbery has used the Job Ready opportunity to take on greater responsibility both in the workplace and in her home, where she has become the primary income earner. Stubbs-Timbery said she now looks forward to being a role model to other young Indigenous people seeking jobs in hospitality and will act as a mentor to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff within the group. Academie Accor is the training and development arm of Accor and recently launched a new Job Ready program that provides upskilling for Indigenous staff to ensure they can progress their careers within the group and to help with retention of Indigenous staff. Since launching its Indigenous Employment Program in 2001, Accor has led the way in the tourism industry, providing full- or part-time jobs for over 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The Jobs Ready program is a five-day train-
Cherie Stubbs-Timbery receives the HM Award from Coca-Cola Amatils Mark filmer
ing course that focuses on building practical skills in key areas of hotel operations and management. Accor backs this up with ongoing support for indigenous staff on a range of levels from mentoring to access to further training. Accors Lynda Robson of Academie Accor says it is an Australia-wide operation that allows Accor employees to develop their skills at no cost. The Job Ready program is aimed at ensuring Indigenous staff have the skills they require to deliver Accors standards of service and the support they need to grow and develop in their careers, she said. Cherie is a great example of what our staff can achieve when presented with the right opportunities and the right tools and we will continue to focus even more on developing and retaining bright employees so they can become the future management of the company.
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HUMANRESOURCES
Social media is a tricky topic for hotels, especially when staff usage is concerned
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CONCIERGECORNER
PEOPLE MONTREAL
pETER McBREARTY PR & Media Liason Les Clefs d'Or Members were saddened to hear of the passing of Alberto Modolo former President of American Express Australia South East Asia and New Zealand. Colin Toomey, 2nd Vice President Les Clefs dOr International noted that Alberto Modolo was a very strong supporter of Les Clefs dOr Australia in our early days and was involved in supporting the Sydney Congress in 1995 and played an important part in our early history. The other amazing thing about Alberto was the uncanny parallel his life took with our own founding President in that both he and Tony Facciolo were born in Venice within two years of each other (Alberto in 1935, Tony in 1937), both began working in hotels in Venice as teenagers, both moved to London at a young age to advance their hospitality careers, both moved to Australia and settled in Sydney, both of them rose through the ranks from humble beginnings to become Presidents of their respective organizations and finally, both were awarded Order of Australia Medals (OAM) for services to Tourism, an almost unbelievable coincidence but true. On a happier note, our members were all exceptionally happy with the announcement of Steve Ciric, Chief Concierge at the Westin Melbourne as the winner of the Concierge of The Year at the 2011 HM Awards. It would be difficult to find a finer example of the Les Clefs dOr motto In Service Through Friendship than Steve, whose willingness to assist his many friends and associates in the hospitality industry along with mentoring his own team at The Westin, has earned him a universal respect which transcends borders and the usual good natured competition between our various hotel brands. Steves measured consideration and diplomacy are matched by his willingness to go to endless lengths in pursuit of ensuring his guests needs are accommodated and he has also contributed in a major fashion to the activities of Les Clefs dOr, encouraging the development of potential new members, arranging and assisting with the Golf Days, Concierge Balls and Tourism Expos, raising funds for our charities and also of course with his effective reviewing of the Societys finances during his period as Treasurer.
EVENTS SYDNEY
Les Clefs dOr is preparing to host its annual Balls in Sydney and Melbourne. In support of St Anthonys Family Care, the Sydney Ball is themed Disco Inferno and will be held at The Westin Sydney on Saturday October 29, 2011 at 7.30pm. Tickets are $130 and are available from Ron Greedy at The Westin on (02) 8223 1164. The Melbourne Ball, in aid of Bayley House, is themed Cirque du Clefs dOr and will be held at The Sebel and Citigate Albert Park Melbourne on Sunday November 20, 2011, at 7:30pm. Tickets are $130 and are available from Andrew Natoli at Sofitel Melbourne On Collins via email (h1902fo16@sofitel.com) or telephone (03 9653 0000).
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A special congratulations to all the award winners and nominees! A big thank you to all attendees and organisers who made the event a great success!