GM Q&A
Fun FOR ALL
Rydges Resort Hunter Valley spans over 600 acres of regional New South Wales
WITH OVER 470 TEAM MEMBERS, 417 ROOMS, THE LARGEST EVENTS FACILITIES IN THE REGION, NOT TO MENTION THREE TRAINS, A BREWERY, AN 18-HOLE GOLF COURSE AND AN EQUESTRIAN CENTRE UNDER HIS CARE, NO TWO DAYS ARE EVER THE SAME FOR RYDGES RESORT HUNTER VALLEY GENERAL MANAGER GARETH LONG, WHO SAT DOWN WITH RUTH HOGAN.
G
areth, you’re just a few months into this new chapter for the hotel under the Rydges brand. Tell us a bit about that transition.
I’ve been at the property almost two years. I had been with IHG for 20 years. So, when we found out that the operator was changing, it was big news. I’ve got a very good relationship with the owner, Dr. Jerry Schwartz, and thankfully, I think EVT saw that we had a really good team here who were doing a great job of running a big complex resort, so they were happy to have us, and we were happy to stay.
You’re running a major operation here. With such a large team, people management must be a huge part of your job?
Yes. We’ve got over 470 staff at the resort – we’re the largest employer from a hospitality perspective in the Hunter. We’ve got a great core group of people who have been here for a really long time – some since it opened 16 or 17 years ago – and they just love the place. And a lot of their friends and family end up working here as well. 32
HM The Business of Accommodation
Gareth Long, Rydges Resort Hunter Valley That country hospitality marries up really nicely with Rydges and its ‘Refreshingly Local’ ethos – knowing the space, not pretentious, just down to earth. It is like running a small city. We’ve got a championship golf course, we’ve got the Sydney Brewery, we’ve got restaurants, bars, and all the awesome things that Jerry invests in. He recently built an equestrian centre on the property and he’s building tennis courts at the moment – which we hope will attract some highquality tennis players. It’s big. It’s complex. Big teams. Big events. But it’s good, it keeps us busy.
The resort has some really impressive facilities for kids – it must be hugely popular with families? Absolutely. My daughter thinks I run Disneyland! So much of what Jerry does and invests in, is inspired by his children – they spend a lot of time up here. We just had a roller coaster turn up recently. We’ve got
