House
Proud HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2016 ISSUE
IN THIS ISSUE:
• H OT 3 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY
• GENERAL NEWS
• REGIONAL ROUND UP
• FAMIL S
• H OT S T U F F
• C E L E B R AT I O N S
MOD’S FOREWORD
Christmas carols are playing and the tinsel and tree decorations have been dusted off – another year has flown by or maybe I am just getting older! The Christmas parties are now over and fancy dress nights behind us in Christchurch and Auckland, thank goodness. Its been a fast paced finish to a busy year including a few unwelcome shakes as well! 2016 has been another record year for the HOT group’s sales. We started with one of the smallest BOB positions for many years but built strongly during the year. The incredibly competitive Early Bird fares have helped us have a strong last few months although December is quietening down in many areas. Orbit has had another great year. They have implemented a new reporting technology Travelogix and delivered some great new app features. Sales have been strong with a number of new clients coming on board this year, including ESR, Cancer Society NZ, Redbull, Mataura Milk, Talleys Motueka and Ashurst Legal in Australia. The icing on the cake was the winning of University of Auckland which is an icon account in New Zealand. A fantastic way to finish 2016 and lots on the go for 2017 already. Leisure sales have held strong, and GTN’s first
IN THIS ISSUE:
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year of trading has seen fantastic results, with the team beating their budget convincingly. HOT Events have had an incredible year with the Olympics in Rio a highlight where they did the HOT group proud. We have an exciting kick off to 2017 planned for HOT stores and we are ready for another big year of travel. HOT Cruise will be further developed to build on this year’s launch which has been well received. 2016 saw us launch a new brand proposition “ The best holidays are creating together”. This has given us a space we can own, differentiated from everyone else. We are committed to developing this further in our tactical advertising and look and feel in 2017. This year we have celebrated the 10 year anniversary of our relationship with Hospice – a relationship that goes from strength to strength. Future Fit continues to be a big part of our business, with Future Fit 2 being a huge success getting great feedback, and SPiD and Voice of Customer marking a real change in understanding of the experience we offer to our customers. The response to the WOWs internally has been a really surprising benefit from the programme and will be incorporated into Awards in 2017.
0 3 H OT 3 0T H A N N I V E R S A RY
We have also welcomed new stores to the HOT family, with High Street Lanes in Christchurch and The Crossing in Tauranga debuting their amazing new stores in the latter half of the year. We’ve seen some stores refit and move such as Ferrymead which is a stunning view of what future travel retailing might look like, and owner operators move as well – it has been a year of change, which as John Key said in light of his shock resignation – change is good! 2016 has been a great year and we are well set up for 2017. This is a milestone year for us as it will be 30 years since Chris Paulsen and a few brave souls kicked off what has become HOT as we know it today. Awards 2017 will be a great celebration of what has been achieved and is still being achieved and is yet to come! Have a great (and well deserved!) Christmas break and we’ll look forward to seeing you all for another fantastic year in 2017. Travel safe. Cheers MOD
10 FAMIL S
15 NEW FACES
1 3 H OT T I E P E RS O N A L ADVENTURES
1 6 C E L E B R AT I O N S
04 GENERAL NEWS 06 REGIONAL ROUNDUP
1 4 H OT ST U F F
Celebrating
30 YEARS OF
HOUSE OF TRAVEL
30 years! How time flies when you’re having fun. On 27 January 1987, we opened our first store – John Kemp’s House of Travel in Timaru. House of Travel began with the goal of becoming the travel provider of choice for all Kiwis. We had an ambitious business plan – to grow to 35 outlets in three years. So began an exciting journey of growth and development that continues to this day. Together, we have built a great business with an awesome culture, focused on our people and the value you all bring to this business. I am proud to have started the journey all those years ago and to have seen so many HOTTIES embrace our values and positively contribute to the HOT legacy. I think we’re all looking forward to reflecting on our collective achievements and the great company we have built together at Awards weekend in March – let the celebrating begin!
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GENERAL NEWS
Chris Paulsen takes out Local Hero Award! Our very own Exec Chairman has been awarded a Local Hero Award at this year’s Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, which identify and reward everyday people doing extraordinary things in their communities. Chris was recognised for the thousands of employment opportunities he has created (thanks Chris!) and for his unwavering commitment to Hospice New Zealand. Please join us in saying a massive congratulations to Chris for this well-deserved recognition.
Dave Churchman Day After a mammoth effort from HOTTIES raising over $10,000 for Dave Churchman Day, Dave was stoked to receive a cheque to be put towards finishing the landscaping of the family home. Thank you to everyone who participated and pitched in for Dave, who is the true epitome of a HOTTIE!
Changes to the 2017 HOT Brochures. You may have noticed a few changes to the 2017 HOT brochures that are slowly starting to arrive in your offices, and you will see there are no prices next to hotel or sightseeing products… gasp! They have been given a bit of a face-lift with the aim to include more inspiration, destination knowledge and showcase even more of House of Travel’s expertise for you and your customers. Essentially, the change in the brochure has been to INSPIRE, to create the best holidays together, and drive away from the price-war world. A huge amount of research and personal expertise has gone into creating new ideas and experiences. The biggest alterations are in the Longhaul brochures, with new look self-drive itinerary pages. The concept is to use these pages to create ideas with your customer, with what type of vehicle to choose and what standard of accommodation to stay in. We have given a list of tantalising ‘highlights to see along the way’, but of course leave space for customers to create their own memories too. Gone are the days of pages and pages of hotels, now we are pages and pages of destination intelligence! Shorthaul destinations are sold best as ‘what resort to stay at’ and ‘what is included’, so these brochures won’t change too much. After all, some islands take no more than an hour to drive around. A little insight on why prices have been removed? House of Travel brochures feature contract pricing when going to print, so now with dynamic pricing, at times the pricing will look uncompetitive over its 12 month validity. Instead, we want to lure our customers in, create their best holiday together with you, and give you the opportunity to lock in the most competitive price. Be it contract stay/pay deals or Expedia – either way, YOU will still be their travel agent. HOT Roydvale in action with a car wash fundraiser. -4-
We are really excited to see these new brochures so hope you like them and use them to their maximum selling potential!
GENERAL NEWS
HOT THE CROSSING OPENS ITS DOORS The Crossing – HOT’s newest store has now opened its doors, and it is looking fantastic. We are really excited about the opening of Chris and Tanya’s newest store. Gaynor and the “fit-out” team have all worked really hard to get this new store up and running, it has been a sprint to the finish. The feedback from customers and The Crossing team is that they all love it. Congratulations team!
Orbit in the market As part of some key advertising by Orbit, Orbit has taken over the money section of the Newshub website for a four month period, running from November through until mid December, and then back again over February, March, and early April. Advertising like this isn’t something that is overly common in the business travel market so it’s great to see Orbit focused on growing their brand profile.
Orbit sponsorship of the Deloitte Top 200 Business Awards Earlier in the month the Deloitte Top 200 Awards were held, with Orbit World Travel one of the key sponsors of the night. As the sponsor of the Chief Executive of the Year Award, Orbit presented the award alongside Deloitte. The award, which recognised the performance of the CE’s organisation and the extent to which he contributed to that
performance and their current strategy, was contested by Mike Bennetts of Z Energy, Simon Moutter of Spark, and Patrick Davies of EBOS.
In addition to those finalists, Orbit also manages travel for other finalists Ryman Healthcare, Trade Me, Kathmandu, and Synlait.
The winner of the award was Mike Bennetts of Z Energy. Both Z Energy and EBOS are clients of Orbit’s, while Orbit also manage some Groups and Event travel for Spark. -5-
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
PINKTOBER House of Travel Tauranga are the proud sponsors of our local HOT PINK WALK, the main fundraiser for the local Tauranga Breast Cancer Support Services. As a prelude, all the staff baked up a storm and took it in shifts to go
around the CBD with morning tea for a gold coin donation and to bring awareness for the walk – they raised $840! There was also a challenge for all businesses called ‘Fill your boots this Pinktober’. A pink Gumboot
was given to all teams who had to fill it up with the raised money. The HOT team did well to win this challenge and have been given a trophy. As well as the House of Travel Tauranga Staff, we had a team
from HOT Papamoa and HOT Mount Maunganui, and even that new gal (Wendy) from HOT The Crossing. Great turn out in all the pinkness, they rocked Pinktober!
Pink Star Walk A team from HOT Roydvale Ave, Gaynor and Julie-Ann from Shortland Street and a couple of random hangers-on completed the Pink Star Walk on Saturday 29 October. The crew, resplendent in their pinkest finery including their “Hotties for Trish” tops, raised an amazing total of $6435 to go towards breast cancer research. They were all particularly passionate about the cause this year as a way to show their solidarity for
the lovely Trish Hughes who is currently fighting her own battle with the disease. In an industry dominated by women we all need to be very mindful that eight women a day are being diagnosed with breast cancer. Within HOT there are a number of survivors who are more than happy to share their experience and lend support to anyone going through this tough time.
High St Lanes Pink Day On Friday 21 October, the Orbit and HOT High St Lanes team dressed up for “Pink Day”, in support of breast cancer. The team raised $2,254.40 on the day which was an awesome effort.
From left to right: Gaynor Morrah, Julie Bohnenn, Tracee Buckingham, Aaron Stead, Julie Ann Mold
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REGIONAL ROUNDUP
Brown’s Bay Walk
Jumping for a good cause
The Browns Bay office took part in the Auckland Marathon on 30th October. They said they just did the 12km walk, but this is only the beginning.
Kirsty from the Hornby office finally made the big leap, literally. She jumped off a building - thankfully attached to something as she abseiled down. Kirsty raised $610 for the Graeme Dingle Foundation.
Geoff Hebditch, Kelda Cawood and Charlotte Webb
Queenstown Half Marathon Jane Su from Database participated in her first half marathon in midNovember at Queenstown. “I will admit, the half marathon was not easy, especially for someone who has not ran since high school. But I had such a great time and I am so grateful for the experience. The lovely scenic routes of Queenstown and everyone on the streets cheering and supporting each other was great fun.” A great effort from Jane.
HOT Botany has been celebrating! There have been a few big ‘0’ birthdays at Botany this year, we’ll let you guess the ages! Also, Maritza Bresler became a NZ resident in November so the team baked her a true blue Kiwi banana cake.
Left to right: Karen, Toni, Jan & Maritza
HYPERTECH SOLUTIONS HyperTech Solutions are our development partners who provide the core software for Splash. Since September, four of their Software Developers from India have been onsite alongside the HOT IT team in Roydvale Ave, working on a large programme of enhancements to the Splash and back office PleX systems for HOT Product. One of the visible pieces of work they have completed recently was the implementation of Viator in Splash. They have also been working ‘under the covers’ to implement incremental performance improvements to
Splash. Since starting this ongoing work back in April, we have seen for example, an ‘Oahu’ Most Popular search now returning 55% faster, the ‘Gold Coast’ now 60% faster, and ‘Bali’ 88% faster. To give the Hypertech team time out of the office and a chance to experience some Kiwi culture, some of the HOT IT staff accompanied them to a day at the recent Black Caps v Pakistan test match at Hagley Oval. Conditions were quite different to the subcontinent - particularly once the notorious Christchurch easterly kicked in, but a great day was had by all. -7-
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
A fresh look for the team On the 1st October 2016, staff at Stephen Parson HOT moved into a summer uniform. It’s all part of their committment to provide an onbrand customer experience. Don’t they look great? Here are some of the team.
STEPHANIE COMPLETES STORMY TONGARIRO CROSSING Stephanie Huijs from Stephen Parsons HOT, with her fiancée, completed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in early October. Organised via the Adventure Lodge National Park, the tramp was 19.4kms and had to be done in atrocious conditions. It took just over six hours. Well done Stephanie.
Takanini Update The team at Takanini is finally complete! Craig Hopley celebrates Christmas with his Takanini team.
HOT PARNELL GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVE SEASON
From left to right: Suzanne Pringle, Kim Ormsby, Rebecca van der Klip, Ruwani Amarasinghe, Trish Miers and Craig Hopley.
HOT MARKETING GETS WILD HOT Marketing decided to leave Auckland’s shores for their team Christmas function this year, heading off to Waiheke Island’s Wild On for some archery and clay shooting. It was an entertaining afternoon with maybe just a little bit of competitiveness.
AIR TEAM CELEBRATES THE END OF YEAR ON AUCKLAND HARBOUR! It was the Air team’s Xmas function out on Auckland Harbour, all looking very sharp on a sunny Friday night. Thanks for another great year and we look forward catching up with everyone in 2017! -8-
REGIONAL ROUNDUP HALLOWEEN ON HUNTER HOT on Hunter joined in with the Halloween festivities by breaking out the baking and decorating their store.
Team Tactical to raise money for Hospice Paula Watson, Sarah Hannah and Shona Bray thought to add to their ‘Hospice Shop’, for Christmas they would make candles with all profits going to Hospice.
Sara h
Sh ona
“We ended up having pre-orders of over 89 candles…so it was a busy day in the kitchen but we have raised over $800 in addition to our takings from the actual shop that has been running since we moved into the new office.”
Pau la
A unique idea with great results thanks to Paula, Shona and Sarah.
THE HOT TRIATHLON Since its inception six years ago, with a focus on being more community focused, the 11 Christchurch offices of House of Travel have been naming rights sponsors of the House of Travel Triathlon Festival. Born out of wanting to be involved in a community focused event and a company who believes in the wellbeing of its staff, supporting a Canterbury based triathlon event seemed like a natural fit. The day is a true ‘festival of events’ including a team’s race, a ‘classic’ triathlon, fun races for the kids, running events and finishes with an Elite race which is part of the National Elite Junior series – fun for everyone. As well as many HOT staff competing in the various races, other staff will be manning the community BBQ to feed the masses and other staff will be out on the race course as marshals – all volunteering and raising funds for House of Travels main charity, Hospice New Zealand, and specifically Canterbury’s Nurse Maude Hospice. Since the 2010/2011 earthquakes it has been very important to focus on local events and the health and wellbeing of everyone and this formed part of the decision by the Christchurch HOT Business owners to become involved with a local event. Helping local people and assisting where we could by helping the kids get out there and have fun. We encourage them to be healthy and as a bonus, assist in raising funds for our charity of choice, Hospice NZ.
From left to right: Kirsty Stewart, Sarah Davy, Christine Gilliver and Shaunice Ross, all from HOT Hornby, man the Barbie at the HOT Triathlon Festival in Christchurch
A $2300 cheque was presented to Hospice staff by Steve Marshall, HOT Barrington; Tracee Buckenham, HOT Holdings; Sandy Connolly, HOT Merivale and Paula Waldeck, HOT Hornby.
From left to right: Steve Marshall of HOT Barrington chaperones Quinn Mooney during his race – Quinn quite liked Steve, he said he could come over for dinner. -9-
FAMIL S
Cook Islands October 2016 Kia Orana HOTTIEs, We recently returned from a fantastic famil to the beautiful Cook Islands. Having spent most of our time in Rarotonga we were privileged to venture out to the beautiful island of Aitutaki. Never pass up the opportunity to consider this add on to your clients. What I found most interesting speaking with guests in random locations, is that they were happy to stay in an entry level 3.5* property for 5x nights, then spend up and treat themselves to 3x nights minimum in Aitutaki. The contrast between the expectations of these options were often considered the ‘norm’ and one I didn’t think occurred often. As the Cook Islands (Rarotonga) are one of our top selling destinations for the South Pacific groups, our team were treated to beautiful people, culture, hotel inspections, local delicacies and laughter. Remember there is something for everyone. From entry level accommodation to our high end luxury adult only options. Every property is located within ease of access to the lagoon. Regardless of the price point the clients wish to work inside of, from Airport to Resort they could be sitting with a cocktail in hand within half an hour of arriving. The cost to eat on the island when you get out and about is fairly similar to that of New Zealand. Great meal options are popping up all over the island, one of my favourite choices was a $12 fish sandwich from Charlie’s Café in Titikaveka – it was served at the size of a dinner plate! Plenty for 2 of us to share. Key aspects that I found would always be helpful is forward bookings and
Antarctica November 2016
Fernando from the Adventure Team visited Antarctica for the first time, a destination only a few would have been lucky enough to have experienced. One Ocean Expeditions was fantastic, what really made the difference for me was their staff, the knowledge they have is just incredible. Whether it is about the wildlife, icebergs, or the landscape, they knew it all and were always willing to share it. The trip is very well organised and clients are always kept informed during the day about the different - 10 -
activities and options. I would definitely recommend One Ocean to anyone looking at travelling to Antarctica. Antarctica is so unique, there is no place on earth you can compare to Antarctica, my highlight was the Minke whale by the end of the trip just playing around the zodiacs and kayaks, they usually don’t hang around humans any longer than a couple of minutes but this one stayed with us for around 45 minutes, a very unique experience really hard to put into words.
From left to right: Tegan Gutry (HOT Product), Vicki Wong (DCC), Desiree Dick (HOT Product), Scarlett Van Humm (HOT Product), Linda Wilson (HOT Product Groups)
securing those day trips for our clients. We were treated to Koka Lagoon Cruise in Rarotonga and the Vaka Cruise in Aitutaki. Both tours were fully booked, and had we been ‘tourists’ ‘booking last minute’, we may have missed out completely due to the popularity of these excursions. I suggest to always have that conversation with your customers, as we here in HOT Product will have with you. Where would your next holiday venture be? Consider the beautiful Cook Islands! Kia Manuia!
FAMIL S
Gold Coast November 2016 A team of Hotties headed to the Gold Coast recently and shared their highlights. Our trip to the Gold Coast was an awesome experience for all involved. We had so much fun and lots of laughs along the way. Our trip included a visit to Draculas with a show based on the 1970’s called Retro Vamp, some thrifty shopping at Pacific Fair, a relaxing cruise around the canals in Surfers, a trip to Movie World for the day (which was full of entertainment and fast rides) and on our last night, a show dedicated to the Light Horse regiment for the Anzacs at Australian Outback Spectacular. It was an amazing show and a highlight for the group. These were all great experiences which we would recommend for groups of friends, families and couples alike. We also completed a number of site inspections across the four main areas of Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Main beach and Coolangatta. Please come through to the Aussie team for all the latest information on Gold Coast properties, and we can help you with all accommodation recommendations. From left to right: Mel Rayner, Hannah Little, Kate Wilkie, Shaunice Ross, Caitlin Harrison, & Stacey Tritt.
Spain October 2016 Jodi Phillipson from the Longhaul Christchurch team travelled to Spain in early October, courtesy of the Catalunya Tourist Board and Singapore Airlines. Here are some of her highlights. For the first part of my trip, I was based in Barcelona to attend the Buy Catalunya workshop, which was a great opportunity to meet our existing suppliers and to see the other local suppliers showcase their product. While in Barcelona I also did some hotel inspections and sightseeing. After Barcelona, we split into groups and travelled north to the Costa Brava region. A truly stunning area of Spain! This area hosts a perfect combination of food, coastal walks and wine. After three nights here, we headed south to Tarragona and Valencia. We were fortunate to be in Tarragona for the Castellers Festival – a huge, televised festival of human tower building. Valencia was a beautiful destination to visit. We enjoyed the food markets, sailing on the Med and a Paella cooking class – a must do when in Valencia! - 11 -
FAMIL S
Chile October 2016 In October, Anna O’Dell (HOT Ferrymead), Dianne Boyes (HOT Motueka), Morgan Wright (HOT Botany Junction) and Jenna Martin (HOT St Heliers) along with Katie Searle from HOT Product ventured to Chile for a dose of real adventure. The group visited Santiago and Valparaiso to experience a unique side to these locations; now knowing first-hand that Santiago is a
top-notch food and wine mecca. Next stop, Huilo Huilo. A little-known private nature reserve in the Lakes District where the girls faced fears of flying the highest zip lining canopy in South America and horse riding. What is best about this reserve is staying in the out-of-this-world treehouses! Last but definitely not least, the group visited the Atacama Desert. They then braved an
altitude of up to 4900m and temperatures ranging from -10 to 30 degrees, windy conditions and never-ending tasty pisco sours to witness some of the most unbelievable sights. If your customers want a WOW kind of adventure, the Atacama Desert is it.
From left to right: Hayley Valentine, Amy Collins, Kelda Cawood, Amanda Southon, Christine Gilliver and Terri Hardisty.
HOT Vanuatu October 2016 This was all our first time to Vanuatu so we were pretty excited to experience the destination. Vanuatu has a really authentic untouched feel, with plenty of activities and natural attractions to keep you entertained on your holiday. A group highlight for our trip was Zip Lining, we all had heaps of fun whizzing down the lines and taking in the amazing views! Food in Vanuatu was fantastic, we enjoyed dining at Lava Lounge in Port Vila, so much so we ate there twice! Delicious wood fire pizzas cost around $28. A trip to Vanuatu is not a true experience until you head out to the outer islands. Nicole and Alisha headed over to the beautiful Santo to soak up the breath taking - 12 -
natural scenery, they were so blown away with Santo they will definitely be going back. Their highlight was taking a dip at Champagne Beach and being able to visit one of the many blue lagoons that are dotted around Santo. Shayla and I headed out to Tanna to check out Mt Yasur – what an incredible once in a life time experience, you have to see and feel it to believe that you are actually on the edge of an active volcano! The Island as a whole reminds us of Samoa – so many natural attraction activities on offer. The people remind us of Fiji – they are all beautiful and friendly. Put these two together and you have an awesome destination that offers so much more than a holiday. From left to right: Janine, Shayla, Nicole and Alisha – South Pacific Team
H OT T I E P E R S O N A L A D V E N T U R E S
Carina explores Vietnam
Carina Bell from the IT team shares her latest experience to Vietnam. My oldest friend and I decided to spend 3 weeks travelling through Vietnam this year (the ad campaign was based on us, I’m sure of it!), starting in the south at the end of October and heading north. Direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City with Air New Zealand made it an easy trip, and Active Asia put together an itinerary for us, including plenty of lazy days to relax. We took overnight trains up the country, and stayed in some fantastic places in the major cities. A highlight would be doing a cooking class in Hoi An
with Vy’s Market Restaurant & Cooking School. Madam Vy seems to own half the town, with multiple restaurants, cooking schools, and hotels, all providing high quality food and service. A cruise on Ha Long Bay was nicely finished with two days at a resort on Cat Ba Island to swim and drink cocktails on the beach. Such a diverse country, with traditional lifestyles squeezed in between the building sites for more luxury resorts. I already have a list of places to go back to on my next visit :)
Margaret holidays in the UK & Ireland.
Margaret Douglas from the Christchurch Product team on her recent trip to the UK. I recently returned from on a holiday in UK and Ireland, which included a stopover in Dubai for a day and totally enjoyed it especially the selfdrives in Scotland and Ireland. In Dubai, I went on the Traditional City Tour and Sundowner Safari which I think is a must for everyone visiting Dubai. The Dune ride was so much fun and the night desert sky was beautiful. I would recommend purchasing the Heritage Pass (England/Scotland) for anyone who intends to visit a lot of castles or abbeys as it can soon add up (it can cost £7 or £8 or more per entry). I went on 3 of Evan Evans tours and they are fantastic, well organised and have very knowledgeable guides. Windsor Castle, Bath, Oxford, Warwick Castle and Stratford are absolutely gorgeous and must see. The full day London tour takes in all the landmarks and cruising on the Thames in the evening was amazing with everything lit up especially the London Eye and Parliament Building.
I drove from Galway through the Connemara NP and The Burren (approx. 8 hours with lots of stops including Kylemore Abbey) and back to stay in Galway. Quite a big town with a busy promenade. Saw the Cliffs of Moher and drove the Ring of Kerry where I thoroughly recommend the coastal route via Portmagee. Dublin is a lovely city and easy to get around. I did a Malahide Castle/Howth Bay tour (booked via GTA), a great way to spend a half day outside
Dublin. I also toured the Guinness Storehouse, a multi-storey building where they have either guided or self-guided commentaries on how the business started and how Guinness is made. Guinness tasting is offered and a must, it’s definitely worth doing.
It’s easy to drive in Scotland and the highlands view are amazing. There are several layover areas along the way for people to stop and take pictures or even go hiking. I recommend staying near Waverley Station or the Royal Mile if one wishes to be near restaurants, shops and sightseeing. The HOHO ticket is worth getting as it allows you to ride on 4 different bus routes, one goes out to the Britannia. I drove through the Highlands to Inverness, a sleepy town, then to Isle of Skye where I stayed at Portree then to Glasgow. It’s totally worth doing if time allows you to. - 13 -
H OT ST U F F
What a HOTTIE! Delving into the thoughts of our fellow HOTTIES
Introducing Kelda Cawood, born in Zim. HOT Browns Bay was my first job in New Zealand after moving from South Africa with my family. The recruitment agent told me HOT was the brand to work for in NZ and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been here for 9 years now and work with a great bunch of people. I was made manager last year and will be heading up the Browns Bay team from Jan 2017.
HOT Shots!
Check out some of our favourite travel shots from HOT staff. Olga Bhana ticked the biggest box off her bucket list and swam with Humpback Whales in Niue. Being nearly 6 months pregnant herself, and to get so close to Mrs Humpback and her Calf was just out of this world.
Olga and Mrs Humpback More photos of Fernando’s amazing Antarctica experience
What is the funniest or strangest thing that has happened to you at work? One of my 90 year old clients was moaning that he needed to get a new passport and it was so expensive, I said ‘well at least it will be your last’. Luckily he thought it was funny!
What is your all-time favourite destination? Mauritius because of its French flair, Indian culture and some of the best beaches in the world.
If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?
Beautiful sunset
Togs (no one wants to see this body naked), my phone (sad I know) and sunglasses.
Kayaks & w hales
What is your favourite car karaoke song? I love rock ‘n roll by Joan Jett.
If you were 80 years old, what one piece of advice would you tell your grandchildren? Love and laugh a lot.
Antarctica's best dressed Who do you want to find out more about? Send us your nomination of who should feature in the next ‘What a HOTTIE’! Email houseproud@hot.co.nz with the heading ‘What a HOTTIE’. - 14 -
Do you think you have an awesome photo or even a great selfie from your travels? Email us your prized shot and we’ll feature it in the next House Proud - email houseproud@hot.co.nz
N E W FAC E S
Megan Hansen
Australia Reservations CHC
Georgia McMullan Longhaul Reservations CHC Hi my name is Georgia and I’ve been with House of Travel for almost 2 months. After planning my first big adventure to the USA when I was 19, I knew working in travel was what I wanted to do. I moved to Christchurch from the West Coast, where I studied at Sir George Seymour before joining Thrifty Car Rentals for 3 years. My recent travels include the USA, Hong Kong, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, and a Topdeck ‘Spirit of Europe’ tour which crammed 13 countries into a 24 day tour. My favorite destinations are Krakow, Railay, Cappadocia and the Cinque Terre. I’m loving the chance to learn
about new places to visit and things to see, and being able to pass on this knowledge so people everywhere can experience what is out there.
We would like to welcome Megan Hansen to the Australia Reservations Team who started with us on the 12th of December. Megan has just completed her Travel & Tourism course and have travelled to Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide so brings with her some great knowledge & experience. Megan is really looking forward to getting to know everyone and learning our systems and process so she can deliver great customer service to you all.
Stacey Tritt
Groups Department CHC Hi my name is Stacey, I was a travel agent for 3½ years and then had 2½ years off after having my daughter. I am now back in this exciting role in Groups covering maternity leave for Nicole. As long as I can remember I have been the one to organise everything ‘travel related’ for everyone! My biggest chunk of travel was doing my O.E in the U.K/Europe, a rite of passage for a lot of young kiwis and I travelled to over 25 countries in two years. From San Fermin - Running with the bulls in Spain, Oktoberfest in Munich, St Paddy’s Day in Dublin, La Tomatina (tomato throwing festival in Spain) and Anzac in Gallopi, I travelled in every way possible and loved every minute of it. Rome and New York have my heart, but have definitely gone back to a few amazing destinations too! I LOVE travelling and couldn’t imagine a world or career for me that didn’t involve travel.
Grant Davies HOT Browns Bay
House of Travel Browns Bay welcome Grant Davies in to their team – Grant is married with two teenage children, he has 25 years travel experience and is sure to be an asset.
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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S & C E L E B R AT I O N S APRIL TENNANT -PRODUCT CHCCongratulations to April Tennant on her recent wedding. April from HOT Product Australia tied the knot with her partner Maitland in Blenheim on the 26th of November. Congratulations Guys! We wish you all the best for the future.
S Q U I S H Y B U N D L E S O F J OY
AMBER - C A L D E R & L AW S O N Amber and Cam welcomed their gorgeous wee boy – 19 November 2016, Grayson Matthew Weight. Harper is loving her new little brother – Congratulations!
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BRIAR BURNS C A L D E R & L AW S O N , - O R B I T H A M I LTO N Congratulations to Briar Burns and Lance Martin who welcomed a gorgeous baby girl 28th October 2016 - Kyla Isabel Martin, 7 pound 14oz.
A LYS H A - H OT W H A N G A R E I -
NICOLE FOSTER -GROUPS CHC-
Stephen Gillingham’s daughter Alysha who worked in the Groups Department at HOT Whangarei has had a big couple of years, last year getting married and this year having a baby. Richie Daniel MacInnes born on the 24 May weighting 3.6kg. Congratulations to Alysha and Stephen!
Nicole (Groups CHC) and Hayden Foster welcomed the arrival of a baby boy Carsen James Foster on 24 Nov 2016 at 1.16am weighing 2.85kgs. Congratulations to them both on the gorgeous addition to their family.
“I didn’t get any taller, but thanks to them, I had grown.”
Bring in your ideas and we’ll help you get there.
At House of Travel, we strive to create the best holiday for you at the best value – that’s our service guarantee. We understand everyone has different travel needs and that’s why we love it when you bring your ideas to us because together, with our experience and local knowledge, we can create the perfect holiday at the perfect time for you. We use the same travel sites you do, like Expedia, and many more that you can’t access. Plus, we have direct relationships with airlines and hotels around the world, which gives us extra buying power. We combine this with our expertise and negotiating skills to deliver some of the best deals and bonuses on offer that you might miss if you booked yourself. So, we promise to truly deliver the best of both worlds and that’s our guarantee. We’ve helped create enriching travel experiences for 1.8 million New Zealanders over the last thirty years. We understand that it isn’t just the place you go, it’s where that place takes you.
The best holiday for you.
At the best value.
What this means: We’ll combine your ideas with our experience and expertise to deliver you the best holiday possible.
What this means: We’re committed to providing the holiday you want at the very best value possible.
We’ve got your back 24/7 from the moment you contact us until you’re home again. We value your feedback on your last HOT holiday, so we can make your next trip even better.
We promise to utilise all our buying power to search out a great price for your holiday. We know value means different things to different people, so we take the time to understand what’s important to you.
The best holidays are created together. Let’s chat. The best holidays are created together. - 17 -