HM February 2022

THE BUSINESS OF ACCOMMODATION IN ASIA-PACIFIC Vol.26 No.1 Bi-monthly February 2022

2022 Industry Leaders Forum Over 50 leading executives exclusively share what to expect this year

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CONTENTS

February 2022

Vol. 26 No.1

LEADERS 34 GLOBAL

The 20 Industry Leaders Forum kicks off with th

insights from Marriott, Hilton, Accor and more.

ASSOCIATIONS 46 LEADING

Industry bodies rally government for more support to aid recovery.

SUPPLIERS 51 LEADING

Experts from leading industry suppliers share how they are managing supply chain and staffing challenges.

LEADERS 59 AUSTRALASIAN

The outlook is bright as hotel leaders push

forward with exciting new developments and boost team capabilities with improved culture and training programs.

HM Q&A CAPUANO 30 ANTHONY

A year into the top job at Marriott

International, Anthony ‘Tony’ Capuano sits down with HM’s James Wilkinson in New York for an exclusive interview about his journey so far, the evolution of trends and the importance of a ‘battle-tested’ team.

Regulars LETTER 08 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S

James Wilkinson looks forward to a

bountiful year for Australian tourism.

34 43

Hilton expands all-inclusive segment with Cancun opening

TO KNOW 10 NEED

The essential stories you need to know this month, from key appointments and hotel openings to tourism industry news.

STORY 22 COVER

Presented this month by TFE Hotels.

Radisson's Katerina Giannouka shares her predictions for the year ahead

36

On the cover

TFE Hotels introduces the diverse individuals that make its team unique

Accor Chairman and CEO, Sébastien Bazin, confident in future of hospitality

hotelmanagement.com.au

7

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S LETTER

Positivity as light hits the horizon

Managing Director

A

Simon Grover

s we head into 2022, we start another year with plenty of positivity and some real light on the horizon that should see the decimated accommodation industry finally get back to some normalcy in the next few months.

There’s plenty of optimism in the accommodation industry here in Australasia, particularly with international tourism arrivals set to resume in Australia during February and New Zealand releasing a roadmap for re-opening.

This time last year, we were talking about a vaccine roll-out that was about to happen. It did, and Australia and Fiji are in unique positions with having some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with New Zealand close behind.

The accommodation sector is ready to welcome back tourists and we can’t wait to see them back on our shores. We can’t wait to see a resumption of business events and for the all-important cruising sector to get a re-boot as well.

Australasia’s hotels have done an amazing job in catering to domestic markets and now they are ready to show the world what hospitality really is. It’s an exciting time and like many in the industry, I hope the worst is behind us and rates and occupancies can get back up to the levels that keep owners in business and people in jobs.

To give you the ultimate outlook for the year, in this, our 20th Industry Leaders Forum, we again have over 50 leaders providing their outlook for our sector and as you’ll read over the 84 pages in this edition, there is plenty of positivity.

A further outlook will come at AHICE in Adelaide in early May so mark your calendars as it will be a not-tobe-missed event.

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome a new member to our team, Ruth Hogan, who has been appointed as the Editor of HM and will drive our world-class content forward in both HM magazine and our website, hotelmanagement.com.au All the best for the year ahead, enjoy the issue and as always, I look forward to your feedback.

Doma Group is set to commence four new hotel projects

Yours in hospitality,

James Wilkinson Editor–In–Chief

MEET THE HM TEAM…

8

James Wells

Editor–In–Chief

James Wilkinson jwilkinson@intermedia.com.au

Editor

Ruth Hogan rhogan@intermedia.com.au

Group Commercial Manager

Tara Ducrou tducrou@intermedia.com.au

Production Manager Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

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Marriott CEO, Anthony Capuano, reflects on his first year in the job

James Wells Publisher

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HM The Business of Accommodation

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QUESTFRANCHISE.COM.AU

Own a business as local as you like it.

Meet Vincent, local business owner of Quest Portland in regional Victoria.

With 20 years experience in hotel management, Vincent could see the opportunity in the Quest Portland franchise business when it became available in 2017.

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19

Things You Need To Know The essential hotel and travel industry news and trends from across the globe.

Read more at HotelManagement.com.au.

01

Sarah Derry named CEO for Accor Pacific After almost five years with the industry giant, Derry steps up to take the leading role.

ACCOR’S POPULAR SENIOR Vice President – Talent and Culture, Sarah Derry, has been named the successor to Simon McGrath as CEO of the company’s Pacific business.

Derry commenced the role, which is one of the most significant positions in the industry in Asia-Pacific, on February 1.

Accor Chairman and CEO, Sébastien Bazin, welcomed the appointment of Derry, who joined Accor in 2017 after having owned and operated her own successful business for over 10 years.

“I am delighted to welcome Sarah to Accor’s executive committee as new CEO of Accor Pacific,” he said.

“She not only brings a wealth of experience to the role, but also a unique understanding of Accor’s values and culture.

“Her strategic expertise, gained over an impressive career in hospitality, will no doubt 10

HM The Business of Accommodation

prove invaluable as our growth in the region continues,” Bazin said.

The Paris-based global CEO praised outgoing Accor Pacific CEO McGrath for his passion and dedication to the chain.

“Personally, I would like to thank Simon McGrath for his absolute professionalism, dedication and engagement to Accor over the last 15 years,” he said.

“He has been unwavering in his commitment to the team and our business, and steered Accor to be the largest hotel operator in the Pacific, going from 120 hotels to over 400.

“He’s introduced new brands to market, including Pullman, Mövenpick, Sofitel SO and ibis Styles and successfully led the Mirvac Hotels and Resorts and Mantra acquisitions.

“His expertise in forging and managing partnerships across sporting, entertainment

Sarah Derry takes over as Chief Executive at Accor Pacific and lifestyle realms is second to none. We wish him all the best in his next chapter.”

With close to 30 years hospitality experience, working for international hotel companies and excelling in her early career in operations, Derry brings to the role formidable experience, not only in talent and culture but in business, strategy and development.

“I am incredibly proud, humbled and excited to be leading the Accor team in the Pacific as we see the industry transition from recovery to growth,” Derry said.

“Providing memorable world-class experiences for our guests and loyalty members while bringing our teams on the journey will continue to be a priority and I am looking forward to working closely with our owners, partners and industry colleagues.”

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NEED TO KNOW 02

Dorsett Gold Coast brings a little luxury to Broadbeach Upscale hotel opens in The Star Gold Coast’s entertainment precinct

03

Adina Chippendale reveals retro transformation Guests embrace fresh look following major refurbishment THE ADINA APARTMENT Hotel in Sydney’s Chippendale has welcomed its first guests following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment.

The inner-city hotel has undergone a dramatic transformation with a retro interior design and fit out that incorporates calming sage greens, musky pinks and dove greys, while white walls contrast with bold curtains and terrazzo in the bathrooms and kitchens.

Sydney-based architectural firm BKH led the design, in what was their first hotel project in more than a decade.

“The building was light and fresh in the urban context of Chippendale and, with its secluded courtyard and pool, had the potential to provide guests with something that felt more relaxed, with lots of natural materials and lots of white and bleached out colours, than an inner-city hotel,” said BKH Director Iain Halliday.

The 42-key apartment style hotel, operated by TFE Hotels, is situated amongst Chippendale’s cool cafes and eateries, converted warehouses and galleries and close to local retail outlets.

12

HM The Business of Accommodation

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op

a

Adina Chippendale features a secluded courtyard for guests to enjoy

w sa

artwork created by Gold Coast locals, including the breathtaking chandelier and 750kg sculpted marble check-in desks in the lobby”.

Foster said delights and surprises can be found inside the hotel rooms, including activations just for kids, like play teepees in family rooms to give the little ones a sense of wonder and fun.

Dorsett Gold Coast is part of the AU$400 million development funded by The Star Entertainment Group and its consortium partners from Hong Kong, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium.

New-build Dorsett Hotels are currently also under construction in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, set to open in the coming years.

G IH

THE STRIKING NEW Dorsett Gold Coast has officially opened and welcomed the first guests to the new-build property.

The Gold Coast’s newest upscale hotel features 313 hotel rooms set within The Star Gold Coast’s popular entertainment and leisure precinct.

“We know that travellers and locals are always on the lookout for new and exciting experiences,” said Dorsett Gold Coast General Manager, Michael Foster.

“As a brand-new build, Dorsett Gold Coast provides a fresh and fun way for people to enjoy the very best of our city.

He said guests will be “touched by design elements that capture the local spirit, like

VIP guests can kick back with complimentary drinks and breakfast

po r

tu n

it y

n gai to e el a ncour age guests to trav 04

IHG pumps up the perks with revamped loyalty program Members can now earn more points as they explore the brand’s hotels

IHG HOTELS AND Resorts has revamped its IHG Rewards program, which will see the introduction of a Gold Elite tier with what the company says is an industryleading 40% bonus point structure.

Headlining the changes, the Gold Elite tier will be available to guests that stay 20plus nights at the brand’s hotels.

As part of the new changes, IHG Rewards will also rename its highest tier, the Spire Elite tier, as Diamond Elite to help members better understand the significance of this offering and its 100% bonus point structure. There will also be improvements to bonus point earn levels across all other Elite tiers.

The changes, which will go live in March, are the first in a series of advancements to the leading loyalty program, designed to help members earn more points, more quickly.

IHG Hotels and Resorts Chief Executive, Keith Barr, said the program has evolved to keep pace with guests’ ever-changing needs.

“We’ve made a lot of developments in the loyalty space over the years, but travel and hospitality have evolved considerably, and our guests’ needs are changing,” he said.

“These changes are just the start as we prepare to fully relaunch a truly transformed program later this year.”

NEED TO KNOW 05

Crystalbrook welcomes Nigel Greenaway as Chief Financial Officer The appointment comes as the chain looks to boost its Australian portfolio

Greenaway brings over 30 years’ experience in hotel finance and investment management

POPULAR AUSTRALIAN EXECUTIVE Nigel Greenaway has been appointed Chief Financial Officer at Crystalbrook Collection as the boutique chain eyes further growth.

Greenaway was most recently in the role of National Director – Hotels Asia Pacific at Colliers International and formerly in senior positions at Colonial First State Property, Eureka Funds Management and Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation.

Crystalbrook Collection Chief Executive Officer, Geoff York, said Greenaway’s appointment came at a time when the chain was looking to boost its Australian portfolio.

“In 2022 we are looking to expand the portfolio and Nigel’s experience within hotel investment and asset management makes him an excellent fit to elevate Crystalbrook’s market position,” York said.

Greenaway replaces Neil Patmore who joined Crystalbrook Collection in 2017 prior to the opening of the Australian properties that now totals seven resorts in prime locations across Queensland and New South Wales.

SPECIALISTS IN ACCOMMODATION FURNITURE FF&E AND JOINERY Custom made furniture including packages & finance solutions.

Dennis Clark MDIA

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The Tasman features an intimate craft cocktail bar and spirit library

NEED TO KNOW The boutique hotel features art deco inspired furnishings

07

The Tasman makes a splash in the heart of Hobart The luxury hotel offers signature dining experiences

06

Introducing Kyah Boutique Hotel Blue Mountains motel gets luxury revamp KYAH BOUTIQUE HOTEL, a newly revamped 1970s motel with a touch of luxe, has opened its doors to guests in the Blue Mountains village of Blackheath.

The 46-room, family-owned hotel opened on December 20 offering guests a modern mountain retreat.

Following a six-month renovation of the original motel, the new hotel offers three separate accommodation buildings that flow into a central lobby and entertainment hub.

“It was important to us that the Kyah design and architecture complemented the rich character of Blackheath and the original bones of the building, yet still felt fresh and enticing,” Kyah Boutique Hotel General Manager and Executive Chef, Mate Herceg, said.

Guests can enjoy open fireplaces, tennis court and vegetable gardens, as well as Blaq restaurant and bar, overseen by Herceg, which prioritises local, seasonal and sustainable produce and producers.

THE TASMAN HAS made its long-awaited opening in Hobart, with the doors opening to the Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts property in December.

“Hobart is a truly captivating and dynamic city, allowing a seamless fit for The Luxury Collection, known for creating experiences for global explorers in some of the world’s most enchanting destinations,” said The Luxury Collection Vice President and Global Brand Leader, Philipp Weghmann.

The Tasman features 152 guest rooms and suites that showcase the captivating architectural narrative of the property.

The heritage building offers rooms that blend history with modern craftsmanship and design, featuring convict-hewn sandstone details, restored gas fireplaces and marble bathrooms.

The Tasman features three distinct epicurean experiences highlighting and celebrating the best of Tasmanian produce and cuisine, including Peppina, the hotel’s signature restaurant helmed by renowned Tasmanian native Chef Massimo Mele, Mary Mary, an intimate craft cocktail bar and spirit library, and the Deco Lounge, which offers a refined space to enjoy afternoon tea or a light lunch.

08

Quest expands Brisbane portfolio with Spring Hill hotel The property offers a variety of apartment style hotel rooms

The Quest hotel occupies five levels of a 15-storey mixed use development

14

HM The Business of Accommodation

QUEST APARTMENT HOTELS has revealed it will be the tenant of a new hotel currently under construction in Brisbane’s Spring Hill.

Quest’s Head of Growth and Capital Strategy, James Shields, said the new Quest on Wickham Terrace will bring 81 rooms to Brisbane’s inner north, with the hotel occupying five levels of the 15-storey mixed use development by Barber Property Group, which will include a premium medical facility called Wickham Private.

He said Quest will provide a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartment style hotel rooms, as well as a ground level reception, business lounge, conferencing facility and rooftop pool. Retail, food and beverage offerings will also be available upon completion.

Shields said he expects Quest on Wickham Terrace to service a broad range of traveller segments including a large medical community, with numerous health providers already in the area and Wickham Private coming soon.

“Spring Hill has a significant medical fraternity with Brisbane Private Hospital, St Andrews War Memorial Hospital and numerous medical specialists in the area, and Quest on Wickham Terrace will be well placed to service this market,” he said.

Quest on Wickham Terrace is the sixth property Quest Apartment Hotels announced in 2021 and follows the announcement of Quest Blacktown and Quest Truganina in November.

NEED TO KNOW 09

Holiday Inn Express brings a touch of NYC to Melbourne Little Collins Street welcomes the opening of contemporary, colourful hotel

The dining room features an exposed brick wall, vintage lamps and vibrant red seating

The property offers four bright meeting spaces

PRO-INVEST HOTELS will open the doors to its newest hotel, Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins in February, offering a contemporary, design-led space for travellers.

Located on one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways, the new property allows guests easy access to Federation Square, Marvel Stadium and the Melbourne Convention Centre.

“Whether you’re travelling for work or play, Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins offers the perfect place to base yourself while in Melbourne and is a great starting point for exploring Australia’s cultural capital,” Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins Hotel Manager, Ketaki Kelkar, said.

The hotel foyer takes inspiration from New York, with a feature wall of black and white mosaic tiles, while the dining room features an exposed brick feature wall, vintage lamps and vibrant red seating.

The 312 guest rooms mix earthy wood tones with blue and lime green and have thoughtful touches such as a study nook. The hotel offers 24-hour reception, fitness room, self-service laundry and four meeting spaces as well as The Great Room which offers a 24-hour cafe style menu.

Hub OS & OKKAMI announce future-focused partnership; A guest centric collaboration, simplifying and automating hotel operations.

Hub OS, one of hospitalities most integrated and intuitive hotel-operations systems has partnered with OKKAMI to provide hoteliers with a fully integrated, comprehensive operational and guest services platform.

Hub OS is a cloud-based system that supports all aspects of hotel operations, from housekeeping and engineering to energy and supplier management and tracking of guest satisfaction. Hub OS fully integrates with a hotels PMS, providing real-time data to all operational functions via desktop browser or a convenient mobile app and has been proven to reduce costs and drive guest satisfaction by creating a collaborative approach to operations and reducing response times.

Already a dominant player in the European market, operating in over 700 hotels since launching in 2015, Hub OS has hit the ground running in the APAC region in the last couple of years, with new clients across IHG, EVENT, Schwartz Family and Brady Group portfolios.

Hub’s power of service delivery, workflow management and operational solutions, is perfectly complemented

by OKKAMI’s world leading digital guest engagement

technology. The seamless integration of these two complementary products provides hotels with the opportunity to revolutionise their tech-stack, increasing staff productivity and guest satisfaction while offering businesses invaluable data that will support future strategic planning and offer insights into significant cost savings opportunities.

“At Hub OS we’re always looking to partner with innovative products to make HUB OS the most powerful option for hotel operators. OKKAMI has a great guest-facing platform which perfectly complements our solution.’’ Alex Ridaura – HUB OS CEO, Spain Both products are highly innovative, growing at impressive rates and garnishing reputations as frontrunners of hotel-tech. With mutual clients across IHG, Six Senses and the NH portfolio already benefiting from the collaboration. This strategic partnership is definitely one to watch in 2022.

https: //hToufind out more b here. s.com scano

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15

NEED TO KNOW

The property features a 15-metre swimming pool, heated outdoor spa and outdoor dining area 10

12

The Sebel debuts in The Whitsundays

The famed hotel and apartments brand makes its debut in Australia’s holiday hotspot ACCOR HAS INTRODUCED its hotel and apartments brand The Sebel to the Whitsundays with the opening of a property in the tropical resort town of Airlie Beach.

The Sebel Whitsundays Airlie Beach, which debuted in December, offers 54 newly refurbished guestrooms, 15-metre swimming pool, heated outdoor spa, fitness centre and outdoor dining area with barbeque facilities.

Accor Pacific Chief Executive Officer, Simon McGrath, said the company is excited to bring the brand to one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations.

“The Sebel has a long-standing reputation for delivering exceptional accommodation and an outstanding service experience. It brings quality and credibility to the serviced apartments sector, which is rapidly growing in popularity,” he said.

“We’re seeing strong visitor numbers at our Whitsundays properties and we’re forecasting greater growth with Queensland border restrictions now easing.”

11

Courtyard by Marriott to open Melbourne property in March This is the third hotel of its kind in Australia, with sister properties in Brisbane and Sydney

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL IS bringing its Courtyard by Marriott brand to Melbourne with the opening of a new property in March 2022.

The 4-star Courtyard by Marriott Melbourne Flagstaff Gardens, located in Batman Street, includes 150 guest rooms, and design elements to cater to both business and leisure travellers.

“Our guests are passionate, success-focused individuals who see travel as an opportunity for both professional and personal growth – they choose our hotel because they want to be able to work, exercise, eat well, connect, and be at their best,” Courtyard by Marriott Melbourne Flagstaff Gardens General Manager, Carolyn Smith, said.

16

HM The Business of Accommodation

The hotel offers a smart, functional design with natural colours and greenery

Sophistication and comfort are at the heart of the new hotel, designed by Skematics

Travelodge unveils future design direction Hurstville hotel showcases a new look for the brand TFE HOTELS’ TRAVELODGE brand is making a mark on Sydney’s southwest, with the opening of a 124-room hotel in Hurstville in January.

The property, operated by TFE Hotels, caters to business and leisure, featuring a rooftop bar and restaurant with expansive views, large corporate function space and a ground floor grab ‘n’ go food offering

by St Marks Road Co. The interior design, by leading studio Chada, utilises natural colours and greenery.

“I think our Travelodge guests will be pleasantly surprised by the new design direction and by how inviting the rooms are to be in,” said TFE Hotels Group Chief Operating Officer, Chris Sedgwick.

“This hotel offers smart, functional design – with particular attention paid to spatial planning and to the colour palette – alongside higher-than-normal ceilings and full glazing which lets in loads of natural light; great spaces to relax in; and, most importantly, offers a quality, affordable accommodation option just 20 minutes (by fast train) from the city.”

Travelodge Hurstville has been developed by the Illawarra Catholic Club, which sits next to the hotel, and is in close proximity to Sydney Airport, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Westfield Shopping Centre and hospitality venue Club Central.

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Swiss-Belboutique opens in Napier, NZ Swiss-Belboutique Napier is also one of the few pet-friendly hotels in town

The upscale hotel offers a personalised guest experience

Swiss-Belhotel International has opened its latest 5-star premium boutique hotel, SwissBelboutique Napier, in New Zealand.

The chain’s Chairman and President, Gavin M. Faull, said the property was a significant addition to the Group located in the attractive art-deco destination of Napier.

He said offering one of the most spacious rooms and enticing facilities, SwissBelboutique Napier promises unique and personalised experience for discerning travellers.

“I am proud to announce the opening of the Swiss-Belboutique Napier,” he said. “I am committed to supporting the growth of tourism and development in my country and this is a tremendous step forward in this direction.”

The property includes 104 guest rooms and suites 14

Countdown is on to opening of QT Newcastle QT Hotels offers a sneak peek ahead of the April opening

QT HOTELS AND RESORTS has offered HM readers a first look inside the highlyanticipated QT Newcastle, which is set to open in April 2022.

The property will be the first regional New South Wales hotel for the designer collection and will bring style to Newcastle’s revitalised East End precinct.

QT Newcastle is housed within the heritage-listed, 113-year-old David Jones building on Hunter Mall and is being brought to life by exciting and rapidly-growing developer Iris Capital.

The property will feature 104 guest rooms and suites, public areas and private function spaces, along with a yet-to-be revealed

signature dining concept and a rooftop bar with sweeping views at every vantage point.

QT Newcastle is a cornerstone of Iris Capital’s AU$700-million reinvigoration of the East End and QT Hotels and Resorts’ Group General Manager, Callum Kennedy, said the property will be absolutely stunning.

“We look forward to being a part of Newcastle’s resurgence, and welcoming the community as a part of ours,” he said. “QT Newcastle will live and breathe with the same energy and vibrancy guests love from the world of QT. QT Newcastle will join QT Sydney and QT Bondi as properties in the chain’s New South Wales network.

www.oranasoftware.com

hotelmanagement.com.au

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NEED TO KNOW

15

minutes with...

ROBERT DAWSON

Robert Daw s on ,H ya tt

Park Hyatt Auckland opened in late 2020 in the midst of the pandemic

It’s been a significant year of success for Hyatt in Australasia, with the chain debuting its first Hyatt Centric hotel, Park Hyatt Auckland taking out major HM Awards wins and the company looking forward to more openings. Hyatt’s Area Vice President – Pacific, ROBERT DAWSON, sits down with HM’s James Wilkinson at Park Hyatt Melbourne to talk about all of that and more.

Robert, congrats on the HM Awards wins. How were they received amongst the staff?

Thanks James, these awards are great recognition for our people, especially the team in Auckland who have had such an on-off situation on the back of a prolonged opening.

One of the biggest awards on the night, Australasian Hotel of the Year, was won by Park Hyatt Auckland – a huge achievement for a project you’ve been heavily involved in and passionate about.

I was fortunate to be involved with the project from day one. It’s not often you get the chance to develop such an iconic site that is a natural location for a Park Hyatt and we are very pleased with the result and recognition it has received. Its location directly on the waterfront together with the striking architecture and interiors make it a perfect canvas for the brand and a big sister to Park Hyatt Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. My only regret is that I have had little opportunity to visit but will be there as soon as the borders open to celebrate with Brett and his team.

It’s also fantastic for the Park Hyatt brand isn’t it, given the calibre of hotels you have in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland?

Yes, there is a lot of synergy between the hotels, and we are already sharing a number of clients, events and partnerships between the 18

HM The Business of Accommodation

properties. We see the hotel [Park Hyatt Auckland] as a great brand builder both within the Pacific region and internationally and a great representation of the Park Hyatt brand.

Your Hyatt Centric brand has just debuted in Melbourne. How have things gone so far and what has the brand traction been like?

Well, we are in week two (mid-December 2021 as the Omicron variant surged) – not the most ideal time to open in Melbourne – but having said that, we are very encouraged in the initial interest and feedback we are receiving. It is an exciting and vibrant brand, the first in Australia and fourth in Asia-Pacific and a good counterpoint to our other existing hotels in Melbourne. The lifestyle concept with a focus on destination we believe is well suited to the Australian and New Zealand market.

How are your hotels in the pipeline coming along?

The next opening will be the Hyatt Place Caribbean Park Melbourne that will open on February 15, 2022. Once again, the brand fit within this location was positioned to service both the business park and surrounding leisure market. There have been some minor delays in the pipeline, however, all our projects are continuing with the next two openings led by two more Hyatt Place properties in late 2022-2023. n

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Wayfarer’s Bar and Café features local spirits, beer and boutique Australian wine 16

BWH Hotels Group brings boutique hotel brand ‘Aiden’ to Australia The company says Aiden Darling Harbour is “built for travellers by travellers”.

BWH HOTELS GROUP has introduced its boutique hotel concept Aiden to Sydney’s Darling Harbour – a hotel that the company says is “built for travellers by travellers”.

Sydneysider Nicolas Chen is the traveller behind this creation, while Pyrmont local Michael Sharp leads as General Manager.

“We set out to create a hotel built for travellers by travellers offering a new way to stay – a hotel experience that’s both stylish and affordable – and so far it’s been very well received,' Sharp said.

Stretching eight storeys high, with 88 compact rooms, Aiden Darling Harbour is set in a remodelled 1930s art deco building, with design, art, food and beverage all influenced by the local area.

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Former Perisher Resort boss swaps snow for sand to lead Australian tourism icon.

FORMER PERISHER RESORT boss Peter Brulisauer has been announced as the new CEO of Hamilton Island.

Brulisauer most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Vail Resorts’ Australian operations and has been a pivotal figure in the Australian snow industry, having led Perisher since 2006 and Hotham and Falls Creek ski resorts for the past three years.

He will commence the role in late April.

Hamilton Island Chairman, Sandy Oatley, said Brulisauer’s dedication to Australian tourism made him the standout choice.

“Pete brings a wealth of experience and integrity to the role, with a deep understanding of tourism operations,” Oatley said.

“The snow community will be sad to see him go but we are grateful and excited to welcome him to our island community.”

Brulisauer described Hamilton Island as “an Australian tourism icon” and said he is honoured to take up the position as CEO. “It’s a privilege to be entrusted to lead the Hamilton Island team to carry on its proud legacy as one of the world’s most acclaimed tourism destinations,” he said.

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1 Hotel to make Australian debut in Melbourne 1 Hotel and Homes will be Melbourne’s first international hotel-branded residences.

MELBOURNE’S NORTHBANK PRECINCT will welcome Australia’s first 1 Hotel and Homes from SH Hotels and Resorts as part of a $550 million project at Seafarers.

The 18-storey development will comprise 120 luxury hotel-branded residences atop 277 guest rooms.

The 1 Hotel brand centres around “ecoluxury” tourism, targeting those looking for luxury lifestyle and who value sustainable design and architecture.

The hotel company currently has eight properties across North America, and one in Haitang Bay, Sanya (APAC) with more to open in London, Paris and Crete. It will be Melbourne’s first international hotelbranded residences.

Since October, there has been $30 million in sales and reservations for residences at Seafarers.

Riverlee development director, David Lee, said the construction signifies confidence in both the luxury owner-occupier apartment market and hotel sectors.

“Seafarers will be a place for all Melburnians and visitors to enjoy as a new riverfront destination that brings Northbank to life,” he said.

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The property features 400 guestrooms, including 49 suites

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Star of Tinseltown: Fairmont Century Plaza makes a comeback

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After a luxurious makeover, Fairmont Century Plaza brings the wow factor.

ACCOR’S REIMAGINED FAIRMONT Century Plaza made a stunning debut in lateSeptember 2021, building up on the hotel’s legacy as a Los Angeles cultural landmark and haven for visionaries across art, film, music, politics, and business.

Thanks to its luxurious makeover, the hotel pays tribute to its star-studded history while ushering in a new age of glamour, infusing cutting-edge amenities with pioneering guest experiences.

Originally deemed ‘The Hotel of the Future’, famed architect Minoru Yamasaki’s mid-century modern icon returns as the centrepiece of a US$2.5 billion mixed-use development project on 6.14 acres, which includes two 44-storey towers with 94,000 square feet of boutique shopping and 268 privately-owned luxury residences.

Fairmont Century Plaza’s 16 floors house an additional 63 privately-owned Fairmont residential units, as well as 400 guestrooms, including 49 suites.

The hotel is home to an impressive collection of art from around the world, including its signature piece, Laura.

Sitting on the front drive at 23-feet tall, the serene mesh sculpture was created by internationally celebrated Spanish artist Juame Plensa.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts called upon industry heavyweight Philip Barnes as Regional Vice President, Southern California and General Manager to relaunch the property, drawing on his decades of experience with openings and repositionings.

“Fairmont Century Plaza will once again be ‘THE’ Los Angeles hotel — just as it was when it opened to worldwide acclaim in 1966,” he said.

“Working with our talented team to ensure the return of a beloved jewel in LA’s crown has been a career highlight.

“We look forward to welcoming locals and guests from all over the world into a reimagined and stunningly beautiful hotel with an exemplary level of service.”

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HM The Business of Accommodation

Fairmont Spa features experiential rain showers, sanariums, aromatherapy steam rooms, a hammam, and a Himalayan salt room A key ingredient of Fairmont Century Plaza’s vibe is a genuine passion from a world-class team dedicated to transporting guests far beyond the average hotel, dining or spa experience.

“The reopening of this Los Angeles luxury landmark is a milestone for both the brand and the city, as Fairmont is trusted to reimagine this storied icon following a US$2.5 billion renovation and development project,” said Heather McCrory, CEO of Accor North & Central America.

“The newest Fairmont is a flagship for the brand, offering a one-of-a-kind experience at the centre of it all in the famed Century City and setting the standard for future development projects in the region.”

International design firm Yabu Pushelberg has transformed the hotel’s design, delivering a modern update to the 1960s nostalgia whilst celebrating Fairmont’s defining quality of grandeur with a Californian twist.

The new Century Plaza returns with almost half the number of guestrooms, allowing for a larger, more luxurious footprint with spacious marble bathrooms and a balcony for every guest room and suite.

Fairmont Gold, the brand’s exclusive hotelwithin-a-hotel experience, features 70 guest rooms and suites boasting private check-in and checkout; exclusive access to the exquisite Gold Lounge; and dedicated Personal Assistants offering 24/7 concierge service.

Even turn down gets a novel upgrade with The Fairmont Gold Bar Cart, an on-demand martini cart that delivers customised cocktails straight to guests’ doors.

Lumière, crafted by EDG Design, is a traditional French-inspired brasserie that evokes the feeling of being transported to 1920s Paris.

Open for all-day service, Lumière is an inviting neighbourhood spot that celebrates timeless bohemian glamour with a fresh West Coast perspective.

The team is led by hospitality veteran Paul Quinn, the restaurant’s General Manager, with the menu overseen by Executive Chef Ramon Bojorquez.

Featuring local, seasonal ingredients and refined dishes, brasserie favourites include French onion soup, steak frites, seafood towers and magnums of Champagne.

The Bar at Century Plaza is the pièce de résistance of the hotel’s show stopping lobby, surrounded by a living green wall, floating fireplace and water feature.

The lobby also features floor-to-ceiling windows that retract into the floor, creating a gorgeous open space filled with natural light and fresh air. The daring yet approachable menu serves classic cocktails, creative and technique-driven libations, and globally inspired dishes.

As a showpiece of the hotel, Fairmont Spa Century Plaza is reinventing wellness culture with offerings designed to unite ancient modalities of movement with state-of-the-art technologies.

Through its doors lie nine treatment rooms designed by Yabu Pushelberg, experiential rain showers, sanariums, aromatherapy steam rooms, a hammam, and a Himalayan salt room.

Then there’s the Rooftop Pool, which offers stunning views of Los Angeles, including the Pacific Ocean, the Getty Museum, and the Hollywood Hills.

You can’t miss visiting the Pool Bar, which features whimsical beverages with Southern California flair that can be enjoyed poolside or in one of the nearby cabanas.

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PROMOTION

Aiden Darling Harbour

A NEW ERA FOR BWH Aiden Darling Harbour is the first Aiden

by Best Western to open its doors in Australasia.

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WH Hotel Group (BWH) hasn’t allowed the pandemic to get in its way with the new year presenting a wealth of opportunities for the brand to reach new heights. Comprising WorldHotels Collection, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group, BWH offers its 4,000+ hotels a full suite of 17 brand options with each retaining and celebrating its own unique individuality.

BWH’s global reputation and legacy is available for clients in Australasia to leverage, help instill investor confidence and take the risk out of property investments. A new and improved BWH developer website (joinbwhhotelgroup.com.au) showcases a brand new look and feel for hoteliers, investors, developers and brokers to explore.

The development team has undertaken a Aid our en D arling Harb thorough market analysis to identify viable investment opportunities throughout Australasia, whilst the operational team has enhanced its procurement program and bulk “BWH is proficient at identifying buying arrangements to drive down operational costs by as much as destination gaps in the market by assessing 20% per year. opportunities, conducting feasibilities and BWH now provides an unparalleled opportunity for clients to exploit forecasting to pair the right opportunity to the accommodation investment market that currently exist throughout the region. n the right brand whether in capital cities or To find out more information, please contact Danilo Curcuruto and Jeanelle Witton-Smith of BWH’s Brand Development team at join@bwhhotelgroup.com or explore joinbwhhotelgroup.com.au/

regional areas.”

Elena Martiniuc, Director of Development Performance, BWH Hotel Group hotelmanagement.com.au

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PROMOTION

TFE Hotels execs Ansarina Flower, Danielle Schadow, Diana Quinones Silva, Jelena Bojanic and Emma Hynes 22

HM The Business of Accommodation

COVER STORY

A NATURAL APPROACH TO

DIVERSITY A rich culture of diversity, in which all ages, genders and cultures are celebrated, allows everyone at TFE Hotels an equal opportunity to advance their career.

D

iversity, equity and inclusion might be hot topics at the moment, but at TFE Hotels, employing candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds, genders, religions, ages, and sexual orientation, is so firmly embedded in the corporate culture that it appears effortless.

TFE Hotels Chief Executive Officer, Antony Ritch, explains that you won’t find a lot of targets, quotas or workforce committees dedicated to diversity at TFE because management has always been forward-thinking and held those values as core to who we are as a business.

“Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country – from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world,” he said. “Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live and TFE Hotels a great place to work.”

From Argentina to Zambia, TFE employs team members from 70 countries in a variety of roles across head office and operations. The company’s Web Master, Indonesian-born Rido Negarindo, is one such team member who is making a mark. Rido, who initially started as a Breakfast Cook for Travelodge Macquarie North Ryde whilst studying at university; has spent the last ten years honing his mar-tech skills and is now responsible for e-commerce across TFE’s seven hotel brands.

But it’s not just international candidates that help make TFE an interesting place to work. TFE’s Five-Year Indigenous Engagement Strategy shows the strength of the company’s commitment to future action with our First Nations people. Under the strategy, TFE’s Darwin-based Real Jobs Program, which provides work-based training and employment for Indigenous people, has gone from

strength to strength. And, in the top end, around 33% of their team are Indigenous Australians, with plans to increase this further to reflect the broader Northern Territory community and expand the program in WA and Queensland.

In Perth, a partnership with APM, one of Australia’s leading providers of Disability Employment Services, sees candidates placed in apprenticeships and roles that play to their strengths at Rendezvous Perth Scarborough.

Whilst on the gender front, TFE is also streets ahead. Two thirds of the global senior leadership team are female. In operations, it’s a pretty even split with a 49% female to 51% male ratio in leadership roles.

TFE Hotels Regional General Manager for NSW and ACT and mother of two, Emma Hynes says: “Sometimes, I hear young female business leaders talk about having to have a “break” in their career or choosing a different career path as they don’t believe they can be a parent and work in hotel operations.” >>

“Diversity and inclusion are all about empowering people, respecting and appreciating what makes them different, and celebrating it.”

Michelle Bevan, TFE Hotels hotelmanagement.com.au

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PROMOTION

COVER STORY

“Essentially, it’s the capability of the individual that helps grow their career.”

Antony Ritch, TFE Hotels “It 100% can be done and it helps that TFE offers flexibility in the workplace,” she said. “It takes a lot of planning, and conversations with those closest to you, but you can absolutely have both, so don’t give up on your career dreams.”

The proof is in the pudding with Emma’s protégé, mother-of-four and GM of the newly-opened Travelodge Hotel Hurstville, Ansarina Flower.

When it comes to opening her very first ever hotel, Ansarina freely admits it was a step outside her comfort zone.

“The one thing that initially stopped me applying for roles like this, was the thought that there’s a huge amount of work involved in pre-openings, and I wanted to ensure I was the right fit with a big family,” she said.

“TFE were incredibly supportive and let me know that being a working mum shouldn’t be holding me back and I’m glad I listened, because I have landed my dream job.”

It’s a similar story for 27-year-old Jelena Bojanic - whose first GM gig was the global debut of the premium A by Adina brand, opening the flagship property in Canberra.

After emigrating to Australia from Serbia in 1997 (when Jelena was three), her father became involved in the construction of Adina Apartment Hotel Wollongong. Upon its completion, her mother worked at the property in executive housekeeping. Even her brother gained work experience on reception.

“So, I have a big family tie to Adina from as early as I can remember,” Jelena said. “I was fortunate to get a casual job at Adina Wollongong and went into it thinking, ‘let's see what happens’. Of course, what happened is I loved it, and as soon as a full-time position came up, I put myself forward for the role.”

That role led to stints in Reservations, as EAM for Adina Sydney Airport, and a role in the NSW relief team before landing her dream role at A by Adina Canberra. Jelena recently received the Markus Huck Young Achiever Award at the Canberra Region Tourism Awards.

“Looking back, I’m eternally grateful to have been surrounded by such an incredible culture and team of authentic ‘people people’, who mentored and taught me the importance of being true to myself and letting my personality shine,” she said.

According to Ritch, TFE doesn’t set caveats or timeframes for time in a role, instead they use a merit-based selection processes and hiring is focused on the potential of the candidate.

“Essentially, it’s the capability of the individual that helps grow their career,” he says.

Just like 27-year-old Danielle Schadow who, after an outstanding performance during her two-year stint at Travelodge Newcastle, has just been promoted to EAM at the 145-key Adina Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD. TFE’s results speak for themselves says Chief People Officer, Michelle Bevan, with the Sydney-based hotel company scoring a 90% favourable result in their Diversity and Inclusion Index - 16 points higher than the Australian norm group - in their last team engagement survey.

“Diversity and inclusion are all about empowering people, respecting and appreciating what makes them different, and celebrating it,” she said. “This is what TFE has always been great at, and we employ people who are great at it.”

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HM The Business of Accommodation

TFE Hotels Web Master, Rido Negarindo “Irrespective of your age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education or national origin, at TFE we want you to be you, and we will help you grow.”

According to Bevan, it’s not just about employing a team, it’s also about investing in resources to make sure those teams are set up for success. At TFE, this includes a continued investment in programs that help employ the long-term unemployed, wellness programs; Global People Tech; training and in their Academe Future Leaders (technicalbased skills) and People Leaders (behavioural/human-focused skills) programs to foster and accelerate leadership development.

Award-winning Adina Bondi GM, Diana Quinones Silva, started her hotel career with TFE’s Future Leaders Program 12 years ago - one of 250 team members to graduate since they were introduced in 2014 - and has been managing Adina, Vibe and Travelodge Hotels in the Sydney area for the past seven years.

“My advice to anyone wanting to take the next step into a hotel leadership position is to invest time in finding out what type of role model you want to be in the long term,” she said. “But, above all, be true to yourself and believe in the strength of your core values. n To find more about a career at TFE Hotels visit tfehotels.com/en/careers.

TUESDAY 3 MAY 2022 SkyCity, Adelaide

RE-IMAGINING HOTEL DESIGN Going beyond the brief REGISTER NOW

Evocative keynotes Understanding new brands Inspirational case studies Site tours

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PROMOTION

Mercure Auckland Queen Street Guestroom

Mercure Melbourne Doncaster Restaurant

MERCURE’S

BOLD NEW LOOK Accor’s next-generation Mercure hotels have opened in Melbourne and Auckland… and they’re setting an exciting new direction for the popular upper-midscale brand.

A

ccor has unveiled its next generation of Mercure hotels with the launch of Mercure Melbourne Doncaster and Mercure Auckland Queen Street. It’s a bold move for the Group that will see the popular brand get immediately elevated.

These new-look Mercure hotels introduce a new benchmark of upper midscale hotels in the region with market leading innovation, indulgent design and authentic engagement.

Accor Pacific Senior Vice President Development and Franchise, Lindsay Leeser, said Mercure has one of the largest international brand footprints in the Pacific region with 50 hotels across key destinations with further growth to 65 hotels within the next two years.

“We have a strong diversified network of hotels and resorts across key city, metropolitan and leisure locations,” he said.

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“We are excited to grow our presence in Melbourne with the flagship Mercure hotel in the heart of Doncaster, and also in Auckland on bustling Queen Street.

“Creating jobs and investing in the future of the tourism and accommodation sector has never been more important and these hotels play a key role in further elevating the profile of both key leisure and business destinations.”

The decoratively designed Mercure Melbourne Doncaster features 183 contemporary-styled guest rooms and suites along with six fullyequipped function spaces and expansive outdoor terraces, perfect for social gatherings, meetings and conventions. Guests can choose to relax by the indoor-outdoor swimming pool, take advantage of the elite fitness centre or indulge in some of the region’s best dining.

The 96-room Mercure Auckland Queen Street indulges and delights guests with its contemporary design and boutique interiors. Situated near the Town Hall, Civic Theatre and Aotea Square, the hotel features 24-hour reception, fitness centre, boardroom and onsite The Basement Restaurant and Bar serving an all-day dining menu of delicious Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. n

Mercure Auckland Queen Street

ACCOR NEWS Mercure Melbourne Doncaster Pool

Hot New Openings

Accor’s latest properties that need to be on your radar.

PEPPERS MARYSVILLE

THE PORTER HOUSE HOTEL SYDNEY – MGALLERY

Victoria - Opened April 2021 Accor’s first hotel in Victoria’s picturesque Yarra Valley, Peppers Marysville features 101 modern guestrooms, including five suites, a conference centre with five meeting and conferencing spaces catering for up to 350 guests, a restaurant and bar, gymnasium, tennis court, heated outdoor swimming pool, sauna, wellness centre and day spa.

New South Wales - Opening early 2022 The 1870s heritage-listed Porter House in Sydney will connect to a new 36-storey tower, offering a mix of hotel and residences, pool and fitness centre, two restaurants, a fourth-floor bar with roving art gallery, meeting and private dining facilities and a business centre.

SOFITEL ADELAIDE

New South Wales - Opening mid 2022 Sydney CBD’s historic 1929-built West End Hotel at 412 Pitt Street, for more than 30 years Australia’s tallest hotel, will reopen as Hotel Morris following an extensive refurbishment program. The 82-room hotel will feature a ground floor restaurant and bar on Pitt Street, and a spectacular rooftop bar.

South Australia - Opened November 2021 Sofitel Adelaide marks the luxury brand’s debut in South Australia and is the city’s first new internationally branded five-star address in 30 years. The hotel features 251 luxurious guestrooms and suites, Club Millésime, a French re-imagined restaurant - Garçon Bleu, a luxurious street-level Champagne bar - Déjà Vu, an indoor heated pool, Sofitel Fitness Centre, plus meeting and private dining spaces.

MÖVENPICK HOTEL MELBOURNE ON SPENCER

Victoria - Opened November 2021 The 172-room Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer is delighting guests with its contemporary design and boutique interiors, two unique culinary offerings - a Mövenpick Cafe and Miss Mi restaurant and bar, a daily Chocolate Hour and an assortment of other Mövenpick brand signature offerings, 25m swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, and gymnasium.

HOTEL MORRIS, SYDNEY

THE SEBEL WELLINGTON LOWER HUTT

New Zealand - Opening mid 2022 Overlooking the Hutt River, this stylish apartment-style hotel features 60 fully serviced studios and one-bedroom apartments, along with a lively restaurant and bar called Biscotti.

Artist Impression - The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt Hotel Room

THE SEBEL WHITSUNDAYS AIRLIE BEACH

Queensland - Opened December 2021 The Sebel Whitsundays Airlie Beach features 54 newly refurbished apartment-style guestrooms, including a selection of One Bedroom Apartments, Two Bedroom Apartments, Three Bedroom Penthouses and Four Bedroom Presidential Suites, along with a 15m resort-style swimming pool and heated outdoor spa, fitness centre, and outdoor dining area with barbeque facilities.

hotelmanagement.com.au

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2022 INDUSTRY LEADERS FORUM

WELCOME TO THE 20TH EDITION OF THE INDUSTRY LEADERS FORUM — YOUR COMPLETE OUTLOOK FOR THE YEAR AHEAD FROM LEADING HOTELIERS, TOURISM LEADERS AND SUPPLIERS ACROSS AUSTRALASIA AND THE WORLD.

Confident: IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Matt Tripolone

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HM The Business of Accommodation

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HM Q&A Curious at W Melbourne is one of the city’s best bars

MASTERING MARRIOTT ALMOST A YEAR AFTER STEPPING INTO THE TOP JOB AT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, FOLLOWING THE PASSING OF INDUSTRY GREAT AND FORMER CEO ARNE SORENSON, ANTHONY ‘TONY’ CAPUANO EXCLUSIVELY SITS DOWN WITH HM’S JAMES WILKINSON IN NEW YORK TO REFLECT ON THE JOURNEY SO FAR, THE EVOLUTION OF TRENDS, KEY CHALLENGES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF A ‘BATTLE-TESTED’ TEAM. 30

HM The Business of Accommodation

HM Q&A

Thanks for making the time to chat here in New York. It’s one of the cites that has really come back to life very fast from a hotel standpoint.

I

t’s an exciting time for New York, as the US opened its borders to inbound international [travel]. A lot of the big global gateway cities here in the US will benefit [from that], maybe none more so than New York. [It’s] trending back the right direction. I had a cab driver yell at me yesterday, so it felt more like being back in the city.

You’ve launched a lot of brands in this city too, haven’t you? Brands like Moxy and Edition - this is where they really came into their own.

That’s exactly right. It’s the brightest lit stage in the world, and so if you intend to launch a brand that has global aspirations, you’ve got to have a showplace in New York. And I also think, certainly pre pandemic, the RevPAR potential of this market was such that you could stretch a little bit to really showcase what the brand could be. I think that’s true with the first Edition at Clock Tower in New York, and I think it’s true with our first big Moxy down by Penn Station.

Are you at all surprised at the attraction that Moxy has taken globally from a trend standpoint?

No, I’m not. For two reasons: I always think about us having two customer bases, our guests, obviously, but also our owners and franchisees, and they’re human beings, so they tend to want to develop things that resonate with them. We’ve seen across all the quality tiers in our portfolio, a strong and growing affinity for lifestyle-focused brands. That can be all the way at the luxury end of the spectrum with Edition, or it can be at Moxy – something that has a distinct design sensibility, some creative food and beverage solutions – so I’m not surprised at all. I think with our guests, particularly that Moxy guest [which] shades younger, all they’re really doing is taking a shower and sleeping in their room.

They want to be visible in the public spaces, and I think Moxy really fits the bill.

ny C

ap u

ano

Lifestyle has taken a whole new turn over the last three or four years.

You’re no stranger to lifestyle, be it through Marriott, and through the acquisition of Starwood, with W, which was one of the brands that really led that challenge.

,A EO C ott Marri

ho nt

That’s right. I think we’ve been deliberate. Years ago, as we started to hear more and more about this appetite

for ‘lifestyle’ — that might be an overused word, but not cookie cutter from a design perspective, a real local feeling to the food and beverage — we looked at our portfolio and said 'we've got some gaps'. We added Edition, organically, we added W through the Starwood acquisition, we added Element, which is really a nice complement to Residence Inn with more of a lifestyle feel. We developed Moxy organically. And so, I think we’ve done a really nice job of building out the portfolio where there are lifestyle options for our guests and our owners at almost every price point.

During the pandemic, a lot of people used the opportunity to get fit. There is a bit more of an element of fitness and lifestyle within hotels now and a focus on the wellness of guests, in terms of the design of guest rooms, the amenities in the hotel and things on the menu like [plant-based] Impossible Burgers.

I think that’s right, but I think maybe the pandemic has just accelerated it a bit. It’s really interesting, I get so many questions and have really vibrant discussions about what has fundamentally changed about our industry as a result of this terrible pandemic, but the vast majority of the changes were initiatives that were already in place, we just saw an acceleration. Take adoption of technology, for example. We already had mobile check-in, mobile key, chat functionality with the hotel, but because of safety concerns, you saw an acceleration in adoption.

Similar to your point on wellness, all of a sudden people are not having to get up so early because they weren’t commuting to the office, and they were reminded of the really powerful health impacts of sleep. Westin had already taken a leadership role in promoting the wellness benefits of a good night’s sleep, so it’s just accelerating as a result of the pandemic. I think the same is true with fitness and healthy eating.

It is tricky to say what markets are going to come back faster than others, but I know you’re very confident on business travel returning, and we did see this after the GFC when it returned very fast. Is it something that you think is going to happen quite soon?

I do. I am bullish about the future of business travel, but I think it’s going to look a little different. I’ve said consistently that’s great for our business. I just came back from Europe. For probably 20 years, I’ve gone to the Berlin (IHIF) investment conference. I’d fly over on a Sunday night, I’d spend two days and I would fly back.

This time I went for 12 days. And in those 12 days, I was a business traveller, I was a group meeting attendee, and I even snuck in a couple days of leisure travel. I think that blended trip purpose [will be big]. If we had been together in the lobby here five years ago, we could have watched every person walking off the elevator and said, ‘she’s a business traveller’, ‘he’s a group meeting attendee’ and ‘she’s a tourist’. That will be harder now, and I think that’s good for us. hotelmanagement.com.au

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HM Q&A

Marriott’s Edition brand has made yet another statement with its latest Japanese opening in Tokyo’s Toranomon

“I really like the way we’ve structured our international business.”

Anthony Capuano, Marriott

I think the rise of leisure [travel] is not going to slow down anytime soon. It was already rapidly growing all over the world.

It was, but I think the recognition that came from necessity, that you can work from almost anywhere, has caused all of us to think about these trips differently.

[People are thinking] let me tack on two days at the front or two days at the end [of that trip] and get a little bit of leisure time.

You’ve got some very good leaders all over the world like your International MD Craig Smith and President of Asia Raj Menon and Sean Hunt in Australasia. That’s important because Asia is such a huge part of your business.

It is, and it’s one of the things that I love about the creation of Craig’s role, the fact that, at one point, Craig ran our CALA [Caribbean and Latin American] business.

He started his Operations career in the Caribbean and Latin America, he’s a fluent Spanish speaker, but then he spent about a decade in Asia Pacific. We’ve got individual continent leaders, Brian King in CALA, Raj [Menon] in APAC, Henry Lee in Greater China, and Satya [Anand] in EMEA, but you also have Craig that can rise one level higher and look at broad macro- and sociopolitical trends. I really like the way we’ve structured our international business.

Coming into the role after the late, great Arne Sorenson, who was one of the greatest we’ve ever seen in this industry, you’ve got an incredible workforce with you on the executive level who know their regions intimately.

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I do, and I characterise them in the most affectionate way by saying they’re a ‘battle-tested team’, because they’re such a long-tenured group. We’ve been shoulder to shoulder through conventional recessions, wars, the Great Recession, the events post 9/11, Arne’s diagnosis – it’s a team that by necessity, probably, is performing optimally in the face of crisis. To your point, I’ve had lots of folks say, ‘my goodness, you’re trying to follow Arne, you’re doing it in the face of the biggest crisis the industry has ever faced, isn’t that a daunting task?’ My answer is always consistent, and that is: ‘It would be a terrifying task if I had to do it alone’, but I’ve got this incredible battle-tested, long-tenured global leadership team, and I’ve got tens of thousands of associates who send me encouraging notes every day. It is most certainly a big challenge, while the business trends are really compelling and encouraging, we’ve still got a steep hill to climb.

It must be encouraging, when you talk about associates, so many have rejoined those hotels as the hotels have reopened.

Absolutely. What was so interesting, the first day I was announced in the new role, I got almost 20,000 emails from associates, but, what I’ve not really talked about publicly, a big chunk of those were from furloughed associates, who just said, ‘we can’t wait to come back’, ‘tell us what you need’, and it’s hard not to be optimistic about the future of the industry, and particularly about the future of Marriott, when you see those passionate associates around the world.

Is it one of the biggest challenges now to get those hotels rebooted with the staff who know

HM Q&A

the properties? Some are going to have to rehire, we’re seeing mass hirings all over the world.

The biggest challenge that I see on the labour front, at least in the US, [is that] of all the jobs that were lost as a result of the pandemic, one in five was from travel and tourism. My guess is there are similar statistics around the world. Some of those folks may not come back. As a result, we’re getting good traction hiring, but we’re seeing a higher percentage of applicants than we’ve ever seen without hospitality experience. So, we’ve got a bit of training that we need to do to remind folks about things that for all of us that have been in the industry so long are reflex, a warm, genuine greeting, picking up a piece of paper on the floor as you’re walking through the corridor. I’m confident, we’ve got terrific training programs, both in person and virtual, but that’ll create another little complexity for us in the short term.

It’s interesting with hotels in the last few years, food and beverage has gone to a whole new level in terms of cafes, bars, restaurants. In hotels in cities like New York, London, or even Sydney, which have lost a lot of restaurants, these restaurants are so important as they are becoming popular with locals now, not just hotel guests.

Right, it’s certainly one of our aspirations. I think about myself with my family as a kid, it was a big deal to go to a hotel to have dinner. It was a real occasion, everyone got dressed up. I don’t know that they’ll get dressed up anymore, but I do think hotels with activated public spaces have the potential to almost be these urban country clubs. I was [staying] at the London Edition, and had breakfast there. I was looking around and I asked the restaurant manager ‘Are these hotel guests?’ He said, ‘I think you’re the only hotel guest in the restaurant’.

So, it’s those local residents in the Fitzrovia area of London that have decided ‘That’s our place’. And that’s great news for our business. It gives us revenue volumes that allow us to innovate and be creative with food and beverage program.

I think we’ve got a really unique window of opportunity right now, not only with patrons, when you look at the number of independent restaurants that have closed, in terms of our ability to attract really unique culinary talent to our hotels. We need to take full advantage of that.

and combine that with our luxury pipeline, the last time I looked, that footprint was bigger than the next three global players combined. We have a tremendous foundation to build on. I think that foundation is really enhanced by the strength of our branded residential business. 2020, I hope all of us will look back someday and say ‘Worst year in the history of our industry’. It was the best year we’ve ever had in our branded residential business, and the economics of those branded residences act as a real accelerant for the pace of luxury growth.

It is going to be an exciting time. Is there one takeaway that you have from during the pandemic, from a leadership level or learning that you’ve taken?

I’ve always had a deep appreciation and affection for the strength of Marriott’s culture. I’ve never valued it more. It really served as, I think for all of us, a real ‘True North’ as we navigated [the pandemic]. I think those tenets of our culture really served us well. I think, secondly, the importance of transparent communication.

I think some of Arne’s video messages will likely be used in business schools for decades to come. He was honest, he was empathetic, but he was transparent in his communications, and I think the value of that sort of communications is one of my biggest takeaways. n

Now open: The Tasman has made a luxurious debut in Hobart

W Melbourne's guest rooms make a statement with wall art and bold colour choices

You mentioned the London Edition – it’s one of my favourite hotels. Something that we talk about a lot is that resilience of the luxury market, and it is coming back very strong, and the rate is there in a lot of the hotels as well. As one of the leading luxury players, you have a lot of strength in this market, don’t you?

We do. If you look at our existing global footprint hotelmanagement.com.au

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GLOBAL LEADERS

H

Hilton President and CEO, Chris Nassetta

HILTON’S MAJOR CONFIDENCE THE INDUSTRY SHOULD PREPARE FOR A NEW, REINVIGORATED ERA OF TRAVEL ACCORDING TO HILTON’S PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHRIS NASSETTA, AND THAT’S EXACTLY THE MESSAGE EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR. 34

HM The Business of Accommodation

ilton’s President and CEO, Chris Nassetta, says the company is “well-positioned to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever” as the desire to travel continues to boost confidence in the industry.

The popular CEO said the company had a solid 2021, opening 414 properties and adding more than 67,100 rooms to its system across the world in key locations spanning Melbourne to New York.

“After a year of recovery and growth, it has been incredible to witness the resiliency of the travel industry and our team’s ability to embrace change while serving more guests in more hotels around the world,” Nassetta said.

“We believe the desire to travel, experience new cultures and connect with others is core to the human experience.

“I can speak for all of us at Hilton when I say we’re looking forward to welcoming our guests and helping them make new memories in 2022,” he said.

Nassetta revealed Hilton ended 2021 with more than 6,800 hotels across 18 brands in six continents, with robust net unit growth of 5.6%.

The company’s development pipeline includes nearly 2,670 hotels representing approximately 408,000 rooms, nearly half of which are under construction.

Nassetta’s comments were released during the 2022 Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles in late January, an event that saw solid optimism from global leaders.

Key milestones for Hilton in 2021 included the debut of Hilton Nagasaki, the company’s 500th hotel in Asia Pacific, and Hilton Lanzhou City Center, the 400th hotel in the Greater China and Mongolia region for the business.

“Hilton’s development continues to be a key performance indicator of how well-positioned we are for the long-term,” said Hilton’s CFO and President Global Development, Kevin Jacobs.

“Hotel owners choose to work with us because of our premium commercial performance. With our capital light business model, we strive to maximise net unit growth, while continuing to deliver value for all our stakeholders.”

Last year also saw a significant expansion in the all-inclusive segment for the company, with key openings in the Caribbean and Latin America, including Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort, Hilton Vallarta Riviera All-Inclusive Resort, Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton and The Yucatan Playa del Carmen All-Inclusive Resort, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

During 2021, a number of Hilton’s brands had a number of notable firsts, including the debut of Hilton Garden Inn in Australasia, DoubleTree by Hilton reaching its 50th international trading market and the phenomenal growth of Tru by Hilton, which opened its 200th hotel and adding nearly 100 hotels during the pandemic. n

SWISSTRADE NEWS

PROMOTION

Dorsett makes its debut on Queensland's Gold Coast

Michael Foster

DORSETT’S

GOLD STANDARD

Dorsett Gold Coast General Manager, Michael Foster, discusses the recent launch of the Dorsett brand on the coast, and how a partnership with Swisstrade is improving the guest experience.

Dorsett Gold Coast is a shining example of modern Gold Coast tourism and excellence. How does it feel to be open and offering the Dorsett brand of hospitality on the Glitter Strip?

W

e are thrilled to finally be open and to welcome guests to our brand-new hotel in Broadbeach, which is located only a stone’s throw from Gold Coast’s beautiful beaches, shopping and dining. It has been years in the making, and the team’s tireless efforts are finally paying off. The Gold Coast has lacked a new upscale hotel product recently, so Dorsett Hospitality launched its Dorsett brand on the coast, where holidaymakers have grown to enjoy our destination in large numbers. As we look forward to a fantastic year in 2022, we are excited to showcase our shining new product and authentic hospitality to the Australian market, and now to the international market as well.

The hotel features some amazing amenities, particularly the pioneering Smart Care Dispensers in the globally leading skincare brand Elemis from Swisstrade in your guest rooms.

How do you see the synergy between Dorsett, Swisstrade and Smart Care in terms of improving the guest experience?

Swisstrade has been an extremely reliable partner in the lead up to the opening of the hotel in supplying the majority of our guest room products, including bespoke accessories. Peter and his team lit up when I told them I wanted an environmentally friendly and sustainable guest amenity option, knowing that Smart Care was the answer. Using Smart Care allows us to reduce our impact on the environment and provide a safe and hygienic environment for our guests. The fact that we were the first upscale hotel in the country to adopt the Elemis brand in this technology is a great bonus, which fits with Dorsett Hospitality International’s enthusiasm to continue to use the latest technology and systems in their hotels. It will be our pleasure to work closely with Swisstrade as we expand the brand in Australia, opening hotels in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth in the coming years, and incorporating the Smart Care system into our properties.

What are your impressions of the Elemis brand and how is this being received by guests at Dorsett Gold Coast?

The products from Elemis are great! It has a wonderful scent and leaves your skin feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. For me personally, it is the way that Elemis goes about sourcing natural products to develop its range that leaves the greatest impression. Their focus on sustainability and environment is aligned with those of Dorsett, which makes it a great partnership. Our guest feedback has been extremely positive about the Elemis range that we offer at Dorsett Gold Coast. Incorporating a globally leading skincare brand in the hotel has elevated a level of comfort to our guests during their stay.

What feedback have you had so far from your housekeeping teams on Smart Care’s ease of use and replacement?

A bulk amenity system that is so easy to use is a huge asset to the housekeeping team. The Smart Care system simplifies and speeds up the process of changing bottles, unlike other brands and systems that require fiddly screws and tools to change. We have already seen increases in efficiency due to ease of the systems operation. The bottles themselves are streamlined by design, which is making storage much easier and allowing more shelf space for other products.

How does the Smart Care system fit with Dorsett’s environmental and sustainability agenda?

While we move forward from the recent pandemic, Dorsett is committed to providing a safe and hygienic experience for all of our guests. In addition, Smart Care not only demonstrates our commitment to guest safety, it also proves our environmental commitment to eradicate as much single-use plastic out of our hotel operation as we possibly can. n For more information on Swisstrade products, visit swisstrade.com.au or call 02 9979 1500. hotelmanagement.com.au

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GLOBAL LEADERS

Photo credit: Bruno Levy

Sébastien Bazin Chairman and CEO, Accor

Travel industry rebounds as guests seek out authentic and meaningful experiences.

“We cannot create the hospitality of tomorrow without first ensuring it rests on sustainable foundations.”

Sébastien Bazin, Accor

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naming rights for

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Ac

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ustralia mA u i ad St

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OUR WORLD IS changing at an unprecedented pace.

Accor has done an incredible job in adapting to the rapidly changing guest, partner and talent expectations and I have total confidence that Accor will continue to redesign and reimagine hospitality in 2022.

Last year, we celebrated the 30-year anniversary of Accor’s history in the Pacific region. In November alone, we won the naming rights for Stadium Australia and announced plans for a new strategic loyalty partnership with Qantas, the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.

Our journey here began with one brand, today this number has grown to 17. What’s more, with a portfolio of almost 400 hotels and more than 30 in the pipeline, Accor has become the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand. We are on a growth trajectory, and I am truly excited for what 2022 will bring.

In fact, despite the ongoing uncertain environment, last year the Group saw a strong improvement in global demand. None of this could have been achieved without the strength of our people, who are without doubt our greatest asset. I am convinced that this momentum will only continue to build. The desire to travel, to make new connections and to enjoy new experiences has never been stronger.

This momentum is notably being fuelled by the lifestyle segment, which is proving to be one of the most resilient.

The rebound is accelerating, and I expect this pace to be maintained into this year. Guests are increasingly looking for authentic and meaningful experiences. These hotels are destinations in their own right and when

combined with their bespoke F&B offerings, they become the heartbeat of the community in which they operate.

It’s all about serving guests beyond the hotel room and providing an augmented hospitality experience, which is at the heart of Accor. In the Pacific region alone, we have plans to launch new lifestyle brands with Mondrian, 25hours and SO/ in the coming months.

I also firmly believe that ‘workspitality’ will continue to grow as a concept, and we are focusing on developing this. What I mean here is either co-working, hotel office (where you enjoy a hotel room during the day) or hybrid meeting services. Our hotels are creating spaces that are lively, flexible, community-based and creative, while also

Sofitel Adelaide opened in November

GLOBAL LEADERS

Mövenpick debuted its second Australian hotel in Melbourne

SNAPSHOT: ACCOR Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): More than 5,200 hotels and 775,000 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): More than 1,100 hotels and 203,000 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 395 hotels and over 60,000 rooms Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1967 Year first hotel opened (Asia Pacific): 1982 Year first hotel opened (Australasia): 1991 Brands in the organisation: 40+ Head office locations: Paris, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney

practical, filling the need for a work-life balance. Again, it all comes back to adaptability, and this is another way in which we are reimagining our offering to align with shifting customer habits and redesign the guest experience.

As we adjust to the new world we live in, many travellers have also continued to rediscover their home countries. This year we are ensuring we develop even more offerings that meet the needs of local clientele.

Let me emphasise, we cannot create the hospitality of tomorrow without first ensuring it rests on sustainable foundations, and that is my absolute highest priority right now. My vision is clear and unwavering: to continue driving strategic actions and making changes that will move our company towards a contributory model where we give back more than we take. At Accor, we commit to a ‘net positive hospitality’. We are working on concrete solutions based on four strategic pillars: social uplift, optimisation of natural resources, preservation of the planet through food-based initiatives and the evolution of our relationship with our communities. For me, it is imperative we focus on thinking holistically about our entire business and deploy our reflex-like agility to work together to build a sustainable future for hospitality.

This won’t be easy, I know, but I am confident the future is bright. n

www.assaabloyglobalsolutions.com

au.globalsolutions@assaabloy.com

GLOBAL LEADERS

revenue delivery to our hotels, ensuring we are well capitalised, increasing scale in a responsible manner, and continuing to provide superior care to our guests.

We have learned during the pandemic that travel is a fundamental part of our collective experience. As a result, we are witnessing a resurgence of leisure travellers hitting the road and rediscovering the power of travel.

I believe that it is our responsibility – the entire hospitality industry – to provide guests with safe travel experiences focused on their wellbeing that will rebuild consumer confidence. But first, we must overcome two significant challenges that are impacting our industry: the labour

Leisure travellers can kick back and relax at La Casa del Zorro Resort and Spa in California

Larry Cuculic

President and CEO, BWH Hotel Group Hoteliers must recognise the changing needs of the workforce to combat the industry’s labour shortage.

IN 2022, THERE is hope on the horizon for travel and tourism recovery. That being said, with the emergence of the Omicron variant, we know the future is difficult to predict. While our recovery has been uneven across the globe due to regional variations in vaccine rollout and evolving government restrictions, some regions such as North America are already experiencing a return to 2019 travel levels. Other regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia are also experiencing encouraging progress. We remain Larry Cuculic, BWH Hotel Group hopeful that 2022 will bring even more positive news for the re-emergence of tourism, including both leisure and business travel.

“Now we are competing with a broad range of employers, not just within our industry when recruiting staff.”

Despite the hardships endured throughout the pandemic, BWH Hotel Group is fortunate to be in the strongest financial position in the company’s history. We continue to celebrate tremendous successes, including industry-leading guest and hotelier satisfaction and record-breaking RevPAR growth. We will continue building on our many successes by increasing brand 38

HM The Business of Accommodation

shortage and supply and shipping challenges.

Regarding the labour challenge, the industry’s reputation was damaged by the pandemic as we lost a significant number of jobs. Now we are competing with a broad range of employers, not just within our industry when recruiting staff. Nonetheless, I believe that people who have a caring spirit will return to hospitality because it aligns with their talents and preferences – taking care of guests. To support our hoteliers, we are providing human resources training and recruiting tools and best practices to improve retention and recruiting. Compensation and benefits are important, but just as important is retention through recognising the changing needs of the workforce that resulted from the pandemic, for example being as efficient as possible and flexible scheduling.

From a supply perspective we are engaging in regular and timely communication with our hoteliers to ensure they are well-informed when it comes to purchasing availability and shipping times. We are continuing to evolve our supply team with new offerings to streamline the process for our hoteliers, providing improved access to goods and eliminating the burden associated with operating with reduced staff.

As we look to 2022, we remain committed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our hoteliers and continuing to provide industry leading support. As our industry faces lingering challenges from the pandemic, I am encouraged by how far we have come and believe our future together is ours to make. n

SNAPSHOT: BWH HOTEL GROUP

Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 4,005 hotels and 356,607 rooms Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1946 Year first hotel opened (Asia Pacific): 1993 Year first hotel opened (Australasia): 1975 Brands in the organisation: 18 Head office locations: Phoenix, Bangkok, Sydney

GLOBAL LEADERS

Trent Fraser

Chief Executive Officer, Choice Hotels Asia-Pac The resilience, persistence and leadership demonstrated across the organisation over the last two years will serve us well into the future.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES of border closures and uncertainty around the recovery timing with many owners, Choice Hotels was able to outperform our competitors in 2021, with more than 500 new rooms opening across Australia and New Zealand.

We welcomed a terrific range of properties to our network, including Quality Apartments Adelaide Central and Comfort Hotel Adelaide Meridien in South Australia, The Beachcomber Ascend Hotel Collection in Toukley, New South Wales, The Benson Hotel in Cairns, Queensland, Comfort Apartments Royal Gardens in Melbourne, Victoria, and finally, across the Tasman, Quality Suites Central Square in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

We are pleased with how we rounded out 2021 and are looking forward to executing our long-term strategy for business delivery and expansion, focused on recovery in 2022, including significantly increased investment in the APAC region.

Businesses across all industries have been struck down with significant staff shortages due to the pandemic, which has put additional pressure on operations. I’m proud of how our organisation has collectively handled this latest curveball and how our properties have demonstrated collaboration and resilience and looked to alternative employment practices such as job sharing to ensure our customers continue to receive the same level of service.

Choice Hotels is supportive of the industry push to encourage more overseas students and skilled migrants back into the country to assist with the current staff and skills shortage. We have also developed local initiatives, including Choice Careers, a platform providing our franchisees with a forum to advertise open positions in the hope that we can attract and retain great people within our network.

We are firmly focused on driving revenue recovery for our franchisees and assisting with cost reduction wherever possible in 2022.

We have a comprehensive procurement program that can significantly reduce our franchisees’ total cost of ownership. Our Revenue Management team is well connected to our portfolio and will continue to build on the market-leading results we’ve experienced this year, with Revenue Managed properties’ Rev PAR outperforming our competitors by almost 20% in 2021.

“Flexibility and working from home arrangements will continue to remain as a central theme across our team.”

Flexibility and working from home arrangements will continue to remain as a central theme across our team.

Between the rolling lockdowns in 2021, the team has maintained an efficient WFH schedule and work culture, and I’m pleased to continue this approach into 2022, especially while we navigate new challenges with the Omicron variant.

As a percentage of total hotel revenue, our direct online contribution grew more than 50% in 2021 compared to 2019.

We launched several new initiatives and partnerships in 2021, including with United Petroleum in November, to assist more Australians in supporting regional tourism by taking a road trip holiday and enjoying four cents per litre off petrol every time they fill up. We see road tripping as the preferred mode of transport in the near future, as airports continue to pose risks to travellers and challenges for returning home if an individual does test positive whilst on holiday.

I’m optimistic about the year ahead – with or without COVID-19, any year brings its own set of challenges and opportunities. The resilience, persistence and leadership demonstrated across our entire organisation over the last two years will undoubtedly serve us well and drive us to deliver optimal results. n The Beachcomber Ascend Hotel Collection in Toukley, NSW has joined the Choice portfolio

Trent Fraser, Choice Hotels Asia-Pac

Choice opened 500 new rooms across ANZ last year

SNAPSHOT: CHOICE HOTELS ASIA-PAC Number of hotels (Globally): 7,500 hotels Number of hotels (Asia-Pacific): 300+ hotels Year the company was founded: 1939 Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1939 Year first hotel opened (Asia Pacific): 2002 Brands in the organisation (Asia Pacific): 5 Head office locations: Rockville, Maryland and Melbourne

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GLOBAL LEADERS

Kenneth Macpherson Chief Executive Officer – EMEAA, IHG Hotels & Resorts

This year is about evolving the guest and owner offer and developing brands at scale in high-value markets.

I WOULD LIKE to take this opportunity to wish you a (belated) Happy New Year because I’m confident 2022 is going to be very positive for our industry, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and especially, right now, the impact of the Omicron variant.

In these pages a year ago, I wrote how the vaccination rollouts in Australasia and around the world were providing a true sense of optimism for the return of travel and the future of hospitality. Fast forward 12 months and we’ve seen the result with strong pent-up demand, and planes, trains and – of course – hotels busy again wherever restrictions have eased. In fact, in some parts of the world in 2021, we saw rates and occupancy levels return to 2019 levels at various times during the year.

It hasn’t just been about people enjoying a well-earned break and taking the chance to see loved ones again, it’s also been fantastic to see how quickly meetings and events have bounced back due to our natural desire to shake hands (or bump elbows) in person. I really enjoyed getting out to some industry conferences in Europe last summer and hearing about the success of events like AHICE in Australia. When possible, I certainly can’t wait to head back Down Under and catch-up with the many

“We have a strong pipeline of wonderful hotels we can’t wait to open.”

Kenneth Macpherson, IHG Hotels & Resorts

friends I’ve made there over the years (just please don’t mention The Ashes!).

We will certainly have a lot to talk about when I do return, after a great team effort by everyone at IHG Hotels & Resorts saw us continue to grow our business in Australasia last year. We opened some stunning new hotels in Adelaide, Brisbane, Werribee, Queenstown and Perth, and signed many others. Of course, we also launched our 17th IHG brand – Vignette Collection – with Australia boasting the world’s first, Hotel X in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. It’s at the top of my bucket list of places to stay, and I’m very much looking forward to meeting our fantastic team there.

My hopes and ambitions for our Asia-Pacific region in 2022 centre on our continued strong growth, which we will achieve by evolving our guest and owner offer and developing our brands at scale in high-value markets. We have a strong pipeline of wonderful hotels we can’t wait to open and have signed more into our system this month in what’s been a busy and successful start to the year.

We are also taking our loyalty offer to the next level for our much-valued IHG Rewards members, making some big changes that will be revealed in March as part of a new and improved programme. We’ve already announced a new tier and bonus point earning structure, but that’s just the start. Watch this space for more details – it’s really great stuff.

Of course, all of this is underpinned by our many incredible colleagues without whom IHG wouldn’t be in the healthy position it is today. Like the rest of our industry, we’re dealing with the current staff and skills shortage, and it’s been great to see how the innovative thinking of our teams has ensured we still have great talent coming into our hotels. One such example is “MyFlex” – an initiative that offers our hotel colleagues in Australia full flexibility in choosing the hours they work and how to balance their work/life commitments. It has been fantastic to see the positive feedback we’ve already had on this.

The future for our industry is bright, but let’s always remember that recovery is a team game, and we remain stronger together. n

SNAPSHOT: IHG HOTELS & RESORTS Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 6,031 hotels and 889,164 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (EMEAA): 1,149 hotels and 226,254 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 63 hotels and 13,532 rooms Year the company was founded: 1777 (as Bass Hotels) Year first hotel opened (Global): 1946 Year first hotel opened (EMEAA): 1962 Brands in the organisation: 17 Head office locations: Denham, UK and Sydney, Australia

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The bar at Voco Melbourne Central oozes style and sophistication

GLOBAL LEADERS

Brett Butcher

Chief Executive Officer, Langham Hospitality Group This year will see the opening of a new Langham property in Gold Coast.

WHILE 2021 WAS not business as usual, we experienced some great wins, and we’ve got exciting plans for Australia and New Zealand. In Auckland, we have opened up the Pinnacle Tower in our long-established Cordis hotel with an additional 240 keys to make it the biggest hotel in New Zealand. With its beautiful views over the Waitematā Harbour, new 14th floor club lounge, many rooms with balconies and kitchens the pinnacle tower is certainly the height of hospitality in Auckland.

We expect to establish ourselves as the pre-eminent

meeting and convention hotel in Auckland as well as a fully-fledged leisure destination with our multiple food and beverage outlets, award-winning spa, and the best club lounge experience in New Zealand with views of Rangitoto from some rooms to boot.

Meanwhile in Australia, 2022 will see the opening of The Langham, Gold Coast - the first and largest development with direct beach access to be built in the last 30 years. Surfers Paradise will never be the same again!

Langham Hospitality Group has had a long history of successful operations in Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland. The opening of Gold Coast reinforces our footprint in the region, creating a platform from which to grow our brand presence with likeminded investors and developers in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Our first hotel in Southeast Asia also opened in the dynamic city of Jakarta in 2021. The Langham, Jakarta, which has been heralded as by far the best hotel in the city and this is reflected in its early performance. When it fully opens its restaurants in 2022 and travel opens up, I expect it will blossom into one of the best hotels in the region.

With our headquarters in Hong Kong, China continues to be a naturally strong opportunity for development.

Our China presence is now 13 hotels with the addition of two new hotels in 2021 (Cordis and Hangzhou) in the high-tech hub and the Langham Place Changsha, which is surrounded by a Brett Butcher, Langham Hospitality Group water park and a snow park.

Two new Cordis hotels are scheduled to open within the next 18 months in Shanghai and Hangzhou while The Langham Chengdu and Cordis, Xuzhou Centre will open later the same year.

Langham Hospitality Group has been actively pushing forward in all its operational regions as we expect business sentiment to improve. In North America, The Langham, Boston, has reopened after a two-year renovation which has positioned this hotel in the heart of the city’s luxury set. It has also collaborated with the Boston Ballet which underlines the brand’s commitment to the fine arts and the local community.

As a group, we are investing wisely in our infrastructure including areas like e-commerce, distribution technology, cloud-based operating platforms and underpinning these with excellent human resources automation which will equip us to manage the next stage of our operations.

The Langham in We are bullish on the global recovery as COVID Melbourne is part of a retreats in 2022 and this is reflected in our conversations strong contingent of Australian hotels with owners and developers around the world. We expect to reflect this sentiment new deals with likeminded partners who are looking to add value to their asset with a globally successful owner operator. n

“As a group, we are investing wisely in our infrastructure.”

SNAPSHOT: LANGHAM HOSPITALITY GROUP Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 26 hotels and 9,623 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): 6 hotels and 2,510 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 3 hotels and 1,124 rooms Year first hotel opened: 1865 Year the company was founded: 2003 Brands in the organisation: 2 Head office location: Hong Kong

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GLOBAL LEADERS

Girish Jhunjhnuwala Founder, Ovolo Group Ovolo looks to enter new states and territories in the year ahead.

Ovolo spurred on by response to Mamaka hotel opening in Bali FOR WHAT SEEMS like ages, every New Year measure. We emphasised workshops, resilience we wrap up the last by saying “this has been programs, open communication, as well as another challenging year”. As true as that scrutinised every element of the employee is, it’s time we overlook the challenges and journey. We are also looking into employer look towards the positive. “Challenges” are branding in the longer term to ensure that no longer unique to a person, a company we not only continue to keep our rockstars or an industry – everyone is bearing the but are able to attract more. brunt. So, what can we do with what we’ve We are aware that new shifts birthed by been dealt? the pandemic are becoming prerequisites 2021 has been decently kind to Ovolo, to a successful brand. One of the biggest as far as kindness in a pandemic goes. We examples is ESG – which, to its core, is have managed to solidify our brand by putting respecting the people and environment around us. our customers first and letting them experience Kicked off with our Plant’d launch, a continuation in hospitality the way we know best. Therefore, we do our venture into ethical eating and conscious cuisine, ESG anticipate an uptrend in performance, following on from will become a large focus point, and is an area that we look our optimism for our new forward to further weaving into our operating fabric. hotels: Ovolo South Yarra Lastly, growth and development are naturally on the and Mamaka by Ovolo. We table for us. There will be many more opportunities in were repeatedly told that 2022/2023 – entry into West Coast Australia (Perth and opening one hotel during Adelaide) as well as our neighbour, New Zealand, are all a pandemic was brave possibilities we’d love to explore. enough, let alone two. But So, while “this has been another challenging year”, we, just because the world was as well as the hospitality industry, came through the other taking a recess, it didn’t end and will undoubtedly make it through the next. n Girish Jhunjhnuwala, Ovolo Hotels mean we had to. So we kept the cogs going on new SNAPSHOT: OVOLO GROUP campaigns, strategies, and ways to continuously improve so that when the world returns to normal (or whatever Current number of hotels & rooms (Globally): 13 hotels and 1146 rooms variation of normal will persist), we are leading the way.

Current number of hotels & rooms (Asia-Pacific): 5 hotels and 527 rooms One of the areas we put a spotlight on was our people.

Current number of hotels & rooms (ANZSP): 8 hotels and 619 rooms There is a shortage of staff and skills in every industry Year the company was founded: 2010 and every city – you couldn’t read the news without Year first hotel opened (Globally): 2010 hearing about it. So, I learned to make HR my best friend.

Year first hotel opened (APAC): 2010 (HK) We believe happy employees equal happy guests, so we Year first hotel opened (ANZSP): 2012 (Melbourne) worked equally as hard refining our people strategy as Number of brands in the organisation: 2 – Ovolo Hotels and By Ovolo Collective we did any guest-facing campaign; in line with our ethos Head office locations: Hong Kong, Sydney to place both guest and employee experience in equal

“We have managed to solidify our brand by putting our customers first.”

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GLOBAL LEADERS

Katerina Giannouka

President, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson opened a hotel at Beijing Daxing International Airport last year

Increasing vaccination rates give us confidence to pursue ambitious expansion plans.

WE HAVE BEEN encouraged by the trend in recent months toward the reopening of international borders.

Many countries, including in Asia Pacific, are starting to offer quarantine-free stays for fully vaccinated visitors as the global vaccination program gains traction. Over 5.8 billion doses have been administered in Asia – about 70% of the world’s total – and many countries are now reaching vaccination rates of 80% and higher.

This gives us renewed confidence in our business recovery and to continue with our ambitious expansion plans. Our Asia Pacific portfolio now totals over 385 hotels – 194 operational and 203 under development – and will reach 2,000 in the next five years. We have doubled our footprint in China in the last 18 months and recently opened our 100th hotel in India, which reflects our focused efforts in these key markets.

Radisson Hotel Group is one of the largest and most highly respected hospitality brands in India, built on many long-standing relationships in the country. In China, our partnership with Jin Jiang International puts us in pole position to ramp up our presence across the country. We are also focusing on Australasia and key Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, while seeking hotel leasing opportunities in gateway cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, and Sydney.

“One of our biggest opportunities lies in hotel conversion projects.”

Katerina Giannouka, Radisson Hotel Group

One of our biggest opportunities lies in hotel conversion projects. Our recently launched soft brand, Radisson Individuals, is enabling us to meet the needs of individual owners and small chains who want to leverage our global scale, systems, and support, while also retaining independence and flexibility. The brand has seen traction in this region with deals signed in India, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. In the premium segment, the Radisson Collection brand debuted in Asia Pacific early last year in Shanghai and has already reached five properties with more in the pipeline.

Our portfolio expansion is tied closely to our talent recruitment strategy, which we enhanced with the launch of an online recruitment toolkit, new partnerships with hospitality schools, and localised, culturally relevant training programs through the Radisson Academy Online. This is a key pillar of our global vision to be one of the world’s top three hospitality companies for guests,

owners, and talent.

Throughout 2021, we continued to drive our digital transformation strategy with the roll-out of new technology to enhance operational and commercial excellence.

Intuitive branding initiatives such as online check-in and check-out and other functionalities through Radisson+ will elevate our guest experiences in 2022 and beyond.

Looking ahead, I am prudently optimistic for the coming year. There is significant pent-up travel demand, which will be gradually released by proactive tourism strategies and rising consumer confidence. I cannot overstate the importance of public and private sector collaboration in driving the recovery.

Radisson Hotel Group’s five-year strategy, which was initiated prior to the pandemic and is transforming every aspect of our business, has put us in a strong position to weather the storm and plan for a bright future. With our industry-leading brands, flexible partnership models, cutting-edge solutions and more, we have all the potential to stimulate and capture the recovery in Asia Pacific. n

SNAPSHOT: RADISSON HOTEL GROUP Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 1,688 hotels and 260,194 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): 365 hotels and 53,039 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 14 hotels and 2,306 rooms Year the company was founded: 1938 Brands in the organisation: 9 Head office locations: Brussels, Singapore, Sydney

Radisson Blu Resort is set in an idyllic location in the Maldives

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GLOBAL LEADERS

Swiss-Belsuites Admiral Juffair, Bahrain opened last year

Gavin M. Faull

Chairman and President, Swiss-Belhotel Despite the challenges of economics and politics, Swiss-Belhotel opened six new operations in 2021.

2020 WAS A YEAR of redirection. The challenges of COVID-19 have had deep ramifications on tourism and the way we live.

Despite these challenges, Swiss-Belhotel International continues to grow its businesses. We have had to focus entirely on local business in all our locations – without exception from The Middle East to Asia to Oceania.

We have had to change our service to meet the market needs and to manage costs. This has been challenging; painful and emotional. Our powerful culture of passion and professionalism has had to step up as we have developed support for each other – support

to handle pressures and stress. We are proud of the positive way our staff and management have helped and supported each other and this emotional attitude has flowed through to our guests. We have developed online personal training sessions which have been most successful in developing and retaining staff. We have introduced TYPSY online training systems which grow the individual where we can monitor progress and where we can identify staff with potential for promotion and job expansion. We have introduced online executive management development through E-hotelier. What a huge motivational success. We call our online training and education SBI Academy.

However, the challenges of staff shortages have been immense. No longer is there global migration as a pool of recruiting qualified and trained staff globally. People cannot immigrate easily; people cannot follow job opportunities around the world with the closedown of immigration and the geographical isolation that many countries have followed in their effort to control the spread of COVID. This has caused many operational difficulties and has forced multi-tasking and job sharing. But we are an adaptable industry and SwissBelhotel International has had to be totally adaptable with staff management and leadership. Another success story for us.

Despite the challenges of economics and politics we have still proudly opened six new operations in 2021 in The Middle East, Indonesia, and New Zealand. They are: Swiss-Belsuites Admiral Juffair, (Bahrain), Grand SwissBelhotel Waterfront Seef (Bahrain), Swiss-Belhotel Cendrawasih Biak, Papua (Indonesia), Swiss-Belinn Sharq (Kuwait), Swiss-Belcourt Kupang (Indonesia), Swiss-Belboutique Napier (New Zealand).

We are now managing over 95 hotels with over 14,000 rooms in 20 countries. We are working on 24 signed contracts of hotels opening in the next two years which will take us to almost 20,000 rooms. We have over 80 projects and developments under negotiation.

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“We are expanding into property and apartment management as well as traditional hotel management.”

Gavin M. Faull, Swiss-Belhotel

We are expanding into property and apartment management as well as traditional hotel management. We are proud and excited about the future expansion and opportunities. This shows the real determination of investors, developers, and hotel management.

These development properties are in Indonesia; Vietnam; Thailand; Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines, and The Middle East We are confident that 2022 will see growth. 2021 has already shown substantial improvement in hotel performances compared to 2020 especially in Indonesia, Vietnam, and The Middle East. We expect Swiss-Belhotel International will double in the number of rooms under management within three years.

We expect that our brand portfolio will continue to expand with our 16 brands and the introduction of our special emotional brands of Maua - which reflects our New Zealand heritage and the Maori culture of Aotearoa and Bohemia Collection of unique boutique products to meet the increasing guest expectation of experiences: environmental sensitivity and a feeling of privacy and uniqueness and personal attention. Swiss-Belhotel International continually focuses on guest expectations and the emotional demands of the hotel industry.

We face the future with real optimism and confidence. n

SNAPSHOT: SWISS-BELHOTEL Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 117 hotels and 19,229 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): 100 hotels and 16,242 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 5 hotels, 406 rooms Year first hotel opened: 1991 Year the company was founded: 1987 Brands in the organisation: 16 Head office locations: Hong Kong, Dubai, Jakarta, Bali, Shanghai, Hanoi, Sydney, Auckland

GLOBAL LEADERS

dive-in-movie nights, kayak and stand-up paddleboard safaris, and an aqua trampoline.

During 2021, over 100 resort activities were introduced across the Club Wyndham South Pacific resort collection from e-bikes to boogie boards, a hobby farm and gold panning. The activities have been transformational in taking customer experiences to a new level and are boosting resort satisfaction rates.

Our travel channel, youtube.com/ClubWyndhamTV launched last year. This is both lifting member engagement and helping to promote our resorts and clubs. We will continue to focus on ways to enhance Investing in vacation clubs and resort activities is a key customer experiences in 2022. focus for Wyndham Destinations.

Sustainably is a priority for us, and we rolled out a host of green initiatives in 2021 including biodegradable bamboo AS WE ENTER 2022, the hospitality sector emerging room keys. More sustainable strongest is leisure travel. I am grateful that we operate innovations will be introduced predominately in this space. The pent-up demand is this year. reflected in our Australian and New Zealand resorts The skills shortage affecting running at over 80% occupancy. our industry has made attracting While the outlook for 2022 was initially bright in talent a priority, but onboarding, terms of international corridors opening, at the time developing and retaining that of writing, Omicron is spiking, and many countries are Barry Robinson, Wyndham Destinations talent is equally important. shutting their travel lanes once more. Therefore, our HM readers know how priority remains with helping our vacation club members rewarding a career in hospitality can be. The challenge and hotel guests to holiday domestically. for the industry in 2022 is to reassure candidates With four vacation clubs and over 70,000 members, on job stability and highlight the incredible growth we are continually focused on providing access opportunities a career in hospitality can bring. The key to a broad range of inventory in desirable holiday to success is engaged leadership that understands the destinations. The lockdowns in Asia have impacted importance of employee experience and development of club members in countries like China who are unable a healthy culture. to travel to places like Phuket, Bali and Japan. As such, l living at Club W As our clubs continue to grow, we are we have focused on creating domestic holiday options a i t n yn id e dh always on the lookout for acquisition through strategic partnerships. es a r P and partnership opportunities and In Australia, during 2021, we completed a $25 million expect to make some exciting expansion at Club Wyndham Flynns Beach in Port announcements this year. I am Macquarie. We almost doubled the inventory by adding optimistic that 2022 will bring 53 one to four-bedroom villas, with 20 x Deluxe, 25 x blue skies, and I am excited for Grand and eight x Presidential. We also spent close to what the year ahead holds. n $30 million on our acquisition and development of Club

Barry Robinson

President and Managing Director, International Operations, Wyndham Destinations

“The challenge for the industry in 2022 is to reassure candidates on job stability.”

m

Wyndham Airlie Beach. We have fully renovated 56 apartments and continue to make improvements.

In Fiji, with Club Wyndham Denarau Island closed for more than 18 months, we completed significant refurbishments and added food and beverage outlets. We also introduced a number of free club activities including

a An

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a

o ew l vi

b Wyndham Denara f Clu u

SNAPSHOT: WYNDHAM DESTINATIONS Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): More than 245 resorts and more than 26,000 suites Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): More than 75 hotels and 4,500 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 44 Hotels and 1,145 rooms Year first hotel opened (Australia): 2000 Year the company was founded: 2000 Brands in the organisation: 5 Head office locations: Orlando, Singapore, Gold Coast

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INDUSTRY LEADERS

“We expect competition for the tourist dollar will be fierce.”

Phillipa Harrison, Tourism Australia

Australians have embraced the opportunity to travel domestically

Phillipa Harrison

Managing Director, Tourism Australia Inspiring people to keep dreaming and planning their next Australian holiday is top of the agenda.

AFTER TWO OF the most challenging years the tourism industry has ever faced, the recovery of inbound tourism has begun, and we are looking forward to welcoming back international visitors in 2022 and beyond.

As we approached the end of 2021, the return of international visitors to our shores from some of Australia’s key international markets for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked the beginnings of this re-opening to the world.

Of course, the unpredictable nature of the pandemic has created some setbacks along the re-opening journey, however we continue to plan and be ready for the welcome return of visitors from more of our key markets across the globe.

Throughout the pandemic, Tourism Australia has maintained a constant presence internationally by remaining active in its consumer and trade marketing efforts. Our teams have been inspiring people to keep dreaming and planning their next Australian holiday whilst also working with partners to be ready to go with campaign activity to welcome visitors back as markets reopen.

This approach has meant we have been ready to quickly push campaign activity out to consumers within weeks, or days, of the news of Australia’s re-opening to specific tourism markets.

As tourism returns to some sort of normality around the world, we expect competition for the tourist dollar will be fierce, but we know Australia remains an incredibly sought-after destination and our wide-open spaces, fresh air and incredible natural beauty will be 46

HM The Business of Accommodation

more desirable than ever before as we emerge from this pandemic.

On the domestic tourism front, where Tourism Australia has been active during the pandemic, we have been pleased to see that Australians, when given the opportunity to travel domestically, have embraced the moments to travel at home. In April and May of last year overnight trip expenditure was up compared to the same months pre-COVID. Pleasingly Australians also responded when we asked them to travel Australia like they would internationally – to stay a bit longer, spend a bit more and do more in the way of experiences. In 2021, Australians spent 12 per cent more on domestic overnight travel compared to 2019, on average spending $766 per trip.

We hope Australians’ enthusiasm for domestic travel continues, despite the lure to travel abroad again.

Australians have fallen in love with our wonderful country again and this could be a silver lining out of what has been an incredibly tough couple of years.

It’s no secret that recovery to pre-pandemic levels of tourism activity will take time. However, we remain optimistic that Australia’s attractiveness as a destination and the pent-up demand for travel will help our industry return to the pre-COVID levels of $126 billion in overnight spend annually from 117 million domestic trips and 9.5 million international visitors overnight in time.

The road ahead will undoubtedly be bumpy, but after two of the toughest years in tourism history it feels like we are finally heading in the right direction. n

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Richard Munro

Chief Executive Officer, Accommodation Association Industry will rely on government support to navigate through the pandemic in 2022.

WITH AUSTRALIA DAY capping off the summer break, on reflection, it was another tough trading period for our members.

The CBD properties benefitted from a big increase in demand from New Year’s Eve celebrations hitting record high rates for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, but this was a small highlight against what was a quiet trading environment in the capital cities.

Regional markets fared better, however, many events were cancelled due to the staff shortages experienced.

Labour issues were already affecting the industry prior to the break, but members were presented with a further logistical challenge when many staff were rostered off over the holiday period due to being close contacts of positive cases.

With a federal election looming (likely in May), we will be engaging with all sides of politics to ensure that support for our sector is ongoing. Under normal circumstances the best thing for any government to do is to let free enterprise get on with what we do best, however border closures have created a man-made challenge that is beyond our means to fix.

Some State Governments are listening and acting, for example, in February the NSW Government issued $50 Stay NSW vouchers that travellers can put towards a stay at accommodation properties in the state. Please make sure you register. We are working hand in glove with TAA and the AHA to push the case for further support for our collective members as we navigate our way through his pandemic. n Hotels and restaurants have struggled to fill positions due to Australia’s labour shortage

“Border closures have created a man-made challenge that is beyond our means to fix.”

Richard Munro, Accommodation Association

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INDUSTRY LEADERS

IF AUSTRALIA AND the rest of the world have started their post-COVID recoveries, then New Zealand is the exception that proves the rule.

New Zealand’s path to recovery after COVID must be seen in context. As of writing, there has been no widespread community transmission of the Omicron variant. This appears to be delaying New Zealand’s reconnection with the world, which affects the near-term prospects for hotels.

Government admits that an Omicron outbreak is inevitable. However, rapid antigen tests have not been widely rolled out. Health authorities argue that intensive care capacity has increased, but medical professionals claim the entire health system is at breaking point, even though total COVID-related hospitalisations have rarely exceeded 50 at any time during the pandemic.

“The overnight accommodation sector remains in limbo.”

James Doolan, Hotel Council Aotearoa 93% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated and Government is now pushing its booster program and rolling out vaccinations for children aged 5-12.

Even so, stringent international border restrictions remain, including ten days of hotel-based managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) for returning Kiwis who are lucky enough to successfully book a sought-after quarantine spot in through a ballot system. As a result, the overnight accommodation sector remains in limbo, desperately trying to replace the 55% of revenue that was injected by international travellers pre-COVID. Late last year, a timeline was announced for allowing border crossing with home isolation only (as opposed to a hotel MIQ stay) first for returning New Zealanders ex-Australia, and then the rest of the world. However, NZ quickly reacted to Australia’s Omicron outbreak by pushing those dates back. While a border “reopening” date for international travellers is tentatively set for 30 April 2022, this still includes seven days isolation on arrival, which will discourage almost all international leisure travel.

Government signalling is fairly clear that industry should not expect genuine reopening of international borders – being travel without isolation-onarrival – until after winter.

Tourism businesses are understandably dismayed by that timeline.

Financial support, which was previously linked to domestic lockdowns rather than international 48

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James Doolan

Strategic Director, Hotel Council Aotearoa NZ tourism stifled by delayed reopening of international borders.

A near empty Auckland Airport is eager to see the return of international travellers

border closures, has largely ended and Government refuses to engage on sector-specific support proposals.

With banks starting to lose patience, many smaller properties are still in an existential crisis.

Hotel Council Aotearoa is working with members to educate Government on the long-term consequences of a cautious health-based approach coupled with its refusal to offer targeted support to sectors disproportionately affected by travel restrictions. We are highlighting how the looming tourism industry labour shortage will impact on service delivery and slow the recovery when borders do eventually reopen. We have worked closely with government and other sector groups on ideas to help create a more sustainable tourism industry workforce, but those fruits need time to ripen.

In late 2021, Hotel Council Aotearoa partnered with the New Zealand Nurses Organisation to provide over 300 free hotel stays for hardworking medical professionals. This “Gift-aRoom” initiative is something we will expand upon in 2022 and beyond.

Hotel Council Aotearoa also intends to host an industry conference in 2022. This will be the perfect setting to take stock of overall sector conditions and advocate for more favourable policy settings. n

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Peter McBrearty

Member, Les Clefs d’Or Australia Promotions and addition of new members among the many promising signs for the organisation.

IT’S OBVIOUSLY IMPOSSIBLE to ignore the continued COVID related challenges faced by the hospitality and tourism industry. These include the impact of the everchanging travel and quarantine rules for domestic and international travellers, last minute changes to venue density limits, the difficulties and delays in obtaining pretravel PCR tests, the lack of supply of rapid antigen test kits, and the major impact of prolonged staff shortages.

Understandably, many in the sector may feel a sense of frustration resulting from these issues, some responses to the pandemic appearing more reactive than proactive, and an equally understandable wariness as we wait for the yet another Covid strain to appear on the horizon.

However, at the same time, ours remains a resilient industry, and if we look hard enough, there are actually signs of promise for our industry, properties, and our role as professional Concierge.

For example, despite density limits, capacity caps and some last minute scheduling challenges, major events such as the AFL, NRL, and major NSW and Victorian horse races were able to proceed in 2021. More recently, despite one high profile deportation, the scarcity of international visitors, and a degree of “voluntary lockdown syndrome” seeing some locals keeping their time outside home to a minimum - the Australian Open proceeded successfully, and brought a tangible and very welcome lightening of the mood in Melbourne. With the Comedy Festival and Grand Prix both scheduled for coming months, it does actually seem that Melbourne is finally looking to trade its title as the most locked down city in the world for its more familiar role as the Events Capital of Australia.

In further positive developments, both Les Clefs d’Or Australia and Les Clefs d’Or NZ were very happy to welcome a number of new members to our ranks.

Nadvodit Basoya of the Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley (and as of late January, Chief Concierge at the

Les Clefs d'Or Australia National Secretary, James Spielvogel welcomes new member Paul Schroeder

Sofitel Melbourne), Paul Schroeder of The Westin Melbourne, Shane Dolan of the Sheraton Grand Mirage Gold Coast, and Lucy Williams of the InterContinental Wellington have all added the distinctive Les Clefs d’Or golden keys to their uniforms. In addition, we received the welcome news that James Spielvogel has been appointed Chief Concierge at the InterContinental Melbourne, while Jonathan Fambart has been promoted to Chief Concierge and Guest Relations Manager at The Langham Sydney.

We are all very encouraged by these recent promotions and addition of new members, while many of us have recently also been noticing an encouraging upswing in the numbers of corporate guests showing a renewed willingness to travel, group bookings, airport transfer bookings etc. While day tour bookings are still lagging far behind pre-COVID levels, as we begin to see our international guests tentatively beginning to travel again, we are hoping this area too will begin to lift again.

On that note, our Western Australian members have demonstrated their faith in the inevitable resurgence of tourism by holding their annual Western Australian Tourism Expo at the Pan Pacific Perth in mid-December.

The Expo was not only a success, but also warmly embraced by both industry exhibitors and the hotel guest service staff in attendance, and this can really can only be seen as one more green shoot appearing in the formerly bleak pandemic induced hospitality landscape.

Meanwhile our members are continuing to multitask as required, while still ensuring our guests' needs are accommodated and that they feel, safe, secure and confident during their time with us. n

“Our members are continuing to multitask as required.”

Peter McBrearty, Les Clefs d’Or Australia

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INDUSTRY LEADERS TAA says international travellers will be slow to return to Australia's holiday hotspots

Michael Johnson

Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Accommodation Australia Leading accommodation bodies merge to tackle industry issues.

ONCE AGAIN, WE have seen a challenging start to the new year in large parts of Australia � and indeed the world � as we continue to grapple with Omicron and its impacts on the tourism accommodation sector.

More than two years on from when the first COVID case was recorded in Australia, our industry is forced to fight every day to show how truly resilient we are. While we hope for a better 2022 ahead, this year has � like the last � started with uncertainty.

At the time of writing, each state and territory is currently fighting in its own way to contain the virus and the ‘hermit kingdom’ of Western Australia continues to isolate itself from the world. Here on the east coast, we are continuing the push to keep borders open, and try to successfully live with COVID (while following health advice) and encourage people to safely travel and live as normal lives as possible as 2022 progresses. Hopefully, each succeeding quarter will see our sector rebuild and occupancies recover.

A major part of this, of course, will see TAA continue to work closely with both Federal and State Governments on ways to help our industry survive – and eventually recover. On top of assistance packages, which are sorely needed in the hard-hit states like NSW and VIC, we are working closely with Government on the on-going issue of labour shortages nation-wide. We are pushing hard 50

HM The Business of Accommodation

“There are signs the corporate market will also start to return from mid-March.”

Michael Johnson, Tourism Accommodation Australia

to increase the timeframe for international student caps to continue into 2023 and to support trainee and apprenticeships by extending the BAC (Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements) subsidy for the accommodation and food sectors.

Unfortunately, it’s now obvious international travel will be slow to return with no real impact until towards the end of the year. There is a likelihood that cruising will finally return to domestic waters around the same time, targeted mostly at the Australian market.

Turning now to some comparatively good news.

The start of 2022 has seen strong results for domestic travellers in many regional areas – especially intrastate, with many holiday makers sticking close to home. There are signs the corporate market will also start to return from mid-March. While business events are being pushed back, bookings for the second half of the year remain strong, and while not a perfect scenario, it gives us time to build up our labour force for a busy end to the year.

On another front, 2022 will also be the year which will see both your leading accommodation bodies, TAA and the Accommodation Association working more closely together than ever before as we move ever closer to amalgamation. Look forward to more advocacy, media and events from both associations together as we work to keep your issues front and centre before the final merge.

To end on a high note, a major highlight of 2022 will be the return of the TAA Awards for Excellence in each state and territory - which will see the best in our industry acknowledged after having to put off the event in some states due to COVID lockdowns and restrictions. It will be great to see all our world-class hotels, managers, and staff - who have been through so much over the last two years - formally acknowledged once again.

So, while we begin 2022 again battling the challenges of COVID, we look forward to a year ahead where our industry once again begins to not only survive, but finally thrive. n

LEADING SUPPLIERS

“It’s critical that as an industry we work together to capitalise on the opportunity to get more Aussies to consider holidaying locally.”

Peter Deveny

Peter Deveny, A.H. Beard

Group Commercial Manager, A.H. Beard Travel restrictions prompt customers to shift from importers to local suppliers.

AT A.H. BEARD WE are looking forward to a buoyant 2022.

The period of the pandemic has been challenging from a society perspective, but like most Australian manufacturers we have enjoyed some significant growth in demand for our products through both our retail and commercial distribution channels. There is no doubt that the lack of ability to travel, particularly overseas has seen Australian consumers shift their spending to home improvement and beds, in particular, have been a popular choice. We see that trend continuing and it’s encouraging to see that some commercial customers who have in the past sourced their beds from importers or from suppliers here who use largely imported componentry are shifting their supply chain to genuine local manufacturers where they know they get consistent quality, shorter lead times and genuine after sales service.

Like many suppliers to the hotel sector, we are concerned about the time it will take for our industry to return to genuinely sustainable occupancy rates.

There’s no doubt that many of the properties in popular tourist destinations will enjoy the benefit of Australian’s not being able to holiday overseas, but for many of the metropolitan properties particularly that rely heavily on a mix of business and conference travel, international inbounds and local events, the challenges will continue for some time. It’s critical that as an industry we work together to capitalise on the opportunity to get more Aussies to consider holidaying locally.

That said, the development pipeline is strong and one of the most exciting aspects for us is the increased focus on innovation and great sleep that sees us fielding more interest from hoteliers who are looking for expert advice on what they can do to offer their guests the best quality rest.

We believe that is one of the key reasons why our customers are drawn to us initially and why many of the partnerships we have with our customers are long running and repeated year after year. Service, quality and a genuine passion for offering the best quality sleep possible is why our business continues to grow and prosper. 2021 marked our 122nd year of business and we

A.H. Beard launched its Origins range in 2021 have a well-defined strategy for that to extend for many more years.

Sustainability and product lifecycle is something that we are really passionate about, so we are very excited to have launched our A.H. Beard Origins range late in 2021.

This mattress range uses the world’s first fully recyclable pocket coil spring system, so customers can have the ultimate in support and comfort and sleep well knowing that at the end of its life it will be fully recyclable.

This range is in retail stores now and we will have a version of the product suitable for use in hotels available early in 2022.

We see this as being very appealing to hoteliers who are looking to have a bedding solution that is the most sustainable product available, whilst not compromising on quality or comfort.

Along with the more obvious things like renewable energy, water recycling and waste minimisation, we see the trend for hotels that are truly focused on minimising their impact on the environment becoming more important to both guests and hotel operators alike as guests “shop with their wallets” and direct their preference to those hotels that are taking steps to be more sustainable.

We look forward to working with you all in 2022. n hotelmanagement.com.au

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LEADING SUPPLIERS

WHILST WE WERE optimistic about leaving 2020 behind for the bright lights of 2021, the reality of course was another year of difficult trading conditions for our hotel partners and ahs, brought about by ongoing lockdowns and uncertainty for travellers.

The result of this is significant on our work force with the resulting perception that job security is uncertain in hospitality.

This, unfortunately, coincides with a time of unprecedented constraints in the Leanne Graham, ahs hospitality labour market. We must all work together throughout 2022 to ensure consistency of work, as best we can, to try and alleviate this perception and reinvigorate the desire to be a part of this wonderful industry. Evolving our employee value proposition and maintaining our culture of teamwork and collaboration will be critical in the coming months to support this.

The ongoing challenges have also highlighted the need to be agile as a business, break traditional models and diversify our offerings to create greater flexibility and better value for both our employees and hotel partners. Technology is a part of this to improve efficiencies, however exploring additional service lines and changing the way we deliver our core business is the focus.

There is much to be optimistic about as we progress some of these ventures in 2022, whilst still growing our core business in a responsible and sustainable manner. We will remain true to who we are with our people at the heart of everything we do and rebuild along with our hotel partners to reinstate this industry as a core contributor to our national economy, and the provider of professional and personal opportunities that it has always been. n

“The ongoing challenges have also highlighted the need to be agile as a business.”

Leanne Graham Executive General Manager, ahs hospitality Evolving employee value proposition will be critical this year.

hospitality

ONE OF THE few positive notes that have resulted from the pandemic has been the industry’s increased desire to embrace new technologies that cater to the latest guest safety needs and service expectations.

Seeking to provide contactless experiences that minimise germ risks while still addressing guest demands for enhanced convenience, many hotel brands around the world have adopted digital key services as an enhanced cleanliness requirement.

With the success of digital key services hinging on effective guest adoption, solution providers are continuing to do their part to ensure ease-of-use and a more seamless experience. This now not only includes providing guests with access to digital key services using a hotel’s own mobile app, but can also include providing options for guests to use and store mobile keys within digital wallets that sidestep the need to use a separate app.

In providing their guests with a more convenient and personalised experience, many properties are also increasingly working to leverage the full capabilities of IoT-based platforms. By adopting such technologies, hoteliers are finding that they can gain a competitive edge in instantly tailoring services to each individual guest � whether by ensuring that guestroom thermostats are at the preferred setting the moment a guest checks-in, or by pushing promotional offers to guest devices based on their real-time onsite location.

Another growing technology trend within the industry that address both guest and property security has been the adoption of secure cloud-based systems to combat the ever-increasing rise of cybersecurity threats. By leveraging such technologies, properties can finally keep pace with the latest risks without requiring a costly system upgrade each time a new vulnerability is discovered. Instead, cloud-based systems can automatically receive software updates that ensure properties always have the latest version enhancements, guaranteeing continuous peace-of-mind for both hoteliers and their guests. n 52

HM The Business of Accommodation

Michael Benikos Managing Director, Australia, Assa Abloy Global Solutions

The industry is embracing contactless technologies to meet guests’ demands.

LEADING SUPPLIERS

AFTER ANOTHER TUMULTUOUS year for the hospitality industry, we’re beginning to see the green shoots of recovery as restrictions lift and borders begin to reopen.

It is particularly thrilling to welcome international students back, allowing the Jerome Casteigt, next generation of global hotel leaders access to world-class training in Australia.

Laureate Australia Despite many uncertainties, one truth stands; education continues to play a pivotal role in driving the industry forward.

The major challenge for hospitality over the coming year is the skills shortage across every level of the industry. Right now, the demand for highly trained and experienced staff far outstrips supply, making attracting and retaining talent paramount. This is further magnified by staff shortages due to COVID-19 isolation requirements.

With an industry that is rapidly evolving, we see three key areas that emerge as top priority: health & safety, customer centricity, and innovative technology – all exacerbated by the skills shortage.

This is where quality education becomes a non-negotiable.

The world has changed, so have we. Building on a rich 30-year legacy of excellence at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS), we have pushed the boundaries and re-imagined applied learning into a new frontier – Virtual Reality.

This innovative landscape also opens new possibilities in professional development spaces, allowing for on-the-job upskilling.

Now is the time for the visionaries.

Now is the time for the audacious.

Now is the time for the curious.

Together, we meet 2022 with bold anticipation. n

“The world has changed, so have we.”

Jerome Casteigt General Manager – Business and Hospitality, Laureate Australia Education to play a key role in advancing the industry.

HFW HAS BEEN supporting many hotel groups throughout the pandemic in managing their industrial relations issues. 2022 has started in a very different way to 2021, highlighting how much the industry has changed over the last 12 months.

In the first half of 2021, HFW helped hotels manage excess labour and the withdrawal of JobKeeper, with restructuring and downsizing. However, by the last quarter of 2021, there was a gear shift as labour shortages became widespread. Hotels pivoted to refresh their employee value proposition and enhance their employment arrangements. HFW expects 2022 will see a continuation of the war for talent, with the main players offering fresh and innovative employment arrangements.

In this competitive labour market, HFW expects that trust in an employer’s integrity will become a significant theme of 2022; employees will choose to work for employers that they trust. Fundamental to gaining this trust will be making sure that a hotel’s employment arrangements are compliant with workplace laws. Today, more than ever, many of Australia’s largest employers (including hotels) are under scrutiny and have been held to account by the media for issues such as underpaying their employees, which undermines this trust. The underpayments demonstrate how complex our workplace laws are, and the ongoing failure of employers to deploy governance models to ensure compliance.

Not only is this essential to win the trust of employees, but wage theft legislation recently introduced in Victoria and Queensland also makes it a criminal offence for employers to deliberately or dishonestly underpay employees. In certain circumstances, directors and officers can also be held criminally responsible for underpayments. This exposes employers, and their directors and officers, to significant penalties as well as custodial sentences.

Over the coming year, robust governance models are of utmost importance for hotel groups to ensure compliance with workplace laws. HFW can help hotel groups develop and implement a robust governance model and make this process easier to manage with iRES, HFW’s on-line help desk, which can be deployed to support hotel groups, ensuring compliance and peace of mind. n

Mark Sant Partner, HFW

Hotels must be compliant with workplace laws to gain trust in the jobs market.

Find out more about iRES at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbE073dIaas. hotelmanagement.com.au

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LEADING SUPPLIERS

Andrew Brightmore Executive Director, Foodbuy

The impact of COVID on the consumer, guest and corporate employee experience cannot be underestimated.

IT IS OFTEN said, especially in relation to the success of our New Year’s resolutions, that it takes between 21 and 66 days to create a sustainable change in our normal habits, behaviours or routines. Now consider the impact in our personal lives, within our organisations, and as consumers, from three years of the COVID pandemic, and it’s no surprise that the consumer definition of “value” and in the experiences we are seeking may be quite different in the months and years to come.

With Compass Group being a global leader in our industry with over 55,000 culinary, hospitality and service locations across 45 countries where talented

culinary and hospitality professionals serve +5.5 billion meals every year (+91 million meals served in Australia), the impact of COVID on the new consumer, guest and corporate employee experience is key in how we shape, invest and deliver great food, great service and memorable experiences with all our clients.

We are keen to travel. Having endured lockdown(s), consumers are eager to escape, explore, play and embrace new experiences both locally and globally.

With our health and mortality presented to us in the daily news statistics, we have a far higher sense of personal wellbeing, both physical and mental. We look for experiences and services that will enable and indulge us in wellbeing, including nutrition. However, we want to know that we remain safe, that the environments are clean and we can validate this through visual evidence of high clean protocols, contactless options and positive messaging in our locations.

Our appreciation for enhancing health and wellbeing through our food choices has never been more evident.

We can see this in the continued rise of the flexitarian diet, an increasing desire to know where our food comes from, its authentic connection to local economies and businesses and in both the positive community and ethical stories behind our menus. Our relationship with food can be deeply personal and we want to feel good about what we eat, and the growers, manufacturers, suppliers and brands we support. Leveraging the talent of Chefs, their culinary teams and professional menu design and menu management is key especially when coupled with supply chain food cost efficiency, eliminating food waste in our culinary 54

“62% of Australians have re-evaluated their priorities in lockdown and want to engage with companies that are doing good in the world.”

HM The Business of Accommodation

Andrew Brightmore, Foodbuy

operations and providing fresh, exciting and diverse menu options.

More than ever, we are making daily decisions as to where we spend our money, where we stay, where we want to work and the brands we want to be associated with by our understanding and alignment of the values, ethics and the evidenced “purpose” of the organisation.

62% of Australians have re-evaluated their priorities in lockdown and want to engage with companies that are doing good in the world. Organisations that talk to, provide services aligned to, and can evidence their authentic commitments to ESG will engage at a deeper level with their guests – in Foodbuy, we invest in “Purpose Driven Procurement” through our bespoke WorldFirst™ platform and our industry partnerships.

Whilst there is certainly a growing demand for the “digital-detox” experience, the prevalence of QR codes and vaccine apps means we have never been more connected or dependant on our mobile devices than we are today. Australians are amongst the highest first-adopters of technology globally and are passionate in testing new technology options presented to us. Leveraging this technology to enhance the premiumisation, convenience and the connectivity with guests is highly valued. From the fully digital check-in and digital room keys to quick order and pay, push notifications and using technology to personalise the in-room experience, we enable the guest to achieve more, relax more, integrate more. Technology is also the key to complement the productivity and efficiency in our operations and providing the data, deep insight and critical actions to manage costs, especially in the supply chain – data is at the heart of our Foodbuy solution and in empowering our clients to drive down costs.

Finally, we see the global trend in first time outsourcing.

The engagement of key and experienced partners to reshape operations from culinary through service and supply chain. Using partners to drive costs through transparency, efficiency and insight to enable greater focus on the guest experience and talent management. n

LEADING SUPPLIERS

Foxtel's Fast Wi-Fi allows guests to connect to the hotel’s WiFi through a QR code on the TV screen

Scott Wiedemann

National Manager – Accommodation, Foxtel Business The television has evolved into the information and interaction hub as guests become accustomed to COVID-safe practises.

THE PAST TWO years have been unprecedented but there is definitely some optimism as we look ahead. No doubt the travel itch has returned with consumers and that desire to travel will only keep growing as we get deeper into 2022. It is now more competitive than ever to capture bookings and having a point of difference, while highlighting your high-level products and customer service, will go a long way in capturing those bookings.

But the slow recovery provides ongoing challenges which is why our focus is to provide as much value as possible and has been why our Business iQ product has been so well received.

After creating awareness and having fantastic take-up of the Business iQ over the past 12 months, the roadmap for 2022 has some exciting technology releases. We will be taking AFL & NRL to the next level this season with more 4K live sport than ever before! In the coming weeks, we will be releasing Fast Wi-Fi connect where guests scan the QR code on the TV in their room and their device will automatically connect to the hotel’s WiFi. Launching mid-year is an integrated local channel streamer. This manages the creation, scheduling, updating and playout of up to 10 local promotional channels, all controlled via our easy-to-use and secure customer cloud portal.

We’re also providing greater advances to our freeto-view video on-demand catalogue which will now update four times a day, ensuring it always has the latest episodes of our premium dramas and playback of sports events from the day. Business iQ guests enjoyed over 29,000 VOD sessions in December, on track for 35,000+

“Keeping guests entertained and in touch with world events is more relevant than ever.”

Scott Wiedemann, Foxtel

in January and growing every month. Our ongoing commitment will be to upload new features remotely via the cloud in-line with trends and changes in media consumption and user behaviour.

Despite the pandemic, there have been some significant achievements at Foxtel over the past year.

In February 2022 we will sign our 200th Business iQ customer and the feedback we’ve been getting from highly engaged guests across the board has been excellent. From regional motels to luxury CBD serviced apartments and mid-scale to deluxe flagship hotels, the wide range of appeal of the Business iQ is evident.

Current trends have seen the television evolving to be the information and interaction hub as guests have become accustomed to COVID-safe practises. Guests can access their hotel bill, view digital concierge information as well as interact with hotel services such as restaurants and spa facilities all via the screen. Whilst interactive features will enhance the guest’s stay, it is still imperative to provide quality content. Keeping guests entertained and in touch with world events is more relevant than ever. Paired with the latest technology features, Business iQ truly creates the “home away from home” experience that guests have always craved.

Foxtel will continue to support the accommodation industry after the unparalleled challenges of the past two years. But we’re excited about what’s ahead. Our investment in key sporting codes will continue to be a priority, as well as our commitment to ever evolving technology. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships in the recovery ahead. n hotelmanagement.com.au

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FEATURE/NEWS LEADING SUPPLIERS

The reopening of international borders will allow hospitality employers to access a larger pool of skilled workers head on. And hopefully the re-opening of our borders will allow a greater influx of skilled, ready-to-work

David Elia

Chief Executive Officer, Hostplus Recruitment, retention and domestic travel are key trends for 2022.

INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE have become common themes for the hospitality and tourism sectors over the last two years. And although COVID-19 and its emerging new variants are continuing to be challenges, I’m looking forward to seeing the tourism industry building back up to full capacity.

I expect we’ll see domestic borders staying open more consistently this year. It was great to see that this will now also include Western Australia. Australia’s tourism sector needs all our great attractions open for all to enjoy.

But the tourism industry also needs our international border open and returned to its pre-pandemic capacity.

This will increase patronage in our major cities and regional communities. Those Australians who aren’t keen to test international travel yet might look to enjoy a domestic holiday experience instead. So domestic travel could present some of the biggest opportunities in 2022.

Recruitment and retention of staff is another key challenge for the sector.

Already there’s been some

“Domestic travel could present some of the biggest opportunities in 2022.”

David Elia, Hostplus 56

HM The Business of Accommodation

progress in this space. Accor and IHG Hotels and Resorts have both unveiled new benefit programs to attract and retain staff. It’s clear the industry is more than ready to tackle recruitment issues

employees to help with business reboots and growth.

In these challenging times, Hostplus remains as committed as ever to supporting our contributing employers, their employees and our other members.

In 2021, we continued to deliver positive financial outcomes for members. Nine out of 10 Hostplus members were invested in options that achieved bestever annual returns to 30 June 2021. Our flagship and most popular Balanced (MySuper) option delivered a net return of 21.32%.

In November, we completed an historic merger with Queensland-based hospitality fund Intrust Super. We were very excited to welcome Intrust Super’s members, employers and staff into Hostplus. I feel confident that our newly combined fund will deliver even greater outcomes for these members.

This year, our merger with South Australian-based Statewide Super has been a key objective and focus for us. We expect this will see Hostplus become an even larger and broader-based national fund. We can leverage this increased scale to deliver even greater outcomes for our members.

And there are plenty of other activities keeping us busy this year. We’re reimagining, designing and building a totally new website, which we’re looking to launch in April. The new design will provide a more functional and personalised experience for members and contributing employers. The new website will also complement our recently updated Member Online portal. We’ll also continue to update and innovate our mobile app during 2022.

We are also reviewing our suite of investment options and solutions. This will ensure these remain market-leading, member-responsive and deliver very competitive and valued outcomes for members.

Finally, I’d like to thank the employers and staff who continue to entrust Hostplus with the management of your super. We remain focused on delivering strong results and high-quality services throughout 2022. n

LEADING SUPPLIERS

Antony Raiteri National Commercial Accounts Manager, Sealy of Australia

Global supply chain issues have highlighted the importance of local suppliers.

THE AUSTRALIAN ACCOMMODATION industry is a mature and resilient entity littered with an array of highly-motivated, experienced and skilled people across all areas of the business. The same can be said about accommodation suppliers. We know there are some rather challenging supply chain issues effecting some of the commercial FF&E suppliers, which I think has forced the astute procurement people in our industry to look outside the circle and search for suppliers who are not as reliant on overseas raw material or products.

The good thing for us in Australia is that the pandemic has shocked us into resetting our values and taking “Australian Made” a bit more seriously, knowing that means you are not going to wait three months or longer to get your goods, and, when you finally get them, they are exactly the quality you expected. For us at Sealy of Australia, we deliberately have a very localised business model with manufacturing plants in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to service each state and territory across Australia. In addition to this, all our raw material suppliers are also allowing us to completely control lead times and product quality. The increased costs of shipping products from overseas into Australia, not to mention the uncertainty around lead times has practically eliminated the importation of bedding products into Australia.

Sealy Asia Pacific is excited about the growth in a number of locations across Australia being driven by progressive and insightful operators and developers. With the Olympics in Brisbane, the Queens Wharf development in particular will be a gamechanger for Brisbane, and the flow on effect to the Gold Coast and southeast region in general will be enormous.

The once quiet and unassuming Adelaide is now the focus of some world-class accommodation developments (Sofitel Adelaide). Melbourne, our strongest event driven market, always has a solid pipeline of new developments and, of course, Sydney which has the very anticipated opening of the new W Hotel at Darling Harbour along with some other very exciting new projects in 2022. n

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Insider guides, executive style.

Catch over 50 TV episodes of Wayfarer Series 1, 2 & 3 now on our website and YouTube channel.

LEADING OWNERS

Shantha de Silva

Director of Operations, Pro-invest Hotels Pro-invest Hotels leverages current market landcape through integrated business model and focus on hotel investment opportunities.

2021 WAS A challenging year not only for the hospitality industry, but for many industries across the board. The uncertainty of the business environment caused by unpredictable Covid-19 restrictions was really tough for our hotel teams, partners and suppliers, but we are endlessly proud of how everyone pulled together. We have come out stronger and more resilient as a result and despite the challenges the Omicron variant is currently causing, we are confident we have the tools and systems in place to be positioned ahead of the curve with the expected rebound.

2022 is going to be a year of extraordinary growth for Pro-invest Hotels. In the last three years, we have opened five hotels, bringing our operating portfolio to eight. We are excited to be nearly doubling our hotel portfolio in the first half of 2022, adding not only seven hotels, but adding exciting brands such as voco and Hotel Indigo.

On top of that, we will be bringing the first ever Kimpton hotel to Australasia and opening Kimpton Margot Sydney in February. Combined, this means that Proinvest Group will have an asset value of nearly $2 billion across 16 assets operating and under development.

Pro-invest Group takes great pride in the quality of its assets and will continue its focus in ensuring the right investment in the right location with the right brands, and we are very proud of our relationship with hotel operators including IHG Hotels & Resorts and Accor.

On the topic of brands, we are heavily invested in IHG’s Holiday Inn Express brand and we have adapted our Holiday Inn Express operating model to optimise efficiencies through a variety of strategies including outsourcing and the centralisation of services. By doing this, it has resulted in us being able to fine tune the Holiday Inn Express model to be very efficient and effective, while also maintaining a primary focus on the delivery of guest and colleague experiences.

A core pillar of our Group and a key focus is environmental & social responsibility, and we continue to be a trusted leader in Environmental Social Governance (ESG). Although the last year has been challenging, we have ensured that our dedication to sustainability has gone unmoved. If anything, our commitments to initiatives and causes sitting under our ESG pillars have enhanced over the past 12 months

“We will be bringing the first ever Kimpton hotel to Australasia.”

with many significant achievements – such as five of our hotels achieving a 5-star or above NABERS rating for energy and water. In addition, our Holiday Inn Express Newcastle hotel became the first hotel in Australia to achieve Carbon Neutral Certification under the NABERS Climate Active pathway, further supporting our Net Zero 2030 ambition.

While we are still impacted by unprecedented market conditions, it has created an opportunity for businesses to make value-add investments into standing and income producing assets primarily in the luxury, upperupscale and upscale full-service hotels in Australia and New Zealand, as well as other secure markets in Asia. Pro-invest Group hopes to take advantage of these opportunities through our Pro-invest Asia-Pacific Hospitality Opportunity Fund III - Fund III is the successor of several hotel investment vehicles managed

by Pro-invest Group.

At Pro-invest Group, we have responded to the opportunity presented by COVID-19, with a strategic view to set up a hotel investment vehicle, uniquely focusing on hotel investment opportunities. Our integrated business model allows us to leverage the current market landscape and is structured to capitalise on the current opportunity, presenting a platform that allows investors to participate in travel recovery.

With another major announcement from the group set to be released in Q1 (stay tuned), we are confident that our journey of growth will continue as the year progresses. The talent, capability and expertise that Proinvest Group has invested in over the last few years will underpin the bench strength to support our accelerated growth and we’re excited for this next chapter. n

Shantha de Silva, Pro-invest Hotels

SNAPSHOT: PRO-INVEST HOTELS Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 8 hotels (+7 opening in 2022) and over 4,000 rooms Year the company was founded: 2010 Brands in the organisation: Holiday Inn Express, Kimpton Hotel, Voco, Hotel Indigo, The Sebel

Kimpton Margot Sydney is the first Kimpton hotel in the region

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LEADING OWNERS

Paul Salter

Managing Director, Salter Brothers Investment in new digital technologies to improve guest satisfaction is key in 2022.

ASIDE FROM THE obvious issues that the global pandemic continued to present, staff availability as we now commence the recovery is a significant challenge.

We’re solving this challenge by creating a best-in-class environment for our team members within our hotels, with increased training to develop their careers in the hotel industry.

In partnership with IHG and Hyatt, we have enhanced our employee benefit schemes which included things like cross training opportunities for staff to work across different areas of the business, additional annual leave days, recognising tenure and significant occasions. We also actively participated in the industry movement to secure the removal of the 20-hour cap on student visas.

This has been incredibly positive for the industry.

Overall asset values have held up well during the pandemic, with some minor movements due to income shortfalls in 2021.

As the outlook for future trading remains strong, we predict valuations to hold up strongly in 2022 underpinned by a strong return of domestic travel within both the corporate and leisure sector, together with a reinvigorated Australian economy post border lockouts.

We have seen signs that suggest to us consumers in the hospitality sector have advanced five years in one year, with regard to adoption of digital services. We have experienced a rapid adoption of QR codes for menus and self-serve ordering. This positive progression will provide improved customer satisfaction and increased operational efficiency resulting in long term sustainable benefits.

Our major CapEx plans include the completion of our multi-million-dollar Hyatt Regency Brisbane refurbishment in Q1 of 2022. We will also continue to invest in new digital technologies designed to improve guest satisfaction and automation.

Next year will be an exciting one for Salter Brothers.

We expect to complete settlement in March on our new portfolio of 2,032 hotel rooms located across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Newcastle currently operating under the Travelodge brand, making Salter Brothers the largest hotel owner in Australasia.

“Consumers in the hospitality sector have advanced five years in one year.”

Paul Salter, Salter Brothers Hotel Group 60

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With a busy year ahead, our Head of Hotels Steven Skarott, continues to strengthen our executive team with the addition of strategic hires Wesley Milsom and Raphael Antonini. We are also appointing an ESG Manager to enhance our ESG programmes within our assets For Salter Brothers, 2022 is about carefully managing our recovery via targeting profitable business segments and maintaining a tight control on costs. We will also seek out opportunistic acquisitions and invest in sustainability initiatives. We anticipate a strong recovery in the hotel sector driven by increased domestic and corporate travel, with the federal government and states working cooperatively to ensure no further lockouts. n

SNAPSHOT: SALTER BROTHERS Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 7 hotels and 2,171 rooms Year the company was founded: 2015 Brands in the organisation: Hyatt Regency,

The InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Voco, Travelodge

LEADING OWNERS

Dr Jerry Schwartz

Co-Founder and Director, Schwartz Family Company Leisure travel will prop up CBD hotels for much of 2022.

I THINK ANYONE who knows me will realise that I am generally very optimistic, even when faced with bankers who don’t share my optimism!

2021 was, of course, ridiculously challenging with my hotels in NSW, ACT, Victoria and Queensland all impacted by lockdowns, closed borders and massive reductions in demand, particularly from the corporate and conference markets. Even when we had the prospect of growing leisure business, we invariably couldn’t get the staff to service the demand.

There is encouraging demand from domestic leisure travellers for hotels such as Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, but that is concentrated on weekends and for hotels to really pay their way and be able to employ a full complement of staff you need business across the week. Even with international borders re-opening, and Omicron having

peaked, I see recovery as being ‘hesitant’ at least for the first half of 2022.

Fortunately, I have been moving my hotels towards a more leisure environment for many years, adding extra family facilities at hotels such as Paradise Resort Gold Coast, Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. I’m also looking to expand leisure offerings at city hotels, because we are going to be relying on leisure travel to prop up CBD hotels for much of 2022.

I have major plans being prepared for a tennis academy and equestrian centre at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, and I recently added the Two Doctors Whiskey Tavern at the Fairmont, which will become the home of the single malt Two Doctors whiskey that Professor John Rasko and I have collaborated on.

While I sold the Four Points hotel at Sydney Central Park last year – at a good price – I will remain on the lookout for potential hotel property that offers potential for growth. The market will recover, the key is being in the right place, with the right product, at the right time.

What will be essential is the re-building of confidence in travel, in meeting face-to-face, and in hospitality. The desire is there – I have no doubt about that – but it will be up to governments to create a more stable and confident environment for travel and tourism. I feel they still don’t take our industry seriously, and that’s an issue we have to resolve in 2022. n Schwartz made a splash with the opening of Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley water park

“I have been moving my hotels towards a more leisure environment for many years.”

Jerry Schwartz, Schwartz Family Company SNAPSHOT: SCHWARTZ FAMILY COMPANY Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 14 hotels and 4,208 rooms Year the company was founded: 1973 Brands in the organisation: Sofitel, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Rydges, Hilton, Crowne Plaza, and Paradise Resort Gold Coast

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Graham Perry Managing Director, BWH Hotel Group Australasia

With government committing to regional infrastructure, developers are looking to invest in accommodation in rural Australia.

AS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN said: “Out of adversity comes opportunity”. This was never so true when comparing the chaos of the pandemic with the opportunities presented.

The hotel industry has reached a crossroads. Whilst many hoteliers have decided to throw in the towel, many more are looking to enter the industry or expand.

The latter includes developers and investors looking to invest in Australia and leverage our reputation for safety and security.

With international borders closed, many Australians have finally woken up to the unique destinations, regional towns, characters, and experiences that exist in our own backyard. I’m not just talking here about travellers, but government(s) who is now committing to regional infrastructure, and local government and communities who have woken up to the value of visitation and managing their unique destinations. This is facilitating interest from developers looking to invest in new accommodation that regional Australia is crying out for.

This all bodes well for BWH Hotel Group, Australasia.

Over many decades we have established an anchorage throughout Australia (including regional Australia) mainly in the midscale market with our trusted 75-yearold Best Western brand at the helm. This offers access to a branded distribution engine to drive exceptional hotel performance with BWH hotels outperforming their market class when measured against the REVPAR Index.

However, BWH is poised to expand beyond the midscale at the very time regional areas are crying out for new and revitalised accommodation. BWH has 17 brands in Australia from SureStay at the economy through World Hotel Collection at the luxury scale. The launch of Aiden into the Australian market with Aiden, Darling Harbour, Sydney is a case in point. BWH offers solutions for developers/investors wanting to drive exceptional results from their hotel acquisitions and the ROI they demand.

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Whilst the prospects for 2022 look positive, we mustn’t be blindsided. The revenue challenges of the last two years have hidden an equally challenging foe namely skills shortages. Not only have overseas workers been locked out but many Australians have left our industry for more secure jobs elsewhere – and they’re not coming back. Compounding this, many young Australian don’t view hospitality as a career option – but as a means to an end whilst they look for a “real” job. We must put the mojo back into the hotel industry as a career.

But not all is doom and gloom for those who have come out of the pandemic stronger. Part of this strength is cultures where team members have learnt to adapt and work together in a place, they want to be with people they want to be with. Top performers have stayed, and all are going the extra mile and taking up the slack caused by the skills shortages. They are listened to and recognised and are rewarded for these efforts and appreciated.

BWH has introduced a “Strengths” training program, allowing individuals to share their personal strengths. It exposes how team members tick and why they do what they do. It is far more productive and motivation for individuals to work on their strengths than to waste time on their weaknesses.

Harold Samuel coined the phrase “location, location, location” as the three things that matter in property. For the hotel industry in 2022 the three things are “people, people people”. n

“Many Australians have finally woken up to the unique destinations, regional towns, characters, and experiences that exist in our own backyard.”

Graham Perry, BWH Hotel Group Australasia

SNAPSHOT: BWH HOTEL GROUP Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 4,005 hotels and 356,607 rooms Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1946 Year first hotel opened (Asia Pacific): 1993 Year first hotel opened (Australasia): 1975 Brands in the organisation: 18 Head office locations: Phoenix, Bangkok, Sydney Leisure travellers can enjoy the pool at Stamford Plaza Auckland Guests can take in the view from the lounge area at Best Western Plus Northlakes Hotel

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Matthew Rubie

Country General Manager – Australia, Frasers Hospitality Prioritising extended stay strategies has been pivotal in enhancing stability throughout the pandemic.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES of 2021, the internal report card for Frasers Hospitality Australia (FHA) came back positive across the board and as a result, will hold us in good stead for the year ahead.

We have enhanced and evolved many of our internal systems and IT structures, launched a revamped website for the Frasers Group and integrated innovative selfcheck-in kiosks in our Brisbane property, to name a few notable accomplishments.

In early 2021 we turned our attention to prioritising our extended stay strategies across the Fraser Suites properties, a decision that was made based on the continued success of this offering throughout the pandemic.

Looking ahead, our focus remains primarily in Sydney and Melbourne for investment potential - we’re razor focused on expanding our high-end extended stay expertise in those markets where the potential is clear.

We’ve continued to grow the company’s footprint considerably and with several soon to be confirmed signings in Europe and Asia Pacific regions, we are starting off 2022 in strong fashion. n

SNAPSHOT: FRASERS HOSPITALITY Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 17,000 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): 10,143 rooms

Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 788 rooms Year the company was founded: 1998 Brands in the organisation: - Fraser Suites, Fraser Residence, Fraser Place, Capri by Fraser, Modena by Fraser, Malmaison, Hotel Du Vin Head office locations: Singapore

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Geoff York

Chief Executive Officer, Crystalbrook Collection Crystalbrook aims to improve the guest experience through responsible luxury.

WHILE A LOT has changed since late 2019, one thing that’s endured is my optimism for the future of hospitality. Demand for travel has never weakened, just the options of where we can go.

The hardships and curveballs of 2020 and 2021 have bought with them invaluable lessons, the need for resilience and the ability to totally rethink the way we do business.

Emerging in 2022, we are stronger, more agile, more strategic.

At Crystalbrook, incredibly, we’ve launched over half of our hotel and resort portfolio during the pandemic. I’m determined that COVID-19 won’t define us, that our best years are ahead, and that it’s time to invest in that future.

Since opening our first hotel, Crystalbrook Riley, in 2018 we’ve expanded to seven upscale hotels and resorts that are underlined by delivering Responsible Luxury: sustainable environmental practices which enhance, not compromise, our guests’ experience.

Being seen as a leader in this space is always on our mind. Not just within hospitality, but beyond our industry as well. As a young, independent group, we can act quickly. In 2020, we were the first Australian hotel group to go cashless - from idea to implementation in just several weeks. We have the benefit of not having legacy issues, meaning we can take bold action, trying and testing different approaches that we believe will have 64

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a profound impact on our planet, communities, and the guest experience.

In 2022, we’re seeking to build upon the impactful eco-practices we’ve had since day one, such as a no single-use plastic environment, sourcing 80% of produce within a three-hour drive, and using recycled and upcycled materials. Our team is talking not only about ‘sustainable travel’ but also about ‘regenerative travel’, all while working to deepen cultural connections to our communities.

This year we’re partnering closely with EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism businesses. They’re helping us build a more comprehensive environmental and social framework to push ourselves further and make improvements to greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, plus resource and waste management.

Responsible Luxury resonates not only with guests, but our teams. Studies have shown again and again that sustainable practices aren’t just what staff want from an employer – they demand it. As we’re confronted with a massive industry labour shortage, our ethos has become even more important.

I’ve never planned for us to be the biggest but rather to represent an intriguing collection of upscale, environmentally focussed, desirable and profitable hotels. Sydney and Melbourne are particular target areas, along with New Zealand. Maybe Perth too! Any new additions to our group must bring to life a rich personality and a true sense of destination.

Right now, we’re increasing our efforts to find hotels that speak to our brand values, or that we can mould to fit. While we own and manage all our current assets, we’ve reached a scale and distribution capability to also seek out Hotel Management Agreements. n

Crystalbrook Flynn opened in Cairns in 2020

SNAPSHOT: CRYSTALBROOK COLLECTION Current number of hotels & rooms (Globally): 1,300 rooms Year the company was founded: 2017 Year first hotel opened: 2018 Number of brands in the organisation: 3 Head office location: Sydney

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

WHEN I LOOK back on 2021 it was a year of highs and lows due to lockdowns. The highs driven by immediate customer demand and the lows by travel border restrictions. What the year did show me is that when people are allowed to travel, go to restaurants, bars, days spas etc they do so in numbers not previously seen and with larger wallets. This welcome increase did come with its own challenges of being able to keep up and drive the business rather than get dragged along by it.

We were fortunate that we were able to hold onto the bulk of our team from managers, chefs, supervisors, fulltime and even casuals through the past year. The move from the early JobKeeper model to the disaster payments model did present its challenges as the disaster payment provided zero productivity to the business compared to JobKeeper. We always took the view that while it was expensive to do so, business would return and as such kept our teams employed and engaged. A focus on training is underway particularly in F&B to upskill both old and new employees.

We took the opportunity last year to work on refurbishments across several of our hotels with the balance of this work to be concluded in 2022. As the developer, owner and operator we have always preferred to be a step ahead of our customers on these works and refresh our product offering before being told we need to.

We opened the “Alby” a two level 1000sqm bar in Canberra in November. The bar is located in a mixed commercial, residential Doma development and is run by our hotel team.

When it comes to hotel development, we have four hotel projects locked in that will commence construction shortly: Little National Adelaide – 229 rooms across 22 levels.

The hotel located on North Terrace will have a stunning rooftop bar which will be open to the public with uninterrupted views to the bay and Adelaide Hills.

Little National Newcastle – 181 rooms alongside a 5000sqm mixed use office development. This one has been a long time coming as we redesigned the non-hotel component but will finally start this year.

Our first coastal NSW offering with the Marina Resort in Port Stephens. This will be circa 110 keys with a mix of refurbished hotel rooms and dual-key serviced apartments, along with an adjoining apartment development. It will feature a couple new pools and bars and really lift the offering in a great spot within driving distance of Sydney and the Hunter region.

The second NSW coastal offering is in Huskisson

The 12-storey Little National Hotel is located above Wynyard Station in Sydney

Jure Domazet

Managing Director, Doma Group With four hotel projects due to commence construction, 2022 will be a busy year for Doma Group.

SNAPSHOT: DOMA GROUP Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 842 rooms Year first hotel opened: 1987 Year the company was founded: 1987 Brands in the organisation: Hotel Realm, Burbury Hotel & Apartments, Little National Hotel Canberra, Little National Hotel Sydney, Brassey Hotel, Pinnacle Apartments.

Head office locations: Canberra

with circa 70 rooms, to go along with our continued investment in the Huskisson Hotel which is just down the road. These two hotels are part of our plans to have develop luxury boutique 5-star hotel stays along the east coast.

Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are our continued focus for Little National Hotel expansion, and we will continue to review regional opportunities.

As we move into 2022, I think we will continue to experience peaks and troughs with the hope and expectation that the latter will be far less common. We have a federal election this year which traditionally pumps the brakes on demand, particularly in Canberra, but feel this year, business is ready to get on with it regardless of the outcome and leisure demand is on the up and up. I am very optimistic on the rebounding of our industry and look forward to seeing the innovative new hotel products of our and other companies coming to market. n hotelmanagement.com.au

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Matt Tripolone

Managing Director – Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts Despite the surrealness of the past two years, IHG commits to a ‘culture of firsts’.

A MERE FIVE months ago – as long ago as that now feels - I landed in my new role as IHG’s Managing Director for the Australasia and Pacific region, full of hope and optimism as our world started emerging from its latest round of lockdowns, ready to embrace our new freedoms and a world without hard borders.

Frustratingly – at least at the time of writing - we find ourselves starting the new year in a slightly less fortunate situation than we would have hoped, with skyrocketing Covid cases, burdens on our health system and devastating staff shortages in staff across all industries – which exacerbate the talent challenges we were already facing in hospitality.

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Hotel X is now open in Brisbane

Yes, it may feel a bit bleak right now, but I still hold that deep optimism and am energised with the belief that we are finally on the cusp of the hotel industry’s big revival.

In some ways, we are stronger and better prepared than we’ve ever been and, as people once again get back out to explore our backyard and international travellers reappear on our shores, we can say: we’re ready.

The headlines might be reverberating around talent shortages, but we are leaning into that challenge in a big way, with industry-leading systems in place, and game-changing initiatives like IHG’s myBenefits and myFlex programs, which puts IHG up there with Australia’s most attractive and flexible employers.

We’ve also been a big supporter of industry association advocacy and initiatives, like the Accommodation Association’s The Gappa.

You may have seen that we’re about to elevate our enterprise and take loyalty to the next level, making some big changes to IHG Rewards as part of a new and much-improved loyalty program that will feature more richly rewarding benefits, greater flex in how members can earn and burn points, and more freedom in how they use them – all powered by a brandnew mobile app.

Above all of this is our commitment to doing the right thing. Our ‘Journey to Tomorrow’ 10-year responsible business plan is well progressed, and we’re making big strides globally around people, communities, waste, carbon and energy. We’re also deeply committed to our

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

local sustainability and DE&I activities in this market, including our Awesome Partnership with OzHarvest and our local DE&I Council, which has already made such a positive impact on our business. We’re genuinely excited to see so much work done in this space by our hotel owners, and it’s great that we push each other to achieve bigger and better things together.

Alongside IHG’s global purpose of True Hospitality for Good, the team here lives our clearly defined values and behaviours that drives everything we do � it includes being accountable and united, respecting and caring for each other, being innovative and getting things done, and bringing fun and passion to everything we do. It also commits us to a ‘culture of firsts’, and I’m excited that we are living this one in such a big way.

Despite the surrealness of the past two years, we have still shown that we can continue to make those ‘firsts’ happen, achieving some incredible things like opening Australasia’s first Hotel Indigo in Adelaide and the world’s first Vignette Collection hotel in Brisbane, signing the first luxury hotel signing in Parramatta, and opening our first two Holiday Inns to feature the brand’s signature Open Lobby.

Plus, we’re proud to be first in growth, with more than 16 hotels and 3100 rooms signed across our

region in 2021, demonstrating the faith that hotel owners have in the future of travel, and confidence in the IHG engine. And that success has led us to a record year of openings ahead – with 15 hotels to open in the first half of 2022 alone - including our first Kimpton, the first new-build voco, our first hotel in New Caledonia, and the continuing expansion of the Holiday Inn brand family In the coming months I hope we can be over the current bump, and I have no doubt that this year’s AHICE will be a watershed moment for our industry as we come together to – finally - raise a glass to the past couple of years and celebrate our launch into our industry’s next big era. I’m looking forward to catching up with you all then. n

“In some ways, we are stronger and better prepared than we’ve ever been.”

Matt Tripolone, IHG Hotels & Resorts

SNAPSHOT: IHG HOTELS & RESORTS Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 6,031 hotels and 889,164 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (EMEAA): 1,149 hotels and 226,254 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 63 hotels, 13,532 rooms Year the company was founded: 1777 (as Bass Hotels) Year first hotel opened (Global): 1946 Year first hotel opened (EMEAA): 1962 Brands in the organisation: 17 Head office locations: Denham, UK and Sydney, Australia

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Norman Arundel

Director of Hotels and Resorts, Event Hospitality & Entertainment The skills shortage will allow the very best people to build a fulfilling career in the industry.

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, is there to add to the thousands of words already published on the outlook for the hotel e rooftop at QT business in 2022? The shadow of COVID still looms om th Mel w fr bou e i large, yet this subject has been analysed, prophesied v rne e h T and scrutinised more than enough for all of us. So, let’s talk, instead, of two opportunities – the return of more typical demand levels and the little discussed positive side of skill shortages.

Various economists make the point that whilst the GFC was a demand destroying event, the pandemic is a demand suppressing event. As restrictions are lifted, travel rebounds relatively quickly. We saw this in the early cycles of the pandemic, we saw it again in January 2021 and we expect eased restrictions will continue to push up hotel occupancies in 2022.

Perhaps none of the doomsday forecasts floating around early in the pandemic have come close to being accurate. Remember the forecasts of mass unemployment? Yet, today the most pressing issue Inside the Lakeview Room at QT Queenstown our industry faces is staffing and skill shortages. In hindsight, this is no surprise.

Whilst border closures have certainly been a contributing factor, it’s also true that unavoidable Late last year, the two boards came together for standdowns and reduced hours fractured the trust many the first time. At an introductory dinner, each board frontline staff had in the hospitality industry. This new member shared a little about their backgrounds. I was suspicion must be conquered struck by the fact that almost all of these industry to win people away from leaders started their careers in junior frontline other sectors and back to positions, more often than not, with no formal hospitality. At Event, we hospitality training. From those humble beginnings understand this and have a they climbed very fulfilling career ladders. Hotels are range of new and exciting amongst the few businesses where this kind of career initiatives in place which progression is still possible and herein lies the positive will add to our competitive side of a skills shortage. For the right people, a once advantages. That said, our key in a generation opportunity is about to be unleashed supervisory and management for faster, more dynamic and more rewarding career staff have overwhelmingly growth. At Event, we have these right people and are shown they still love our committed to ensuring they are positioned to reap industry and our internal these rewards.

Elevate platform is all about After all is said and done, success in our business is Norman Arundel, rewarding this loyalty. about great people running great hotels. That’s what Event Hospitality & Entertainment Of course, the long-term Event is all about. n structural issues contributing to the skills shortage still need to be addressed and it’s SNAPSHOT: EVENT HOSPITALITY & ENTERTAINMENT vitally important for industry and government to work Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 73 hotels and 11,378 rooms collaboratively to this end. This is why the upcoming Year first hotel opened: 1988 2022 merger between the TAA and AAoA is such a Year the company was founded: 1910 welcome development. After some 20 years of two Brands in the organisation: Rydges, Atura, QT, Independent Collection by EVENT separate representative bodies often being in polite and JUCY Snooze competition, at last our industry will speak with one Head office locations: Sydney united voice.

“For the right people, a once in a generation opportunity is about to be unleashed for faster, more dynamic and more rewarding career growth.”

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Paul Hutton

Head of Australasia, Hilton Guests are searching for efficiencies in the way that they travel.

AT HILTON WE believe the desire to travel, experience new cultures and connect with others is core to the human experience, and throughout 2022 we will be guided by our values, our experienced leadership, and changing consumer behaviours to provide the most reliable and friendly experiences for our guests. As I return to Australasia after four years in South East Asia, it is with a tremendous amount of optimism that 2022 will be better and brighter and with confidence that Hilton’s vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality is being fulfilled every day across our 28 hotels in the region.

Our Hilton Hospitality and dedication to creating exceptional experiences for our guests, is grounded in our team members: they are our greatest asset. In 2022 as we rebuild, it is our 2,900 Australasian team members that are at the forefront of everything we do. Our philosophy around culture remains to be an inclusive employer that encourages and supports diversity, as well as engages team members towards a common vision and values.

We continue to support our teams in their outstanding environmental and community work efforts, as they help us on our journey to redefine sustainable travel. By 2030, Hilton has pledged to cut our environmental footprint in half and double our social impact investment. For the fifth consecutive year, Hilton has been recognised in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, the most prestigious world ranking for corporate sustainability performance.

“People have nurtured new and existing passions, and will have more refined tastes and preferences in the future.”

Paul Hutton, Hilton

At Hilton we know that people’s desire to reconnect with others and create new travel memories is stronger than ever. Yet the way in which our lives have changed in the past two years has also fundamentally changed people. Hilton recently released a global trends report, The 2022 Traveller: Emerging Trends and the Redefined Traveller which delves into this important truth, and showcases how we continue to evolve alongside the changing needs and interests of travellers.

Amid the chaos, people have found efficiencies and will be looking for the same in travel. That is why in the past year we expanded our industry-leading innovations in contactless check-in, check-out and digital keys. In Australasia, we now have 12 hotels offering straight-toroom convenience, and it is our intention to offer this to our guests across all hotels by 2023.

Creating efficient experiences for our guests shows up in other ways too. Our Meetings Simplified product for organising small meetings continues to advance to make it quicker for our customers to easily book with us.

Another trend we uncovered, is how people have nurtured new and existing passions, and will have more refined tastes and preferences in the future. Just one example of how our hotels evolve to match traveller trends, the new Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street has created an innovative on-demand tour of the hotel’s iconic Equity Chambers building: allowing guests to indulge their passion for architecture and history when it suits them, with this digital self-guided tour available via their smartphone.

We remain excited about our growth trajectory in Australasia to add breadth and depth in market. With 12 hotels in development and some fantastic deals in the works, we are on track to achieve our ambition to double our footprint within the next five years. In Q1 we will open our first DoubleTree by Hilton on New Zealand’s north island with the opening of a newly built hotel in Karaka, south of Auckland.

Amongst many successes last year, we achieved two noteworthy milestones: the return of our flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand to Melbourne, and the launch of our award-winning upscale Hilton Garden Inn brand. Hilton Garden Inn Albany marks our first focused service hotel in the region, and we look forward to opening more of this brand in locations including Sydney, in coming years. n

SNAPSHOT: HILTON Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 6,700 hotels and more than 1 million rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): Over 500 hotels and more than 118,000 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 28 hotels Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1919 Year first hotel opened (APAC): 1963 Year first hotel opened (Australasia): 1974 Year the company was founded: 1919 Brands in the organisation: 18 Head office locations: Virginia, Singapore Sydney

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Robert Dawson

Area Vice President – Pacific, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Investing in the wellbeing of Hyatt’s people has been of utmost importance.

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LOOKING BACK AT 2021, we are proud that we were across a number of hotels this year. That includes still able to open a number of new hotels despite a very Hyatt Regency hotels in Sydney, Brisbane, as well challenging market amid ongoing pandemic-related as Park Hyatt Sydney and Park Hyatt Canberra. restrictions, which is testament to the strength and These improvements will provide a refreshed experience of our team. experience for our guests so that we are well positioned This year we are excited about bringing our latest for recovery. properties to expand our offering in Australia, including Of particular significance in the wake of the the country’s first Hyatt Centric in Melbourne that opened pandemic was a decision to prioritise wellbeing among in time for the start of this year, and the new Hyatt Place our own people, where in 2021 we introduced regular Melbourne, Caribbean Park, in nearby Scoresby. programming of activities and a new wellness assessment We started 2021 with strong MICE and Events to ensure employees can continue to be their best. business which of course did not materialise. We have, A major highlight in 2021 has been the purchase of however, been encouraged by the significant number Apple Leisure Group, and we are delighted to welcome their of events that have rescheduled and we see many key fantastic team into the Hyatt family. This move also brought organisers remaining loyal to us, which is why we see our total portfolio to more than 1,000 hotels globally. potential to gain momentum from mid-2022 alongside a We have a clear strategy for 2022 that will enable our broader corporate recovery. business to perform and that will help continue to drive Hyatt’s performance is the result of the strength preference, focusing on four key pillars. of our team, with a solid core of managers who This includes tapping into opportunities in the luxury 5 t 2 h e f l h o t or of n ed o Hy have been with us for many years. That high segment with our Hyatt PRIVE program, supported rch a e t tC sp en retention rate is rooted in our purpose – to by many of the luxury agencies here in Australia ti n tr ra care for people so they can be their best and in New Zealand.

– which applies equally to our own Tapping into opportunities in the employees. domestic business, we are also deepening A key priority for us is also our lifestyle and leisure offerings ensuring that we continue to make through unique staycations such as our progress in our goals on building a Hidden Gem Store beach package at diverse and inclusive team, as we Park Hyatt Sydney. believe that this creates stronger, Lastly, we continue to leverage more flexible business. In Australia, the loyalty of our World of Hyatt over 2021, we were pleased to members, one of Hyatt’s strongest continue growing our team of female assets, through promotions with local general managers and executive partners such as Qantas. leadership towards our goal of 50/50 male This will ensure we maintain robust and female. business performance so we can then capitalise On the property side, we are taking the on the encouraging signs we see in the potential for opportunity during this period to make renovations the return of business events.

Our focus during the past year has been in remaining agile and, capitalising on local market opportunities. Our SNAPSHOT: HYATT HOTELS AND RESORTS core principle of ‘Safety first and Wellbeing always’ has meant reimagining the hotel experience with creativity Current number of hotels & rooms (Globally): 1170 hotels and 284,725 rooms and care so that customers can feel confident and Current number of hotels & rooms (Asia Pacific): 180 hotels and 52345 rooms comfortable returning to our hotels.

Current number of hotels & rooms (ANZSP): 10 hotels and 3,382 rooms But underlying that has been a drive to be closer to Year the company was founded: 1957 our customers, empowering our teams to think outside Year first hotel opened: 1967 - Hyatt Regency Atlanta the box and listening to the feedback we hear to meet Year first hotel opened (Asia Pacific): 1969 - Hyatt Regency Hong Kong changing needs. Paired with close coordination across Year first hotel opened (ANZSP): 1986 - Grand Hyatt Melbourne the region to maximise the impact of our marketing and Brands in the organisation: 20 brands share best practice, we’re optimistic about the year ahead Head office locations: Chicago / Hong Kong / Melbourne in Australia and across Asia Pacific. n

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Julian Clark

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AS MEDIUM SIZED company, The Lancemore Group has a significant growth opportunity. We have some amazing new hotels in pipeline which I am very excited to announce soon – both urban, suburban, and regionally, with a strong South Australia bent. Outside of these, if I could wave my magic wand, I would love to strengthen our presence in locations such as Brisbane, Hobart and Canberra – all CBD markets that I think will outperform in the mediumterm as well as some prime leisure destinations in New South Wales and Queensland especially. I, personally, have recently relocated to southeast Queensland for the next two years so I need to get more hotels in my local neighbourhood at the very least! In terms of brands, we see opportunity for all three of ours – Lancemore (boutique, luxury end), L by Lancemore (boutique, smaller rooms, upscale) and white label management.

It’s a more competitive marketplace than we have ever seen before with full employment and limited international talent. Like everyone, we have been working on a diverse number of strategies to combat this. At its heart is to, frankly, just be better across the board. This is partially taking things up a notch, partially re-looking at how we do things. To that end, we recently recruited Adam Taloni to lead the charge here as Group Director of People & Culture.

Talent attraction has numerous strategies but, essentially, it is about viewing the activity through a sales lens more than ever before. Having said that, we have been careful to not offer unsustainable perks that are expensive to our owners and not core to our employee value proposition. Instead, we have focused on the fundamentals such as a strong values-based culture, a fun place to work, great people leaders, excellent team recognition, competitive REM, good advancement opportunities for those who want them etc. Equally,

Chief Executive Officer, The Lancemore Group Lancemore to launch evolved company values this year as it invests in people and culture. we have amplified some of the newer focus areas that the pandemic has put a real focus on such as employee wellbeing, ensuring work-life balance (especially during staff shortages) and greater flexibility.

One area I am particularly proud of is how we are reattracting alumni back to the company, whereby four of our senior recruits in the past 12 months have been people who left, but still loved the company and have come back to Lancemore.

In terms of staff learning and development (L&D) and professional development we are looking to improve our existing mentoring and L&D programs at all levels. We are also very excited to launch evolved company values in 2022 which we worked on in 2021. These form the bedrock of our culture and are something we hardwire into everything we do. That will be exciting and hopefully have a great impact on the Lancemore teams.

Regarding renovations, Lancemore Milawa and Lancemore Mansion Werribee Park will both be renovated in the middle of the year. This reflects our positive view on these hotels and markets.

We have also just signed a HMA for a new hotel and there are three we have either signed or have an LOI signed. We are working on design for three new hotels as we speak, so there is never a dull moment. Watch this space for announcements. n

“We have been careful to not offer unsustainable perks that are expensive to our owners and not core to our employee value proposition.”

Julian Clark, The Lancemore Group

SNAPSHOT: THE LANCEMORE GROUP Current number of hotels & rooms (Globally): 10, 651 rooms Year the company was founded: 1986 Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1986 Brands in the organisation: 3 Head office location: Melbourne

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Sean Hunt

Area Vice President, Australia, New Zealand & Pacific, Marriott International Marriott International forecasts recovery and re-emergence of travel for 2022 and beyond.

“The weekend leisure market is presenting opportunity across our capital cities.”

Sean Hunt, Marriott International

THE PROTRACTED COVID-19 health crisis hit the industry hard, with border closures hindering revenues all round and making it one of the toughest operating environments. However, it was also an incredible time of learning for Marriott as we weathered the storm.

We are very pleased with the new project signings; we have signed 21 new hotels across South East Asia over the past 18 months. We opened four new hotels in Australia 2021 including W Melbourne in Q1, Courtyard by Marriott Brisbane, Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands and The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel in Hobart.

In Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott’s plan is on track to open more than six new hotels by the end of 2022, including the AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank, Le Meridien Melbourne and The Ritz-Carlton in Melbourne along with W Sydney – the 600-room flagship property under the W brand due to open in November.

What does recovery look like – the most important thing for the industry as a whole is to remain confident, cautious optimism and leadership is vital. The latest Horwath report suggests RevPAR levels in Australia will recover to pre-pandemic levels from 2023 onwards, with Sydney projected to fully recover around December

The rooftop pool at Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands offers expansive views of the city

2024, Melbourne in 2025 and beyond, Perth from June 2023 and Brisbane March 2023.

At our resort properties, we are seeing continued occupancy of pre-pandemic levels and opportunities to yield. While our CBD properties have more limited opportunity to yield due to the lack of international and business travel. However, the weekend leisure market is presenting opportunity across our capital cities.

While bookings are still predominantly generated from the leisure market, we are seeing a return of corporate demand, mainly from the pharmaceuticals and resources industries. We are also seeing strong pick up from our Marriott Bonvoy members, the global travel program continues to offer elevated money-can’tbuy experiences and we are very pleased that the market is responding.

Fiji is a country that has demonstrated a successful return of international travel, commencing in December last year. The market is doing well. Marriott is progressively re-opening our suite of five luxury Fijian resorts and villas. Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay opened in December, and we have been inundated with demand.

The refurbed Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort will open in March, Sheraton Denaru Villas in April followed by the Westin Denaru coming online in 2023 followed a FJ$75 million makeover.

The pent-up demand for travel and people waiting to travel once borders open is evident. While the lead window is very short, often less than seven days as guests tend to wait and gauge pandemic implications prior to booking. However, post initial concerns of the Omicron variant, we have already seen demand ramp back up. n

SNAPSHOT: MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 7,900 hotels and more than 1.4 million rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): 850+ hotels and more than 245,000 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 37 hotels and 8576 rooms Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1957 Year first hotel opened (Australasia): 1992 Year the company was founded: 1957 Brands in the organisation: 30 Head office locations: Maryland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

David Chaplin Chief Operating Officer, Pacific Hotels

Regional, Restaurants and Retention are the buzz words for Pacific Hotels in 2022.

OUR PACIFIC PARTNERS have continued to step-up and deliver terrific hospitality to the domestic market throughout 2021. Looking ahead to 2022, our focus is on seeking opportunities for acquisitions and Hotel Management Agreements (HMAs), revitalising our restaurants and retaining our partners.

With growth comes the need to retain hospitality superstars to continue to conceptualise the Pacific Terrific promise.

A leadership program was launched in 2021 and the focus on career development has been harnessed across the management team. As a younger player in the Australian hospitality industry, Pacific Hotels aims to establish genuine growth opportunities and a sense of community for the team, allowing flexibility across roles and locations.

In terms of financial performance, Pacific Hotels has recognised business success particularly in regional locations. Coral Cay Mackay by Pacific was acquired in mid-2019 and has seen consistent YOY growth in ADR and direct bookings, fuelling investor’s appetite to acquire hotels in secondary cities across Australia. More HMAs are also on the horizon after successfully converting Pacific Suites Canberra to this business model. n

SNAPSHOT: PACIFIC HOTELS Current number of hotels & rooms (ANZSP): 5 hotels and 675 Rooms Year the company was founded: 2015 Year first hotel opened: 2015 Number of brands in the organisation: Pacific Hotels Head office locations: Perth, Australia

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS Quest will announce eight new properties this year

David Mansfield Managing Director Australia, The Ascott Limited Industry must continue to think big and push for support to bounce back stronger.

AS 2022 DAWNS, I’m inspired by the ways in which our Quest franchise network has worked together to seize opportunities and lay strong foundations for the 12 months ahead.

Our corporate focus remains on responding to market demand, with growth in regional and suburban areas providing steady consistent growth.

As you read this, Quest has a total of seven hotels under construction across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This year we plan to announce eight new properties and there are numerous other negotiations also underway.

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Quest’s confirmed development pipeline is worth more than $700 million, and our projected pipeline is valued at just under $1 billion dollars. In addition, over the next 24 months, 15% of the Quest network is set for refurbishments as we revitalise some of our older properties in line with current standards.

These outcomes are testament to the resilience and expertise we have within our Quest team. I’m excited to see what we achieve next as we emerge from the shadow of the pandemic.

Late last year, I was honoured to be appointed as Vice President of the National Council for the Accommodation Association, led by the brilliant Leanne Harwood from IHG. In this position, I am proud to be collaborating with industry peers to drive a range of initiatives aimed to pave the way for a vibrant accommodation sector of the future. This is a poignant moment in recovery, and we must continue to think big and push for the support we need to bounce back stronger.

SNAPSHOT: THE ASCOTT LIMITED Current number of hotels 160 & rooms (Globally): 11,231 Current number of hotels & rooms (Asia-Pacific): 159 Year the company was founded: 1988 Year first hotel opened: 1988 Number of brands in the organisation: The Ascott Limited has 14 hotel brands including Quest Head office locations: Singapore, Melbourne

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

One of the critical items on the agenda is addressing the ongoing staff shortage facing our industry. We must help jobseekers young and old get excited about the tremendous opportunity and variety a career in accommodation represents.

For Quest, our brand’s greatest asset is our business owners; dedicated local people with skin in the game, wholeheartedly committed to the success of the business and community they operate. Passion and enthusiasm radiate for guests as they walk through the door, and now our ‘As Local As You Like It’ brand platform empowers us to bring this unique proposition centre stage.

Every day, right across the nation, Quest business owners help guests check in and check out the best local attractions, creating memorable experiences by connecting guests with the little-known gems only a local would know about. We have the heart and soul of a boutique operation, combined with the consistency and reliability of a major chain, and we think that’s a powerful prospect now, and well into the future.

Guest expectation remains the driving force behind all we do, which is why CSR is also a core focus for Quest. Authenticity is central to who we are as a network, so we want our guests to know that the people behind our brand make a meaningful impact. Our

Quest for a Cause program has empowered the network to give back in ways big and small, and we look forward to developing that further in 2022 and beyond.

In addition to the work our business owners undertake locally, Quest is also proud to support national causes, such David Mansfield, The Ascott Limited as Housing All Australians, the Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House and the Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can Stay’ program.

Under You Can Stay, we have already provided over 5,400 room nights to 77 regional youth cancer patients and their families, and this year we will extend this support to reach more young Australians in need.

Our vision is to be recognised as the preferred franchising provider due to our proven track record in franchisee success and increased value of their business.

With a customer centric approach to all we do and laser focus on our brand development, I know Quest is on track to achieve this. As a collective, we are incredibly excited for the year ahead as we continue to move the needle. n

“We want our guests to know that the people behind our brand make a meaningful impact.”

FOCUS ON YOUR GUESTS We’ll lend a hand with your employees Workplace Relations Lawyers | Hotel Industry Experts iRES your online gateway to the workplace advisors of choice for Australia’s leading hotel operators.

Find out more: www.hfw.com/iRes-Video

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS Plans are afoot to grow Oaks Hotels Resorts and Suites in key leisure destinations

“One of our early decisions was to keep all our properties open for those who needed a home away from home.”

Craig Hooley, Minor Hotels

Craig Hooley

Chief Operating Officer, Minor Hotels Strong growth in luxury resorts in Asia, while domestic travellers seek out leisure and wellness activities.

AS WE CONTINUE to navigate through this pandemic, which is certainly testing our industry on many levels, the domestic market is still well-positioned to grow its tourism business in 2022, along with the readiness to support the international market when it returns.

Although the redesign of the Australian tourism landscape is positive, these have been difficult times with permanent changes impacting the foundations of our operations, staff practices and guest interactions.

Despite the turbulent circumstances, our growth was positive in the early stages of the pandemic as we successfully built and opened two new properties, Oaks Toowoomba Hotel and Oaks Cairns Hotel, cementing the positive outlook in regional locations, with both performing beyond expectations since their opening in July and September 2020 respectively. As we moved into 2021, the increased costs associated with both labour and materials pushed some development projects back, making the opportunities unviable for the business. That said, we are now more optimistic about growing our core brands, Avani Hotels & Resorts (Avani) and Oaks Hotels Resorts & Suites, in key leisure destinations, including the Sunshine Coast. In Asia, whilst we are seeing similar trends, there is significant strength in Minor Hotels’ luxury resorts and we will eagerly continue to grow in this space with our Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas and Avani brands.

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One of our early decisions was to keep all our properties open for those who needed a home away from home, and a key outcome also included the retention of our team members as well as our loyal guests. Staffing however, does continue to be a challenge, and we have a dedicated team looking at different ways of attracting and growing talent for the future and committing to their professional development. By offering support, we not only engage our team but nurture them within an ever-changing work environment, which has seen two main challenges; learning how to operate in an infectious environment and learning how to operate with limited staffing due to the removal of student workers and holiday visa workers from the workforce pool. We are incredibly proud of our team as to how they have managed themselves and adapted to a forever changing environment.

The last 18 months has seen a huge increase in demand for domestic holidays, particularly in leisure locations which guided our focus to ensure the continued investment within these areas. Our Hunter Valley health and wellbeing experience, Elysia Wellness Retreat, recently launched 23 newly refurbished villas, featuring contemporary furnishings, with natural materials used as much possible.

Looking ahead to 2022, we see a very positive future for Australia and New Zealand, and after the announcement of NH Collection Sydney, we look forward to announcing new additions to our portfolio shortly. n

SNAPSHOT: MINOR HOTELS Current number of hotels & rooms (Globally): 527 hotels and 75,629 rooms Current number of hotels & rooms (Asia-Pacific): 75 hotels and 10,274 Rooms Current number of hotels & rooms (Australasia): 60 hotels and 7,421 rooms Year the company was founded: 1990 Year first hotel opened (Globally): Anantara Hua Hin in 1990 Number of brands in the organisation: 8 Head office locations: Bangkok, Dubai, Johannesburg, Madrid, Cotton Tree, Brisbane

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

Mark Bullock

Managing Director, Australasia Business Unit, Radisson Hotel Group The Radisson Individuals brand to play an important role in the company’s Australasian expansion.

AS WE ENTER 2022, Radisson Hotel Group is cautiously optimistic for the business outlook in Australasia.

It is very pleasing to see that more than 80% of the populations of Australia and New Zealand are now fully vaccinated, a feasible exit route from the current state of the pandemic. This is already enabling the reopening of international borders in Australia, and we hope to see restrictions ease further in the coming months.

Recent data from STR shows signs of improvement in Australia; occupancy was found to be rising in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney over the holiday season, with a peak of close to 70% in certain markets on New Year’s Eve. This shows that visitor confidence is returning. With the recent relaunch of international flights, we tentatively expect to see further growth in first half of 2022.

Radisson Hotel Group remains upbeat in the future prospects for hotel development across Australasia, and our expanded portfolio of brands will support our regional expansion strategy. With the launch of Radisson Individuals in late 2020, we have signed an agreement to introduce Radisson Individuals to Australia for the first time. Sapphire of Eden Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals, is located on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales and will become the first internationally branded hotel in the region when it opens in 2023. It also enters a new market, in Papua New Guinea with the signing of Grand Papua Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals. The Radisson Collection will also make its debut in Australia and New Zealand in the near future, as we target experience-seeking guests in the premium sectors of the market.

“We also foresee strong opportunities in the midscale segment.”

Mark Bullock, Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson Blu Resort Denarau Island will benefit from the easing of restrictions in Fiji

The Radisson Individuals brand will play an important role in our Australasian expansion in the coming years.

Tailored to the needs of owners and conversion projects, these creative concepts can help us bring international standards to emerging markets. For owners and small chains, these brands are very attractive as they blend international exposure and economies of scale with flexibility and variable pricing models.

We also foresee strong opportunities in the midscale segment, and we are repositioning the Country Inns & Suites by Radisson brand in Australia to make it a more conversion-friendly concept with a focus on franchising in regional and metropolitan locations. Whichever of our nine industry-leading brands owners prefer, we are ready to meet their needs with a range of partnership models, including strategic leases, M&As, joint ventures and franchises.

Looking ahead to 2022, we are moving forward with confidence. Radisson Hotel Group is well placed to offer owners and investors a strong value proposition, delivered through our portfolio of intuitive brands, industry-leading technology, a global sales and distribution network, and strong GOP to convert revenues to profit.

The Group continues to make significant investments, enter strategic partnerships and advance our expansion plans in 2022, to position us for the brighter times ahead. n

SNAPSHOT: RADISSON HOTEL GROUP Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 1,688 hotels and 260,194 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): 365 hotels and 53,039 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 14 hotels and 2,306 rooms Year the company was founded: 1938 Brands in the organisation: 9 Head office locations: Brussels, Singapore, Sydney

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SKYE SUITES IS the innovative hotel division of global real estate developer Crown Group – one of the largest private property developers in Australia.

SKYE Suites was born out of a vison to create an architecturally inspired, spacious and luxurious urban resort experience. Every aspect is centred on creating a personalised curated experience with the full facility of residential living, comfort, and connectivity.

Crown Group is a fully integrated property enterprise with capabilities across development, construction, investment, retail, property management, industrial, sales and marketing and since entering the hotel space in 2017 with SKYE Suites, is now poised to expand its presence in the hospitality space with a new food and beverage concept, f(x) by STIX and conference centre, The One Centre, at SKYE Suites Green Square, both opening in 2022. For these new ventures we have decided to partner with hospitality veteran David Allison who brings with him a wealth of restaurant, bar, and catering expertise.

The Green Square precinct is amid a grand gentrification as the area undergoes one of the largest urban renewal projects Australia has ever seen, and our hotel is perfectly positioned in the centre of Sydney’s newest cultural and creative community. Close to Fox Studios, Sydney Airport, and the city, we anticipate huge demand for our new ventures and hotel in this area.

We are very positive about 2022 at SKYE Suites. The reduced business levels over the past two years have been caused by the government mandated lockdowns, not a contracting of the economy or demand. We believe there is much pent-up demand for hotels in both corporate and leisure sectors. Australians have accumulated an estimated $230 billion in savings over the COVID lockdowns and will be spending some of these funds on leisure travel.

In terms of corporate travel, we believe while it may look different from previous years there is demand for businesses to start traveling again and engage in face-toface meetings after 18 months of reduced activity. Interstate travel may be less frequent, but trips will be longer which will suit our product of large suites with cooking and laundry facilities. All our suites also have balconies which allows fresh air into the room, a key requirement from corporates since the COVID 19 pandemic.

The uptick in corporate demand we have seen post both lockdowns, particularly at SKYE Suites Sydney, has seen all our hotels trading between 80-90% occupancy giving us huge confidence for strong trading conditions from February 2022.

Western Sydney, and in particular Parramatta, is also undergoing significant development with Parramatta

David Bowen

Head of Hotels Australasia, SKYE Suites Uptick in corporate demand sees Skye Suites hotels trading at between 80-90% occupancy.

“We have been working over the past 12 months to align ourselves to work closely with tertiary institutions and create clear career paths for students.”

David Bowen, Skye Suites

Skye Suites Parramatta to benefit from development in the area

SNAPSHOT: SKYE SUITES AUSTRALIA Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 331 rooms Year first hotel opened: 2017 - Parramatta Year the company was founded: 2017 Brands in the organisation: 1 - SKYE Suites Head office locations: Sydney, Jakarta, Los Angeles

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Square, Powerhouse Museum, new aquatic, and leisure centre as well has the completion of the light rail. SKYE Suites Parramatta is perfectly located in the centre of all this activity and as with our other hotels we are forecasting strong trading next year.

The biggest challenge facing our industry in 2022 is staffing. The industry lost a lot of great people over the two COVID-19 lockdowns to other industries that were operating during this time, and they are unlikely to come back to hospitality. Coupled with the lack of overseas students due to international border closures, a huge gap in resources has been left and many hotels are facing huge staffing shortages.

As our hotels traded through the lockdowns, we have been able to retain our teams and ensured they were trained in all facets of the business to give them every opportunity to keep working. We are however in the same constrained market for any new recruits, so we have been working over the past 12 months to align ourselves to work closely with tertiary institutions and create clear career paths for students which match individual goals for development and financial success.

During 2022 our focus will remain on identifying and developing key talent, we believe the war for talent will be a defining factor for hotels over the coming 12-18 months and beyond. We will also continue to source capital partners to enhance our pipeline as we move forward on our existing projects in Sydney, Brisbane and Los Angeles. n

AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS

StayWell is refurbishing five of its hotels in Australia

Simon Wan

President and Director, StayWell Holdings StayWell focuses on improving guest experience and keeping brand presence in key APAC markets.

At this time last year, we were looking ahead to 2021 with incredibly mixed feelings and a high level of optimism, which in the end turned out to be slightly misguided.

However, I can with a much more positive mindset say that we are very much looking forward to what 2022 has to offer.

While the tourism industry has had another difficult year, StayWell’s focus has been and continues to be on recovery as well as product and service enhancement, improved health and safety procedures, and ongoing global growth. I have recently travelled overseas for the first time and met with our partners, face to face, in the US and Dubai, after close to two years having stuck in Sydney and received great feedback from all of them. I think everyone is ready to do business again and is over with this pandemic.

Like many others in our industry, we had to pivot due to the border closures and lockdowns that occurred this year. One of our main focuses has been on improving our offering to provide an even better guest experience and keeping our brand presence in our key APAC markets which include Sydney, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and India. We are confident that we’ll continue to see a stronghold in the first four and that we will continue to have a robust demand in these locations.

Another big focus in 2021 was to continue to support our incredible staff members during the ongoing changes that the pandemic continued to throw at us, which we will naturally continue to do in 2022. Where possible we offer benefits such as WFH, retention strategies for current staff members, upskill and clear career path opportunities so that our staff can continue to grow both

personally and professionally. We focus on building on our Vision, Mission & Values (VMV) program to create a culture of togetherness, quality and accountability and we make a point to celebrate all kinds of wins – be it big or small. During this pandemic, we conducted several virtual parties including Olympic trivia to thank our teams for all their hard work.

In our ongoing commitment to providing an excellent customer experience at StayWell’s properties, we partnered up with leading hospitality platform Revinate to upgrade our email marketing platform. The partnership helped us to leverage an enriched guest database, advanced segmentation capabilities and best-in-class campaign functionality to build and scale a digital guest journey that demonstrates a detailed understanding of each guest’s preference.

We are also currently performing refurbishment and enhancements at five of our hotels in Australia to modernise our product and implement our Tuck Shop concept in most of our hotels. Operations wise our focus for 2022 is to leave no stone unturned and think outside of the box in terms of opportunities for additional revenue and exceeding guest expectations and experience. If you’re looking for a silver lining to largely empty hotels, it’s that renovations and upgrades are possible without disrupting or inconveniencing guests!

We are hoping that lockdowns and border closures are now a thing of the past, however, should we encounter any new curveballs in 2022, I can with confidence say that our teams know exactly what to do to navigate our way out on the other side. n

SNAPSHOT: STAYWELL HOLDINGS Current number of hotels & rooms (Globally): 102 hotels and 27,542 rooms Current number of hotels & rooms (Asia-Pacific): 89 hotels and 24,558 rooms Current number of hotels & rooms (ANZSP): 10 hotels and 553 rooms Year the company was founded: 2006 Year first hotel opened: 2006 - Australia Brands in the organisation: - The Prince Akatoki, Park Regis by Prince, Park Regis, Policy, Leisure Inn Plus, Leisure Inn Head office locations: Sydney

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AUSTRALASIAN LEADERS Sudima's Moss Spa offers an extensive selection of treatments

Les Morgan

Chief Operating Officer, Sudima Hotels New hotels and improved spa offering on the horizon for Sudima Hotels.

“Our industry now requires some fresh thinking.”

Les Morgan, Sudima Hotels

A COUPLE OF years ago, our CEO Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala wrote a column in this magazine reflecting on 2019, and Sudima Hotels’ plans for 2020 and beyond. We were excited. We had just won the 2019 Supreme Tourism Award at the New Zealand Tourism Awards, together with the Environment Award and the Employer of Choice Award. We were confident 2020 would show some growth, and 2021 would see visitor numbers increase domestically and internationally.

What followed, with the onset of the pandemic including lockdowns and months of closed borders, has been challenging for our industry. Crises test us, but they also pose opportunities to innovate and re-evaluate. They challenge our thinking and the ways we do business; we find out how agile we are.

That said, I am genuinely excited again. I can’t think of a more stimulating time to be in our industry. If your blood isn’t pumping after the last couple of years, it is about to get a jump start with the disruptive events the next few will bring. Our sector has suffered more than most during this crisis, but I am confident we will emerge stronger and better for it. Our industry now requires some fresh thinking. It requires individuals with drive, enthusiasm, open minds, and technical know-how to steer a new course through a fast-changing environment.

SNAPSHOT: SUDIMA HOTELS Number of hotels and rooms (ANZSP): 6 hotels and 1,238 rooms Year first hotel opened: 2000 - Sudima Hotels’ first hotel property at Christchurch Airport Year the company was founded: 2000 Brands in the organisation: 6 – Sudima Hotels, Novotel Christchurch Airport, East (restaurant), Sunset (bar), The Lane (restaurant) and Moss (spas) Head office locations: Auckland

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At Sudima Hotels, we remain vigilant to the strenuous circumstances and the need for prudence with our forecasting. At the same time, we have worked diligently to position our people and our business to take advantage of opportunities in the future. We have not wavered on our long-term investment position.

We have commissioned new hotels throughout the crisis. These include the $80 million Sudima Auckland City and the $35 million Sudima Queenstown Five Mile. The $40 million Sudima Kaikōura is well under construction.

In addition, we are adding to our independent day spa collection. A feature of our new hotel ambitions are contemporary food and beverage experiences tenanted by aspirational food outlets. Located within Sudima Auckland City you’ll find the acclaimed EAST restaurant with a strong vegan offering, complimented by Sunset, an LA Vintage inspired roof top bar.

There is still, however, immediate challenges that our industry faces. Travel restrictions continue to hamper any meaningful recovery. The closed borders also meant our supply of labour evaporated, leading to a remuneration arms race and inflationary pressures. We have learnt from past major disasters in New Zealand that an economic recovery always takes longer than we think.

Yet within our company we have confidence, Sudima Hotels has always forged a path, setting trends long before it was fashionable. We continue to invest in our brand and our people, employees, guests, community, and environment.

We are currently able to travel within the country and our borders are set to reopen to fully vaccinated travellers on 30 April 2022. New Zealand has benefitted from very positive international media for our Covid responsiveness, and we are viewed favourably by international tourists.

I am excited for 2022 and beyond. I am confident we will start to see a recovery in our sector, and I have absolute confidence in our brands, our people, and our resolve. n

The premium A by Adina brand launched in Sydney last year

PANDEMIC CHALLENGES ASIDE, the last few years have been transformative for TFE Hotels with the development and launch of new and exciting brands and hotels; the growth of Collections by TFE Hotels with its unique model of close owner-operator collaboration; the introduction of new technology and products like Groups 360 egifts, Zip and Afterpay; and fresh thinking on the way we approach retention and recruitment.

Whilst Covid has continued to present challenges from an operational and business perspective, we have kept our eyes firmly on our targets for growth and improvement; we’ve opened 14 hotels across the network during the pandemic, including two exciting hotel brands - the colourfully quirky Quincy and the premium A by Adina.

TFE innovated in the F&B space with the opening of Dean and Nancy on 22 at A by Adina Sydney (in creative partnership with Maybe Sammy bar group), to the development of the Quincy Melbourne entertainment precinct which saw the Salted Egg and The Q concepts developed and managed in-house. And we’ll continue to do so.

As we head into 2022, it’s encouraging that vaccination rates are high and events like The Ashes and The Australian Open are going ahead. The domestic market is resilient, and we look forward to seeing the return of big-ticket events and the return of corporate and MICE business to the hotels.

In anticipation, we’ve hit the ground running this year with the opening of Travelodge Hurstville and relaunches of Adina Apartment Hotel Chippendale and Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne following extensive refurbishments. In the back half, Vibe Adelaide, and Adina Melbourne Pentridge will edge closer to opening and, excitingly, we look forward to taking two of our Australian brands offshore and into a new market as international borders start to open.

I’m proud that we haven’t rested on our laurels and that the innovation that we’ve seen over the past few years will continue in 2022 as the team, which prides themselves on creating a culture that nurtures diversity, brings fresh thinking to traditional employment models and tailored career pathways.

We know that, as the world is changing, so too are the expectations of work. And we understand that Covid has amplified the desire for more work life balance, work aligned to our personal values and personal flexibility. In Q4 last year, TFE launched a new benefits program that saw increased leave benefits, study and community leave and an

Chris Sedgwick

Group Chief Operating Officer, TFE Hotels Extensive refurbishments give TFE Hotels an edge in 2022.

“The world is changing, so too are the expectations of work” Chris Sedgwick, TFE Hotels

SNAPSHOT: TFE HOTELS Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): 79 hotels and 11,881 rooms Number of hotels and rooms (ANZSP): 65 hotels and 9802 rooms Year first hotel opened: 1982 Year the company was founded: 1963 Brands in the organisation: A by Adina, Adina Apartment Hotels, Quincy Hotels, Vibe Hotels, Rendezvous, Travelodge Hotels and Collection by TFE Hotels.

Head office locations: Berlin, Sydney

international exchange program between ANZ, Singapore and Europe. We’ll also continue to focus on development and learning support including our Executive Development Scholarships and Women in Leadership programs.

Attracting and retaining talent is a huge focus and we’re investing now in an HRIS integrated system which will stand us in good stead as we grow. This year, we’ll also be experimenting with new work patterns and ways of working through our new flexible work framework. Some of this may be temporary, some may be permanent. Our goal is to find the right balance and we know that this balance will differ for each role, each team member and work environment.

Excitingly, we’ll be placing a greater emphasis on creating efficiencies through technology; and a stronger focus on Corporate Social Responsibility across the group following the introduction of our Social Impact Charter last year.

We can’t control the pandemic, but we can plan for our future without it. TFE as a business is growing rapidly, and we see big opportunities on the horizon - particularly for mixed use and integrated developments across ANZ and Europe - as we return to this next normal. In addition to opening in new markets - Adina will debut in Switzerland - we have committed around $30 million for refurbishments in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide that will look at clever use of space and design and bring a fresh lifestyle approach to our apartment-style hotels.

2022 is going to be a good year in that regard. n hotelmanagement.com.au

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AFTER A CHALLENGING couple of years, we are looking at 2022 as a recovery year for Ayers Rock Resort.

With the borders now open, scheduled flights have returned from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane bringing visitors back to the spiritual heart of Australia.

With the recent challenges around state and territory borders, our charter flights initiative was an incredible success in 2021 with over 38 dedicated services into Uluru. Planning is underway to continue this program to support the current services offered by Jetstar who have been an outstanding partner throughout the difficulties of the pandemic.

Flight support is a key focus for us as we believe the domestic market will remain critical for the foreseeable future. We believe it still has significant growth potential as Australians continue to fall in love with their country and show a strong desire to learn more about the incredible depth of our First Nations culture and wisdom.

Working closely with Tourism Australia as our international borders reopen, it will be important to understand which markets will switch on first and what

Matthew Cameron-Smith Chief Executive Officer, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Attracting and retaining through recruitment drives and training is a key factor for success.

Guests enjoy outdoor Indigenous dining experience, Tali Wiru

“Recent changes to the working holiday and student visa programs will provide a much-needed pool of candidates for the entire industry.”

Matthew Cameron-Smith, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia SNAPSHOT: VOYAGES INDIGENOUS TOURISM AUSTRALIA Number of hotels & rooms: 6 hotels and 776 rooms Number of employees: 650 employees Year first hotel opened: 1984 Year the company was founded: 1992 Brands in the organisation: Ayers Rock Resort and Mossman Gorge Centre Head office locations: Sydney

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the post pandemic traveller will look like in terms of their needs, wants and desires.

Attracting guests also comes down to delivering a quality experience. Further to the multi-million-dollar refurbishments over the last two years, investment in our product is continuing with the Desert Gardens pool refurbishment now completed and a complete upgrade to the main Sails in the Desert pool area currently underway.

There are also many other reasons to visit Uluru in 2022 – in March we will celebrate the first anniversary of the outstanding Gallery of Central Australia which focuses on art and artefacts from this region and is providing emerging artists with the opportunity to showcase their work to a broader audience.

In April, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of our exclusive outdoor Indigenous dune-top dining experience, Tali Wiru, with some exciting updates being planned.

Opera Australia returns to Uluru from May 20-22 and we look forward to welcoming back their amazing artists to participate in several performances under the stars.

We are also well advanced with our plans to launch an exciting world-first Indigenous experience later in 2022.

Attracting and retaining the right talent will be a key success factor for us at Ayers Rock Resort. We are looking forward to graduating our next round of students from the Voyages National Indigenous Training Academy in February which has already seen around 500 trainees receive a nationally recognised Certificate 3 or 4 in hospitality, retail or horticulture.

This brings a new wave of skills and talent into the business and will complement our current Indigenous workforce as we continue to invest in training and developing our team to ensure they have a formalised career path and a supportive environment in which to develop their skills.

We are also undertaking a recruitment drive to help plan for the year ahead. Recent changes to the working holiday and student visa programs will provide a muchneeded pool of candidates for the entire industry as will the Pacific Labour Scheme. n

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