Mo 14 1 issuu by Adbourne Publishing

t h e au st r a l i a n

Motel Ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Journal

Well-judged refurbs balance STARS with dollars Hotel Beds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Something to think about...

PP 324494/00039

Volume 14 No. 1

Contents

30 A Guide to Quality LEDs 32 Cleanliness & Hygiene 34 Soft Upgrade for a Complete

54 57 60 64 70

5 7

Message from the Publisher Message from the Minister for Tourism W ell-judged refurbs balance STARS with dollars

12 Guest Room Technology 14 Can Bed Bugs be Prevented? 16 Hazardous Cleaning Products 19 Hotel Beds – something to think about...

2 The Instant World 2 24 What do nuclear weapons have to do with carpet stains?

New Look

36 0 4

42 44 46 51

Profiles – Alisha Crawford Lester Brett

Primrose Best Western Hotel What makes a good website Sink or Swim New NSW Health Regulations Product News

Should you set aside a training budget for cleaning staff? Hotel + Hospitality Furnishings at Furnitex 2013

30 per cent solar rebate

Motel Owners’ Journal

Don’t get caught in the castors Managing your super to suit you

26 Opportunity knocks on the motel

Well-judged refurbs balance STARS with dollars

room door

t h e au st r a l i a n

Hotel Beds – Something to think about...

PP 324494/00039

Seeking to improve Environmental Performance

Volume 14 No. 1

Front Cover: Sea Breeze Resort, Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef. Images courtesy of Axel Passeck, Sea Breeze Resort Exmouth. Copyright protected.

Advertising Sales Melbourne: Neil Muir Ph: (03) 9758 1433 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: neil@adbourne.com Adelaide: Robert Spowart PO Box 213, Summertown, SA 5141 Ph: 0488 390 039 Email: robert@adbourne.com

Production: Emily Wallis Tel: (03) 9758 1436 Email: production@adbourne.com Administration: Robyn Fantin Tel: (03) 9758 1431 Email: admin@adbourne.com Marketing: Tania Lamanna Tel: (03) 9500 0285 Email: tlamanna@bigpond.net.au

mo PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160

www.adbourne.com

DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Motel Owners Journal comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication. Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication. All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Underneath it all — clean. When it comes to making your guests feel comfortable, no detail is too small— and every surface matters. That’s why for over a century, hotels around the world have trusted Diversey to deliver the cleaning, sanitation, and hygiene solutions they need. In guest rooms, public areas, and restaurants and bars, we’re creating safer environments and sparkling interiors that help your guests feel right at home. We’re Diversey, and we’re leading the world toward a cleaner, healthier future. Ask us about Green Housekeeping and how we can help you achieve your Sustainability targets. 12711 enAUNZ 03/12

Learn more at www.diversey.com or call: Australia Toll free:1800 647 779 New Zealand Toll free: 0800 803 615

mo Message from the Publisher

s we go to print this issue the federal government has just handed down another budget.

On the next page the minister in charge of tourism, Gary Gray, gives a brief outline of his governments long term tourism strategy with Tourism 2020, along with other campaigns the government is currently committed to in the hospitality sector. As usual we have a wide variety of articles in this issue, which we hope you enjoy reading, giving some new ideas on how best to get the best out of your business. AAA always have some great advice on retaining and more so improving your star rating. Like any business we all need to know how best to spend a dollar to make your business grow.

Soap Aid > Story on page 66

Todays travellers and holiday makers, even more so than ever before, expect a certain standard no matter what your star rating, and those managers and owners whom watch the trends and implement the small things are the ones that keep ahead of the competition. Technology is moving at such a pace that it really is beneficial for any business to stay abreast of what is now available in their world, to keep you in the forefront of your competitors .Owning a motel is no different. Brendon Granger looks at some of the global technology trends that guests are

now expecting, and also at some of the basic technology motels now need in order to get that very important repeat business. He looks at social media, iVideo and iTV. While we are on technology, we have articles on search engines, online bookings, apps and websites. Michael Anderson talks about the importance of a good bed. Though keeping abreast of technology is important, nothing is better for a guest wanting to come back and stay with you again, than a good nights sleep and a great bed... Michael Anderson gives some terrific advice about buying and selecting beds. One of the biggest users of power is lighting, we asked the Lighting Council of Australia for some information on LEDS. Some states offer very generous incentives to change to LEDS like the VEET scheme in Victoria. Its worth exploring what incentives your state government offers. On page 66 there is an article on Soap Aid, something that a lot of the bigger hotels have become involved in. This is a great cause and maybe something you can do too. From Bed Bugs to carpet stains, you deal with it all... Regards Neil Muir

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Your Success is Our Business Sealy, Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most preferred bedding brand has been in partnership with the leaders in the accommodation industry for over 30 years. When choosing bedding for your business, you are making the biggest investment towards your success. The Sealy Commercial range is built with this in mind to provide: - Orthopaedically designed bedding for optimum comfort and support - Durability to withstand the stresses of commercial use - Superior sleep for your guests. You can trust Sealy Commercial to offer dedicated customer support and provide a customised bedding solution that is suitable to your property and budget. Call Sealy Commercial...your success is our business

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mo Message from the Minister for Tourism contribute $41 billion to Australia’s GDP and directly employs over 500,000 people. It also accounts for more than 8 per cent of Australia’s national export income.

otel owners and operators are a vital part of the tourism landscape in Australia. The accommodation sector is at the forefront of tourism experience and creates opportunities for travellers to discover regional Australia. The Australian tourism industry has great potential and the Government is committed to working with industry and state and territory governments to unlock this potential. I am committed to implementing the national long-term tourism strategy, Tourism 2020, which seeks to double the size of Australia’s tourism industry to between $115 billion and $140 billion in overnight visitor expenditure by 2020. I am proud to be the Minister responsible for the world’s eighth largest tourism industry, with the highest spend per visitor than for any other country. The industry’s entrepreneurial spirit has built almost 280,000 enterprises, which

The industry has shown outstanding resilience, with strong growth in both domestic day and overnight travel. In 2011-12, there was an eight per cent increase in total visitor expenditure – the fastest rate of growth since 2000-01. The stand out was domestic tourism. Domestic trip expenditure increased 11 per cent, the fastest since the National Visitor Survey began in 1998. The results are just as impressive on the international front. In 2011-12, Australia achieved a record six million international visitors. This impressive result has been influenced by Tourism Australia’s “There’s Nothing Like Australia Campaign”. Tourism Australia recently announced the finalists for the Best Jobs in the World campaign. Local Australian operators are seeing substantial increases in consumer interest for Australian working holidays and youth travel because of this campaign. Industry needs access to the labour with the skills they need at the time they need at the price they can afford. That is why as part of Tourism 2020, accommodation providers now have access to the Seasonal Workers’ Program to help fill seasonal vacancies. Similarly, Tourism Employment Plans are being developed in areas of tourism labour shortage to help industry develop grass roots solutions to local employment problems. The $8.2 million Workforce Futures program will also provide businesses with free workforce development advice and subsidised training places. Product quality and providing consumers with a value for money proposition that

differentiates us from our competitors will be central to the industry’s longterm success. The T-QUAL accreditation scheme provides tourism businesses with incentives to become quality accredited. The T-QUAL Grants (Tourism Quality Projects) and the Tourism Industry Development Fund (TIRF) provides the funds for businesses to develop quality tourism products, services and experiences. Since 2011, the T-QUAL and TIRF programs have provided the accommodation sector with funding of over $10.7 million. The proliferation of information distribution through digital channels is inspiring customers and empowering consumer decision-making processes, with more emphasis on social networks and seeking quality and value. I encourage you all too continually develop your online presence. To assist, through Tourism 2020 the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse has developed the tourism e-Kit, which is a collection of tutorials aimed at assisting tourism operators in successfully marketing their business online. I will continue the Government’s commitment to implementing Tourism 2020 and working with our partners in industry and across governments to address supply side barriers to growth as we continue the national approach to doubling the size of the Australia’s tourism industry overnight visitor expenditure by 2020. To read further information on Tourism 2020 and the opportunities available to you, visit www.tourism.gov.au.resort Gary Gray Minister for Tourism

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INTRODUCING AN ALL-NEW SCHEME After recognising that the travel industry and consumer expectations in Australia had evolved, STAR Ratings overhauled the scheme and changed the way it works. These changes are based on extensive consumer research and consultation with the accommodation sector that have delivered relevant evaluation criteria for the 21st Century traveller. In the past, the rating scheme was based on the facilities offered, but now a STAR Rating reects the quality, condition and range of facilities and services offered to guests. More importantly, STAR Rating evaluation criteria have been ranked according to their importance to the consumer, with properties measured and ranked against over 200 standards and quality guidelines. As a result, greater emphasis is placed on those areas, such as the bedroom and bathroom, which the guest believes are the most inuential on their overall experience. A STAR Rating now represents clear standards of quality, rather than superiority.

WHY BE STAR RATED? Z STAR Ratings are the third-most inuential source of travel information behind pictures of accommodation and recommendations from family and friends Z 85% of travellers use or have used STAR Ratings when choosing a place to stay Z Only 15% of travellers recognise or use self ratings Z The new scheme has been recognised by the Federal Government and has partnered with Tourism Australia’s T-QUAL Accreditation

BECOME STAR RATED NOW Contact our STAR Ratings Australia team on: P: (03) 8601 2225 E: licencemanager@aaatourism.com.au W: www.starratings.com.au

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Well-judged refurbs balance STARS with dollars When STAR Ratings Australia introduced its upgraded STARS assessment criteria some 18 months ago, some properties took advantage of the new criteria to help decide exactly how they should invest their maintenance and improvement dollars.

said. “If a property is at risk of losing half a STAR, the proprietor is bound to be a bit unhappy at first, but our assessors are not police – they are really advisers. They can be a real help in planning where best to spend a dollar to earn a dollar, while at the same time earning or keeping a STAR Rating.”

Sea Breeze Resort, Exmouth. Image courtesy of Axel Passeck, Sea Breeze Resort Exmouth. Copyright protected.

or many properties, the result is more than just retaining their STAR Rating – it is ensuring they achieve the best financial return on their investment. The detailed and specific nature of a STAR Ratings assessment provides clear guidance as to what’s needed, and many proprietors base their maintenance schedule quite closely on the assessor’s recommendations. STAR Ratings Australia national operations manager, George Campbell, says the inclusion of Quality and Condition scores has been a major step forward in maintaining standards. “Smart properties realise that styles and standards are constantly evolving, and the STARS assessment helps them to keep in touch with current trends,” he said. “By giving them scores for quality and condition, we give them a clear, independent reading on how their property is doing. When expectations move on, the assessment tells them. It’s the same with condition – when you are busy running a property day in and day out, it’s easy to overlook a gradual decline in condition, but the assessor will spot it.” Mr Campbell said STARS assessors were well placed to advise on improvements. “It’s a bit of a balancing act for the assessor and proprietor to maximise the benefit of an assessment,” he

A good example is the Comfort Inn Julie-Anna in Bendigo, where Tyrone Jones and Jenny Lewis-Jones have made good use of their assessor’s advice since taking on the leasehold four years ago. Tyrone is a firm believer in planning, and it shows in every aspect of their high-occupancy 4 STAR property. He sees the assessment as an important planning tool for maintaining and improving guest experiences. “The assessor gives you all the necessary feedback,” he said. “If you’re slipping, he or she will tell you exactly what to do to maintain your Rating. We also go carefully through the guidelines for assessment – it’s all there, such as the size and positioning of mirrors, how much lighting per square metre, the right places for power points. Follow the guidelines and you can’t go wrong.” It’s a similar story at the Golden Chain Sea Breeze Resort Exmouth, where the STARS assessment is one of the tools used to maintain the 28-room resort motel. In addition to preventive maintenance and cleanliness, general manager Nadine Vater says one of the top priorities is upgrading some of the studios from 3½ STAR to 4 STAR, guided by assessor Dean Cooper’s report. “For example, our studios, kitchens and bathrooms are already good, with good appliances and fit-out, but we are looking at more contemporary style design to get up to a 4 STAR standard,” she said.

Aston Hill Motor Lodge, Port Macquarie, Executive Room and Motel front. Images Courtesy of Aston Hill Motor Lodge, http://www.astonhill.com.au

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Executive Studio, Sea Breeze Resort, Exmouth. Images courtesy of Axel Passeck, Sea Breeze Resort Exmouth. Copyright protected.

changed the scheme fundamentally,” he said. “I looked at it long and hard and decided to go with the STARS, because it’s a responsible organisation that sets a standard so the consumer can know what to expect.”

Allowances and dispensations

Industry veteran Russ Dodson is another who values his assessor’s input when planning improvements to the Aston Hill Motor Lodge at Port Macquarie. As publisher of the Motel Assist and Motelinfo websites, he brings a wealth of knowledge and analytical skill to all his business ventures, including improvements to the Aston Hill. His upgrades raised the Facilities and Services score from 66% to 74% and increased the Quality and Condition score from 64% to 70% – more than enough to avoid losing its 4 STAR rating. “I sat down with the assessor Mal Dixon and worked out with him what we needed to do,” he said. “Some aspects of the motel were getting a bit tired, so we worked out a strategy to make it look great. We upgraded 16 bathrooms, including new shower screens and toilets, installed caesarstone benchtops in five of our best rooms, and also installed special new lighting.” Russ Dodson is a big believer in the STAR Rating scheme, especially the Quality and Condition scores. “The Quality score

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is an accommodation upgrade, so STAR Ratings Australia offers allowances and dispensations for properties that are undertaking refurbishment or upgrades to retain their STAR Rating. If your works are under way, or clearly locked into your plans, but won’t be finished by the end of the Moratorium Period in October, you may qualify for an allowance or dispensation. STARS national operations manager George Campbell said this was a practical, real-world way to achieve the scheme’s objective to improve the quality of Australia’s tourist accommodation product. “We understand that upgrades can take time, and we will work with licensees to ensure they retain their STAR Rating if they are genuinely committed to improving the quality of their guest facilities,” he said. “That’s why we have the allowance, so licensees have sufficient leeway to retain their STAR Rating. To find out about the allowances and dispensations, just ask your assessor, or email stars@aaatourism.com.au.”

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Guest Room Technology What Guests Want! Brendon Granger

These days most guests arriving at your motel will bring with them some type of smart device, iPhone, Tablet etc. In the last issue of MO, Brendon Granger discussed the impact this has on your motel with the need to offer your guests the basic technology of good internet access and connectivity to your TV. In this issue he discusses guest room technology, the global trends and how they impact what we as hoteliers need to provide our guests. We look at social media, iVideo and iTV.

Social Media Social Media, it’s here whether we like it or not. Facebook has 901 million active users. If Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world. There are 2.7 billion likes on Facebook every day. It is the second most visited website after Google.

Pinterest is another relatively new social media site. It was launched in March 2010. It’s really about pinning images and videos that you like, to an online Pin board. The key thing about Pinterest; is it has grown faster than Google and Facebook ever did. It has been the fastest site to reach the 10 million unique visitor mark. And, in January 2012, it was driving more referral traffic to retailers than LinkedIn, YouTube and Google Plus. And of course we can’t forget TripAdvisor which we are all familiar with in the hotel industry. It is the largest travel website. There are 50 million unique visitors each month. 61% of people are now researching travel online and one in four people check TripAdvisor before actually booking. This is why a number of the chains are now putting TripAdvisor information on their website so potential guests don’t need to go off TripAdvisor. They can actually get the information right there, because if they go away from the site, chances are, they might not come back. TripAdvisor has seen a strong mobile uptake since late 2011. Obviously, good things can be said about your property on TripAdvisor but on the flip side a poor technology experience could result in a bad review on TripAdvisor.

This is an interesting diagram. It shows how long it took each of these technologies to reach 50 million users.

So in summary, social media is a different way for people to interact. It’s a different way for companies to portray themselves and interact with their clients. It is very much in-the-moment technology and access from mobile devices is becoming extremely popular.

It took the radio, 38 years, the television 13 years, the Internet 4 years and the iPod 3 years, to reach 50 million users. Whilst in less than a year, Facebook reached 200 million users. I think this helps to put a new perspective on things.

More than half of Facebook users these days access Facebook from a mobile device. So, if you weren’t paying attention before, that means that more than 450 million people are accessing Facebook on a mobile device daily.

There are a couple of other social media portals worth mentioning. LinkedIn is one, with 150 million members, two members joining every second. 80% of companies now are using social media for their recruitment and of that 95% of them are using LinkedIn.

So, what is the impact of social media on hotels and motels?

The other one we should mention is Twitter. There are 500 million active users and million accounts added daily. That’s 1 every 11 seconds. Then there is YouTube which is the third most visited website on the web. It has 2 billion views per day. That is 23,000 every second. YouTube now counts for 10% of internet traffic. There are 829,000 videos uploaded every day and that is about 100,000 videos uploaded every 4 minutes.

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Well, many guests will want to connect to social media when they are at your property. They may, well, update TripAdvisor so you need to make sure they have something good to say. But once again, we see an increased demand for internet access. Social media increases the frequency of the use of internet for your guests. It also increases the number of locations where the guest may wish to connect. Years ago, we would simply have wireless internet access in the lobby or reception area, then guests wanted it in their rooms. Now, they want and expect it everywhere; function areas, pool, restaurants, you name it.

iVideo and iTV The fifth and final trend is iVideo and iTV. Basically people’s viewing habits have changed. People no longer sit down at a particular time to watch a program that they want. Instead they want to watch, what they want, when they want. So, the TV networks are providing access to programs via the internet; iView from the ABC, Channel 10, Channel 7. They all have a website where you can go and watch a previous episode via the web. There are also movie subscription websites such as Bigpond movies which let you download Movies straight to your PC or T-Box. In 2011, online subscriptions for Netflix, which is a US based movie site, hit 23.6 million subscribers in the US plus another 26 million worldwide. Further to that, over recent months, BBC iPlayer which is equivalent to our ABC’s iView has seen a particularly significant growth in requests from tablets and internet connected TV’s. They are now making up 40% of viewing devices.

What’s the impact on hotels? Guests want to catch up on their favourite TV program from their room. So, as we’ve said before, there’s less dependence on inhouse movies. There’s an increased need for internet access because they are streaming something over the internet. Because it’s streaming, there’s going to be an increased demand for bandwidth. There will also an increased demand for things like connectivity panels which will allow guests to connect their laptop or their tablet up to the TV so they can watch their content on the TV which these days will be larger TV’s, even up to 42 inches. We’ve talked about less dependence on in-house movies before. Many of you have probably seen a drop in video on demand revenue. Here are some statistics that the Mandarin Oriental Group put out probably just on 2 years ago now. They said that 30 to 35% of the guests were connecting to the internet whereas and only 4 to 6% were using video-on-demand. Given that the numbers are two years old (pre-iPad) internet connectivity is probably even higher and video-on-demand has decreased further.

In summary – what is the impact of these trends on hotel guest rooms? High speed internet access is expected from rooms and public spaces. There’s an increasing demand for more bandwidth and it’s only escalating. The demand for wireless networks is escalating and also there’s a need for greater signal strength for wireless as we see more smart phones and tablets being connected to hotel networks. Guests want to enjoy their own content from the comfort of their room so there’s an increased demand for connectivity to the TV as well. They’re demanding to connect multiple devices to the internet and the fact that they bring in multiple devices means there’s an increased demand for power outlets. For further information please contact Technology 4 Hotels Free call: 1300 503 657 Email: Brendon@Technology4Hotels.com.au Web: www.Technology4Hotels.com.au

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Can Bed Bugs be Prevented? Stephen L. Doggett i Director, Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145

The global resurgence in bed bugs was as unexpected as it was dramatic and there are few signs that infestations across the world are on the decline. It is not so much a question of if your facility may become infested with bed bugs, but more of a case when.

ed bugs are bloodsucking insects that can inflict a very nasty and irritating bite. The big problem is the associated financial costs. Bed bug eradication is expensive (even into the thousands) and if done poorly by the unskilled can result in the spreading of an infestation. This can substantially escalate control costs, even a hundred fold as has happened in at least one facility in the past. Guests bitten are unlikely to return and the negative publicity generated can severely affect a hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation. In one case, eight figure litigation (yes $20million!) was initiated as a result of a guest being attacked in an upper end hotel. So what can you do to prevent bed bugs? The simple answer is very little. However, a great deal can be done to reduce the risk of bed bugs becoming established and developing into a major fiscal burden for your organisation. Broadly speaking there are four phases of a bed bug infestation; the Introduction of the insect, the Establishment of the pest, the Growth of the infestation, and finally the Spread of the insect. Strategies can be implemented that can combat bed bugs for each of the four phases and these will be discussed below. Most importantly however, an organisation should have as part of their risk management process, a Bed Bug Management policy. The policy should cover aspects such as training, documentation of bed bug activity, work health and safety, the eradication processes, and those aspects dealing with the reduction of bed bug risks. To assist the hospitality industries and those that provide beds for others, a generic policy has been developed by the author of this article. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Bed Bug Management Policy & Procedural Guide for Accommodation Providersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is available as a free download from: http://medent.usyd.edu.au/bedbug/man_policy.htm. You are welcome to use this policy and to adapt it for your specific circumstances. A bed bug management policy that is adopted and adhered too may also reduce the potential for litigation. So what are the various strategies that can be implemented with the four phases of a bed bug infestation? Introduction. Educating travellers and tenants on how to avoid bed bugs in the first place will help to reduce the spread of the insects in the long term to all affected stakeholders. People need to be able to recognise the signs of the insect (live bed bugs and their spotting) as well as to know where the bed bugs are most likely to hide. A quick search of the mattress, particularly along the beading nearby to the wall, will usually result in the discovery of an infestation if present. Establishment. To reduce the risk of a bed bug infestation establishing if introduced, it is necessary to make the

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environment less suitable. Bed bugs behaviour means that they prefer to live in hidden areas, notably cracks and crevices. Certain types of beds such as ensemble bases tend to be more bed bug friendly by providing numerous places where the insect can hide, although this can be obviated by the installation of mattresses encasements. Bed heads and certain type of furnishings should be avoided, notably wicker cane. All cracks and crevices in the room should be filled with caulking. Growth. Preventing the growth of a bed bug infestation revolves around early detection. Early detection means that control is more likely to be successful and minimises the risk of the infestation spreading; ultimately this is about saving you money. As housekeepers are at the coal face where bed bugs are mostly likely to be found, namely the bed, training such staff in bed bug recognition can be of huge benefit. Otherwise, proactive pest inspections can be undertaken, either by experienced staff in-house or by professional pest managers. The frequency of such inspections would be dictated by the history of bed bug activity. Bed bug detection dogs are widely utilised in the US and are very sensitive at even detecting small bed bug numbers. Sadly very few bed bug dogs are in Australia as some hotels are concerned about image problems in case guests think that the dogs are present for bomb or drug detection. It is however possible to introduce dogs via covered carts so that guests are unaware of the animals. For those that provide accommodation for others, tenants should be encouraged to report on the suspicion of bed bug activity in a timely manner. Spread. If an infestation is discovered, then prompt action is required and a professional pest manager with experience in bed bug control should be contacted immediately. ‘Detect early and act quickly’ should be the mantra recited when it comes to bed bug infestations. The infested room should be quarantined, and any infested material needs to be treated or bagged before removal. Items removed should be rendered unusable. Guests’ belongings should be treated for bed bugs if they are exposed to an infestation.

Do you really know all the costs of running your laundry? Electrolux Laundry Systems Uses less power and water than other Washer Extractors The Danish Energy Association invited 5 leading suppliers Electrolux, Ipso, Meile, Primus and Schutless to participate in the consumption data study. The Association then staged the independent testing of commercial Washer Extractors from the five suppliers in accordance with established industry standards and these are the results: The Electrolux machine uses: • 19% less power consumption than the average • 35% less water consumption that the average The test examined independently verified and uniform consumption and performance data in accordance with EN IEC 60445 – the basis for European energy marking systems for domestic washing machines. The Electrolux machine tested was the W465H Economy Washer Extractor, examined on two program settings Wash (3A03) and Economy (3A01). All other suppliers submitted a like sized machine for testing. Its official – the Electrolux machines consume less water and power than other leading brands. Electrolux environmental considerations don’t stop with water and energy efficient machines... All Electrolux commercial laundry products are manufactured to ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard that incorporates materials composition, environmental impact during manufacturing process, recycling, packaging, distribution and environmental safety.

Have you received your complimentary saving wheel from Electrolux Laundry Systems? Take the load off with an in-House Laundry and save money.

Ultimately, no one strategy should be relied upon as bed bug risk reduction involves a multi-disciplinary approach. Very importantly, all bed bug management should be in accordance with the industry standard, ‘A Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia’. Currently the Code is up to the fourth edition and is also available for free from www.bedbug.org.au. Finally, beware of companies touting miracle bed bug cures; there is no such thing, and the market is flooded with ineffectual products. The Working Party behind the Code of Practice reviews all technology and only includes those where there is evidence of efficacy. The use of any management device not specifically supported within the Code is best avoided. Stephen Doggett is a world authority on bed bugs and their control, and is the Director of Medical Entomology at Westmead Hospital. He is the principal author of ‘A Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia’ and author of ‘A Bed Bug Management Policy & Procedure Guide’. For consultancy on bed bugs, please contact Stephen; Stephen.Doggett@swahs.health.nsw.gov.au

For your complimentary saving wheel please contact Electrolux Laundry Systems on:

1300 888 948 or email sales@electroluxlaundry.com.au www.electrolux.com/professional

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Hazardous Cleaning Products Marslie Smits i Rubbedin Pty Ltd

xceptional housekeeping is vital if you want to turn your hotel or motel into a destination rather than a place to stay. It’s a 24 hour and 365 day operation that contributes towards the overall reputation of your premises. But an important part of housekeeping is not only about the cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, front and back of house and surroundings; it’s about ensuring the health and safety of all of your employees and guests too. Add to this the focus on environmental conservation, and housekeeping within the hospitality industry has had to change many of its habits, especially when it comes to the chemicals they are using. Protecting the environment from harsh and hazardous chemicals is one thing, but what about the exposure to guests? There is nothing worse than walking into your immaculate looking room only to find the bathroom smells so strongly of bleach that it affects your breathing. And if that’s the exposure to guests, what about the exposure to people using the chemicals? Working with hazardous chemicals can be dangerous and the consequences for employees can be serious. Exposure can cause serious accidents as well as contribute to many health effects from irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes, dermatitis and respiratory disorders, to heart ailments, kidney and lung damage, even cancers. Individuals should be able to work without undue risk of injury, pain and distress. Organisations are well aware of their legal obligations when it comes to the Work Health and Safety Act and the need to have safety solutions in place to protect all workers from injury and illness, through effective safe systems of work and through risk assessments. In addition to the need to keep people safe, there are legal requirements for

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managing chemicals that are classified as hazardous substances. But with all these existing rules and regulations in place, wouldn’t it be easier to eliminate the risks by adopting a green purchasing policy? Green purchasing is defined as the purchase of products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products and services that serve the same purpose. Choosing less hazardous products that have positive environmental attributes and taking steps to reduce exposure can minimise the harmful impacts to both employees and guests, improve indoor air quality, and reduce water and air pollution while also ensuring the effectiveness of cleaning.

So what should you look for? With so many products on the market and claims such as “natural”, “environmentally friendly”, “eco safe” etc., purchasers need to be careful before they rush in and buy. Just because the label says it’s green, isn’t necessarily the case. Chemical classification and environmental standards for cleaning products are constantly changing and some products that make claims or have endorsements may no longer be as “green” as they claim under new the new NOHSC classifications or latest GECA Standards. If you want to ensure you are getting something that isn’t covered in greenwash, ask vendors and manufacturers offering green cleaning products to define their green claims. Request a copy of the MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) before purchasing your cleaning

products. A product’s MSDS is the best source of information; if the chemicals are designated as a hazardous substance it will be stated on the MSDS. These Material Safety Data Sheets will help to identify any potential health and safety effects and the precautions to follow when using the chemical. They also provide information on safe handling, storage and disposal, and first aid instructions in the event of exposure. If, after reading the MSDS, you decide that there are risks associated with using a chemical, or having it in the workplace, you will need to eliminate or reduce the risks, or better yet, find an alternative product. Here are some things to look for when choosing the right green products: • Minimal presence of, or exposure to, potentially harmful chemicals such as: – Strongly irritating substances such as D-Limonene. Otherwise

known as Orange Oil, D-Limonene, (a biodegradable substance), is extremely irritating to skin, eyes and respiratory systems. It can also be toxic to aquatic life. – Substances classified as known or likely human carcinogens or reproductive toxins. • Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) content • Biodegradable • Low toxicity in aquatic species • No phosphates and low sodium levels • Low flammability • Concentrated formulas with appropriate handling safeguards • Recyclable packaging • Recycled-content packaging

• Refillable bottles • Pump sprays rather than aerosols • Clear labelling and information on use and disposal • Independent third party certification is under current Standards Greening your hotel or motel and ensuring the risks to employees, guests and the environment are minimised, need not be difficult. Cleaning your premises has to be effective and there are many products available that can achieve the same level of performance at a reduced cost to all. For more information on green procurement visit www.earthcheck.org For current GECA Cleaning Products Standards 2012 visit www.geca.org.au .....See GECA article also in this issue....

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

PRESENTED BY:

18 - 20 JUNE 2013 BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

CO-LOCATED WITH:

CLEANSCENESHOW.COM.AU

SPONSORED BY:

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Hotel Beds – something to think about... Michael Anderson i Sleepmaker

When was the last time you purchased a bed for your hotel? What criteria did you stipulate when buying that bed? What questions did you ask when buying your bed? Was it the cheapest bed you could buy, or was it purchased with your guests in mind and to make them the most comfortable they could be?

ith so many beds to choose from it can be like navigating a maze trying to decide which suits both your property, and your guests the best. But, if you stopped and took the “what suits my property” out of the equation and bought the bed that suits your guests the end result would look much different. A 15 year old sagging bed is not exactly what your guests are looking forward to, and most likely that guest will never come back. Whilst the industry says the cycle is around 6-8 years for replacement depending on usage and condition, a sad reality in this country is that it is quite often 8-12+ years, or even more in some instances. I often hear from customers that they bought the bed that was recommended would suit their property, or that it’s “just a bed”. For instance a “3 Star” Bed, which may be OK in terms of it being satisfying the definition of a bed, but what about the guest? Sadly guests all too often hear “you get what you pay for” when it comes to accommodation, but what if that property had bought the best bed they could buy? A well-known and successful industry operator once told me that every year he increases his room rates, usually only by $5 or $10 a night, but in return he always gave his guests something back, new flat screen

TV’s, new Beds, a Pillow Menu, Wi-Fi, there was always something in return... So when you do the sums on a rate increase, you can see where your payback comes from... Food for thought... In this age of social media, it is very easy for guests to post their thoughts and feelings online, Facebook, twitter and Trip Advisor all play a big part in the daily lives of the traveller and easily shared when they have a good or a poor experience. So why not utilise to your advantage, and offer the best you possibly can? Your property will benefit greatly if you can offer a great room with a great night’s sleep, and your guests will keep coming back. The Accommodation industry as a whole is only just in the past couple of years starting to realise the benefit of a “great bed” instead of “just a bed for the best price”. Some, such as Westin Hotels recognised this fact over a decade ago and developed the Westin Heavenly Bed, which is one of the main features of a Westin room, and has been very successful. What is now also being actioned by a majority of Hotel Groups & Chains around the world – is just how do we get the best beds we can possibly have, and keep our guests coming back? Hotel Groups are working with major bedding manufacturers and standardising bedding, so that every Hotel within that group is designed to give you the same standard of comfort and service. There are numerous studies and surveys being done on what guests want in a hotel, with the results pointing to a great night’s sleep in a comfortable clean room and a good shower (or bathroom) all determining factors when choosing a hotel. AAA have also revamped their ratings criteria to include scores for quality bedding in Australia across the industry, so regardless of your property, you can still achieve good ratings for your bedding and possibly increase your star rating just by having a great bed in your guest rooms. Sure, there

are other wish lists like free broadband Wi-Fi, big flat screen TV’s with seamless connectivity to a half dozen devices, loyalty programmes and free nights, but without a satisfied guest and a good night’s sleep, none of these things really matter so much as a good bed when you look at numerous industry survey results. A good night’s sleep is critical to the success of a business trip, so hotels are putting new emphasis on the bed. 71 percent of us are not meeting the daily suggested requirement of 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep,” says James B. Maas, a Cornell University professor of psychology who specialises in sleep and has consulted with Marriott, Wyndham and Starwood. Recent studies by Maas and others show that sleep improves memory and performance, while lack of it erodes productivity, coordination, judgment and attention to detail. “More than once people have signed contracts with not enough zeros!” says Maas. Increasingly travellers are getting the message and putting a good bed high on their list of priorities. According to J. D. Power & Associates, a comfortable bed and pillow choices are must-haves for travellers. Remarkably, that has been the case only for the past two years – in the prior 22 years of Powers’ survey of hotel satisfaction, a good bed and pillow have never cracked the top five of necessities. A recent survey by Accor found the following important factors were of importance to guests: usiness travellers’ expectations focus on •B their experience in the hotel: for them, the room is particularly important. The bed is considered the essential feature of the room’s comfort. 71% consider the bedding quality the most important hotel service, followed by bathroom quality and staff courtesy. •R oom comfort is particularly important because 92% of business travellers

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work during their hotel stay. In general, business travellers work during their free time in the evenings As their exclusive bedding supplier in Australasia, Sleepmaker have been working closely with Accor, and recently developed a number of new beds for the group, with the new Ibis Sweet Beds being rolled out across the country as part of Accor’s rebranding of the Ibis Hotels. In addition there is a new Pullman Hotel bed, which features a temperature controlling memory foam (Visco Gel) incorporated into the bed which uses a 5 Zone spring unit to maximise guest comfort. The feedback so far has been extremely positive, with responses ranging from “where can I buy this bed” to “the best night’s sleep I have ever had”, so the end result speaks for itself. We are also continually working with new and existing customers, and a number of Hotel Groups in Australia to test and develop new beds for their individual brands and hotels, which range from 3 to 5 Star. As part of this we are continually conducting our own in depth research whilst working closely together with industry groups and customers. This information will assist Sleepmaker in how we develop even better Hospitality beds in future, along

with helping our customers and the industry overall recognise what is really important when it comes to guest comfort, and buying the right bed. As one of Australia largest bedding companies, Sleepmaker are continually developing new beds and setting standards within the accommodation industry that others strive to achieve. We also have the benefit of being the Australian Licensee for Simmons & Serta, both world leaders in bedding and recognised industry leaders as Preferred Bedding suppliers to the likes of Starwood (including the Westin Heavenly Bed), Shangri-La, Hilton, IHG, Langham, Marriott, Park Hyatt, Wyndham, Choice, Best Western etc. to name a few. Uniquely, Sleepmaker is the only bedding company in Australia who produces their own foams and springs in Australia for use in our beds, and we are at the forefront of bedding technology and a leader in Hospitality Bedding. All our beds are made in Australia, with 5 bedding factories across the country, and we are committed to producing high quality Australian made beds for the Accommodation industry, which allows us to have total control over the quality of our beds. Our environmentally friendly process’s and materials are also

recognised by Earth Check, and we recycle everything at a production level within the factories. We develop and use specific high quality commercial grade foams (such as our ViscoGel Memory Foam) for use in our Hotel beds. This also carries through with our own Australian made spring units utilising One Steel. Thus ensuring both superior guest comfort and longevity of our beds in demanding, high usage environments such as Hotels. So, next time you are looking for a bed for your property, ask these questions: • Is the bed made for Hospitality? • Does it use commercial grade foams & springs developed for Hospitality? • Does it meet or exceed industry standards? • Is this the best bed I can put into my guest rooms? • Would this bed keep my guests coming back? • Will my guests like it so much they’ll want to buy the bed? If you can answer yes to all these questions, then you have made the right decision.

George, Henry & Hetty. Vacuum is their middle name. The cleaning solutions people

They come from the well-known family of Numatic. So you know they have the best pedigree and are as tough as nails. When you take on a famous name like Henry, Hetty or wet’n’dry George, you’ll be smiling too. Call the experts on 08 9410 9588 or visit us at intervac.com.au

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The cleaning solutions people

www.sleepmaker.com.au/commercial

fort edg om

Miracoil 5™ is especially designed to reduce partner disturbance. The patented design transfers weight down the length of the mattress, minimising partner disturbance.

•

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The all new Sleepmaker Commercial range features the Miracoil 5™ Spring System, famous for its outstanding zoned support and ability to cater to all shapes and sizes. The super high wire gauge of the Miracoil 5™ also decreases the potential for body impressions. When guest comfort and durability is paramount, always choose Sleepmaker.

f o rt e d g

Comfort Edge™ is an Ultra Fresh™ treated cushioned edge that reduces mattress ‘roll out’ whilst maximising the usable sleeping surface.

With full control over the manufacturing process at five locations nationally, our commitment to Australian Made products has never been stronger.

Sleepmaker Commercial Ph: 1800 425 903 mo | Vol 14 No. 1 | 21 E: commercial@sleepmaker.com.au

The Instant World Chantal Mortimer i Centium Software

We no longer live in a world where information is

ist of guests that have been in-house more than 7 days •L

buried in a pile of paper nor where we patiently wait

It would mean instant knowledge about everything that is happening at your property in the next 24 hours, giving you better insight and better planning of the day’s priorities. It will also highlight any anomalies so you can rectify problems early.

for things to happen. The world has gone instant (just in case you hadn’t noticed!)

nd, in the ‘instant world’ our expectations have changed regardless of whether we are the guest checking in or the busy proprietor juggling room service trays, coordinating the housekeeping staff and checking guests out. We all want what we want, and we want it now. Without a doubt, the last few years has been heavily focused on changing our systems and processes to online bookings, with real time inventory and secure credit card transactions, to simplify managing our guests and room inventory. Instant bookings, instant payments, instant occupancy. Instant everything is all good and fine but to manage it we need tools that are also instant, tools to streamline the raft of information that is the heart of running a property and get all the detail out of the ever increasing paper pile and put it at our fingertips. Consider what it would mean for your day if you received a brief report in your email at 7 am every morning with the following information: • Number of guests checking in/out today

• Your occupancy and the number of guests in-house tonight • Groups arriving and the number of rooms available for sale • Tomorrow’s occupancy and rooms still available • List of guests due to check in today with allocated rooms and notes • Over 30 Days Debtors list • Housekeeping summary with stays and departs • List of guests with room accounts over $500

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Does your Property Management Systems provide you with this ‘instant’ knowledge and save you printing a myriad of reports that just collect on the end of your desk? “We are constantly developing new tools to help our customers run their business,” Trevor Gardiner, CEO of Centium Software said, “and GuestPoint’s® new Daily Flash Report has been very well received. It makes the point that while technology can collect a wealth of information, and be extracted in a wide variety of reports, we just don’t have the time anymore to print them out, let alone read them!”

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“The best part about the Flash Report is that it is automatically emailed, at your nominated time every day, and in a format that can be quickly read,” Trevor added. Pursuing more time saving innovations has the team over at Centium developing another new mobile app, this time to assist with housekeeping, another boon for the instant world. The Housekeeping app, with real-time updates, lets housekeeping staff just tap a button on their mobile phone or tablet to let Reception know when a room has been completed. “Whether you have 10 rooms or 100, I am sure this free app will be a very useful and timesaving tool especially as it instantly updates GuestPoint® when a room is cleaned,” Trevor said. Trevor Gardiner is a motel proprietor and the CEO of Centium Software, producers of the award winning GuestPoint® property management system. For more details www.centiumsoftware/guestpoint/intro

Great looking new website Commission-free online bookings Mobile website and booking page Automatic rates and inventory updates to your online channels (eg Wotif) Facebook booking page Secure Credit Card Vault RevenueMaximizer™ to automatically maximize your rates

Call us today on

1300 236 848 SOFTWARE

www.centiumsoftware.com/guestpoint mo |

Vol 14 No. 1 |

What do nuclear weapons have to do with carpet stains? Col Nation

Whether you run a large hotel or a small motel, cleanliness is one of the most important factors when guests decide where to stay and if to come back.

ome stains that you see on carpet seem as if they have been made with some sort of nuclear reaction when you try to clean them out with our standard cleaning processes. Sometimes it just looks like a teenager has exploded in the room, but that isn’t the link to the title of my article. Read on to find out more about how we can protect our carpets from life’s little accidents, general soiling, or exploding teenagers. In 1938 Roy Plunkett was working for the DuPont company looking for a new gas that could be used for refrigeration as

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the old gasses of ammonia and sulphur dioxide were far too dangerous for use in the home refrigerator. He was working with the new fluorocarbon chemistry and made an accidental discovery when he tried to store his limited supply of the new gas at really cold temperatures. It formed a solid flaky substance inside the container. This new material was Polytetrafluoroethelene or PTFE for short. The TFE part gave us the name Teflon which is a registered trademark of the Du Pont Company. There have been a number of other versions produced by other companies since then. So they had a new material, PTFE, but didn’t have any uses for it until they discovered that it was really slippery, had a very high melting point and nothing seemed to react with it. One of its very first uses was in the Manhattan Project, the world’s first nuclear bomb. It was used to coat some metal components

to prevent corrosion. Rusty equipment is probably not what you want when handling and experimenting with such dangerous materials. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that PTFE made its way into cookware and now there probably isn’t a home in Australia that doesn’t have at least one non-stick frypan in use. Later adaptations of the polymer made its way into carpets. Who can forget the ads on TV with late artist, Pro Hart, sliding through spaghetti and lately his grandson driving a remote control car through piles of food to create a replica painting of one of Pro Hart’s ‘dragonfly’ paintings that the poor housekeeper has to remove using nothing but a scrubbing brush and bucket of water. In this case they were advertising the virtues of a fibre coated with PTFE. So this brings us to the question of “Does a carpet protector really work?”

In my opinion it certainly does, especially with nylon carpets. Nylon has always had to compete with the proven qualities of wool. Wool has been used for thousands of years in the making of rugs and upholstery and even garments. While wool does absorb moisture, it will repel liquid for quite some time which gives you time to blot up spills before they become a problem. Earlier nylon fibres would rapidly absorb liquids and would soil and stain much quicker than wool and these carpets really benefit from an application of protector. Did you know that both wool and nylon can be dyed with the same types of dye? Acid dyes have been around for quite some time and are used to dye both wool and nylon. Did you also know that food colourings that go into the likes of cakes and soft drinks to produce the bright colours that our kids seem to love is made from the very same dyestuff that is used to dye both wool and nylon fibres? So when we spill coloured drinks on to white nylon or wool, we end up with coloured areas that will not clean out with normal cleaning. We have dyed the fibre to the colour of the spilt drink. You can clean it all day long and still have a nice clean red cordial stain. So, if we coat a fibre with a PTFE based protector, we change the properties of that fibre so it resists the staining. It doesn’t make it bullet proof, but at least it buys you time to clean up a spill and if you can’t be there to clean it up immediately it will at least minimise the staining making your job much easier later on. A good protector has other benefits as well. It will help slow the rate of soiling which means the carpet or lounge will look good for longer. It also reduces the amount of detergents required when we do our scheduled maintenance cleaning so it can have some positive environmental benefits as well. Carpet and furnishings stay cleaner longer and this can extend the life of the article being protected. One question that I am often asked is, “Should I have a wool carpet protected?” When I speak with various scientists from around the world, some will say that wool doesn’t need a protector and some will say that it certainly does. After a lot of discussion I have been able to deduce that those who say it doesn’t need it are referring to the fact that wool has a natural lanoline content and this will repel liquids. It certainly does this

while it is in its raw form but in order to make carpet into a variety of colours, the manufacturers must scour the wool to remove nearly all of the lanoline or the dyes simply won’t stick to the fibre. But wool has another line of defence that nylon carpets do not. Wool is coated in a layer of scales made from a protein called Keratin. This is the same protein in your own finger nails. This means that it has a protective shield already, but after a short period of time, this shield gets abraded from foot traffic and eventually gets damaged and this will let the spills penetrate easily. So you will usually easily see the benefits on wool from the application of a protector, especially as it ages. One thing that I have found is that none of the scientists have ever said that protecting a wool carpet with a PTFE causes any deleterious effects. One of these scientists said to me that he didn’t believe that it would actually stick to a wool carpet, but over the many years that I have been around the industry I have found that it does stay in the fibre and will help protect a carpet for around 2-3 cleans. This means that it doesn’t have to be re-applied every single clean, especially if the right detergents are being used. If you contract a carpet cleaner who states that he has to apply a protector every single time he cleans it, then he or

she is probably using the wrong type of detergent when they are cleaning it. So yes, wether you have wool or synthetic carpet or upholstery, I believe that protectors are a great investment in order to keep your décor looking good. But a good protector is only as good as the application. I’ve seen many a new lounge suite ruined because of an inadequate or streaky application of a protector. This means that the lounge will soil at different rates and can become streaky with time, especially after cleaning when the protected areas clean so much better than the bits that were missed. So while nuclear chemistry and exploding teenagers are not the normal when it comes to soiling, a good protector is still a wise investment. Col Nation is the owner of ABBsolve Services, (www.abbsolve.com.au) a specialist upholstery cleaning service on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He also runs Nation Training (www.nationtraining.com.au) which provides specialised training in the field of carpet and upholstery maintenance. Nation Training provides training in Australia and New Zealand for the WoolSafe Organisation. Colin was the author of the draft of the Australian Standard for upholstery cleaning which was published as A/NZ Standard 4849.1 in 2003 and this year was elected President of the Individual Cleaners Association of Australia and New Zealand (ICAN).

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Opportunity knocks on the motel room door iAN CROOKS i RESORT BROKERS AUSTRALIA

Accommodation occupancy rates in Australia are rising, yet growth in room numbers remain low. Over time, the laws of demand and supply have pushed prices higher. But investment in new rooms has not kept pace.

now see a very strong case for accommodation investment. Motel development has stagnated for too long. Australia needs at least 100 new motels, of 30 to 40 rooms each, in key locations now! However the investment must be well-targeted. According to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the national occupancy rate for hotels, motels and serviced apartments (15 or more rooms) rose to 65.8% in 2012, up from 65.3% in 2011. For someone who has been in the industry for as long as I have, these are impressive figures. For the 20 or so years up to the mid-2000s, the traditional average occupancy rate hovered around 57 – 59%. The industry’s other key performance indicator, revenue per available room (RevPAR), has also climbed. ABS data shows it rose from $103.83 in 2011 to $107.99 in 2012. Anecdotally, I can tell you average room rates in most areas have increased by about $25 net of GST in the past four years, driven by the accommodation shortage. National figures show a steady and encouraging upward trend. But we need

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to drill deeper, looking at the detailed regional results to identify where the opportunities lie. Australia’s accommodation industry is a patchwork landscape with its cities and regions subject to diverse economic factors and influences. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory recorded the greatest trading improvements from 2011 to 2012. Again reminding us of the importance to our industry of the resources and energy sectors. In Queensland, for example, while the average daily rate (ADR) statewide has risen by almost 12% over the last five years, the regional results vary wildly. According to figures provided M3 Properties, the 5-year change in ADR swung dramatically from a rise of 41.5% in the resource boom-affected Central Queensland region to a fall of 9.4% in tropical North Queensland, where they’ve had to contend with the double whammy of the GFC-driven tourism downturn and natural disasters. In the regions impacted by mining and energy industry fluctuations, the supply issue is complex. In times of peak construction activity, for example, there are never enough motel rooms and mining camps are established to meet peak accommodation needs.

The motels are still busy catering for executive and regular business and holiday guest demand. But when the mine construction activity scales back, the camps pack up and leave. Remaining operations personnel, however, still need accommodation and they turn to the motels. There are never enough. So why is it that these prime opportunities have largely gone begging? Why have developers been slow to fill the supply gap? One of the biggest hurdles is often state and local authority red tape, involving lengthy development approval processes and associated costs. That’s why I’m so impressed with new modular and pre-built motel delivery

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The Original and still No. 1 mo |

Vol 14 No. 1 |

options featured recently in the Informer. The time and cost savings offered by both the R.I. Kenco Spa Modular Building Systems design and Podfirst’s motel units present innovative, viable solutions to our motel supply needs. R.I. Kenco’s Italian-designed and prefabricated Modus units arrive flat-packed. With a build time of just eight weeks from start to finish, you have a new motel in place for around $50,000 - $60,000 per room. In the case of Podfirst, the architecturally designed, pre-built masonry motel rooms are delivered as connection-ready pods, from $42,000. They have reinforced, concrete-filled wall panels over a concrete slab floor, with sub-floor services, all ready to plug in. Forecaster Deloitte Access Economics anticipates room occupancy rates in Australia are going to further increase from 65% to 68% by 2014.

population includes a large bubble of baby boomers who’ll be spending more and more time in pursuit of leisure.

2012 report, there’s only been a net increase of around 730 nationally since then. That’s a huge shortfall.

While international visitor numbers are rising, more and more Australians are choosing to holiday at home. And our own

Tourism Australia, in 2009, announced we needed to deliver 40,000 more accommodation rooms by 2020. But according to their state of the Industry

I can honestly say, the long-term outlook for motels is stronger now than any time in the almost three decades I have been in this industry. Opportunity is knocking.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Seeking to improve ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

ncreasingly, organisations are seeking to improve their environmental performance. And this is just as prevalent in the hospitability sector. There are many drivers for this, but in the end it is often the bottom line that will ultimately decide what changes are made. The good news is that when it comes to environmental performance, improvements can actually bring a smile to the CFO as well. More efficient use of resources is almost always directly linked to saved costs. A greener building has been showed to increase productivity and green credentials can be marketed to increase brand loyalty. Improving one’s green performance means procuring more sustainable products. But trying to work out which product is better can be a challenge sometimes. It is near impossible for an individual, or indeed most companies, to scrutinise in detail all the credentials of a product to determine its “greenness”. Take cleaning products as an example, something that plays an important part in the day to day operations of housekeepers. There can be all sorts of claims, such as ‘Natural’, ‘Organic’ and ‘Green’ often accompanied by a range of images designed to give the impression of “greenness”. But putting a leaf, a globe or a smiley sun on your products doesn’t make them good for the environment and certainly doesn’t help us make an informed decision. And many claims, even if correct, don’t give the full story. For example, some cleaning products give the impression that being phosphorous free makes them green. Yet for many types of cleaning products – including many of the major brands on sale – phosphorous isn’t used, so the claim is pretty much irrelevant. There are many factors to take in to account and for a product, cleaning or otherwise, to be better for the

environment. Its environmental impacts throughout its life, from manufacture to use and disposal – including its packaging and the claims on the packaging – need to be considered to give a true picture; it needs to address more than just one or two of these. And of course the product needs to work effectively. The good news is that help is at hand. The national not-for-profit Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) exists to reduce environmental harm by promoting the production and consumption of environmentally preferable products and services and making it easier for people to choose them. It recognises that it’s simply not good enough for manufacturers to make their own claims as to their products’ “greenness” or for them to decide which things are important in making such claims. And the problem can remain when ecolabels are created by industry groups and for profit companies. These labels can potentially mislead the consumer or suggest environmental performance is greater than it really is. In some instances manufacturers can place their own ecolabel on a product without changing the design and life cycle effects of their products and services.

environmental credentials by using the GECA ecolabel on their packaging and advertising. Standards are developed using a transparent and public process that incorporates the application of detailed environmental performance criteria. Only once an organisation demonstrates through the independent verification that its product is in conformance with a GECA standard, will GECA issue the organisation with a licence for that product. The organisation is then entitled to display the GECA Ecolabel on the product and in marketing material, and to claim the product is ‘GECA certified’. GECA recognises that many organisations want to do the right thing and purchase (and sell) products that are better for the environment. By providing transparent and rigorous processes we provide credibility and integrity to this process and together we help reduce the demand on natural resources, and reduce the risk to the community and the environment. By selecting GECA certified products you can have confidence that you are part of this action. And if a product you use or want to buy isn’t certified or you’re not sure about its environmental credentials, why not ask your supplier to get GECA certification.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has also been vocal in this area, releasing a guide to educate businesses about their obligations regarding environmental claims under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. However, through the independent certification that GECA provides, customers can be sure that when they see the GECA Ecolabel they are buying an environmentally preferable product. GECA achieves this by creating robust Standards against which products are audited and those that pass muster are then able to demonstrate their

GECA’s product database of some 2000 products can be accessed via www.geca.org.au. Many of these are directly relevant for housekeepers including cleaning products and services, shampoos and soaps, paper and sanitary products as well as furniture, carpets and other building materials.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

A Guide to Quality LEDs Motels can make considerable energy savings through replacement of your incandescent lamps with LED’s. We asked Bryan Douglas CEO of the Lighting Council Australia to give an overview of this technology.

olid state lighting is a rapidly developing technology offering a useful alternative to traditional light sources. LEDs (a form of solid state lighting) can provide excellent illumination in a wide range of applications. They are highly energy efficient. They have a long life – lasting up to 50 times longer than incandescent lamps and two to five times longer than fluorescent lamps, making them ideal for hard-to-access locations. LEDs are durable and can withstand vibration and shocks. They are not affected by regular on-off switching, which is good for areas such as bathrooms. In addition, they are at full brightness as soon as they are switched on and many are fully dimmable. However tests on some LED products found in the marketplace indicate a wide variation in product quality and how effectively they may light space. Some lower quality LEDs sold may not provide sufficient light, may flicker when dimmed, change colour through life or fail prematurely. LED products are still in a comparatively early stage of development, and comparatively few have undergone

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A sample SSL Quality Scheme label produced by Lighting Council Australia

rigorous testing in real-life settings over a prolonged period of time. Accordingly users need to be aware before investing in the technology. This article provides some basic advice on how to select a quality LED. Consumers are encouraged to look for the important LED product features summarised below, including light output, colour characteristics, lifetime and energy consumption.

Common LED performance indicators 1. Lamp equivalence claims Be cautious of claims that lamps are equivalent to common incandescent or halogen reflector lamps. The best LEDs are currently about four to five times more efficient than their typical incandescent lamp equivalent. This means that for an LED lamp claiming to produce as much light as a 60W incandescent or 50W dichroic reflector lamp, it will need to use at least 12W of energy. Look for sensible numbers on any claim of equivalence and compare products.

2. Light output Another way to determine whether an LED is suitable is to look for information about the light output, measured in lumens (lm). The higher the number of lumens, the more light is emitted. Lumens are the best, most accurate way to compare two different types of lighting. If the lamp carries a lumen output rating, it may also indicate that it was actually tested for this performance – a good sign. The following table shows the number of lumens that a range of traditional incandescent light bulbs produce. An LED with the same number of lumens as one of the lamps in the table should have a similar light output.

Incandescent (GLS) lamp

Light output in lumens

25W

220 lm

40W

420 lm

60W

720 lm

75W

930 lm

3. Lamp lifetime (hours)

7. Energy Efficiency

Some LEDs claim to have very long rated life, 60,000 hours or more – having been tested but under the best laboratory conditions. For high quality LED products, the expected (and more believable) lifetime is somewhere in the range of 20,000 to 40,000 hours. It is very likely the claimed LED life is not based on testing for the indicated life. Rather, life can be based on a minimum 6,000 hours operation and then a prediction of the light output decay is used to determine operational lifetime. Look for realistic lifetime and manufacturers who can back up their lifetime claims, either with testing or certification indicated on the product packaging.

Many people assume that LED lamps must be extremely energy efficient; however this is not always the case. Many LEDs currently on the market are similar to or a little less efficient than the equivalent fluorescent lighting. Some poor quality LED lamps have been found to be only marginally more efficient than incandescent lighting, and less energy efficient than other types of lighting such as compact fluorescent lamps.

4. Lamp warranty period (years)

For a LED lamp to provide equivalent light to the common 50W MR-16 dichroic downlight, it must produce a minimum of 480 lumens. To achieve light output equivalent to the best quality MR-16 downlight, it will emit 900 lumens. Always look for a clear statement of light output in lumens. Unfortunately the information on some LED packaging is not always accurate. Sometimes the information on light output will relate to the light source – that is, the LED chip, not the light fixture (luminaire), of which the chip is only one component. It is also important to note that LED light sources tested under laboratory conditions will always have a higher light output than the LED lamp when used in normal conditions. If unsure about the specifications, intending purchasers should contact the manufacturer or supplier to understand how the light output of the product has been measured. The most useful measure is when light output from the complete light fixture is measured.

The energy efficiency of a light is measured in lumens per Watt (lm/W). If this measurement is not marked on the package, simply divide the number of lumens by the number of Watts. The higher the number, the more efficient the product. Look for an energy efficiency rating on the product.

A good approximation for information on lifetime testing is the warranty period that a manufacturer is willing to provide. For a lamp claiming to last 25,000 hours (about 34 months of continuous operation, or 22 years of regular nightly use in a home), a manufacturer should be able to provide a warranty of at least two to three years. If a longer life time is claimed look for a corresponding longer warranty of perhaps five years. Look for a clear statement of warranty period.

8. Safety rating

5. Colour temperature

Some ‘information’ on LED packaging may in reality be misinformation. Less reputable suppliers may provide a range of logos, and other cryptic insignia, that has minimal or no value. Such may include ‘UL’, ‘CE’, ‘RoHS’, various numbers and green claims (greenwash). Look for and view such claims with scepticism.

LEDs are a coloured light source and are designed to produce white light using a number of methods. As a result, they actually produce white light in a number of ‘shades’ – just like incandescent and fluorescent lamps – from warm-white (similar to a regular, incandescent lamp) to cool white or bluish white (daylight). Look for and make sure to choose the colour that best suits the intended application and that you are most comfortable with.

6. Colour Rendering Index Some LEDs are better at helping the human eye discern colours than others, depending on the method used to produce white light. Look for lamps that have a Colour Rendering Index (abbreviated CRI) of at least 65 for outdoor use, and 80 or better for indoor use. A new international measurement more specific to LEDs is under development, but in the meantime the best way to judge how well the LED light influences the colour of objects is, if possible, to view them installed in the intended application. Look for and make sure to choose a CRI number to suit the application.

All lamps must be safe to operate. At a minimum this means they have met mandatory requirements and earned their safety marks. While marks such as ‘UL’, ‘CE’ or other certification have no legal status in Australia, they may indicate the product meets the required safety standards. Look for at a minimum a compliance claim to the standard IEC 62560.

9. Other label or website information

An Australian certification scheme for LEDs In response to many poor quality LEDs in the marketplace and exaggerated claims from some suppliers about their product’s performance, Lighting Council Australia – a not-for-profit organisation representing Australia’s lighting industry – has developed a labelling-based certification program to assist purchasers of LED products. The Solid State Lighting Quality Scheme is a voluntary industry program that provides confidence to the market that an LED product carrying the Scheme’s label matches certain critical performance claims made by the supplier (energy efficiency, light output, colour temperature and CRI). Registered products appear on a searchable database on Lighting Council Australia’s website (www.lightingcouncil.com.au).

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Cleanliness & Hygiene Do you get it right all of the time? Brendon Granger

Whether you run a large hotel or a small motel, cleanliness is one of the most important factors when guests decide where to stay and if to come back.

ecent *research from Europe reported that almost 70 percent of hotel guests say that cleanliness and hygiene are the most important factor they consider when selecting a hotel. The research highlighted that most people now make their decisions on where to stay using online ratings/review sites and that cleanliness and appearance of bedrooms and bathrooms were the most

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critical areas for guests when forming their opinions on where to stay.

the cleanliness of your rooms determines whether a guest will ever return.

In addition, the research, asked guests about which aspects of cleanliness they expected the hotel to always get right in bedrooms and bathrooms. In bedrooms, the three most important factors were clean linen, no evidence of previous guests, and the absence of bad smells or odours. In bathrooms, over three quarters said cleanliness of the toilet seat and pan was a factor, and almost half said it was the most important factor.

Hotel guests will forgive some negatives during their stay but a dirty hotel or room isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one of them.

Two-thirds of the respondents stated that they had stayed in a hotel that was not clean, while 82 percent had told family and friends about their experience, 75 percent were put off returning, and 72 percent recommended family and friends not to stay there. In summary,

It is therefore vital that we ensure that the guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in-room experience is the best that it can possibly be. Standards and a system to ensure adherence to those standards is the key. The Housekeeping Touch Systemâ&#x201E;˘ (Touch System) which has just been introduced to Australia allows hotels to do just that by removing inconsistencies in presentation and cleanliness. The Touch System is an affordable and easy to use total quality management tool developed by hospitality industry professionals. It is used by top U.S. and international hotels and resorts to

increase operational efficiencies, reduce labour costs and provide their guests with an improved and more consistent in-room experience. The Touch System is a web-based mobile inspection system for use on an iPhone, iPad, Android tablet, Blackberry, Smartphone or desktop computer. Inspection results are recorded straight away whilst in the room. It is an environmentally friendly solution that replaces manual paper tracking systems. It allows housekeeping staff to more effectively keep track the level of cleanliness via daily room inspections and also to track deep cleaning and preventative maintenance programs. Special inspections and maintenance tasks are no longer forgotten thanks to the auto scheduler. The Touch System, also gives hotel management the ability

to track the quality and consistency of the work performed at their properties via on-line performance scorecards and specialty reports. This allows hotels to better reward and train their staff, as needed. The Touch System also includes a Bed Bug self-inspection, which reduces a property’s likelihood of infestation problems and provides documentation of inspections to minimise their legal liabilities. Good housekeeping and delivering clean rooms determines whether a guest will ever return to your property. I believe we often forget how important their role is on the overall enjoyment of the guest’s stay. When a hotel provides it’s housekeepers with the right tools and equipment to do their job properly the guest is always the beneficiary.

The Housekeeping Touch System™ is one of those tools. It’s extremely simple and affordable whilst proving housekeepers with the ability to more effectively manage their hotels guest rooms. It is the perfect tool for management to have control over the quality and cleanliness of their guest rooms. Whether you’re a large hotel or a small motel, the system can bring a new dimension of cleanliness to your premises. For further information please contact Technology 4 Hotels Free call: 1300 503 657 Email: Brendon@Technology4Hotels.com.au Web: www.Technology4Hotels.com.au *Research completed by Hotelschool in The Hague in conjunction with Sealed Air’s Diversey business compiled responses from almost 700 people in 5 major EU countries.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Soft Upgrade for a Complete New Look Amanda Beazley

NEED BUT NO MONEY So if you are like many Properties at the moment, you may be holding off on an overdue Refurbishment until you see how your rates and yield are fairing next year, or how you Occupancy pre-bookings are going, or how you get rated, or if you actually have the funds to do it?. If this is the case then perhaps this may help you and your property.

SOFT UPGRADING FOR A NEW LOOK The option is always there to do a Soft Upgrade of your rooms. Meaning, you take items that will give a visual ‘new look’ without spending money on the ‘big ticket’ items like Carpet and Furniture. Items included can be bedding items, cushions, valances, artwork and paint. A Soft Upgrade should be a part of your 10-12 year Refurbishment plan anyway – Soft upgrade every 3-5 years, Carpet, Beds and Curtains every 5-7 years and Full upgrade every 10-12 years. However, if you really are due for a Complete Refurbishment but your budget or nerves are limiting you, then doing a Soft Upgrade is the way to transform your rooms at a fraction of the cost, giving you a new life on your rooms for a little longer.

WHEN IT WORKS If your rooms have been well looked after and maintained then it is easier to disguise the more ‘tired’ looking furniture pieces. Unfortunately though, if the rooms have not been well maintained or they are so overdue for a Refurbishment that the chipped and tired looking furniture can no longer fool anyone, then the new items are just going to make the old look worse. If you’re lost as to whether the Soft Upgrade will work in your favour or against you, then it’s best to contact your Industry Refurbishment Specialists to get advice. The craft of choosing what

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will stay and what will go and making the best out of everything you have, really is a specialised area, so enlist some professional assistance. The other crucial element when deciding if a Soft Upgrade will work for your property, comes from if they have been designed for longevity in the first place. When I design a room, generally the larger items that will stay around for the longest, such as Furniture, Carpet and Curtains, are of Neutral tones and therefore easy to match to. These items will remain when doing a Soft Upgrade. It’s then easy to completely change the Colour Scheme and give a re-vamped look to the rooms. This does not work for example; if you have very distinctive patterned Curtains. Usually, depending on your budget, Curtains are not included in a small Soft Upgrade as they are not inexpensive, and so generally done as a stand alone item or as part of the full Upgrade, they also generally last longer than your cushions and bedding would,… SO if you have these patterned distinctive curtains and you decide to do a Soft Upgrade to match to these, all you are doing is dragging that outdated colour scheme and pattern into your new rooms, and yes, it will still look outdated. So in summary; a Soft Upgrade will be successful if you have not left it to the point of no return AND you have a good neutral platform to work with.

HOW IT WORKS As I have explained, if you have a neutral enough palette to work with in your carpet, curtains and furniture, then the new items can be co-ordinated around each other. These items include all new treatment for bedding; valances, triple sheet, wraps or spreads, Bed Runners, Bed Cushions. We then go to the Upholstered items; hopefully your sofa’s will be OK for a few more years so all

that is required is a new throw cushion to co-ordinate back with the new bedding. Artwork is always a great inexpensive way to co-ordinate your new look and modern textured canvas paintings in a large size in the new colour scheme is a perfect way to tie it all together. Depending on your existing paint colour and the state of your walls, you may wish to also include new paint. Painting the room always gives a fresh look and also enables you to work the colour back with your new Colour palette, even if it’s only a feature wall you decide to change. Finally, at less than a third of the cost of a Complete Refurbishment, you have a new look. Hyde Park Inn below have done this Soft Upgrade as part of their Scheduled Maintenance Refurbishment Plan after the designated 5 years and it has given a Complete new modern and fresh look, one of our very Successful Soft Upgrade Transformations. To their credit they have stuck to the plan and maintained the Property so it makes our job easier.

DOES NOT NEGATE THE EVENTUAL Do not think that this will get you through for another seven to ten years, it will most certainly not, what it will do is buy you some time to get your finances etc together ready for your full Refurbishment. It will mean that these items are new so won’t need to be replaced, it will also give you the ability to keep revenue up while putting together the budget for the items that we have made last a little longer. Keep in mind that the longer you leave the problem, the harder it is to fix.

GOING FULL DOES PAY For those of you who really DO have the Budget but are ‘holding back to see how things go’.. DON’T!. This is the best time to Refurbish. The prices are

HPI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ORIGINAL REFURBISHED 2007 ROOMS

HPI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SOFT UPGRADED 2012 ROOMS

reasonable, trades are available, you will be a much better presented property at the end and therefore be able to recoup your money. And things are good in the market. Business is picking up, people are travelling and want a nice property to stay at. What a perfect time to be one step ahead of your competition. When everyone starts refurbishing again and things start moving fast again, the already Refurbished Properties will be at the lead of the market. Whilst the Soft Refurbishment options I have described will assist the look of your property, they will not do miracles and they will not be a bandaid, they will simply help a property break up what needs to be spent in smaller pieces. A fully refurbished Property will always be the best option. For further advice or free consultation please contact John Beazley and Co Commercial Design + Fitout Specialists.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

mo Profiles

The ‘comfort’ of choice between beach and bush at Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is well-known for its friendly, relaxed atmosphere and that is exactly the kind of attitude you need to be the General Manager of Country Comfort, Coffs Harbour. You also need to be dedicated and not afraid to put in the hard work and long hours, and that describes Alisha Crawford perfectly.

riginally starting work as a receptionist and then securing a job as assistant manager, Alisha’s hard work has paid off with her recent appointment to the position of the General Manager of Country Comfort Coffs Harbour. As a Coffs Harbour local, Alisha has seen its popularity grow, becoming one of Australia’s most popular holiday spots over the years, as tourists flock to the NSW beautiful mid-north coast. Along with sharing her passion for this family friendly destination, making sure holiday makers have a great time is Alisha’s priority. It is all part of the job she loves explains Alisha, “Coffs Harbour is my home so it is easy to be passionate about a job which allows me to show people what a great part of Australia it is and how they can make the most of their time staying at the Country Comfort Coffs Harbour.

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“It is the people I meet that make my job worthwhile. My husband says I am over dedicated but I love meeting different people from all walks of life, from corporate to families, couples to groups – the Country Comfort Coffs Harbour caters for everybody.” Country Comfort’s success has been built on its commitment to offering quality service and genuine hospitality providing a true home away from home for business and leisure travellers across the country, from rural Australia to popular coastal destinations. Country Comfort is one of SilverNeedle Hospitality’s flagship brands that has grown to become one of the most recognised names in regional Australia. SilverNeedle Hospitality has built its reputation over the last 17 years through its ‘best in class’ hotel licensing model that is applied across a portfolio of brands including Chifley, Grand Chifley, Country Comfort, Sundowner and Australis Hotels and Resorts. The Country Comfort Coffs Harbour has 52 rooms and a team of dedicated staff. Alisha credits the incredibly hard working employees and devoted new owners, who are integral to the smooth running of the motel. There is no doubt that Coffs Harbour presents the best of both worlds when it comes to the Australian landscape.

mo Profiles

“Diggers Beach is popular with our guests. It is a great place to take the family to paddle in the rock pools, walk along the sand, and picnic. Adventure activities, like four-wheel driving, keeps the kids outdoors and entertained and is one of my favourite things to do as a family – when my husband Peter and I manage a day off together.” The General Manager has residence at the Country Comfort to provide the best service possible. “Managing a motel in such a busy location means that I have a number of different challenges to deal with on a day to day basis. Having my family on site means that I am able to support my team 24/7 and still spend time with my family. I’m thankful to have a supportive husband and great kids who’ve made this transition so enjoyable.” The Coffs Harbour region plays host to a wide range of events throughout the year. From sporting events, such as the Coffs Harbour Gold Cup Race, to food festivals, including the Woolgoolga Curry Festival, there is always something for the entire family to enjoy. With all the family entertainment and a happy medium of city, beach and country, it is no wonder that Alisha and her family love the area so much, and that guests keep coming back to the Country Comfort time after time.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

mo Profiles

Legend of the West –

Lester Brett stays true to the accommodation industry in WA Lester Brett is synonymous with the bedding industry in Western Australia. With 27 years of experience and connections right across the state, Lester’s trust and honesty has helped the motel industry.

Amidst the surprise, he needed to make a speech in front of all his colleagues. “The ten-second rule was very trying,” he admits.

ester is the Commercial Manager of Peacocks Bedding. He grew up on a dairy farm in southern WA and boarded at high school in the city, where he has stayed ever since. Lester got his foot in the door of the bedding industry through a Commercial Sales Manager position at Joyce Australia in 1984. He also worked at Jason Recliners and as Commercial Manager of Dunlop Bedding.

One of his major achievements in the industry came while working with Dunlop Bedding. Lester was integral in securing contracts when Perth’s most prominent hotel, the five-star Burswood Hotel (now Crown Hotel), underwent refurbishments in both 1995 and 2004. He has been Commercial Manager of Peacocks Bedding since 2005. He has long held a strong connection with the Australian Hotels Association and was even one of the inaugural exhibitors at the first AHA (WA) Expo in 1999. Lester won the 2011 AHA (WA) Hospitality Industry Achievement Award. The AHA commended Lester for being fully focussed on customer service and for having a reputation for integrity and honesty. The AHA also said that Lester

Vol 14 No. 1 |

Lester was humbled by the award, and very grateful for the support he receives from the WA branch of the AHA. He admits with a laugh though that he was ‘coerced’ into the gala evening not knowing that he was to receive the award. “It was in front of about 600 people, including politicians, and it wasn’t until well into the night that I got the hint that the AHA award might have been for me”.

him build a strong rapport with

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had provided solutions to nearly every hotel in WA over his career.

“I felt very humbled to receive the award in front of all my peers and many other suppliers”. When considering his strongest achievements over his 27 year career, it becomes clear how highly Lester values the personal relationships which he has made in the industry. “I guess that my old farm background has given me my philosophy when dealing with people. That is to be upfront, straight down the line, to earn their respect and importantly their trust. The job becomes easier when you can call your customers your friends as well. This also helps me when I advise customers on which products would best suit their budget and environment”. When presented with the AHA award, Lester was commended for his integrity and honesty. “I put those values at the top of my tree. The overall commitment to customer service in this industry is paramount and the product to me comes second”.

mo Profiles

One of Lester’s priorities is to retain pertinent details on all of his clients just in case he receives an unlikely call from a previous customer. “I had a call from someone who I used to deal with when working for another company. This particular man had recognised my contact name and number which was on a Yellow Pages advertisement and rang me and said ‘I’ve finally found you!’ It had been fourand-a-half years since I’d dealt with him in the southern coastal town of Esperance and he finished the call by placing another order for his business. “Covering an area like WA is a very big ask when you consider the remoteness and the isolation of some towns. I keep a notebook and write down details sometimes to help me remember the people I’ve met along the way. “When I have shifted between manufacturers which I work for it has been very heart-warming to receive calls from customers who have followed me on to wherever I am working”. Lester’s main products are manufactured under the brands of Slumber King and King Koil bed ensembles. Lester also supplies the Rydges Hotels in WA with the ‘Dream Bed’, featuring a one-sided ‘no need to turn’ pillow top mattress with a high-quality damask cover. This has resulted from the Company’s partnership with Sydney based A H Beards who are in direct contact with National accommodation chains. He has received very positive feedback on the bed and believes that it will remain in demand in the future.

The overall customer field for commercial bedding is very extensive, ranging from Backpackers, B&B’s, Caravan Parks, Defence Departments, Hotels, Mining Camps, Motels, Ship Builders, Universities and basically any ‘bona-fide’ provider of accommodation.

suit caravans. They are also looking to increase their supply of custom made mattresses to leisure cruise boats and to the health care market after securing an initial contract with Perth’s largest hospital to supply pressure management seat cushions.

A positive change which Lester has seen over his time is a greater focus on mattress quality rather than price by moteliers. “I am very pleased to be seeing people doing more research into both the product and the manufacturer. There is a much greater scope of beds in the market now with different spring technologies and filling materials. There has been an increased interest in seeing how the beds are made and the workmanship which goes into their creation. We welcome this because I can guarantee that once someone’s experienced a factory tour, they’ll understand a lot more about what makes a good bed and they always go home to have a think about their own”.

Although Lester is aware of the competition from Asia in the bedding industry, he feels that the pressure is more on the retail side of bedding rather than commercial, which he is focussed on.

Lester recently received perhaps one of his most glowing unsolicited pieces of feedback from a managing director of a company who had come through for a tour. “We discussed bed models and his preferences for a supply to his new accommodation which services fly-in fly-out workers. He wrote an e-mail to say that his business since opening had already risen to 70 per cent occupancy and growing. Guests had commented on how luxurious the beds were to sleep on and he confirmed that Peacocks Bedding was now his preferred supplier for future accommodation projects”. Lester also highly values his company’s involvement with Rio Tinto Iron Ore. Peacocks Bedding was the only Australian bed manufacturer to be invited to participate in Rio’s 2012 Supplier Recognition Program. Rio used Peacocks beds to upgrade their northwest mining villages to a standard well beyond what one would expect from a typical transportable budget bed. One future goal is to become a major supplier to the caravan industry now that Peacocks Bedding has the flexibility of producing specialised mattresses to

“This company does have one very distinct advantage in the market. We are the only West Australian mattress manufacturer which makes our own mattress coil springs together with our own range of urethane foams and polyester fibre which go into our comfort layers. Other companies import their spring systems which can sometimes be affected by delays and workmanship whereas we don’t have those problems. “We have come full circle with people saying that we don’t produce anything in Australia anymore. So when people hear of our company which creates all these components and finished products here in Perth, people do tend to take notice of that”. Outside of work, Lester follows the West Coast Eagles in the AFL. He has interests in photography and travel. He also enjoys gardening, which he feels is a throwback to his boyhood days on the farm. He has three adult children: a daughter and two sons. At the time of the interview he was expecting his first grandchildren from both his daughter and eldest son’s wife very soon. Peacocks Bedding is a family-owned company founded in 1881. They are an icon of West Australian manufacturing and Lester is very proud to be a part of it. The company has won its lion’s share of awards and Lester has an impressive record of sales, feedback and friendships. “At present I’ve got no plans to retire,” Lester says. “I’m having too much fun”.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Should you set F aside a training budget for cleaning staff? bronwyn McLaws i Managing Director of InSync Training Solutions (www.insyncrto.com.au)

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rom a training point of view this question seems to have an obvious answer. As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in South Australia I work with cleaning companies and am involved with developing Training Plans to address workforce development of staff. When a training organisation and an employer work together to achieve a common goal, many innovative ideas and problems can be resolved. It is truly a rewarding process to be involved in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that is, workforce development of staff members. It not only improves conditions but also improves the productivity of the company and morale of staff members. This applies to the hospitality industry and especially in the housekeeping/cleaning staff members.

One issue I notice frequently (apart from lack of overall grasp of infection control practices-related to lack of proper training) is that training in the workplace is often minimal. This is mainly applicable to commercial cleaning companies but by extension can be applied to all cleaning sectors including the housekeeping/ hospitality industry. Staff turnover in the commercial cleaning industry is high. In fact according to the cleaning Industry Skills Council’s (Construction and Property Industry Skills Council) environmental scan report for 2011-2012, the annual turnover of casual staff in Australia is 17-35% which can be extrapolated as approximately the annual turnover of cleaners each year. So with such a high need to replace staff, you can imagine the cost involved in recruiting, interviewing, training and often getting new staff to “hit the ground running” in a short amount of time. Profit margins are lower these days, so I understand why this occurs. However it means that training is often neglected and you can be left with new staff not able to manage their time efficiently, not up to speed with the work schedule and often staff can be presented with unreasonable time restrictions. In addition staff often does not have correct understanding of chemicals and their use. For example, I have heard on a number of occasions that a supervisor has suggested adding a bit of bleach into another chemical to “make it work better”!!!!! This is not only unnecessary but downright deadly.

Often a trainer, in this case, me, will visit a hotel site to conduct training or assessment of a staff member in the cleaning industry and I will be an additional pair of eyes to observe how the hotel runs their business. In the past I have only been able to observe these operations and lament that management should be improving “this” or addressing “that”. Now that I am in a different position I can give feedback to management about how things are going from site to site. You may ask – “isn’t that the Supervisor’s job?” Yes it is, but Supervisors are flat out dealing with many other issues, and are often overworked so an extra pair of eyes can be of great value.

In the past I have compared this to cleaners working at nursing homes and hospitals, where staff turnover is substantially lower. I have often wondered why. I think one key reason is that these sites require a demonstrated “continuous improvement” program for staff members including cleaning staff. This means extensive and ongoing training. So why do staff stay longer if they are involved in training programs? I believe part of it lies with the fact that staff members who are trained properly feel they can cope with problems that come their way; they have better relationships with colleagues and feel higher morale on site due to knowing how to do their job well and being appreciated for it. Cleaning companies that see the value in up skilling, training and ensuring staff are

competent and feel capable and valued will stay longer. Statistics admonish us to consider the effects on productivity that are caused by turnover. It takes weeks to recruit and hire a new employee. During this time production can seriously falter. Other employees have to pick up the slack in production, often taking on tasks and responsibilities they are unfamiliar with or untrained in. This can drain team morale and further hurt production. Whilst staff turnover is part of any cleaning industry, and hospitality/ housekeeping is no exception, we can do much to improve our worksites by simply providing correct and ample training that meets industry standards. From a business point of view with bottom lines, cuts to budgets in a challenging financial environment, cutting costs on training might seem to be the way to go, but it does not improve ability to compete in the market. I compare cleaning companies with higher commitment to training staff and I also see lower staff turnover and higher quality work. Surely this is what gives the competitive edge – quality that can be provided to clients and guests who visit hotels/motels. So it is just as important to design a training budget for each new staff member and the existing workforce. Up skill our hard working supervisors so they can pass on this training and support cleaning staff. These costs can often be met by state funded programs by being aligned with a Registered Training Organisation that provides high quality training in industry standards. It is important to find a good Registered Training Organisation who is committed to workforce development and who can access funding to assist with training costs. In the long run we need a strong cleaning workforce with an understanding of sustainability and with the ability to use new procedures in our industry. This cannot be achieved without good training strategies and goals. So to answer our original question – “Should you set aside a training budget for cleaning staff”? How would you answer? I hope to hear you answer with a resounding YES.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Hotel + Hospitality Furnishings at Furnitex 2013 H

otel + Hospitality Furnishings is a key component of Furnitex 2013, held 18-21 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The feature is of particular value for those buyers working across the architecture, interior design, hospitality, venue management, property development and entertainment sectors.

Polywood Outdoors is committed to sustainable furniture, using lumber made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The primary raw material of HDPE is derived from post-consumer bottle waste, such as milk and detergent bottles. A brand new product on the Australian market, Furnitex 2013 is an opportunity to experience the quality of this surprising product in person.

Hotel + Hospitality Furnishings 2013 promises a stellar line-up of exhibitors, each showcasing the latest furniture and furnishing collections, designed specifically for the hospitality industry.

Other exhibitors of note include: Pacific Blue Furniture, stocking stunning outdoor wicker furniture, Retro and Modern, a wholesaler with over 30 years of experience, JMH Furniture Solutions, supplying restaurant, café, hotel and bar furniture to venues across Australia, and Ambience Eco Fires, exclusive distributers of high quality, German-designed, denatured ethanol fires. What: FURNITEX 2013 Where: Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank

Satara

Industry leader Satara will present the latest in their luxury outdoor furniture range, Scandinavian and resort style indoor furniture, home storage and decoration products. Satara’s versatile collection is inspired by natural materials, with the majority of their furniture made from plantation teak and oak, and homewares from natural sustainable materials such as bamboo, rattan and willow. Satara will be launching new ranges in both indoor and outdoor furniture at Furnitex 2013. Holili Outdoor Emotions will exhibit at Furnitex 2013 for the first time, as they

When: Thursday 18 July Friday 19 July Saturday 20 July Sunday 21 July Dare Global

introduce their stunning range of outdoor products to the Australian market and Pacific Island resorts. With powder coated aluminium frames, Rehau fibre, and Sunbrella and Sunproof fabrics, Holili’s collection is both aesthetically appealing and durable, created to withstand challenging outdoor conditions with ease.

Event organiser: Australian Exhibitions and Conferences Exhibitor information: Contact AEC, phone 03 8672 1200 or decorationdesign@aec.net.au Web: www.decorationdesign.com.au

Dare Global is at the forefront of unique furniture manufacturing. Their stand at Furnitex 2013 will feature their latest pieces, including media centres and bedside tables that feature built-in Bluetooth connectivity and speakers. Dare Global uses MDF materials, high gloss 2PAK paint, veneers and melamine to show off each finishes’ distinct aesthetics as well as their most durable qualities. Holili Outdoor Emotions

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Polywood Outdoors

10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm 10am - 4pm 10am - 3pm

18-21 JULY 2013

MELBOURNE EXHIBITION CENTRE

SOURCE NEW FURNITURE + FURNISHINGS For restaurants, motels, hotels & clubs

FURNITEX.COM.AU

A special feature of

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

30 per cent solar rebate helps cut your energy bills by up to 50 per cent todaesolar

Australian tourism continues to grow at an impressive rate, yet so does the cost of electricity. Rising electricity prices have seen bills dramatically spike Australia-wide and more increases are on the horizon. The Australian Energy Market Commission estimates that nationally, the aggregated distribution network price will increase by 6 per cent annually, from 2013 to 2015. However, there are ways to hedge against price hikes and reduce your energy bill through the Government legislated solar rebate scheme – The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

ontinually increasing costs and tight profit margins highlight the logic of installing a solar power system. Utilising solar power can make huge differences to the bottom line, minimising fixed costs and ensuring you remain competitive. The solar rebate means that solar power is an economical solution to reducing electricity costs and providing ongoing savings for a period of 25 years or more. In essence, the solar rebate can subsidise upfront costs by approximately a third which makes it more affordable to install solar; and potentially reduce your bills

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by up to half. Such savings can give you an edge over others, while providing long term benefits to your business. Danin Kahn, CEO of national solar installer Todae Solar says they have seen a great take up in business due to the economic advantages organisations stand to gain.

The solar rebate may not last forever, take advantage now With a federal election looming in September, it may be a possibility that the solar rebate is reviewed and potentially modified, meaning the cost of solar will increase. Media coverage highlights Tony Abbot’s intention to get rid of the carbon tax while a recent report states that The Renewable Energy Target (RET) – which funds the solar rebate – has made the list of policies

the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) would like to see repealed. Mr Abbot has shown support to some of the changes on the list at a fundraising dinner with the IPA think tank recently. The solar rebate is unlikely to last forever so therefore taking advantage of it sooner rather than later may be the way to avoid missing the opportunity altogether. Once you have installed solar, your organisation will reap the rewards as the system has the potential to significantly reduce your energy bill and potentially save you hundreds of thousands of dollars for the systems lifespan; while leasing the system can be cash flow positive from the first quarter.

Benefits to the motel industry Not only is installing power an important

strategy against rising energy costs – it also has several key benefits that will enable your business to be more cost competitive, while differentiating you from your competition. Benefits include:

and hedge against rising electricity prices for your business. It is also possible to lease the system, which means you will be able to gain the benefits of solar with minimal or no upfront costs.

Reduced energy costs

Environmental

Estimates on rising electricity costs vary, yet indicate continual increases. Installing a solar power system allows your organisation to generate its own electricity and reduce energy expenditure by up to 50 per cent. With the solar rebate you could potentially receive a 30 per cent subsidy off upfront costs and slash power bills by up to a half.

Differentiate your business from the others by installing solar. Achieve sustainability and social responsibility objectives with solar by utilising a clean, green energy source, which will significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

High yield, low risk ROI Unlike many other investments, solar panels provide a guaranteed year-onyear output for 25 years. Solar requires minimal ongoing maintenance and is low risk as it comes with long-term warranties. An installation will reduce your energy usage, enabling your organisation to save money for the life of the system, which can last up to 40 years. With solar, your savings increase over time as energy prices rise, rather than your costs rising each year without solar. Solar is a viable strategy to guarantee reduced energy expenditure over 25 years

Solar Power Case Study Those in the industry that have gone solar are already enjoying the benefits and some are even expanding their projects. Todae Solar has both the experience and expertise to assist you with the installation. In 2010, Noonaweena Lodge contracted Todae Solar to design, supply and install solar in order to reduce the electricity costs of the property to a minimum. “Todae Solar managed and continues to manage very successfully all aspects of the project from specifications to administrative processes with Energy Australia, installation, configuration and maintenance,” says Warren Hill, Director

of Noonaweena Resort in Kulnura. “After the successful deployment of the first 29kW phase, we are currently planning phase two which will include the erection of a new shed to host an additional 30kw system.” Savings can be significant, for example, a 50kW system can generate energy savings of about $13,500 in the first year and potentially more than a quarter of a million dollars over a 20-year period.

The time is now Ever-increasing electricity prices and tight profit margins provide a strong case for solar within the motel industry. The solar rebate offers an excellent opportunity for your business to reduce energy costs and become more efficient. Taking advantage of the solar rebate to invest in solar can give you significant financial savings with significantly reduced upfront costs. The solar rebate is unlikely to last forever, meaning time may be running out for your business to take advantage. The benefits of installing solar will allow you to be cost competitive and separate you from the rest. To find out more about how much your business can save with solar contact Todae Solar on 1300 467 652.

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get caught Housekeepers need to be heard in the castors Housekeepers need to be heard

John Peterson National Sales Manager, HotelHome Australia

How often a new hotel built or a refurbishment planned, interior designers are chosen, prototype How often is aisnew hotel or motel built or a refurbishment planned, interior designers are chosen, rooms are created, the scheme is approved, the installation is completed and then reality strikes, prototype rooms are created, the scheme is approved, the installation is completed and then reality

the valances are dysfunctional? The prototype room looked sensational but the valance is not a commercial regularly bemused by the lack of thought that goes into buying the correct rooms created, product. the scheme Iisam approved, the installation is completed and then strikes, is not are a commercial product. I am regularly bemused by the lack reality of thought that goes into buying the thevalance. valances are dysfunctional? The prototype room looked sensational but the valance is not a time consuming and a Of the various items in a hotel room, the one thing that can be correct Valance. various items hotel/motel room, the one thing that can be time consuming commercial product. IOf amthe regularly bemused byin thealack of thought that buying the correct constant housekeeping nightmare, is a poorly madegoes andinto ill-fitting bed valance. valance. Of the various items in a hotel room, the one thing that can be time consuming and a How oftenthe is a new built or aare refurbishment planned,The interior designersroom are chosen, prototype strikes, Bedhotel Valances dysfunctional? prototype looked sensational but the Bed Valance

and a constant housekeeping nightmare, is a poorly made and ill-fitting Bed Valance.

constant housekeeping nightmare, is a poorly made and ill-fitting bed valance. A lot of planning goes The lack of thought about the A lot of planning goesinto The lack of thoughtofabout the quality of the valance is typified by the selection ! of the anagement/owners is into the selection of quality ofhave the valance is typified by room. A poor valance detracts ! carpet, furniture, wall photos the number of bedroom hisof th t carpet, furniture, the number of bedroom on the from aesthetics and is anphotos ongoingon madewall a bad decision that has f o re e colours, accessories, web sites and in other promotional colours, accessories, web sites and in other promotional r housekeeping time waster. ongoing consequences for a a etc., but very little material, where the valance is material, where the valance is etc., butjust very little BewBew housekeeping... but they have twisted, sagging, and just poorly into the selection of a True value takes into account aesthetics, the selection of a even twisted, sagging, and just poorly to livevalance. with it!The into fitted. That these photos get design, correct style, ongoing performance and fitted. That these photos even get to bevalance. published isThe amazing. I have valance is a crucial correct ease of maintenance. A lot of planning goes into the selection often spoken with housekeepers component of the valance is a crucial to be published is amazing. I have of carpet, furniture, wall colours, presentation of the where they vent their spleenThe to me lack of thought about the quality of component of the room. A poor valance aboutlittle tryinginto to cope and spoken with housekeepers accessories, etc., but very the with cheapoften the valance is typified by the number of presentation of valance the where they vent their spleen to me nasty valances, because no thought detracts from selection ofthe a correct valance. The bedroom photos on web sites and in other wasAput into their function when aesthetics and is an room. poor valance about trying to cope with cheap and is a crucial component of the presentation initially purchased? ongoing housekeeping detracts from the nasty valances, because no thought time waster. aesthetics and is an was put into their function when I was talking with a housekeeper Management have made a bad True value takes into account in a 4Â˝housekeeping star property recently, initially that ongoing purchased? 46 | Volthat 14 has No. 1ongoing | mo decision aesthetics, style, design, ongoing had to gather all the excess valance consequences for housekeeping time waster. fabric, tuck it behind the bed, attach performance and ease of â&#x20AC;Ś.. they just have to live with it! a couple of big paper clips andI was talking with a housekeeper maintenance.

Motel Owners!

Housekeepers! Do your Bed Valances twist, sag and droop?

Do yourstaff valances sag and droop? Do your spendtwist, valuable

Housekeepers!

4 sided Bed Valance

timeyou constantly adjustingtime the constantly adjusting the valances without success? Do spend valuable 4 sided bed valance Valances without success?

4 sided Bed Valance Do your valances get caught when making Doyour yourValances valancesget twist, sag and droop? Do caught when making thethe bedbed or vacuuming the floor? or the floor? Do your valances get caught the bed castors when bed? success? Dovacuuming you spend valuable time in constantly adjusting the moving valancesthe without

Do your Valances get caught in the bed castors when moving the bed?

Do your caught base. when making thethebed or vacuuming When first fitting valance If you havethe Kingfloor? Zip beds, an added push the bedvalances hard againstget the wall, to the bed, the last corner fits quite benefit is you can put two Long to make it presentable. There was made in Australia toon fit Australian willknow last for many years promotional material, where get the valance Doliaison yourwith valances caughtvalance in thewhich castors when moving the bed? Single valances each basebed and snugly, sobed you it is not goingand no housekeeping when sizes, using commercial rated, easy always present perfectly. is twisted, sagging, and just poorly and the vertical quilt line makes thecare join the refurbishment was planned to move. and very colourfast fabrics. “Picket Quilted fitted.are these photostoeven get tothese be look like another quilt line when they endure base. When first fitting the valance If you have King Zip beds, an added pushThat thenow bedforced hard against the wall, Housekeepers love beautifully fitted, low Bed Valances” are very robust and low published is amazing. I have often spoken configured as acan King problem valances for a number of They a flange onfits thequite maintenance Bed because to thealso bed,have the Valances, last corner benefit is you putBed. two When Long you to make it presentable. There was maintenance and they fit snug to the bed with housekeepers where they vent their they are hassle free and they allow beds split the beds there is no need decking (as in the diagram) so years. Single each baseto and snugly, so you know it is not going no liaison housekeeping when base and valances don’t moveon during general use. spleen to mewith about trying to cope with to be easily moved for proper cleaning. change the valances. that you don’t see any lining if the the vertical quilt line makes the join to move. the refurbishment was because plannednoand cheap and nasty valances, Iflook you have Zip beds, added loves them because they mattress shifts. All these problems can be like King another quilt an line when they are now tofunction endurewhen these Management thought was put forced into their benefit ischeap you cancreates put two Long Single present well to guests and they don’t Buying expensive eliminated with a properly configured as a King Bed. When you They also have a flange on the problem valances forwere a number of initially purchased. They just bought valances on each base and the vertical waste housekeeping time. problems. The best (as valances picketso quilted constructed on price alone.commercial valance. split the beds there is no need to decking in the are diagram) years. quilt line makes the join look like another A commercially manufactured valance using 200 gsm polyester infill to change the valances. that you don’t see any lining if the quilt line when configured as a King Bed. I was talking with a housekeeper in a goes round the sides of the bedto and Buying right valance only give body shifts. and4 extra stability theover When Housekeepers lovecan beautifully mattress Allstar these problems be had to youthe split the beds therenot is no need 4½ property recently, that the whole bed base. When first fitting the valance. They are also made in impresses your guests, but also fitted, low maintenance Bed creates expensive eliminated a properly toBuying change cheap the valances. gather all thewith excess valance fabric, tuck valance to thefit bed, the last corner fits Australia Australian bed sizes, housekeeping staff and your Valances they are hassle itconstructed behind thebecause bed, attach a couple of big problems. The besttovalances are picket quilted your commercial valance. In this industry, buying cheap creates quite snugly, so you know it is not going management. It is also one less using commercial rated, easy care free. loves paper Management clips and push the bedthem hard against using 200 gsm polyester infill to expensive problems. to move. the wall, tothey makepresent it love presentable. There hassle the Executive and colorfast fabrics. “Picket because well and don’t Buyingfor theyou, right valance not only givevery body and extra stability to the Housekeepers beautifully was no housekeeping liaison with housekeeping the correct not They alsoBed have a flange on are the decking Quilted Valances” veryin (as Buying Housekeeper to valance worry about. waste time. Bedstaff valance. They are also made impresses your guests, butonly also fitted, low maintenance when the refurbishment was planned reduces costs to your property long in the diagram) that you don’t see any robust andtolow maintenance Australia fitsoAustralian bedand sizes, your housekeeping staff and your Valances because they are hassle and they are now forced to endure these term, it impresses your guests, gives lining if the mattress they fit snug to theshifts. bed base and by John Peterson A commercially manufactured management. It is also one less using commercial rated, easy care free. Management loves them problem valances for a number of years. a more professional look to your rooms National Manager valance thewell 4 sides don’t move during use valances are general picket quilted, using hassle forSales you, andbest very colorfast fabrics. “Picket becausegoes theyround present and of don’t The particularly on webthe siteExecutive photos and it All these problems eliminated 200 gsm polyester infill to give and HotelHome Australia the bedhousekeeping and overcan thebe whole bed Quilted Bed Valances” arebody very Housekeeper to worry about. waste time. reduces your housekeeping staff time. with a properly constructed commercial extra stability themaintenance valance. They are robust and to low andalso they fit snug to the bed base and by John Peterson A commercially manufactured National Sales Manager valance goes round the 4 sides of don’t move during general use HotelHome Australia the bed and over the whole bed

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

ADVERTORIAL

Advances in Kiosk Technology Stephen Tusak i technical director of Check Inn Systems i www.checkinn.com.au

You can safely bet that nothing changes as fast as computer technology and its acceptance is now mandatory. Can you imagine opening a new bank that relies on adding machines, a business of almost any size that uses a Kalamazoo accounting system? ( For the under 30’s that was a very popular paper based bookkeeping system). On the other hand, there are still motel owners running their business on handwritten booking sheets but they are few and far between.

s I write this article, around 50% of motel room nights in Australia are booked via search engines finding and confirming accommodation for travellers of all types. For a motel not to have a web site today is close to commercial suicide. To not have a link to booking engines just doesn’t make sense.

The central focus of all this computerisation is to improve the efficiency of the business, reduce the staff hours used to perform mundane bookkeeping tasks, managing bookings and improving the reach of the advertising dollar. What the average motelier perhaps doesn’t appreciate yet is the steady move away from the “personal service” that was a prime focus of the motelier of yesteryear. To put it simply, customers are adopting the new technology in leaps and bounds and except for rare exceptions, prefer it to the moteliers long held tradition of personal service. A guest arriving at a motel after 10pm doesn’t want to chat about the weather, the football or hear about local issues. He or she simply wants a room in the fastest possible time, with the least fuss. Check In kiosks are not only a viable alternative for a mote operator to get some sleep or some freedom, they are in most cases a preferred option by most under 50 year old guests. How many people still go to the counter at their local bank to draw cash out of their debit card? Check In kiosks are meeting the needs of modern travellers and offer a smooth continuation of the booking experience whilst freeing motel owners to focus on managing the business, not staying awake at all hours waiting for that last guest to arrive. As a typical scenario at a suitably

equipped property, a guest will search the internet for a motel close to their destination, will book a room and get a confirmation number. They can then arrive at the motel at a time of their convenience and check in at the kiosk using their reservation number, be issued a key or room code and be in the room before the motel owner gets out of bed and gets to reception. Security was a major focus of motel owners who had the attitude was “I want to see who comes into my motel”. How many people say no to WOTIF bookings from anonymous travellers? The reality is that our automatic kiosks provide a high level of security including personal safety, especially for females, whilst guaranteeing payment is received and bank authorised. Our systems offer Pre-Auth on credit cards, take photos of incoming guests and optionally allow fully supervised live monitoring with the ability to vet guests during the check in process. The kiosks can actually increase revenue for ordinary day to day transactions – you can’t ask the kiosk for a discount! Some of the new technology we offer includes: • The ability to enter bookings from your mobile phone, tablet or PC. • The ability to remotely deliver a key to a locked out guest. • The ability to manage availability and pricing via a web browser • Optional interface to RMS, Satin and other software • Automatic emailing of receipts to guests Check Inn Systems is an Australian owned and operated Engineering Company. Over the past 12 years they have designed and manufactured various unique access control solutions for the accommodation industry.

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Get your life back!

NEW Mini Kiosk $280 per month inc GST

You can now manage all your bookings, past and present, with our simple to use management module. NEW! Remote control option

You can now use your PDA or tablet to manage bookings remotely. • Enter new bookings • Deliver room keys, cards or code Improved security with our pre-auth option for credit cards.

Announcing our new mini kiosk, that holds 16 room

keys or cards, available as an all-inclusive, low-cost monthly rental plan, which includes full maintenance and ongoing upgrades. Allows Customers to create or complete an online check-in, in less than 2 minutes...

This is how it works; 1. Customer chooses a room 2. Enters their details 3. Customer can order other services, e.g. breakfast, internet... 4. Pay by credit card which is authorised on line 5. A tax invoice is emailed to the customer 6. Collects their room key or card

Available now as a low cost rental option at $280.00 a month for a minimum of 12 months. After a minimum of 12 months, the kiosk can be returned at any time with at least one months notice. Terms will be as follows • No separate installation or setup fee, no extra monthly bank charges or acquirer fees • In order to keep costs down, Kiosk payments will process through our trust account. The payments to you will be fortnightly and we will give you a full report monthly • All bank, transaction processing and commission charges are covered by our 7% transaction fee. • All software upgrades and maintenance are included in our monthly fee • The Kiosk will be shipped by a commercial transport company and will be charged at cost • Kiosk rental is payable monthly in advance, with first rental payment before delivery • Monthly payments are by direct deposit or via our web payment screen • Minimum 12 month term

www.checkinn.com.au Email: sales@checkinn.com.au

• Allows collection of keys, room cards or room codes for pre-booked rooms or sells rooms • Shows photos and details of available rooms • Allows customers to stay up to selected number of days • Credit card payment only, no EFTPOS available • Security enhancement through use of optional pre-authorisation • Dispenses room keys or pre-written room cards • Contains 16 keys or cards (optional 32) • Access management reports from reception computer • Optional built-in security camera with recording of photos in the booking database • Green, paper saver—no printer required, receipts are emailed only Check Inn Systems is an Australian owned and operated Engineering Company. Over the past 12 years we have designed and manufactured various unique access control solutions for the accommodation industry. Our Self Check-in Kiosk has been designed to save you money and give your life back. Guests can now safely check in to their accommodation 24/7 without the assistance of any staff. This is particularly convenient for late night check-ins.

Call us for more details

+61 3 9555 5444 mo |

Vol 14 No. 1 |

STAND UP TO YOUR BEDS!

Opposite Freedom Furniture

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Managing your super to suit you This article was provided by Adapt Wealth Management Pty Ltd (Corporate Authorised Representative of CHPW Financial Australian Financial Services Licence No. 280201). Ph: 03 9211 0175 Suite 3, 164 Waverley Road Malvern East Vic 3145 www.adaptwealth.com.com.au

t would be easy to think that superannuation is a complicated, messy beast, however with simple explanations of how different aspects work, you soon realise that it’s not quite that bad. This article examines a few key features of the current superannuation system including; difference between the accumulation and pension stages, asset protection benefits for business owners and a comparison of two different types of superannuation vehicles.

Accumulation stage of Superannuation Through most of your working life you will have been accumulating super. You or your employer will be paying taxdeductible superannuation contributions into your account. Add to that the non taxdeductible contributions made by you and your spouse and possibly the Government (through co-contributions). Your superannuation is in the ‘accumulation’ phase and it will be invested to grow and form your “nest egg” when you retire. In the accumulation phase, contributions made by your employer will be taxed at 15%. If you are self-employed and claim a tax deduction for your contributions, these will also be taxed at 15%. The investment earnings on money in your fund will be taxed at 15%. These taxes are much less than would be paid outside super where tax rates can be up to 46.5%.

Pension stage of Superannuation Your superannuation can be converted into a pension account when you retire, or begin to draw regular income from your super fund (which is now allowable from age 55, even if you are still working). Government regulations require you to take a minimum amount of pension income each year and may set a maximum level as well – depending on the type of pension involved. In a pension account investments earnings are tax-free. You can have an accumulation account and a pension account at the same time. Once you start a pension you cannot add money to that account but you can start

another accumulation account if you wish. You can have more than one pension account and you can ‘roll’ a pension account back into an accumulation account at any time. This flexibility – if used wisely – provides a real opportunity to substantially build wealth for your retirement.

Asset Protection for Business Owners Running a business provides an opportunity to control your own destiny and be directly rewarded for your efforts. It also means accepting the risk that something may go wrong. One of your major customers could collapse leaving invoices unpaid or a dissatisfied customer may sue you. You may arrange ownership of your personal assets through trusts or

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Issue

SMSF

Public Offer Funds

Trusteeship

You are the trustee and must take responsibility for the running of the fund. You can be fined or jailed if you break the rules.

A professional trustee takes responsibility for the operation of the Fund. You can sue the trustees if they break the rules.

Investments assets

You can invest in whatever assets you wish within the constraints set by super legislation. This includes direct commercial property e.g. Your business premises.

You choose from the range of investments offered by the trustee. Depending on the type of Fund, this may include both professional fund managers and direct shares, cash and term deposits.

Account balance

You need to have a significant amount in super to make it worthwhile.

There are usually no limits.

Costs

You may save on fees because you are “doingit-yourself”.

There will be a set fee formula usually depending on the investment options you select. Funds with greater investment choice will generally have higher fees.

Record keeping

You are responsible for ensuring the fund records are kept accurately.

The trustee will appoint an administrator to maintain fund records.

Auditing, tax and annual returns

You are responsible for ensuring the fund is audited and annual returns are lodged.

The trustee is responsible for ensuring the fund is audited and annual returns are lodged.

in the name of other family members so you don’t lose everything if things go wrong. In the past, superannuation was protected from the claims of creditors up to the pension reasonable benefits limit (RBL – about $1.3 million in 2006-07). However, since RBLs were abolished from July 2007, a review of the Bankruptcy Act with regard to superannuation was required. The revised Bankruptcy Act sets no limit on the amount of money that can be held in superannuation and be protected from the claims of creditors. However the courts will be able to treat superannuation like other financial structures and recover assets where they have been invested or moved with the intent of defeating creditors. As far as superannuation is concerned the courts will examine the normal pattern of contributions you made to super. They will be able to reverse abnormal contributions made after 28 July 2006, for example, large contributions made when it becomes obvious your business is in financial trouble. The Simpler Super legislation encourages all Australians to invest regularly over their working life. For small business owners protecting your assets in

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

superannuation is a powerful reason to make regular contributions.

Self Managed Superannuation Vs Public Offer Funds Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) have become increasingly popular in recent years. With ever-increasing amounts in their super funds, more members are taking a greater interest in what’s happening to their money. The move to self-managing super has developed further since Super Choice was introduced in July 2005 when employees, who previously did not have the option available to them, decided to establish their own funds. There are several reasons for this change. Above all is the desire for members to have control over their own money and choice of specific investments. Where large account balances are concerned there may be some reduction in costs but this is not generally significant. A SMSF suits some people whereas having their super in a public offer fund (e.g. Industry or Retail Fund) is a better solution for others. The above compares some of the pros and cons. Generally it is considered that a SMSF should only be established with a minimum of $250,000 or when such a

balance is expected in the short term. Most people who set up a SMSF have a significant fund balance, are organised, knowledgeable about investments and want to choose investment assets and save costs. In many instances, they may also wish to include their business premises as a core investment of the Fund. For others, public offer funds meets all their needs. One of the key roles of a financial adviser is to work out a suitable superannuation strategy for you based on the above factors and your personal views and objectives. The aim is to ensure that you have an appropriate strategy that not only best suits your situation, but also one that allows you to sleep soundly at night. Important Information: This information does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any person. Before making an investment decision, you should consider, with the assistance of a financial adviser, whether it is appropriate in light of your particular objectives, financial situation and needs. Adapt Wealth Management Pty Ltd. Corporate Authorised Representative of CHPW Financial Australian Financial Services Licence No. 280201 ABN: 76 821 231 362

ADVERTORIAL

Do you get frustrated every time you walk by a room with the air conditioner running flatout? Are your guests running the air conditioner all day when they leave? Do they run it at 16 on hot days and 29 on cold days?

Take Control of your Air Conditioners now!

ow you can control your split system air conditioners from a manager’s point of view.

All you do is swap the existing remote for one of our Ultima II remotes and start saving. Our new and improved energy saving remotes have the following features: • You select the temperature range • Selectable 24 hour Off switch • Countdown timer • Tamper proof key pad • Pseudo temperature display

Thermo Controls continues to deliver innovation and energy saving products that saves money for those in the accommodation industry. While the energy saving 2124 remote has become Australia’s biggest seller the product has now evolved with a more personalised approach. You as the manager can now set individual temperatures and other OFF functions to suit your own requirements. Our new remote can be set to any temperature range you desire and comes with or without an OFF timer. The key pad is now tamperproof so the room occupant is unable to make any changes making the manager’s job a lot easier. One of the new features is the pseudo temperature display which works wonders with guests and costs. The secret is to allow the

guest to run the air conditioner at 19 while the actual temperature only goes to 21 degrees. It works by displaying a pseudo temperature reading that is always 2 degrees above (heating) or below (cooling) than what the air conditioner operates. Let’s say you would like your air conditioners to run between 22 and 25 degrees in the summer. Your guest will be able to dial in a range of 20 to 27 degrees however the actual temperature will only operate between what you have selected, in this example 22 to 25 degrees. The guest is lead to believe the air conditioner is working at 20 when in fact it only goes to 22 degrees. Don’t forget a 1 degree setback will save 10% energy.

CONTROL YOUR AIRCON COSTS! Introducing

the

remote Programme your Min & Max temperatures Less wear & tear on capital equipment Cheaper running costs & less maintenance Compatible with 98% of Split Systems in Australia

NEW FEATURES 24 Hour Daily Off Function

THE

POWER SAVING

Tamper-proof control panel Pseudo temperature display - You’ll Love It!

REMOTE

Security strap

1800 300 661 The Ultima II remote gives you more control over your air conditioners. Programmed for you, to save you money. www.thermocontrols.com.au info@thermocontrols.com.au

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Vol 14 No. 1 |

Primrose Best Western Hotel Motel Toronto, Canada Tom Johnson

In 2012, Tom Johnson was working with us part time as an assistant journalist whilst studying journalism at university. To further his studies, he spent 6 months in Canada where he stayed at the Primrose Best Western Hotel/Motel in their student accommodation section.

he Primrose Best Western Hotel has a unique aspect to it: The hotel manages a fully functioning hotel along with a student residence interspersed between certain floors of the building. The hotel needs to accommodate students for at least three universities within the same

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area, so the hotel needs to keep a balance on the student demand along with regular guests needing a place to stay in the exciting and busy city of Toronto, Canada. For students wanting to stay at the Primrose in downtown Toronto, they look to the Primrose Student Residence Program (PSRP). According to Statistics Canada, around 20,000 international students arrive to study in Toronto each year. PSRP Manager Natalia Rolo has overseen the program’s success since it began in 1999. The program originated from another issue regarding the lack of student housing in the ever-expanding city. The University of Toronto needed accommodation for their students and at the time they did not have enough residences. They looked around and found that their best option was to rent twelve floors of the nearby Primrose Hotel for

the semester. The University of Toronto managed and operated those floors from that time until 2003, when they purchased a separate building to house their students. After that, the PSRP was introduced for all students in Toronto. Natalia makes it clear that the Primrose Hotel and the PSRP are operated independently. Although they share the same building, they are never promoted together in order to maintain the integrity of student safety, security and privacy. “Our competitors are Neill-Wycik, Campus Common and 89 Chestnut,” Natalia says. “We differentiate by offering students more flexible commitment

terms. We have the four month and eight month terms whereas Campus Common, for instance, only offers students twelve month contracts.” “Another aspect which sets us aside is that we have the in-room kitchenettes. Although we do offer our meal plan we are able to give students that freedom to make their own meals and to cook at home on weekends when the meal plan is not offered. It sets us aside from other residences as their kitchenettes are shared with a floor or several other students.” Natalia also points out that the PSRP differs because of the ‘Dons’ that are on call if there are any issues with the room or other students. There is one Don who manages each three floors. The best part though is that the four Dons are responsible for organising events throughout the semester for students to get to know each other and see more of the city. Recently they have organised tickets to a Toronto Raptors basketball game, a laser tag game and a ski trip. In return, Primrose waives the

Dons’ accommodation and meal plan fees. The Dons’ knowledge of the city is invaluable for students staying at Primrose. Student Ron Hae has loved having the chance to take on the Don role. “Being a Don can be very rewarding,” he says. “I lived in an apartment beforehand for eight months on my own with no roommates. It can be really lonely and depressing. As a Don, I have three floors to hang out with, so you can never get bored!” ‘Don Ron’, as he is called here, is currently studying a Bachelor of Education at the University of Toronto. “The biggest challenge would be to balance school and work. Both can be very demanding, and both require your full attention.” Students are offered many of the luxuries of a regular hotel. There is a cardio and weights room for our new year’s resolutions, internet access for study and a TV for countless re-runs of The Simpsons.

There is also a sauna and swimming pool, which is only open during the summer months. That’s no surprise considering it got down to -20°C in the winter months. Natalia says that the PSRP mainly promotes itself through its website. “We also maintain relationships with all the universities in the area. We are able to list with their [university] off-campus housing offices and go to orientation meetings to introduce ourselves. We offer daily tours. We also do the traditional route of posting flyers around the schools.”

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intention of the group was for students to introduce themselves and to use as a social space; however it has lately been used to criticise the PSRP and to shout about issues. “My intention was never to have it as an operational tool,” Natalia says. “If students have a problem, we constantly refer them to the PSRP Portal.” Natalia rates the biggest challenge of running the PSRP is making the residence suitable and appealing for such a diverse range of students. “Our students come from different lifestyles and social backgrounds and, most importantly, educational backgrounds. Unlike an on-campus residence, we need to cater to students from so many institutions and programs.” The PSRP Portal is a system where students can interact with management. They can send out a ‘shout’ when they have any issues or roommate disputes. They can also use it for suggesting dishes for the meal plan. PSRP has an official Facebook group which students can join. The original

The PSRP Facebook group will change from next year to have three floors of students to each Facebook group. Natalia hopes that this will make the groups a bit more personable and make sure that students always have a friend nearby. The most effective critics of any hotel or motel are the guests who stay there. Students, however, perhaps wield more influence than others due to their more frequent use of social media websites, such as Facebook. This is where public criticisms of the PSRP can have farreaching effects on whether future students will apply. Two roommates are assigned to each room in most cases. The PSRP’s ‘Traditional Shared’ option is simply a

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standard room with two double beds, small cooking appliances and a desk for each student to work from. There are also ‘Shared Deluxe’ rooms which have a divider between the back half of the room. While still having an open area, students get to have their own bedroom. This option is more expensive and the bed is smaller, but it’s the privacy which sells it to students. Students wanting to live on their own can rent a ‘Premium Private’ room, although this costs a student nearly twice as much as living with a roommate. It is a tricky balance to run a hotel and student residence in the same building, however the Primrose manages it very effectively.

What makes a good Website Gary Berman I Website Image Consultant

I’m sure by now every business realises they need to have a website or online presence in some form, but what exactly do they need and what options are available?

he first recommendation would be to have your own property website which can be built from approximately $1000 at the low end to many thousands of dollars at the top end, depending on your requirements and budget. Along with your site, you can also list on regional tourism or local area sites. These sites can be very beneficial as they are a localized site and attract people seeking a specific area. Costs for these vary, but usually include either a listing fee or commission or both if the site allows direct bookings to your property. The third option, which almost every property selects, is listing on one or more of the many OTA’s (Online Travel Agent) such as Wotif, Expedia etc. Again the cost of these vary but most charge commission only which can range from 10% up to 25% and more. The best options for maximum online exposure would be a combination of the above three options, taking the cost and productivity into account. But how do you know what OTA’s to choose or how good your regional site is? Most OTA’s, as mentioned, charge you a commission for bookings only and are free to list on, so to achieve maximum exposure why not list on as many as you can manage, taking into account the ease

of this by the increasing use of channel managers. (These are companies such as Siteminder, which let you manage a large range of OTA’s by updating only the one screen instead of each site individually).

you can make is over presenting your product. There is nothing more damaging to your business when a guest arrives and realizes that what they have seen online is no reflection on what they see when they arrive.

For regional and other sites, it pays to talk to others who are listed for feedback and then, if signing up, try to keep the contract period as short as possible so you can monitor how much business is produced without being locked in for many years.

It should be easy to navigate around or in other words easy to use – Nothing worse than a site where you have to make too many clicks to get anywhere or if you don’t have good headings or tabs to help guests find what they are looking for.

Now that you might be visible on a variety of sites, the next step is how you can stand out from your competitors, taking into account the very competitive accommodation marketplace and the fact that when listing on OTA’s and regional sites, you are competing with thousands of other properties. The most important way of doing this and increasing sales is ensuring that your property is presented as professionally as possible, and your own site would be the starting point. This would then be carried through to all your online presence. There are a few basic elements for a good website which include the following: It should look right – Whether it is a one page information type site or has all the bells and whistles money can buy, you need to capture the right look. Think of it as your shop front, look at competitors and other sites to get some ideas and to keep an eye on any new developments. What do you want your guests to see and feel when they see your site or listing on other sites. It should be very clear in telling your customers what product you offer – Don’t oversell yourself. You’ve heard the saying that’s its better to under promise and over deliver, well this is the case with websites as well. The biggest mistake

It should be in colours and style that reflect your market and region – A 5 star city hotel will have a different look from a 4 ½ star country motel, and so it should. Finally, one of the most important things which often get overlooked on all sites are the photographs used. A recent survey by Expedia’s research confirms the value of having more visuals available online. In fact, they found that “Doubling a hotel’s online pictures can result in 4.5% take-up and $3.50 higher ADR.” While more images in itself is a start, there is also the issue of the quality and content of the pictures. Take the time and use good quality images that accurately and professionally represent your property and you will see the results. Don’t use images of your best room only, or the one room that has ocean views. By all means use these as long as you also have images of your standard rooms and ensure your captions on the images reflect this. The bottom line is to look at all your online presence and ask yourself “is this is a property I would want to visit?”... For further information you can contact Gary Berman on 0410 458 166 or email gary.berman@bigpond.com

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Sink or Swim Lyn Wicks i Business development Executive, Poolwerx

Beautifully designed pools are an impressive asset for hotels, motels and resorts that can result in higher occupancy rates, command higher prices and their poolside bars and restaurants can add to the overall guest experience.

ith more holiday makers searching online for hotels/ motels with pools, having a swimming pool can be a major point of difference.

There are a number of important areas for motel owners to consider when looking after and maintaining your pool and spa.

Atmosphere and facility The swimming pool or spa needs to be as clean and appealing as the rooms themselves. Managers can create an atmosphere in the facility that is inviting and brings guests to the swimming pool or spa area. If the swimming pool is aged, featureless and unclean it may reflect on guests experience and affect the reputation of your motel. A welcoming ambience can be created simply by using inexpensive energy saving lighting devices to accentuate the swimming pools appeal and camouflage flaws. Motel’s can add to the relaxing or fun atmosphere around the pool or spa by providing music or hiring opportunities to the business traveller such as exercise swim jets, swim bands, goggles, swimwear and towels, hand paddles, or children’s safety floatation devices or pool toys increasing the appeal of the pool to guests for exercise or relaxation.

Maintenance Having standard operating procedures detailing regular and preventive maintenance program extends the life of the equipment, lessens the cost in chemicals and reduces water usage. This ensures continued operating of the pool during the peak season. Coupled with regulative maintenance of on-site log books all adds to a smooth trouble free pool or spa.

Water use Due to some hotel swimming pool and water features water volume can be great and lose a considerable amount of water through evaporation, water features and general use. There are a number of water loss factors that can be controlled including the plant rooms, inefficient filtration and backwash lines. You can also reduce the amount of water lost by implementing excessive or lengthy backwash cycles do not occur though ensure it is carried out in accordance with health codes. Pool covers are a great solution, when the pool is not in use, to reduce evaporation.

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Equipment power consumption A great opportunity to consider is how to save more energy in and around the swimming pools or spa. There are a number of solutions in terms of pumps, plant and equipment, pool heating systems and lights, all of which are additional ways to save a considerable amount of energy and reduce current energy costs. Energy efficient pumps – In some commercial pools, pumps need to run for 24 hours a day to maintain optimum water turnover. Available now are a range of eight-star energy efficient single-phase variable speed pumps. When properly sized to the pool environment these energy efficient pumps save on the amount of energy used and maintain the necessary water flow needed to meet State Health requirements. Robotic Cleaners – Robotic cleaners reduce energy use as they are self-powered rather than relying on the suction power of a filtration pump at medium speed. It means the pool skimmer is free to skim the surface of the pool while the bottom of the pool is being cleaned. Using a robotic cleaner can reduce the load on a conventional filter, reduce backwash frequency and saving on additional chemicals and water top up. Filters – Changing the media in the filter from sand to glass increases the amount of debris captured by the filter providing better water clarity, reduce back washing and the bonus of making the pool more visually appealing. Heating – Extend your guest’s enjoyment of your facilities pool or spa through pool heating solutions. There are many options including energy efficient alternatives including solar, heat pumps or by diverting your current heat exchange system. Pool blankets – Automatic solar powered and hidden underground pool covers are becoming more common for commercial pools. Using an automated pool blanket system reduces work, health or safety issues by eliminating the manual handling needed to put on and off the pool blanket daily. Additionally a pool blanket can increase water temperature by up

to 8oC by trapping heat from sunlight, keeping the pool insulated and warm and saving power costs and water evaporation.

Health Safety and legislation: Hotel and motel facilities have a number of requirements that they must meet, which vary from state to state. Pool equipment needs to be working at optimum levels to ensure no break down during opening hours, causing closure of the pool or may result in illness of guests. Operators of hotel swimming pools must ensure water quality is maintained to meet or exceed strict health codes, guidelines and regulations and water tested accordingly. Hotel and motel pools or spa pools are captured under each state’s Public Health departments and are deemed to be ‘public’. There are different risk categories for pools or spas to meet or exceed compliance. To understand which category group of a hotel’s swimming pool or spa pool meets is based on assessment of risk for each pool or spa. This includes parameters such as bather load and likely use, ability of the pool operating system to respond to water quality changes, primary disinfectant used, water test method used, manual water testing frequency and logged, level of likely environmental contamination, the climate, health/age of bathers, if the pool or spa is heated and the location of the facility if indoors or out as a minimum. Public swimming pool and categories group are: High Risk – Are classified as shallow heavy use pools such as water playgrounds, open area pools, water parks and play pools for children, spa pools and hydrotherapy pools. Or a pool or spa with some of the following risk factors: • pH greater than 7.6 in a chlorinated pool • Consistently poor disinfectant (previous chemical or bacteriological criteria failures) • High turbidity • Poor pool circulation and/or filtration • High bather loads • Presence of algae • Regular use by birds e.g. ducks • Easy access of foreign material e.g. litter

• Biofilms detected • A high percentage of use by children below five years of age, people with special needs, older or handicapped persons. • A pool with a water turnover time in excess of six hours. • Wading pools, spas and hydrotherapy pools. • Pools with shared filtration and water circulation systems. Medium Risk – Pools in hotels, motels and resorts that are used daily and heated pools with temperatures greater than 26o. Low Risk – Hotels, motels and resorts with restriction to discrete user groups such as owner occupier residents and guests, low and infrequent bathing load pools.

Managing Risks Water Quality State public health acts and codes determine the level of maintenance and testing required for water quality control. New South Wales – The Public Health Act and Regulation commenced on 1 March, 2013. The occupier of the premises must notify the local council (Form c19), ensure an automated or continuous metered dosing system is fitted, primary disinfectant is chlorine or bromine and complies with the Prescribed Operative Requirements and Disinfection Standard, specified levels of bromine and chlorine, pH and alkalinity plus meet

5 Common Areas of Risk Area

Risk

Legislation

1. Pool Gates and Fences

Drowning & Immersion

State and Local Laws; Building Code; Swimming Pool Acts. AS1926: AS2818:

2. Unhealthy Pool Water

Disease; Infections; Impaired Visibility

State Public Health Acts ; Codes ; Guidelines: OH&S Act: WHS Act;

3. Dangerous Chemicals

Storage; Handling; Use; Disposal; Transportation

OH&S Act; WHS Act; AS3780: AS4326: DGSM Act

4. Signage

CPR, Depth Markers, Advisory

National Aquatic and Recreational Signage; AS1926; State Public Health Acts;

5. Plant & Equipment

Noise, Maintenance; Electrical; Sustainability; Suction Entrapment

DECCW: Electrical Safety Act; ACCC

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testing record keeping complying with all aspects of the Act and Regulation.

Failure to register a swimming pool could mean a fine of up to $2200.

Victoria – Pools need to comply with Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, requirements where updated 1 January 2010.

Queensland – December 2010 strict new laws are enforced by the State Government requiring all pools and spas to be registered and inspected. PoolWerx are Government licensed pool safety inspectors and all hotel/motel pools must follow the state enforced fencing guidelines. However there are a few resorts that have their own strict exemptions.

Western Australia – The Aquatic Facilities Code of Practice was updated July 2011 and all pools or spas need to comply. South Australia – The state government is currently reviewing the public health including swimming pool laws and requirements. All other states and territories health of water quality remain at this time unchanged.

Signage standards have recently been updated for signage in and around pools include pictograms for non-English speaking guests, size of font and the phase-in of triangles to align with the world standards.

Pool Fences All states and territories have pool fencing laws. The authority on who enforces the laws is dependent on local governments. New South Wales – The Swimming Pool Act NSW was updated for pool fencing in October 2012 with a phase-in period for compliance. From April 2013 pool owners must register their pools or spas on a Statewide register. Mandatory inspections will be conducted by councils of tourist accommodation, visitor and multi-occupancy developments every 3 years commencing 29 April, 2014. To register your pool go to: http://www.swimmingpoolregister.nsw.gov.au/pooldb/ pgOwnerLanding/OpenForm

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New NSW Health Regulations require automated or continuous metered dosing systems to disinfect public swimming pools and spas Liz Hollingdale i director of Pool Controls

On 1 March 2013 new Health Regulations came into force requiring all public swimming pools and spas to be fitted with automated or continuous metered dosing systems.

ailure to comply with the regulations may result in penalties, including closure of the facility and prohibition orders. The legislation Clause 3(1) of Schedule 1, Public Health Regulation 2012, requires that a public swimming pool and spa

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pool must be fitted with an automated or a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system. It is dangerous to hand dose a public swimming pool or spa pool while the pool is open to swimmers. Yet, disinfectant must be continuously added to achieve adequate minimum disinfectant levels and this must be done through an automatic or continuously metered disinfectant dosing system.

Continuous metered disinfectant dosing system A â&#x20AC;&#x153;continuous metered disinfectant dosing systemâ&#x20AC;? is a device or apparatus which delivers the disinfectant in a

controlled continuous and steady rate. The disinfectant must be delivered at some point into the pool circulation system and not directly into the pool. It is preferable that the disinfectant be added just after the filtration system to lessen the formation of disinfection by-products. A pump which delivers liquid chlorine at a particular rate i.e. millilitres per hour, is a good example of a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system. Other examples include dry chemical feeders, and electrolytic disinfectant generation. Obviously hand dosing or broadcasting is not a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system. Similarly a floating device with a block of disinfectant is

not a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system. An erosion feeder is not a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system unless it can deliver the disinfectant at a constant continuous rate instead of at a diminishing rate. One of the cheapest forms of a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system is a peristaltic pump. These draw liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) preferably from a shaded drum and slowly inject the liquid chlorine into the pool circulation system after the filter. The peristaltic pump can be set up to deliver a dose of chlorine at particular time intervals. A continuous metered disinfectant dosing system can also be controlled by a timing switch to activate it at some time prior to opening and de-activate it at some time after closing. The dosing rate or frequency on some pumps can be varied allowing the pool operator greater scope in delivering disinfectant to the pool at varying continuous rates. These regulations will affect many smaller operators such as motels and caravan parks, many of whom have

traditionally used salt chlorinators to sanitise their pools.

used to automate any functioning saltwater chlorinator.

In regional areas it can be difficult to access liquid chlorine, so a saltwater chlorinator can provide a reliable, convenient option â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not mention the fact that many people prefer to swim in salt water pools.

The Chemigem D10 VP works by analysing the ORP (a measure of effective chlorine levels) and pH of the water via its multielectrode (probe). This information is used to activate the saltwater chlorinator as required to maintain safe levels of disinfection and satisfy the requirements of the NSW Health Regulations.

Unfortunately, a standard saltwater chlorinator is not going to be sufficient to satisfy the requirement of â&#x20AC;&#x153;automated or continuous metered dosing systemâ&#x20AC;?. It is possible to upgrade existing hardware with an automated controller designed to operate with any functioning salt chlorinator. Not only will this ensure compliance with the new Health Regulations, but it will also increase the overall efficiency of the pool sanitisation system. For example, an Australian-owned company, Pool Controls specialises in the manufacture of automated water management systems. A version of their award-winning Chemigem D10 Controller is available, which can be

The NSW Health Regulations also require that the pH of water in public swimming pools is kept with a specified range. This is because the pH of the water affects the effectiveness of the disinfection. The Chemigem D10 VP also monitors pH levels and can keep the pH in the required range by the addition of acid (automatically dosed via a solenoid valve or peristaltic pump.) A significant advantage of using a Chemigem D10 VP is that operators do not have to replace their entire system, but are able to upgrade existing equipment.

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ADVERTORIAL

Soap Aid Soap Aid is a global charity that aims to help save millions of children’s lives from a totally preventable disease caused by inadequate sanitation, and is promised to be a huge development for the Australian hospitality industry.

he aim is to collect unused soap, often discarded by hotels daily, to reprocess, recycle, then donate fresh, new bars of soap for the simple act of hand washing to those in need across third world countries.

The shocking facts This ambitious humanitarian effort will help address one of the most critical needs facing childhood deaths in third world countries today. Across the globe, 2.5 billion impoverished people lack adequate sanitation (WHO, UNICEF) and death rates from hygiene related illnesses are countless. It is estimated that 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year. This equates to: • 6,000 child deaths everyday or one child every 25 seconds. • 160 infant school class rooms lost every single day. (WHO, WATERAID) It is a shocking fact that Diarrhoea kills more children every year than Aid’s, Malaria and Measles combined (WHO) and at any given time, half the hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people suffering from diarrhoea. (UNDD). However, by the simple act of hand washing with a bar of soap, the number of these life-threatening cases could reduce by over 40 per cent. (WATERAID).

Aiming to make a difference Plans for Soap Aid include the supply of education materials, for children, that

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communicate the importance of hand washing. Hygiene education and promotion of hand washing are simple, cost-effective measures that can reduce the number of diarrhoea cases across the globe. Soap Aids’ CEO, Michael Matulick believes the hospitality industry can make a huge difference. “Every day, thousands of hotels and motels around the world discard millions of pieces of soap, which often ends up in already overflowing landfills. By collecting waste soap and reprocessing it, our industry can help make a significant contribution to two critical objectives – protecting the environment and potentially saving countless human lives.” To ensure the success of its initiative, Soap Aid is currently in discussion with charities and distribution companies to ensure that the used soap can be collected from hotel properties to be reprocessed and donated to children in need.

The used soap is broken down to remove any impurities and recast the soap into perfect new bars that bear the Soap Aid logo. Australia is the first to have an established Soap Aid program, but the board is aiming to gradually expand to other global regions. They will also encourage hospitality providers around the world to contribute to Soap Aid by recycling their guest amenities wherever possible.

How you can help Soap Aid welcomes your support and hopes that you too can join with us to make a difference to children’s lives. If you would like to know more about Soap Aid or how you can join the program? Head to www.soapaid.org and complete the support form.

Don’t let your guest dive into a nasty cocktail! Guests should be able to enjoy a cocktail by the pool, not feel like they’re swimming in one. With hospitality clients across Australia and New Zealand, PoolWerx understands that a hotel pool needs to be as clean and inviting as the rooms themselves. We ensure that your pools and spas are healthy and comply with legislation to fulfil your duty of care. Our services include: • 24/7 emergency hotline as well as free professional problem solving and advice by phone or email • Independent, expert third-party support in the event of litigation • Service all year round, with options to suit your seasons and location PoolWerx can do as much or as little of the work you require. As a Registered Training Organisation, we can also provide training for work you wish to be performed in house. Starting with a complementary on-site visual inspection, PoolWerx will then tailor a solution, keeping your current resources and budget in mind.

Call PoolWerx today on 1800 009 000 or email service@poolwerx.com.au

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ADVERTORIAL

Quality and efficiency In-built tariff intelligence reduces heating costs

emonstrating a commitment to design and effectiveness, the Rheem and Accent heat pumps are specially tailored for maximum heat transfer and efficiency. The company’s high-quality products are supported by Rheem Australia’s Psychrometic Type Test Room, where the heat pump design is constantly tested for efficiency, output and robustness.

Rheem’s Accent heat pumps are now available with in-built tariff intelligence. This new central controller has been developed specifically to optimise the runprofile that is relative to electricity pricing. This in turn achieves the lowest possible heating cost. When programming the controller, Rheem evaluated every electricity price option. The controller’s programming now understands the off-peak, shoulder and peak structure of time-of-use tariffs, with some pre-programmed to aid ease of use.

In-built electricity pricing intelligence The Rheem IQ® tariff-optimising intelligent control includes programming logic that guarantees seamless off-peak operation through slight movements of the pool temperature. This ensures that the lower-priced off-peak heat contribution is effectively stored in the pool. Differing temperature parameters are also available by time period, with the intention that peak operation may be postponed or avoided to the maximum extent feasible. This is consistent with your desired temperature of the pool at different times of the day. The Rheem IQ® tariff-optimising intelligent control gives you the tool to achieve substantial reductions in heating costs. With time-of-use or smart metering, heating costs during the day can be up to four times the cost of night running. Achieving a balance of off-peak and shoulder electricity use will see your pool heating costs almost halved in comparison to those with a connection to the standard flat rate.

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Saving pump running costs The potential for reducing costs can be extended to your recirculating pump. The new Rheem IQ® controller can be linked to your pool pump so that it only runs in line with the run-profile and in the hours required for heating. This will further minimise electricity costs and increase the total saving. The tariff intelligence of the controller is only one of the new features offered with Rheem’s Accent heat pumps. Functionality extends to outdoor fan control, circulating pump control, de-ice management, alarm logging and PCo connectivity. The BMS interface capability of the unit also allows direct interrogation, status checking and performance data review. For more information visit the Rheem Pool Heating website. Rheem Pool Heating thrives on a reputation of providing the highest quality products and advice when it comes to pool

and spa heating solutions. The company is committed to innovation so, when choosing a Rheem Accent heat pump, you can be sure that you are receiving the utmost when it comes to efficiency.

Fact Sheet RHEEM POOL HEATING P: 1300 132 950 E: info@rheempoolheating.com.au W: www.rheempoolheating.com.au

mo Product News WORLD 1st – CORDLESS ROBOT POOL CLEANER Robotic Pool Cleaners are used extensively in Motel Pools to ensure pools are kept clean, brushed and scrubbed and ready for use each day. But for many motels, Robots have been unable to operate because of their low voltage power cable – and the potential for this to get tangled on Islands or pillars that are part of the design of the pool. Now, Maytronics are pleased to announce the launch of the Dolphin Liberty Pro. The Liberty Pro is a world 1st! It is the only robot on the market with no cord and therefore no hassles. The Liberty uses space age Lithion Ion battery technology to ensure the Robot has maximum suction power and working life and minimal charge times. “The Liberty changes the robot pool cleaning sector completely! This amazing product means that Motel Maintenance teams no longer need to struggle to manually clean their unique pools. It’s a world 1st”, said Stuart Crane, Commercial Manager for Maytronics. Whilst the Liberty is designed to work individually in pools up to 15 metres, because they are cordless, multiple cleaners can be used in tandem to provide exceptional coverage in larger pools. Some of the key states are: • Cycle time – 1 to 1.5 hours • Recharge time – 2 to 4 hours • Pool size per cleaner – 15 metres • Suction power – 17000 litres per hour • Cleans, floor, wall and benches • Gyroscope included to optimise scanning pattern efficiency (refer example below)

17 m pool, with 3 posts

Hot Product: Winning Colours 1000+ Stain Remover Described as the World’s Most Versatile Cleaning Solution™, Winning Colours 1000+ Stain Remover is effective on an exceptionally broad range of drips, drops and disasters. Using hydro-lift technology, it removes paint, red wine, blood, grease, coffee, grass, nail polish, permanent marker and much more from carpet, upholstery and clothing. 1000+ is a professional strength product that can be used full strength or diluted with water for general cleaning purposes. Tough enough for the most stubborn stains yet gentle enough to be used on delicate fabrics such as silk, wool and lace. A USDA Certified Biobased Product, 1000+ is kind to skin and the environment. It contains biodegradable ingredients and is free from Enzymes, Phosphates, Whitening Agents, Bleach and Dry Cleaning Fluids. For a free sample please contact sales@rubbedin.com.au

Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting Systems expands To celebrate the expansion of EziMaid Bed Lifting Systems see the ad on page 50 Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting Systems have opened their new head office, showroom, warehouse and training facility at 202 Condamine Street Balgowlah, in NSW. As you may be aware we have had the original electronic model for some years and have installed in many establishments both in Australia and overseas. Our new Spring Lift system has developed into a wonderful alternative, it is much cheaper and more appropriate for the smaller sites. Readers are able to visit us and assess their requirements, and decide which best suits their site. Should they wish to learn how to install our product, we have on site training available.

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100

100 year s of s ye 1 eravrs of 0 s 0

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Hotel Soft Refurbishment Specialists

W.H. Amad, a family owned business, was established in 1910 as manufacturers to the hospitality industry. W.H. Amad is a vertical operation (possibly the last genuine one in Australia) specialising in hotel refurbishments including the manufacture of curtains, bed linen, quilts, bedspreads, bed throws, cushions, quilted valances and more.

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Pictured above: 550gsm Combed Cotton Towels, Sateen Stripe Bed Linen and Luxurious Poly/Cotton Percale Sheets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3 Year Warranty.

As all manufacturing is done under one roof, we are able to meet special requirements such as irregular sizes, ID threads, special constructions, critical delivery schedules etc. With a combined total of over 100 years experience in the industry, our highly trained staff can assist in all facets of product development, enabling you to have a totally individual look for your establishment. We have an extensive range of fabrics to choose from, or you can specify your own designs and fabrications. Together with our extensive range of bed linen, towelling and associated manchester products... W.H. Amad is truly a one stop shop.

W.H. Amad / Bill Christopher Textiles Phone:

03 9350 2055 1300 WH AMAD (1300 942 623) Email: customerservice@whamad.com.au TAS Sales: Malcolm Atkins 0418 142 456 NSW Sales: Scott Uglow 0401 107 517

whamad.com.au

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