Keith Allardice’s work commute from the 61st floor of the Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong used to take him 29 seconds, if no one got in the lift at any other floor. It now takes the newly appointed Executive General Manager (EGM) of Mulpha Sanctuary Cove (Developments) Pty Limited, five minutes to get to the office. “I can tell you which one I enjoy more – it’s the one that involves driving the golf buggy,” said Keith. Sanctuary Cove has welcomed ex-global hotelier and hospitality executive Keith as the new boss at the award-winning lifestyle community. He is set to lead the prestigious estate he has long loved into an exciting new era. Keith, alongside his wife Grace, is also the first EGM to live behind the gates at Sanctuary Cove. The opportunity that presented itself at Sanctuary Cove was a welcome return home for the Australian born expatriates who have worked abroad for almost 30 years. During that time they lived and worked in the USA, China, New Zealand, UK, Hong Kong and Japan with Keith in senior executive and general manager roles at some of the world’s most prestigious hotel groups. His most recent role was as General Manager of the Conrad Hong Kong. Ironically, Keith and Grace were already making plans to purchase a future home and had previously chosen Sanctuary Cove as the place they wanted to live. The job opportunity was a welcome bonus. “We’d long had an affiliation with Sanctuary Cove,” said Keith. “I’ve loved this place since I first visited the site in the late 1980s while working for Hyatt hotels. Since then, we’ve often returned for visits and holidays with friends. It’s somewhere we’ve always felt drawn to and wanted to eventually live.” Hand selected by Mulpha Australia Chief Operating Officer, Winson Chow, Keith’s strength and experience in general operations, marketing, events and dealing with key stakeholders made him stand out as the perfect candidate to take over the reins at the resort-style community and lead it into the next quarter century. Keith said his new role at Sanctuary Cove would probably have more similarities than differences to his previous posts running hotels. “It’s also about managing a lifestyle brand. By definition, hotels are very social places, and so is Sanctuary Cove,” he said. “Sanctuary Cove is made up of some fantastic components. You’ve got the world class golf courses, The Marine Village, the hotel, boating and
all of this wonderful real estate spread around it – an unrepeatable combination of elements which made us want to live here.” Another key strength is Keith’s ability to look at Sanctuary Cove as an outsider, as he says, from the consumer’s point of view. “When you run a hotel, you’ve got to look at it as a customer. It’s the same thing with Sanctuary Cove,” he said. “My success has always revolved around me being able to put myself in the customer’s shoes, and think, ‘what would I want?’. I’ve looked at Sanctuary Cove as a consumer proposition since it was built. I’ve viewed it from an investor, lifestyle and holiday viewpoint and it came up trumps. “We have a beautiful place to live and work in. It’s about balancing and working with stakeholders with what’s here now, and ensuring what’s coming in the future marries together.” Keith’s wife Grace also has extensive experience in the hospitality, travel and events industries. For now though, her focus is planning the move into their new home in Sanctuary Cove, learning to play golf and enjoying some of the crystal clear Gold Coast fresh air that so many of us take for granted. “After so many years overseas, we’re looking forward to enjoying everything Sanctuary Cove and south east Queensland has to offer. It is a very friendly place and we have had a very warm welcome from everyone we have met,” said Grace. Inheriting a well-established, talented and passionate team, Keith acknowledged the road ahead would not be without its challenges, especially in the current economic climate.
revered as a community both within Australia and
“We have a lean team here that is as passionate about Sanctuary Cove as I am. They are all experts in their own field, which makes my job a lot easier. It’s a matter of getting the communication channels right and getting everyone on the same page,” he said.
play on some of the world’s best courses over the
“It’s also about getting the mix of businesses supporting the community aligned. We already have the best in class as tenants in The Marine Village. It’s about finding what else we can add to the mix that’s in demand today. The future is about finding the right balance. “We’re not immune to economic downturns here, however we’re fortunate in that Sanctuary Cove has continued to grow and evolve as an enviable community without peer anywhere in Australia. “It’s also about finding ways to enhance the resort feeling of the community with what’s going on to our land, and continuing to deliver the lifestyle elements that make Sanctuary Cove so
internationally,” he said. “I’d like to see this place become so desirable that the market is beating a path to our door because that’s going to benefit everyone.” Keith said future plans for the community would include appealing to a new generation of aspiring house and land buyers and finding out what these buyers want. “So much has changed in 25 years. The question is – what is the next 25 years going to bring? What are people going to want as they come to live at Sanctuary Cove? The future of Sanctuary Cove is as much about what future residents want as those fortunate enough to already be living here,” he said. “There are still a lot more homes to come, but the opportunity is not infinite, it’s finite. It’s about getting people engaged in Sanctuary Cove, who might not have been here before, or for some time, to see what is on offer. “We love this place. The fact that you can have as much or as little interaction as you want, its location is phenomenal, and is something that amazes our overseas friends when they understand where we are situated. “The security, the infrastructure and the accessibility is what we value most. It’s all wrapped around you. Being so close to the international airports is also something we love, considering we have travelled for so many years.” Keith admits he has played quality, not quantity, golf in the past given the 24/7 nature of corporate hotel life. While having been fortunate enough to years, Keith said he was looking forward to getting some much needed practice on his game now he and Grace have joined the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club. An avid boat-enthusiast, Keith is also a member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and the Sydney Flying Squadron. After living in hotels for the past 30 years, it’s the simple things the couple are looking forward to the most while living at Sanctuary Cove, including the search for a dog. “At last, I’m looking forward to being able to unpack all of my things,” said Grace. “We literally have wedding presents we’ve never unwrapped,” said Keith. “We’re living in a community where we’ve always wanted to live and we are very happy to be home.”
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