TALES FROM THE TOP
Knowing when to rebrand
Sunshine Coast Hotels has been rebranded as Maeva Hospitality to better reflect the scope of the business.
Scott Armstrong, managing director of Maeva Hospitality
SUNSHINE COAST Hotels started off as more of a legal name than anything – something to put on tax returns and letterheads as Scott Armstrong and his team built their business. But several pubs in, the managing director doesn’t want to be hemmed in by the name. “It was really more of a corporate name that became a brand,” says the group’s managing director. “In some ways, it limits us a little bit. Certainly, it limited us from a geographical point of view, being Sunshine Coast, but also hotels.” The group has just launched Caloundra Motel, an eight-room boutique accommodation outfit. It also owns a few bottleshops, and function centre The Lakehouse. “It’s all sorts of hospitality, so probably better [for the brand] with the word hospitality than hotels. It makes more sense and is more appropriate.” As for Maeva Hospitality, Maeva means ‘welcome’ in French-Tahitian. While they group doesn’t have any links to Tahiti, it’s the concept of being welcome that best summed up the group’s approach to hospitality. “We looked at a number of names, and they’re all very literal about, you know, service and local and all of those types of things. But the word Maeva means welcome,” explains Armstrong. “And meaning welcome is very relevant to our hospitality businesses, whether that be the hotels, motel or bottle shops. You’re looking for people to feel welcomed when they walk into your venue, and feel valued, and then they’ll come back again. So we thought that was a nice name. “We think in time, we’ll probably drop hospitality off and it’ll just be Maeva.” Group buy-in to the name was also important, with many names offered up that were quite polarising. “Some other options we went through, some people loved them, but others really hated them. Whereas everyone liked Maeva.” Maeva Hospitality’s portfolio – consisting of Baringa Tavern, Brightwater Hotel, Parklands Tavern, Caloundra Motel and The Lakehouse – continues to grow, with the addition of Bli Bli Hotel. The greenfields hotel is in partnership with esteemed publican and QHA president Richard Deery. Expect more big things from Maeva Hospitality in the future.
34 | Australian Hotelier
