THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Grant comes as part of COVID-19 business support packages
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NSW to compensate hotels for lost holiday bookings
Hotels offered grants to cover stays lost to lockdown
Pushing on to prosperity By Dean Long CEO, Accommodation Association
WHEN I FINISH up as the CEO of the Accommodation Association in September, I will look back over the last two and half years with enormous pride at what the Association has become and most importantly what the sector has achieved in supporting the return of over 200,000 Australians. The team that will continue after my departure is dedicated, focused and will continue to deliver on our services every member uses. The team is now significantly larger, growing from seven when I took on the role to the current 20 team members across many parts of Australia. Underpinning this growth was our success in working with the Department of Employment to secure over AUD$2 million in funding across the last two years to directly support Australians finding employment in our sector. Our commitment to this program and my team’s passion will only be further enhanced by AA coming together with TAA / AHA later this year. As the leader of any Association, your ability to influence and drive outcomes with government is directly linked to the willingness of the industry to be good corporate citizens and to stand up for their interests. This was on full display in the last 12 months, with the role of hotel quarantine enabling Australians to return home. Put simply, without the contribution of each and every individual contributing to the hotel isolation and quarantine program, Australia would be in a very different place in terms of our response to this invidious disease. As this is my final column as the CEO of the Accommodation Association, I want to say thank you to our members, corporate partners and the Board.
10 HM The Business of Accommodation
HOTELS ACROSS NSW that saw bookings for the July school holidays wiped out virtually overnight due to the current government restrictions will be partially compensated for the lost revenue, the NSW Government has announced. The AUD$26 million initiative will offer targeted support to around 38,000 registered hotels across the state, with identical grants paid based on room nights lost over the school holiday period from 25 June to 11 July inclusive, irrespective of the hotel’s location. Hotels can take advantage of two tiers of government assistance, with an AUD$2,000 grant paid to a property that lost 10 room nights or less, while AUD$5,000 will be paid to properties which lost 11 room nights or more over the 16-day period. Owners of multiple properties will be able to claim the grant for each hotel in NSW, identified by different street addresses.
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Rydges to refresh brand with local focus Event Hospitality challenges staff to promote local experiences for guests LOCAL KNOWLEDGE WILL become the backbone for the Rydges Hotels and Resorts brand, with Event Hospitality unveiling a brand evolution designed to deliver a new element of authenticity to the guest experience. A phased rollout of the brand evolution is now underway, with Rydges adopting the tagline ‘Refreshingly Local’. In collaboration with brand consulting and design agency, Landor, Event Hospitality has jazzed up the Rydges brand with a new logo, livery, colour palette, digital touch points and in-hotel collateral including new staff uniforms which will be progressively put in place across the brand’s hotels across Australia and New Zealand. Beyond 2021, new in-room services will see guests offered local recommendations to help immerse them in the local area. Each property will offer a ‘Refreshingly Local’ accommodation package with spotlights on local experiences.
The adapted Rydges Hotels and Resorts logo
