AccomNews - Australia, Summer 2020 by Multimedia AU/NZ

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The essential industry guide

Issue 70 | Summer 2020 | AUD $16.50 incl GST | accomnews.com.au

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AccomNews is distributed quarterly to hotel, motel, resort and apartment properties throughout Australia by Multimedia Pty Limited. The views and images expressed in AccomNews do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The information contained in AccomNews is intended to act as a guide only, the publisher, authors and editors expressly disclaim all liability for the results of action taken or not taken on the basis of information contained herein. We recommend professional advice is sought before making important business decisions.

Inside our Summer issue

Front Desk__________________________________

Editor's Note: Fire can’t destroy the land of many waters........ 05

Industry____________________________________ ATEC Report: Recalibrating the landscape..................................... 06

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PO Box 1080, Noosaville BC, Queensland, Australia 4566 Phone: +61 (07) 5440 5322 | Fax: +61 (07) 5604 1680 mail@accomnews.com.au www.accomnews.com.au

EDITOR Kate Jackson, editor@accomnews.com.au STAFF WRITERS Mandy Clarke and Trish Riley PRODUCTION Richard McGill, production@accomnews.com.au ADVERTISING Tim Svenson, t.svenson@accomnews.com.au Rose Delosreyes, r.delosreyes@accomnews.com.au SERVICE Gavin Bill, service@accomnews.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Brendon Granger, Casey Munck, Dan Lander, David Lund, Dean Long, Hannah Hambleton, John O'Loghlen, Judy Senn, Laura Younger, Melissa Kalan, Michael Johnson, Peter Shelley, Richie Cheng, Robert Weatherdon, Stephen Ferguson, Stuart Lamont and Tambourine

ATHOC Report: Unpacking common misconceptions about the timeshare industry............................................................... 08 AHA Report: Effective representation means having a seat at the table........................................................................ 10 CIAA Report: Caravan parks hit with ‘notice of restrictions’.....11 TAA Report: Our legal team - one of TAA’s

Supplier information or content Suppliers share their views in one-off, topical pieces General editorial. Case studies and features may cite or quote suppliers, please be aware that we have a strict ‘no commercial content’ guideline for all magazine editorial, so this is not part of any commercially funded advertorial but may be included as relevant opinion. Happy reading!

AccomNews - Summer 2020

AA Report: Rising to the challenges ahead..................................... 14

Management_______________________________ Is this Australasia’s greenest hotel group?......................................16 Sustainable tourism: An idea whose time has come..................20 How to control your spending on staff..............................................24

What’s Hot............................................. 26 Profiles___________________________________

Sharp design for suburban Quest apartment hotel.................... 30

Housekeeping______________________________ Sucker punch: The power of a knockout vacuum........................32 Why accom is frothing over laundry upgrades...............................34 Bed bugs: Your most unwelcome........................................................37 The spare bed time story.........................................................................38

Guest Facilities_____________________________ Make your gym fifit for purpose.......................................................... 40 Luxury utility cars at luxury resort.......................................................42 The vehicles driving accom performance........................................44

Refurbishment______________________________ Romancing the stone.............................................................................. 46 Sitting pretty: Make outdoor settings work for you......................48 Good times at Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort.................................. 50

Marketing__________________________________ Decoding the guestprint: How to give guests what they want by knowing them well..............................................52 Communicate value and increase conversions.............................55 Signs of progress: Why digital leads the way.................................. 56

Technology_________________________________ 2020 Vision: What the future holds for hospitality TVs................58 Guest wifi summary: The year it was................................................. 59

KEY Commercially funded supplier profile or supplier case study

greatest strengths...................................................................................... 12

58 FRONT DESK

Food & Beverage____________________________ Vending machines are not what they used to be… ..................... 60

Preferred Supplier Directory.................... 62 COVER IMAGE: Best Western Plus Apollo International Hotel www.accomnews.com.au

EDITOR’S NOTE

Fire can’t destroy the land of many waters I spent 12 years running an accom business and raising a family on the NSW South Coast. It was with disbelief that I sat in rainy Noosa over the Christmas break watching people scrambling to evacuation centres as bushfires encroached. Among the evacuees was my 85-year-old mum, who described as “too horrible for words” the way the sky turned red and then black, robbing Narooma of light and power over the apocalyptic days of the New Year. Eurobodalla, the land of many waters, stretches from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border and is a photographer’s dream of velvety hills, ancient Eucalypt forests, pristine waterways and spectacular beaches. Its inhabitants understand the joy of clean air, uninterrupted skies, small communities and unpretentious lives. In my years as a tourism operator in the region, I had many interactions with Bega MP Andrew Constance. He was the consummate politician, a diligent local member who selected which battles to pick

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If we all lift each other up and come together we can rebuild a stronger and tighter community.

Kate Jackson, Editor, AccomNews editor@accomnews.com.au

and which to avoid (including a school funding meet I organised and he blagged out of). He had the right words, gestures and actions for every occasion - a polished performer with a cool head and walls firmly in place. It was a very different Andrew Constance who stood before the cameras after harrowing days spent fighting the fires alongside his neighbours. Raw, exhausted and passionate, the walls were down and the humanity showed through as he expressed his community’s strength of resolve in the face of the devastation. They say adversity can bring out the best in people, and while the generally implacable member of Bega may have spent years working to better his community, he showed the real depth of his dedication in those dark days.

Of course, Constance is just one of a thousand examples of the South Coast community pulling together during the crisis. Matt and Jen Deveson, owners of Narooma’s Whale Motor Inn and Restaurant, are renowned on the coast for their generosity of spirit. Following what they described as “a harrowing week for our community”, they opened their award-winning restaurant to serve simple meals made from limited food stocks. On a Facebook post, Jen wrote: “If you have the ability, pay it forward and buy a meal for someone else. Simply purchase a post-it note and stick it on the wall for someone who doesn't have the means. If we all lift each other up and come together we can rebuild a stronger and tighter community.” That community has embraced every skerrick of good news in the days since the fires. The reopening of every road, lifting of every travel warning, and turn of every ‘open for business’ sign have been welcomed and

FRONT DESK

celebrated. Chris Scroggy, the irrepressible owner of Narooma’s Quarterdeck Café, hosted a ‘bouncing back party’ on January 25 - exhorting patrons to “get back on track and enjoy summer again”. For others like Suzi and Mark Berry, who sustained damage to their gorgeous boutique accom the Bower at Broulee, the recovery will be longer and more challenging. But I have no doubt the people of the South Coast will continue to support each other through the difficult times and celebrate joyfully through the good. When we moved away from the region, locals thought we were crazy and weren’t backwards in telling us so. Five years on, its true to say our greatest friendships and memories remain rooted in the Eurobodalla. I can’t wait to get down there in February to share a drink with old friends beside the beautiful Wagonga inlet. And this time I’ll be taking a bl&#%y big esky with me.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

ATEC REPORT

Recalibrating the landscape As we move into a new decade, Australia is seeing a recalibration of its tourism landscape. The rapid growth in international visitation of the past ten years has begun to taper and while we continue to enjoy remarkable success, the industry is starting to re-calibrate to cater for a changing marketplace as we move forward as a sustainable industry. As a tourism association representing the interests of export tourism businesses, we are constantly focused on the future - how to support businesses to grow, promoting the right government policy settings, identifying industry pressure points, problems and solutions. Over the past five years ATEC has been very focused on building industry development and training programs that have tangible, commercially relevant outcomes for business – our recently launched India Host program developed in partnership with Tourism Australia and Austrade is an example of recognising a need and building an industry engaged solution – similar to the process undertaken for our popular Japan Host and China Host programs.

How do we position our Indigenous culture as a central offering of an international visitor’s Australian experience? Peter Shelley, Managing Director, Australian Tourism Export Council

The focus moving forward must be to establish a Beyond 2020 Tourism Strategy, that achieves much-needed balance between demand and supply considerations. Sustainable marketing funds - we will always highlight the critical importance of our very effective demand driving agencies, especially the leadership provided by Tourism Australia, however insufficient funding over recent years has seen our destination become less competitive. The slowing of some key markets and loss of market share to other destinations with bigger budgets is emphasising the difficulty we face competing in a global marketplace with budget allocations that have not been fundamentally increased in ten years.

These market specific programs reflect ATEC’s strength in our ability to draw on the expertise of our members working in tourism businesses every day, and use that knowledge to create meaningful learning and development opportunities for the whole industry.

Visa policy - visa policy is the foundation stone on which we build a sustainable industry. We must continually work to offer the most competitive visa processes - especially compared to our direct competitors. There is work to do and ATEC looks forward to working with the government on contributing to the Visa Benchmarking review planned to take place in 2020.

So what does ATEC believe are the important issues facing tourism and specifically the export tourism industry right now?

Sustainability - it’s the catchphrase of the decade and an issue that goes to the core of what our industry does. It’s about more than

AccomNews - Summer 2020

the environment and touches on every ATEC member’s business. Sustainability goes to questions of community impact, preserving our natural and built heritage, a sustainable workforce, growth in visitation, building businesses which are long term and successfully contributing to the local economy. Our workforce - why is the tourism industry experiencing a shortage of staff, how can we position tourism as a ‘career for life’ industry? Yes, we have thousands of unfilled jobs, yet our ability to attract, retain and grow a quality workforce is being challenged. Of all the challenges we face, we must find a way to get this one right as it sits as a fundamental plank which can either help drive future growth or act as a significant handbrake. Indigenous experiences - how do we position our Indigenous culture as a central offering of an international visitor’s Australian experience? How does tourism work with indigenous businesses and communities in a way that is beneficial and showcases their culture – it’s time to elevate our efforts on growing sustainable indigenous tourism experiences. Exploring beyond the cities - it’s also time to get serious about the old chestnut of regional dispersal. We know regional

INDUSTRY

Australia has a lot to offer international visitors, but most visitors continue to congregate around major cities with growth in the regional dispersal of international visitors yet to be achieved. ATEC will be taking a proactive approach to developing international regional dispersal in 2020 by establishing a regional tourism export network, inviting progressive regions seeking to grow international visitation to work together and develop destination appeal for international visitors. We aim to grow the capability of local tourism businesses to attract and service international visitors and to implement a program of active engagement with international trade partners to ‘awaken’ the opportunities which lay beyond metropolitan Australia. We are so fortunate to be part of a great growth industry that has the potential to deliver many positives for our local communities, yet some would say that we are only scratching the surface of this industry’s potential. At ATEC we are confident that if we remain focused on resolving the key issues which can deliver the greatest positive IMPACT, then we will continue to assist in the long-term growth of our tourism export sector. www.accomnews.com.au

ATHOC REPORT

Unpacking common misconceptions about

the timeshare industry While the new generation of sharing economy businesses learn how to play in a world of shared assets, timeshare is building on an established $146 billion global industry thanks to decades of experience in the sharing concept. As one of the earliest and largest examples of collaborative consumption, this successful model has made it possible to enjoy the benefit of quality and luxury holidays at a fraction of the cost, despite the tough economic climate. There are some misconceptions running around about timeshare, even though some 180,000 Australian families enjoy the diverse products on offer. And if you listened to certain media reports, you might think otherwise. The Australian Time Share Holiday Owners Council unpacks the top three misconceptions.

Myth: Timeshare is an investment Timesharing or holiday ownership is the way millions of travellers take luxury holidays all over the world. Timeshare is in fact a lifestyle holiday product. Its intrinsic value lies in customers being able to step away from daily life to relax and create memories with family and friends. Although timeshare schemes are a type of management investment scheme and regulated by ASIC as a financial product, they are inherently different to other financial products. Consumers make a onetime purchase of furnished resort accommodation or the right to use the resort

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Ownership provides benefits over a lifetime and the longer you hold the ownership, the greater the benefit.

Laura Younger General Manager, Australian Timeshare Holiday Ownership Council

accommodation at a fraction of whole ownership costs and pay an annual maintenance fee. A newer variation of the conventional timeshare model is to pay an upfront sum to purchase a specific number of points, redeemable for different holidays each year instead of purchasing the rights to specific accommodation. Ownership provides benefits over a lifetime and the longer you hold the ownership, the greater the benefit. Although classed as a managed investment scheme regulated by ASIC, timeshare should not be viewed as an investment that will yield high returns. You should not purchase timeshare with an eye to future resale value. You are purchasing an investment in lifestyle. Before signing a contract ATHOC advises consumers to think carefully about what they value most from their holiday and travel experience, then explore the wide variety of holiday ownership products and options available. Choose those which will best suit your family’s needs today and into the future. Ask for a clear explanation of the terminology and terms in the contract, such as “titled based” (a real estate interest) or “right-to-use” plan (no real estate interest).

Myth: Timeshare owners are not happy ATHOC’s own industry research shows the vast majority of the 180,000 timeshare owners in Australia are happy with their timeshare product. This is backed up by the fact that in the recent Australian Financial Complaints Authority report detailing 35,000 complaints only 68 related to timeshare. Primary sales of timeshare today provide significant consumer disclosure and protection with a detailed Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Cooling Off rights and detailed explanation of the product.

Myth: Timeshare owners are tied into a fixed type of break There have been no “title based” timeshare resorts developed in the last 20 years in Australia. More commonly today consumers simply buy points, which then act as a holiday currency. Consumers can buy a week at a resort, which can be exchanged for another week at the same resort or in another

INDUSTRY

resort within the exchange network at more than 5,400 resorts across 95 countries. Each time the consumer wants to take a holiday, they choose the size of apartment, duration and location they want and pay accordingly from their allocation of points. This gives consumers so much flexibility enabling them to take dream holidays anywhere in the world. The length of holiday you can take with points depends on the location, whether it is high or low season and on the type of accommodation. According to 2016 research, approximately 82 percent of timeshare owners are members of exchange companies in Australia enabling them to also purchase non-resort related services and activities with their points. 13 percent of these timeshare owners chose to use their points to purchase products like tours and travel insurance or to book yachts, cruises and airfares. Timeshare is already one of the most highly regulated sectors in the Australian tourism industry. Some of the world's most respected hotel chains offer timeshare and enjoy high consumer satisfaction rates. www.accomnews.com.au

AHA REPORT

Effective representation means having a seat at the table For many Australians, the only exposure they have to the federal parliament is watching the theatre of Question Time, where partisan politics is on full display and behaviour can at times be, well, unparliamentary. Behind this pantomime is the real work that takes place in Parliament House, in the many committee rooms and ministerial offices where the complexities of issues are debated, legislation is scrutinised and policy positions are thrashed out. As your industry representatives, making representations to one of many parliamentary committees is vital to ensuring your views are well-represented and appreciated by policy makers. The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has strengthened our ability to represent the interests of the accommodation industry by making consistent and valuable contributions to influential parliamentary committees. Having a seat at the table is what ensures that AHA is the authoritative voice for Australia’s accommodation industry in the eyes of federal parliamentarians. It has allowed us to communicate the hotel sector’s needs to

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Over the past 18 months, AHA has participated in a number of inquiries and we expect to continue this into the foreseeable future. Although the angle can vary – some committees focus on rural and regional shortages, others on how the migration system factors in – the message AHA sends is clear: we need to secure the workforce for the future. Stephen Ferguson

For those not overly familiar with parliamentary committees, they exist to investigate specific matters related to policy, government administration or performance. They are a key component of Australia’s democracy and regarded around the world as a first-class system that supports accountability and facilitates meaningful consultation.

This requires a two-pronged approach. Firstly, the domestic pipeline of skills needs to be developed. Visitors come to Australia to experience our hospitality and a key part of this is the Australian character itself. Tourism Australia markets this, using tourism operators in their recent campaign, highlighting our ‘no worries’ attitude and relaxed demeanour. It is key then, that our hotels and broader hospitality sector has a ready workforce with the requisite skills to match.

AHA closely scrutinises and contributes to various committees to determine if there are opportunities for the accommodation sector, as well as ensuring our interests are being heard on issues that could impact our ability to grow and create more jobs. One such long-standing example that has consistently been a focus for committees is that of labour and skills.

The second component is migration. For hotels that can’t source anyone locally for a role, they need to be able to look overseas to bring in a skilled worker. After all, a business that is forced to close because it is unable to access the labour it requires employs no-one. It’s not just parliamentary committees that we use as a vehicle to forward the interests of our sector.

CEO, Australian Hotels Association

government on a range of issues.

INDUSTRY

AHA makes detailed contributions and submissions on a variety of issues including the federal budget, migration skills lists, reviews of the VET system, the short stay accommodation sector, Austrade’s role in attracting international investment, apprenticeship programs, obligations on commercial buildings and a multitude of other issues that impact your business. Finally, and arguably most importantly, over many years we have built and maintained close relationships with key members of parliament and ministers. This has allowed us to maintain close and regular engagement with those who ultimately make the decisions that impact our industry. This relationship is symbiotic – members of parliament acknowledge the importance of keeping an open line of communication with industry as much as we value the ability to speak directly, and often frankly, to politicians. To maintain our position as the leading voice for the hotel sector means having a seat at the table where decisions are made. We have worked hard to maintain and grow our sphere of influence so that when we are in Canberra and speak on your behalf, federal parliamentarians listen.

www.accomnews.com.au

CIAA REPORT

Caravan parks hit with ‘notice of restrictions’ With 2019 now behind us and a new year ahead, there is a lot to look forward to in the holiday park sector and travel industry more broadly, and 2020 is sure to be another fantastic year. However, we would like to take this opportunity to address an issue that has come to our attention. Over the last month or more, a representative of Checkpoint Solutions (under instruction from Expedia) has been making visits to caravan / holiday parks throughout Australia with the view of conducting regulatory and workplace health and safety inspections on parks that are listed with Expedia. It is our understanding that they plan to be conducting these over the next seven months. A number of park owners who have had an inspection conducted have raised concerns which relate to the recommendation report provided to them, which outlines ‘improvement and remedial actions’ in several areas. The report will usually refer the park owner to a “technical guidance standard” called Argents Technical Guidance Standards document. Our view is that many of the elements being contained within the report are not actually in line with current Australian Standards and/or local government regulation requirements. In fact, the reference of a ‘technicalsStandards document’ (which is written in the United Kingdom to UK standards) has limited relevance to the www.accomnews.com.au

Our view is that many of the elements being contained within the report are not actually in line with current Australian Standards and/or local government regulation requirements.

Stuart Lamont CEO, Caravan Industry Association of Australia

caravan / holiday park sector here in Australia which works to Australian Standards compliance. Further, caravan / holiday parks are being asked to sign an Expedia Notice of Restriction, agreeing not to accommodate Expedia Group customers in any affected rooms and/or floors that may be indicated unless the remedial works are implemented. Provided below is just a small sample of some of the ‘improvements and remedial actions’ which we have become aware of, and that we question as being a requirement under current Australian Standards and local government regulations: •

•

The implementation of an electrical fire alarm system with manual alarm call points strategically placed throughout the park with sufficient sounders to ensure that the system is audible throughout the park. Upholstered furniture within an entertainment area should be removed, or replaced, with furniture which is fire retardant or nonflammable. Alternatively, the

furniture should be treated to make it fire retardant. •

There should be a means of summoning assistance (i.e. telephone) provided in the accommodation in the event of an emergency.

•

Individual gas water boilers should be fitted with a flue. The flue should discharge at least 600 millimetres (mm) away from any door, window, or other unsealed opening into any customer accommodation building. Ideally, the flue should extend at least 600mm above the eaves of the roof. The flue should be fitted with a suitable flue terminal.

•

An audible carbon monoxide (CO) detector should be provided in all customer accommodation where gas appliances are provided.

•

Legionella controls and measures are put in place and staff are appropriately

INDUSTRY

trained in control measures for the prevention of Legionella bacteria. We will be contacting Expedia and the consultant directly, but if you operate caravan holiday parks and other similar types of accommodation, you may receive comment regarding the current audits from your members. Park owners will of course need to make a commercial decision of whether to fall into place with the requirements of Expedia or decide to remove themselves from that platform should they not wish to comply. Any caravan / holiday park owners who are accredited in our Caravan Holiday Park accreditation program can apply for free access to every Australian Standard (9000+) via a licence agreement we have with SAI Global. Park owners can contact us for more information should they wish to gain such access, or to find out any information on the issue. AccomNews - Summer 2020

TAA REPORT

Our legal team - one of TAA’s greatest strengths As we finish off the year, I thought I would write about one of the many great strengths of Tourism Accommodation Australia - namely our experienced team of legal and industrial relations experts. The facts speak for themselves. Just one example – for several years now our team has been in the vanguard of the fight to represent the hospitality sector in the Fair Work Commission’s (the commission) review of the modern awards and the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2010. TAA, along with the Australian Hotels Association, employs 16 full-time workplace relations advisors and lawyers nationwide led by our experienced national director of legal and industrial affairs, Phillip Ryan. On behalf of the entire industry, at a cost estimated at $2.5 million over the last six years, the AHA and TAA workplace relations team, led by Phil, has: •

Made more than 100 appearances at the Commission

•

Made more than 40 formal written submissions

•

Engaged and paid for barristers

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Michael Johnson CEO, Tourism Accommodation Australia

•

Provided more than 50 AHA and TAA members to give evidence in support of industry change

As the only hospitality and accommodation employer representative appearing at the commission in regards to the Hospitality Award, the AHA and TAA has led the industry case on matters of vital importance to our members including: •

Penalty rates

•

Part-time employment

•

Casual conversion and minimum engagements

•

Default clauses across the modern award system

•

Proposed mergers with other modern awards

•

Overtime rates for casual employees

•

The re-drafting of the Hospitality Award in plain language

AHA and TAA’s current work before the commission is focused on the finalisation of review and implementation of the new Hospitality Award and seeking a workable outcome in the review of annualised salary provisions and definition of casuals for the benefit of our members. I’m pleased to say we will continue to lead the accommodation sector, and the broader hospitality industry, in workplace relations reform in the commission and elsewhere. Early next year TAA and the NSW industrial affairs team will move into stand-alone offices in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. The new top floor offices at Culwala Chambers on Castlereagh Street is 380 square metres and features a glass atrium, interconnecting terrace, full kitchen, meeting

INDUSTRY

areas, glass ceilings, a balcony and city sky-line views. This prime location is the perfect place to service our growing pool of members and we look forward to working even more closely with our talented legal team - who will be located in their own section. On another important front, on Tuesday 19 November I attended the Home Aﬀairs 2019 Industry Summit in Melbourne. The theme was ‘Integrity, Prosperity, Security’ and there were a range of innovative workshops covering important topics like protecting Australia’s critical infrastructure and systems, increasing resilience to terrorism, customs and border modernization. Obviously, summits like this one are of vital interest to our membership and I look forward to sharing the findings with members in coming months.

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AA REPORT

Rising to the challenges ahead 2019 has been a challenging year for the sector after a long period of growth. It has been a year where many of our capital city markets have experienced softening performance in line with a ďŹ&#x201A;attening of international demand, growth in supply and leakage into short-term rental accommodation. The year commenced with a focus on online rate parity with the Association the key voice at the Senate Inquiry and with government. A direct outcome of this advocacy was the agreement by Expedia to remove online rate parity clauses. During the year we met with the ACCC to report on outcomes and brief them on continuing contractual issues. Our continued advocacy on unregulated letting is starting to pay dividends. We welcomed the introduction of the Tasmanian data sharing legislation together with ongoing NSW and Western Australia government consultation to address the issue of unregulated letting. The introduction of data matching by the ATO, with the obligation placed on channels such as Airbnb to provide data, has been instrumental

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Our continued advocacy on unregulated letting is starting to pay dividends. Dean Long CEO, Accommodation Association

in improving transparency. We will continue to advocate for capital gains tax to be enforced at the time the property is sold. We are hopeful that 2020 may be the first year that we have the foundations of a level playing field across Australia. In 2020 our focus will continue to be on engaging with governments to reinforce the importance of our sector and on ensuring the sustainability of the significant hotel pipeline. The latest Tourism Satellite Accounts show that the tourism industry has experienced remarkable growth over the past ten years. The industry has grown by 67 percent from $33.5 billion in 2008â&#x20AC;&#x201C;09 to $55.9 billion in GVA 2018â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19. Significantly 34 percent of the growth in GVA came from accommodation and food services, a testament to the resilience of our industry.

Impressively as a sector we continue to deliver one of the largest investment pipelines in the last four decades. The recently released Tourism Investment Monitor pointed to 152 stand-alone accommodation projects worth $11.1 billion in the pipeline for 2018-19, with the potential to contribute 25,620 rooms. Importantly, of these, 46 were located in regional areas. Critical to the sustainable growth of the sector is a skilled and productive workforce. The association and our members have played a key role through the academy in attracting youth into the industry through the government program, YouthPath. We achieved an 80 percent employment outcome for those job seekers who completed our bespoke Path program. As a result, in December we were the

INDUSTRY

only accommodation industry association to win the contract to continue this governmentfunded program into 2020. We understand that at the same time as we are developing industry programs to employ and skill Australians, it is equally important that we have flexibility in attracting skilled migrants to meet the needs of a global industry. We will be engaged in the review of the skilled migration lists in early 2020 and will ensure labour and skills are central to the development of the federal governments Tourism 2030 plan. 2020 will be a year of growth for the association and we look forward to working with the industry to provide dedicated representation to sustain your growth and voice with government.

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Is this Australasia’s greenest hotel group? By Kate Jackson, Editor

There are some incredible antipodean trailblazers when it comes to ecofriendly accom; resorts like Glenorchy Camp in New Zealand and Thala Beach Lodge in Australia. But it’s the serious strides by big hotel chains towards waste reduction and energy efficiency which have really moved the needle on sustainability over the last year. While giants Marriott, IHG and Hyatt have grabbed the headlines on plastics pledges, several others are making notable efforts to lighten their carbon footprint. Hilton Brisbane, for example, goes beyond just soap and cans to recycle food waste through OzHarvest, coffee cups through Closed Loop, bathroom amenities through OrangeSky, corporate wear via Suited for Success, toothbrushes through Terracycle, beds and mattresses through the Inala Youth Service and lightbulbs through Pr-Lamps. There is, though, one relative newcomer emerging as an Australasian leader in the charge towards green hotels. Sydney-based investment firm Pro-invest has established a $500 million fund, backed by supporters including the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, to build ultra-energy-efficient hotels throughout Australia and New Zealand under IHG’s Holiday Inn Express and Even brands.

beginning. He said: “I think the environmental sustainability piece has come back onto the radar with a vengeance over the past 12 months. It’s huge.

Most people understand that we can’t go all out, there’s eco-lodges that do that sort of thing, but everything we can, we do - or are in the process of doing.”

to eliminate plastics where possible and brought in cardboard takeaway containers and wooden cutlery for room-ordered eats and breakfast buffet takeaways.

“Even yesterday, I was at a meeting talking about the convention side of things, and carbon emissions are now a key topic. People are considering: ‘How are you going to make my meeting carbon neutral? How are you going to make me feel better about flying from the UK to Australia to attend a conference?’. So it’s definitely a big play.

The Holiday Inn, once a byword for tired roadside accom, has reinvented itself as a smart mid-brand leader with strong appeal to the business market.

“IHG came out about three months ago with an ambition by 2021 to move to full bulk amenity portfolio and that’s something we’re already at the forefront of and moving towards, so that hopefully will be done by the end of next year, said Michael.

“People want to partner with businesses that are in line with their own values and core themes.

The Brisbane hotel comprises 226 comfortable, tech-friendly rooms along with vibrant enticing public spaces which say ‘come in and eat/drink/stay awhile’ in a millennial embrace of co-mingling. Like many of its rivals, the 2017-opened hotel has moved

AccomNews - Summer 2020

“The ‘greener stay initiative’ is something the Holiday Express portfolio has really bought to life in this part of the world, so guests who are staying for two or more nights can opt out of a housekeeping service on a daily basis. “They get a light refresh every three days but what it stops is unnecessary washing of towels, sheets, cleaning of a shower that may have been used once if that at that point in time.”

The 15 CBD-built properties will deliver low emissions and “dramatically reduced” energy costs according to Pro-invest, the only local hotel developer requiring that its properties achieve five-star ratings under the NABERS sustainability scheme. It’s an ambitious plan, but one Michael Foster, general manager of Holiday Inn Express Brisbane, believes is just the

“Our products are not tested on animals and we use 100 percent bio-degradable plastics where plastic’s involved.

Michael Foster

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All worthy rather than groundbreaking. But it’s the structural elements that make this building impressive and help create a carbon footprint lighter than those of many of its rivals. www.accomnews.com.au

In-room temperature is dictated by a heating/cooling split system which is individually controlled but also uses an energy management system directed through sensors when guest-free. “If you’re in there with your partner and you leave the room, the sensor in the centre of the room will actually scan for further movement within the room,” said Michael. “If there is further movement, the air conditioning continues to operate as usual, if not and you’re travelling solo and you leave the room, within 30 minutes the air conditioning system shuts off to reduce energy consumption.

Staff are hugely aware of the fact they work in a company which is environmentally progressive and enjoy working for a company that takes seriously those initiatives. to actually cool air because its pretty cool as it comes through.”

has a class-leading rating of five out of a possible six.

The GM described the Spring Hill property as “really quite smartly designed”.

Michael says the sustainability push is something supported and appreciated by staff, particularly when it comes to giving back.

“It is a balance between environmental sustainability and individual satisfaction - some people like to sleep in arctic conditions and others don’t. We set out air conditioning temperatures between 18 and 24.

“In terms of the windows (running along one entire side of the public area) for example, when they they open up, the air conditioning on this side of the building automatically shuts off and the fans automatically kick in to generate a bit of air flow and give ambience.”

“We don’t use a chiller base, our air conditioning is a heat recovery unit system. It basically sucks in the outside air and recycles that back through and reconditions the air before it sends it down into the air conditioning units so its not using as much electricity, and power

The hotel is in the process of applying for NABERS rating accreditation, which is based on measured operational performance data for energy, water or waste. It’s sister property, the new Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank, already

“Staff are hugely aware of the fact they work in a company which is environmentally progressive and enjoy working for a company that takes seriously those initiatives,” he said. “I think it’s vital. We’ve got a very strong Filipino contingent in our housekeeping team and we’ve done a lot of work with (the charity) Soap Aid to make sure the soap that is recycled from the hotel goes back over to the Philippines to their own communities. “That then engages the team, its

helping their own communities and it makes a big difference we’re sending dozens of kilos of soap back overseas every month. “In Queensland the Containers for Change scheme started on November 1 last year so that’s basically a 10c bottle refund. “We partnered from day one with Scouts Australia, so scouts come and collect our bottles and cartons, they take them away and we share the refund with them - and that’s also encouraging the guests by showing them the recycling is going to the right spot.” While he is not complacent or unrealistic about where the hotel sits in the grand scheme of things, Michael is optimistic about where the brand will end up on sustainability. “We are doing great stuff and we’re doing a lot better than a lot of other hotels out there, but we’ve got a long way to go compared to some hotels,” he said. “I think we’ve got this distinct opportunity with new build hotels throughout this country and New Zealand to make them special in the environmentally sustainable space.”

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Making a difference with sustainability What makes a truly green amenity? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a truly green amenity and anyone who says otherwise has not really thought through the issue properly. My advice is that if someone claims they have an environmentally friendly product then be wary as this is misguided advice or greenwashing as a marketing tool to sell their products. No product or amenity is good for the environment and therefore the goal should be to try and reduce its impact on the environment as much as possible. For different amenities this will sometimes mean different attributes, and we use a whole range of measures to try and reduce our product’s footprint. Some of these are directly related to the packaging and contents, some are related to the programs we have like ‘back to base’ soap recycling where we have recycled over 70,000kg of unused soap from going to landfill, and some are in the organisations we partner with, like Forest & Bird, whereby our products contribute towards helping protect New Zealand’s flora and fauna. At the end of the day, it about genuinely wanting to make a difference as opposed to just trying to sell a product.

What are the latest innovations from manufacturers? This year we have launched a world first in ecostick. This is the first and only paperbased offering that eliminates the need for plastic bottles and tubes of shampoo.

Not only is it NZ Designed and made, at only five percent the amount of packaging compared to a bottle or tube this is a revolutionary product in the market that has never been done before. Being paper based and degradable in landfill ecostick has the potential to reduce hundreds of thousands of single use bottles and tubes currently being thrown in the rubbish. We are also in the middle of trials and will be launching in 2020 our V2 ecostick being certified as compostable and made from paper and sugarcane. The demand for ecostick since launch has been incredible in both NZ and Australia as hotels and motels want an amenity option that offers the same value to their guests, but without the plastic bottle. We have just launched a new range of dry amenities, shower caps, razor packs etc packaged in a material called Rockstock, it’s made from 80 percent calcium carbonate in the form of rock quarry waste.

and our Goodie Bag does just that. Placed out on the final room service, the Goodie Bag encourages guests to take home their partially used guest amenities, finish using them at home and then recycle them.

What questions should accom providers be asking of their current or would-be suppliers? They should be asking for evidence of the claims that many suppliers make. Time and time again we come up against products which claim to be biodegradable, recyclable or any number of other environmental claims that are simply not true. Do your research on the claims being made, because if in the future they are proven to be false then this is going to impact negatively on those using them. A classic example is with many suppliers claiming their plastic bottles are biodegradable and a great environmental option, but strong evidence is coming out

that the manner in which they breakdown is actually causing more issues to the environment than good. It’s up to hotels and motels to do their own due diligence and not rely on what they are being told as fact or gospel. Being more environmentally focused generally costs more and takes more effort, if it doesn’t, then there should be warning bells.

Are customers discerning about their amenities’ green footprint and does this trans-late across demographics? In the last 12 months we have seen a very rapid demand from customers to join our programs like ‘back to base’ and also start looking at options like ecostick, whereas prior to this these options were not at the forefront of their minds. I think with issues like the plastic bag ban in NZ, consumers are now starting to think more about what they use and consume even when staying in a hotel or motel.

The packaging is tree free and waterproof. We have removed as much plastic as possible from the contents, recycled timber shafts on the cotton buds, timber comb and a bamboo toothbrush all reduce the amount of plastic going into hotel rooms. In fact, by replacing the plastic shafts on our cotton buds with timber, we eliminated just shy of 1,000,000 single use plastic items from hotel rooms last year. It’s also important to give guests the opportunity to do their part

The Ecostick range from Healthpak

AccomNews - Summer 2020

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Sustainable tourism An idea whose time has come By Dan Lander, Media Liaison Oﬃcer, Communications and Marketing, University of South Australia

The past few years have seen a major schism emerge in attitudes to tourism. On one hand, the new wealth of a burgeoning global middle class and shrinking cost of high-quality tourist experiences have allowed an unprecedented number of people to travel, often resulting in enlightening and inspiring experiences. On the other hand, many parts of the world have groaned under the weight of wanderlust, with popular destinations swamped by masses lured through cheap flights, package deals and clever marketing. The fall out, from the beaches of Thailand to the slopes of Everest, has been cries of “over-tourism”, and in areas like Barcelona and Venice, the deluge of visitors has led to outright anti-tourist activism. Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles from the University of South Australia has studied this tension for more than ten years, and her most recent research, published in Journal of Sustainable Tourism, suggests, if we want to preserve the positives of travel, we must urgently rethink our approach to it - as a planet. “I grew up in the Bible Belt of North

AccomNews - Summer 2020

…Many parts of the world have groaned under the weight of wanderlust, with popular destinations swamped by masses lured through cheap flights, package deals and clever marketing. Carolina, and I knew at a young age I had to get out of there,” Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says. “My mother took me to Russia when I was about 14, and while I still don’t understand why she did, if it wasn’t for that experience, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. “So, we need to ensure these sorts of experiences are available to future generations because they are so important - and that means we have to heed the current warning signs about tourism.” For Dr Higgins-Desbiolles, the growing animosity towards tourism in many parts of the world is not a sign we shouldn’t be travelling, but rather a sign we should be actively changing the way we travel. “We need to ensure those impacted by tourism are also those benefited, not just in a short-term financial sense, but in an ongoing social and cultural dimension as well,” she says. “Then they, in turn, will have good, enduring reasons to welcome visitors into their communities.” Likening the required shift in thinking to the emergence of the

environmental movement last century - “the greenies have been talking like this for years, and the rest of us are just catching up” - Dr Higgins-Desbiolles suggests the tourism industry needs to buck its addiction to endless growth, recognising the finite limits of the planet and learning to work within them. “We’re not suggesting everything has to grind to a halt,” she says, “but, just as other areas of industry have had to recognise the importance of sustainability, both socially and environmentally, tourism must stop sacrificing a long-term future for short term gains.” Dr Higgins-Desbiolles’s study highlights mechanisms to drive this change, the key being a shift from corporate, often international operators, to local, sociallyembedded custodians of tourist destinations, with strong evidence that such a transformation dramatically improves outcomes for people and planet. “Obviously, we need to preserve the livelihoods tourism provides, but if that is focused on the local

MANAGEMENT

community, then they intrinsically limit things to what is sustainable, both for the population and the environment,” she says. Pointing to the success of initiatives such as that in Guna Yala, an Indigenous province of Panama with a Statute on Tourism protecting the local customs and ecosystem, and the Tourism Optimisation Management Model developed by the community of Kangaroo Island to ensure mass tourism developments did not diminish their quality of life, Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about more sustainable models of tourism. “This will be a big challenge for the tourism industry in coming years, but it is a challenge the industry needs to face, and I believe it is one it can rise up to,” she says. “I think there is a change going on around the world, when you look at things like New Zealand’s ‘Wellbeing Budget’ and the Buen Vivir (‘living well’) movement in South America, through which measures of prosperity are based on more than gross domestic product. “If tourism can embrace that change, it will not only ensure the future of the industry, it will improve the experience for everyone involved.” Dan Lander is the media liaison oﬃcer, communications and marketing, for the University of South Australia.

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HOTEL SOAP saving lives Every day, hotels and travellers around the world send millions of bars of partially used or discarded soap into overflowing landfill. Worldwide, pneumonia and diarrhea are the leading causes of death in children under the age of five, but they are entirely preventable. Research shows that handwashing with soap is a simple, effective behaviour that can saves lives. The not-for-profit organisation, Soap Aid, was founded in Australia in 2011 to address two major environmental and health objectives: to reduce the amount of waste soap from hotels going to landfill, and to reduce the spread of lifethreatening preventable disease. Soap Aid’s sustainable ‘Hotel to Hands’ program collects and reprocesses discarded hotel soap and produces fresh, hygienic bars of soap for distribution to communities in need. The program has

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• Redirecting millions of bars of waste soap from disastrous landfills

We have guests praise our partnership with the Soap Aid program. The program adds value not just to our sustainability goals, but also to our guest experience, which is why the partnership works so well.

diverted over 170 tonnes of waste from landfill, recycling it into critical life-saving soap that is being used around the world. Working with community impact partners, Soap Aid has sent more than 1.3 million bars of recycled soap to targeted communities in Western Australia, Northern Territory, Fiji, Cambodia, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda, Zambia, Philippines, PNG, Vanuatu, India and Indonesia.

• Reducing extraction and use of raw materials • Reducing carbon emissions by 40% when compared to using virgin soaps • Demonstrating to your guests your commitment to the principles of sustainability

Soap Aid provides a sustainable solution to hotel waste that improves outcomes for communities in need. They are encouraging hotels in Australia and New Zealand to become Soap Aid Hotel Champions to protect the environment and help save lives. By becoming a Soap Aid Hotel Champion, you will be part of the solution to creating long-lasting health and environmental benefits:

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Become a Hotel Champion.To join Soap Aid’s ‘Hotel to Hands’ Program, an annual subscription fee of $7.50 (ex GST) per room, provides hotels with a complete solution: • National logistics coverage from any hotel location in Australia & NZ • Monthly collections • Training & marketing collateral for staff & guests. To become a Hotel Champion, register online at soapaid.org today.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Improving Sustainability with the Smart Care System from Swisstrade “Since the implementation of Smart Care Amenity Dispensers, we’ve decluttered our vanity spaces from single-use toiletries and saved time preparing the bathrooms for check-ins. Aside from the more sustainable aspects of the system, guests have been enjoying the premium formulations we offer in a sleek dispenser. We are ordering stock less often, needing less storage and have reduced the amount of plastic waste from guest rooms.” – Carina Winter, Alpha Mosaic Hotel Brisbane

great acceptance from both operators and guests alike. Thanks to its patented technology, the factory sealed system dispenses liquid formulations economically, allowing the hotelier to offer a more premium personal care experience, without blowing out costs.

•

Dispenser lifespan of 3 to 10 weeks thanks to measured dosage of liquids

•

Sealed (non-refillable) dispenser ensures zero risk of bacterial contamination

•

Weighing in at only 33 grams – the equivalent of only 4 tubes of regular toiletries – the Smart Care dispensers have an extremely low packaging density, reducing the volume of waste to the absolute minimum. What is more, contrary to pump dispensers, Smart Care dispensers are made of one single type of plastic, making them 100% recyclable.

Tamper and pilfer proof wall brackets prevent any loss or interfering with product

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Environmental leadership reflects positively on the image and dedication of the property

Safe from any cross-contamination or bacteria build-up, Smart Care is a risk-free solution for every conscious hotelier with staff and guest’s safety in mind. What is more, all these advantages come at a very affordable price point and deliver many more benefits, both economically as well as operationally.

Other benefits include: •

Since the breakthrough of Swisstrade’s first-generations amenity dispensing system “Press + Wash” during the Sydney ‘Green’ Olympics in 2000, the world has come full circle to embrace our next generations of environmentally sustainable dispenser solutions.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Significant cost reduction as a result of low labour associated with replenishing of toiletries

Smart Care dispensers are available in a wide range of brands, designs and colours to meet the diverse interior of bathrooms across every property. The product range is broad enough to meet every operators’ expectations and budget. Whether an all-in-one formulation or an extensive personal care range from shampoo and conditioner to body wash and lotion – the choices are in abundance. Plus, formulations are all-natural and leave no soap scum in showers. Contact us today for an introduction to our complete family of dispenser products. And if you are keen, we oﬀer free in-room trials so you can convince yourself of the beneﬁts of Smart Care or Press + Wash.

It has been a year since AccomNews first featured the ‘Smart Care’ Amenity Dispenser System. Little did we know we’d come this far in such a short time. Already widely implemented the world over, our new and sleek Smart Care System is now rolling out across the Australia and New Zealand region with MANAGEMENT

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Widest range of sustainable bathroom amenity dispensers and refillable pumps Choose from an array of high-quality brands to match your property style and eliminate waste and plastic.

Available as liquid soap, shower gel, shampoo, hair & body shampoo, conditioner and body lotion across a wide variety of brands. Slim-line Smart Care

Popular Press & Wash

Refillable Pumps

Contact us for an obligation free consultation and free in-room trial. swisstrade.com.au | 02 9979 1500 | enquiries@swisstrade.com.au

How to control

your spending on staff By David Lund, Founder, The Hotel Financial Coach

In our business it is no secret that labour is our single biggest expense. What is a secret is how most hotels manage their largest cost. In this piece I am going to talk about creating and using a staffing formula for all scheduled positions. In addition, I will talk about the best practices as it relates to having and using staffing guides. First of all, let’s define what a staffing guide is and what constitutes a staffing formula. The two are separate but also come together when used properly. Allow me to explain.

Staffing guide

Hotel Summary of Head Count and Occupancy Proposed Full Head Count 2019

Occ. 20% and below

Occ. 40% and below

Occ. 41-60%

Occ. 61-69%

Occ. 70-80%

Occ. 80% and above

Captain

Waiter

Wine Waiter

Porter

Departments

F&B Restaurant Manager All Day Restaurant Supervisor

Hostess

Waiter

Wine Waiter

Wine Bar Supervisor

0.5

Captain

0.5

The guide is a document that is prepared at least annually, and it contains all the positions in the hotel, both fixed and variable. For the fixed, salaried positions it is a list by department and by position of all the “approved” non-scheduled, call it if you will “management” jobs as well as the scheduled, hourly positions.

Waiter

0.5

Bar Back

0.5

Wine Waiter

0.5

The staffing guide serves two purposes. It allows owners and managers who supervise the hotel to see at a glance what the staffing levels are. It is most useful for budget reviews and strategic planning because it lays out the otherwise complicated and sometimes convoluted staffing plan. The second purpose it serves is to help department managers see and understand the staffing plan. With turnover this is a critical tool for continuity.

Staffing formula This is the abstract that comes with the staffing guide. It is the step-by-step plan for scheduling based on as many different

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Fine Dining Room Manager

Supervisor

0.5

Captain

1.5

Waiter

1.5

Wine Waiter

business volume scenarios as needed to operate the hotel as efficiently as possible. Below is an over simplified chart that indicates the occupancy and the approved staffing at the various levels for the F&B service department. This is where the formula part kicks in. Using the daily forecast, we know what the projected occupancy is, and we plug it in and the spreadsheet generates the schedule. The formula needs to be created for each scheduled position in the hotel. This level of detail is what is

required to efficiently manage the change in business volumes. The other beauty of the formula is the ability to challenge the formula. Maybe we should be using head count and not occupancy. Perhaps we observe the “delta” between 20 percent and 41 percent occupancy and see it means almost double the staff. We now have an opportunity to modify the formula. Maybe we can introduce shifts less than eight hours? Maybe we can introduce split shifts?

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The last part of the formula I will address is the ability we now have to establish our productivity, hours per room occupied or hours per customer cover served. This gives us even more data points to use to formulate our strategy. With the use of the staffing guide and the formula we have two constant challenges. First, we must ensure each department manager who does the schedule uses the formula and does not deviate unless the situation warrants an exception. www.accomnews.com.au

Perhaps we have a VIP function or a high-end group that needs special attention. With the formula we can see what can be adjusted and rather than hoping our team gets it right we can review the modifications and approve the staffing adjustment. Constant review is the necessary process.

it and forget it you are missing the opportunity to really drive performance. Best practices here are teaching the managers to review the latest day-by-day forecast every day and show them how to circle back at the end of the scheduling period to analyse real productivity vs. scheduled productivity.

Second, the schedule cannot be set and not closely monitored for changes in volume. In our business, depending upon the location, as much as 65 percent of the business happens in the month for the month. That means managers are preparing schedules based on anticipated pick-up, arrival and departures.

All of this might seem like a lot to ask or expect of your staff but in reality it is what you need to do to ensure your largest expenses is being properly managed.

One thing is for sure, if you set

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To sum things up here is your staffing guide and formula checklist: 1.

Have an approved staffing guide and formula.

Ensure each manager has the same guide and they understand it, especially new managers and supervisors.

Track productivity on the proposed schedule and the actual result.

Make daily productivity reporting in the department log or passon book a standard.

Review the results by department for the past week and next week’s projections at the weekly department managers’ meeting. Make this kind of formulated structure part of your hotel’s culture. If you do not, the

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opposite – nonchalant – version will take over. 7.

Use the guides and the formula to continually innovate around your staffing structure. Combine positions, look at peaks and valleys. Always be fascinated with how you can improve.

The idea that you can set it and forget it is the very last thing you want to do with your scheduling and staffing formula. Leave it to an administrativelevel position to manage and it is not going to get the level of attention it deserves. Fifty percent of your revenues is not something to leave up to someone else.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES As guest rooms shrink, so do the in room-appliances. Weatherdon’s range of compact kettles are specifically designed to stand up to the wear and tear of the hotel industry. Longevity, reliability and quality are baked into guest-room kettles. The double-wall, with a stainless-steel interior, encourages faster heating, keeps hot water hot for longer and ensures the kettle remains safe to the touch. Ever safety-conscious the kettle turns itself off before it can boil dry. Housekeepers will be happy to hear both the black rigid-plastic and stainless steel models are easy to clean and smear free with a big round easy-access flip-lid. No concealed elements, no steam pipe means no gunk-attracting fiddley bits are exposed.

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Weatherdon

sales@weatherdon.com.au

P 02 9906 2202 W www.weatherdon.com.au

FRESHOTEL™ DRIFTER REPLACES THE TRIPLE SHEET Drifter from Freshotel™ is a revolutionary new luxury quilt cover and protector in one! Freshotel™ by Sleepcorp® provides extraordinary solutions to the hospitality industry. With Drifter: A) Guests don’t feel tangled in a triple sheet, are comfortable with the 'at home' feel. B) Housekeepers can make a bed in a matter of minutes. C) Businesses can save significantly on washing cost and time. Protecting quilts from spills and stains Drifter is treated with Fresche®, a natural anti-microbial which kills 99.9 % of bacteria. Six inbuilt SecureClip™s keep the quilt in place and a Breathe-A-Vent® helps ensure a comfortable night's sleep for your guests.

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Sleep Corp

0455 902 688

Kanishka.Rathore@sleepcorp.com.au

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HOMETIME WIRELESS CHARGER WITH BLUETOOTH SPEAKER Hometime’s state of the art Wireless charger with Bluetooth speaker will enhance your guests’ in-room experience. The sleek and compact charger and speaker system is also equipped with other convenient features for guests including an alarm clock with adjustable brightness, FM radio and USB charger if a port is preferred. Easily paired with iPhones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices, Hometime provides a dual super high bass speaker system with livelike sound quality. The built-in microphone also ensures clear hands-free calls.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

WHAT’S HOT

Swisstrade

02 9979 1500

www.swisstrade.com.au

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SLATE GREY FABRIC An International exclusive to Daydream Leisure Furniture and Coastal Casual Furniture. What’s hot from Daydream is actually very cool, it’s the cool fabric colour slate grey on offer with Atlantico and Alfa sunlounger’s. It may not sound so exciting but it is when you realise that the only place on the planet you can get this extremely popular colour is right here in Queensland from Daydream Leisure Furniture and Coastal Casual furniture. Not content with the absence of this option from the Nardi range of commercial grade lounges Daydream and Coastal Casual have commissioned it and made it their own. Slate grey is available on white or anthracite frames on both lounges.

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Daydream Leisure Furniture

sales@daydreamleisure.com.au

07 5493 4277

www.daydreamleisure.com.au

INTRODUCING ECOSTICKS Australian hotels use an estimated 100,000,000 bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel a year (*assuming 1 bottle used per room night) – and although most of these will be packaged in recyclable bottles, the majority will go straight to landfill. If you’re looking for a way to eliminate these single use plastics from your business, then our world first paper-based packaging solution is perfect for you. Ecosticks are designed to breakdown in landfill, no complicated sorting or special treatment needed, you simply throw them in your general waste and they will then break down in landfill in just a few short years. Not only do degradable Ecosticks use 95% less packaging than a tube or bottle, every one used is www.onelessbottle.co.nz

Healthpak

1300 652 282

www.healthpak.com.au

GUEST FRESH NEXT GEN PILLOW RANGE We proudly developed & introduced this exclusive range of pillows back in 2001, they have proven their outstanding performance as a market leader ever since. However, as with our entire Bedding range, we remain in continual search for improvement as textile evolution moves into the next generation. Introducing ‘Guest Fresh Next Gen Pillow Range’ Offering superior loft life, increased comfort and just wait till you experience this cyber soft next gen outer. Contact us today to put the WOW factor back into guests sleep experience.

Mainlinen

07 5437 8544

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STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT Guests from the business-shirt brigade to the social snapper will appreciate the wrinkle-free benefits of Weatherdon’s Nero 800 iron. The 800 iron has three bonus buttons. One a water-spray function for heavy fabrics and tricky creases. The other, probably the most important but least used, is the spurtof-steam that permeates the fabric and holds fibres in place. Finally the housekeepers’ favourite – the self-cleaning button. Peace of mind comes with the red, on light and the double safety shut-off sensor. This ensures the iron shuts off after eight minutes upright and turns itself off after 30 seconds of lying flat. Designed in sleek black, with a ball and socket joint, to prevent the annoying cord winding and kinking, the 800’s rubberised handle promises a smooth finish.

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Weatherdon

02 9906 2202

sales@weatherdon.com.au WHAT’S HOT

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Today’s Best Western

The Place to Be. A trusted brand that evokes smiles and memories of family holidays, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has taken great strides over the past 18 months since introducing a new structure to its Australasian operations in June 2018.

Today’s Best Western In 2019, Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced the creation of the BWH Hotel Group, a parent brand that brings the company’s full suite of 16 brands under one umbrella. Comprised of three core identities matching every segment, BWH Hotel Group encompasses Best Western Hotels & Resorts, SureStay Hotel Group and WorldHotels Collection. Today BWH Hotel Group boasts more than 4,700 hotels in 110 countries globally, supported by approaching 40 million loyal Best Western Rewards members. Within Australasia alone, over 50,000 members joined the program in 2019. The Best Western brand evolved from its traditional regional roadside motel roots to offering a range of mid to mid-upper scale hotels in capital cities and regional areas, and further to a point where it now offers a full suite of brands from economy through to luxury and lifestyle, all with modern aesthetics and design to meet the needs of business and leisure travellers alike. Within Australasia, guests now have a choice of more than 100 independently owned and operated hotels in prime locations within capital cities, regional hubs and holiday destinations.

Global Powerhouse AccomNews spoke with BWH Hotel Group’s Managing Director for Australasia, Graham Perry, about the benefits of being part of the global powerhouse that

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Lincoln Downs Resort Batemans Bay, BW Signature Collection.

offers a suite of value-add services to its hotels. “18 months ago we moved from an affiliate to a hotel-direct relationship model. This shift is bringing great benefit to our hotels and guests. We are now far more commercial than ever before and have a laser focus on looking outward as well as inward, including raising our company profile,” Perry explains. “Best Western is an iconic and globally recognised brand. Every time I mention Best Western to people, they look at me with a warm, knowing smile, and then go on to share treasured family memories of holidays past. This is priceless and reflects our core brand proposition and legacy, namely “Trust”.” “The brand has transitioned

seamlessly into the present and is building for the future under the BWH Hotel Group umbrella.” “Over the past 18 months, we have worked tirelessly to drive a superior return on investment for our hotels, including driving revenue growth, launching a reinvigorated partnership program, holding annual national conventions as well as regional and local workshops. Importantly, we have a core competency in revenue management that is delivering positive Revpar growth in a declining market. Even our capital city hotels are outperforming the market.” “Our award winning Best Western Rewards loyalty program has entered a strong growth phase and is being

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rolled out in tandem with our targeted digital marketing strategy to drive direct business – both of which are delivering strong results. We’ve achieved over 30% growth in Best Western Rewards revenue and a significant increase of 33% in website bookings.” “I’m delighted to say that over the past twelve months we’ve also welcomed a number of new hotels to the network within Australasia. Our most recent properties include Lincoln Downs Resort, Batemans Bay BW Signature Collection, Best Western Plus Ambassador Orange, and new build, Best Western Alpine in Christchurch, NZ. And we’ll have many more to announce throughout 2020. Our pipeline is strong.” www.accomnews.com.au

The Place to Be Perry is quick to point out that from a hotel network and guest perspective, BWH Hotel Group is quickly positioning itself as ‘The Place to Be’. “We want to be the place where our stakeholders want to be – whether it’s our staff wanting to work for us – through to hoteliers keen to be part of the increasing network or guests looking forward to staying with us. We also want the industry to recognise this positive change.” “This promise is being achieved through the single-minded focus of our team on our three key core strategies, namely ‘building scale’, ‘growing direct business’ and ‘retention’.“ “As you will appreciate, we’ve now added a fourth strategy, namely ‘Regional Resurgence’ in view of the current devastating drought and bushfire catastrophe, and the need to reinvigorate visitation from international markets and Australia itself when the current emergency has passed.” “Through our current and growing network, we can continue to offer our guests

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the range of locations and experiences they’re looking for, so we’re committed to making BWH Hotel Group a win-win relationship for hotels and guests alike.”

“Soft brands are ideal for those hotels or hotel groups who have built a strong local brand presence and customer base but are crying out for incremental business particularly from overseas. We don’t interfere or override their independence, but instead partner with them to bring a broader client base through our global distribution, our loyalty program and powerful digital presence.

The proposition for properties that don’t want a brand Over the past decade, Best Western has grown and expanded well beyond its core Best Western brand. In addition to offering tiered hard brand options including Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier, Sure Stay and Sure Stay Plus for economy locations, the organisation now offers soft brand options. “BWH Hotel Group offers a suite of ‘soft’ brands tailored to different segments, which provide hotels with marketing, distribution, revenue management and operational services to support their own hotel or hotel group’s brand which will continue to predominant,” explains Perry.

“Adding to this, these hotels are able to tap into the knowledge and expertise of our large team across Australia and New Zealand, which means we can expand and add to their own management team with our years of experience.”

Protecting brands BWH Hotel Group employs a robust quality assurance (QA) process to monitor brand standards. This helps to future proof its brands and ensures its hotels remain compliant whilst meeting and exceeding everevolving guest expectations. “Quality assurance and brand

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compliance protect both our brands and hotels and our respective reputations, while ensuring our hotels continue to meet the needs of guests whilst adopting best practice customer service. This has and always will lie at the heart of the Best Western brand promise.”

Brand expansion Perry’s mood about the future of BWH Hotel Group in Australasia is upbeat. “I’m very optimistic about our future growth and prospects,” he enthuses. “I’ve now got the right team with the right strategy to approach and support the right hotels and our growing base of loyal corporate and leisure guests. I’m looking forward to welcoming more of the right hotels into our ever-growing family!”

For more information please contact +61 2 8913 3300 or visit, BWHdevelopersaustralasia.com

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Sharp design for suburban Quest apartment hotel

By Mandy Clarke, Industry Reporter

to service local residents, business travellers and sporting groups attracted to this evergrowing neighbourhood. Built on an historic site which was ear-marked for re-development, the property looks fantastic, designed with flair and delivered with attention to detail blending perfectly with the locale.

Last year, the newly built Quest Burwood East Apartment Hotel welcomed guests to a modern suburban gem. Launched as part of Quest Apartment Hotels’ Australian growth strategy,, it is one of several new apartment hotels located in regional and suburban hubs. This new premium serviced apartment hotel was developed in partnership with OAM Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Oriental Group of Companies and K2LD Architects. The 91-room property features modern and self-contained studios, one, two and threebedroom apartments. Located

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Kris Marinakis

within a five-minute drive of The Glen, Forest Hill and Burwood One shopping centres, it is close to local business parks and Deakin University Burwood campus. Quest Apartment Hotels general manager, James Shields, said the changing demands of

business travellers and economic development in Melbourne’s suburbs has shaped the network’s Victorian expansion. Located in the eastern suburbs in an area that attracts corporate activity from Melbourne’s CBD, Quest Burwood East is designed

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Quest Burwood East features complimentary high-speed unlimited wifi, smart TVs with in-room entertainment and 24-hour on-site management. Additional services include dining and breakfast options, local restaurant chargebacks, on-site carparking, daily housekeeping and pantry shopping service. The hotel also includes onsite parking, a business lounge, conference facilities and a large gymnasium.

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Guests love the well-appointed apartments and feedback has been incredible. The spacious modern rooms are a fresh take on a standard hotel room, and they offer plenty of space to relax in an environment that has been designed to be clean, calm and very comfortable.

He said: “After the success we enjoyed at Quest Mont Albert, thanks in large part to Quest’s business franchise model and development in the local area, purchasing a second franchise was the next logical step.” According to Kris, everything about the property feels very generous. “The apartments are incredibly spacious, as is the large open layout of the conference rooms, the ample parking, and the fantastic public areas.

Warm colours, wood veneer, grey tones, textures and quality furnishings have been cleverly used to create a very inviting space; interiors that are a true home away from home. Kris Marinakis is the franchisee at Quest Burwood East, making him one of several multi-unit franchisees in the network. He has been the director of the Quest Apartment Hotel in Mont Albert since 2012 and is actively involved in the Whitehorse community.

Interiors shine with Q Flow design

The property has the premium feel of what we expect from a Quest Apartment Hotel yet is still so unique and feels as though it has its own personality.” Since its opening, the hotel has been very popular and has exceeded guest expectations. He told us: “I feel the most important thing before opening to guests is to build a team of superstars.

In his role at Quest, Kris puts a “core focus on developing his team and creating a culture of passion, energy, and commitment to constant improvement.” He believes that “great results are simply the bi-product of giving your full commitment into doing what you love”.

I knew when the journey commenced that the property itself would be fantastic. What I believe makes us unique is the wonderful team members that make every guest stay special.”

Long-time industry FF&E service provider Q Flow provided a full turnkey solution for the newest Victorian Quest apartment hotel at Burwood East.

makers and craftsman. "We translate the 3D visualisations into quality prototype furniture items for client approval. Once all the necessary refinements are made, we commence the custom manufacturing process.

Q Flow project manager Gary Bass told us: “We worked closely with the project team at Quest to deliver their vision, from design concept through to manufacturing, shipping and installation.

“The final outcome employed the use of premium fabrics and timber finishes in a range of natural tones and textures. We used shades of blues and greys with accents of black and brass detailing to create a clean, crisp and super-comfortable urban look.

“We partnered with the interior design team at Zunica to provide bespoke design solutions that are site specific and guest focused. The design scheme created was then brought to life by our skilled team of furniture

“Quest is very happy with the finished look, achieved with furnishings and fittings that have been beautifully crafted and engineered to last.”

CREATING FURNITURE EXCELLENCE As a long time established FF&E Service Provider, QFlow offers a single point of contact when assisting its clients with the stages of Design, Creating Shop Drawings, Product Sampling, Manufacturing, Quality Control and Installation. Our factory-direct approach and years of experience in FF&E project fulfilment and our unique client commitment brings a willingness to become your single point of contact – while remaining flexible to the changing needs of the marketplace ensures we are agile enough to deal with the needs of our clients both small and large. We provide our clients with an easy solution to Quality Products, Competitive Pricing and Exceptional Service. With offices in Sydney Australia and manufacturing plants in Guangzhou China, QFlow will always have a team member on the ground to provide its clients with peace of mind.

QFLOW International Pty Ltd 02 9648 1811

www.qflow.com.au

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IMAGE: QUEST APARTMENTS

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

: h c n u p r e Suck a The power of m u u c a v t u o k c o n k

By Kate Jackson, Editor

•

A dirty ﬂoor is not just a huge turnoff for guests but a potential health risk for anyone treading the halls of your accom.

Noise Listen before you buy, because an annoyingly high pitch vacuum can claim a low decibel rating on the sticker or brochure.

•

Filtration. Large, accessible and easyto-clean filters allow for simple maintenance and consistent performance. A HEPA (high efficiency particulate arresting) filter will effectively remove dust, pollen and mites to produce clean air stripped of the irritants that cause allergies and asthma.

•

Hot water extraction If thinking about an extension to normal vacuum cleaning, ask your supplier about the advantages of adding a hot water extraction system to your toolkit.

•

Attachments The most effective vacuum cleaners do not just get their power from a motor, but also from the variety of attachments which allow them to access all areas.

Carpets serve as a magnet for pollutants, contaminants, bacteria and odours, and can harbour nasties such as fleas, cockroach eggs and dust mites. A commercial vacuum used regularly is key to keeping your floors healthy, fresh and clean. An investment in quality equipment appropriate for your floors will also prevent wear and tear and prolong the lifetime of carpets. Your choice of vacuum (or range of vacuums) directly impacts your room turnaround time and for busy operators it is a crucial decision to get it right. There is a vacuum for every need so select the most reliable and effective: one that can reduce costs, boost energy savings, enhance safety and increase productivity.

Pullman purity The latest Pullman PV900 and PL950 backpack vacuums incorporate patented vortex HEPA filtration systems, which effectively capture and contain 99.9 percent of dust and allergen particles once they’ve entered the vacuum, making for a healthier, more breathable environment.

What to consider: •

•

Raw power A powerful motor is a given for a commercialstandard vacuum and essential to strong, longlasting performance.

Industry View: AccomNews asked Michael Owen, general manager of retail at Godfreys, to share some expert advice on how to select the right vacuum.

Quality Don’t overlook the most basic machine parts of the vacuum: the strength of wheels, clips, and other plastic mouldings. No matter how much power it delivers, a vacuum cleaner will not be any use if it’s out of action because its wheel falls off. AccomNews - Summer 2020

What are the benefits of backpack vacuums vs uprights, and vice versa? When comparing the benefits of a backpack and an upright vacuum, it essentially draws down to user preference. HOUSEKEEPING

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…A lot of our customers choose backpack vacuums for their quiet operation, high manoeuvrability, ergonomic and user-friendly design and large dustbin capacities. For example, a lot of our customers choose backpack vacuums for their quiet operation, high manoeuvrability, ergonomic and user-friendly design and large dustbin capacities. And for customers working against the clock in hotels, schools or other time sensitive environments, a backpack vacuum allows users to clean up to three times faster than a canister or an upright*, particularly with the latest battery-powered models offering cordless convenience, superior performance and lengthy runtime to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Those working in a primarily carpeted environment, with plenty of outlets and essentially zero stairs, would consider an upright vacuum. However, apart from the motorised powerhead that draws out deeply engrained dirt and dust, these all-in-one units can be quite cumbersome in a commercial setting, especially when it comes to elevated cleaning such as stairs or countertops, and loading and unloading can be quite a challenge due to their increased weight. They’re also tricky to manoeuvre in busier and constrained areas, unlike a backpack vacuum, and can be a real burden in workplaces where OH&S standards remain imperative. How do different accom situations and needs determine which style of vacuum works best? Before deciding on a backpack, upright or canister vacuum, a few external factors need to be considered; i.e. the size of the cleaning environment, how long will each job take, time of day cleaning will occur, is the

environment larger and more open or are areas more constrained and space-sensitive, is there an abundance of power outlets or would more portability be preferred and so on. It’s important any supplier understands their customer’s needs and values to ensure every purchase is a conscience purchase.

Lithium 950

A TRUE CORDLESS EXPERIENCE JUST LAUNCHED

What are the comfort and ergonomic benefits of each for housekeepers? Our latest backpack vacuum reduces user fatigue with patented anti-vibration absorbers that virtually eliminate motor vibrations on the user’s back, along with a three-stage height adjustable harness designed to accommodate mostly anyone’s preference, that evenly distributes weight and reduces strain on the user. Seeing as backpacks and canisters are by far the most widely used vacuums in a commercial capacity, new and updated ergonomic technology remains our key focus to better accommodate cleaners in the accom industry.

Cordless Convenience

What are the latest developments aiding commercial vacuum performance?

Advancements in lithium battery technology enables backpacks and uprights to run longer without sacrificing on cleaning performance, while design improvements and better filtration systems mean vacuums can seal more dust and debris within the canister and prevent dust, debris and other allergen particles from re-entering the environment. *Reference: The Oﬃcial ISSA 612 Cleaning Times & Tasks; The Worldwide Cleaning Association.

Anti-Vibration Absorbers and 3-stage height adjustable harness maximises user comfort

Multi-Surface Cleaning Gulper Advance floor tool is equipped with ball bearing wheels to glide across different surfaces

Dual Functionality Instantly transforms into a powerful blower to clean large debris easily

Those working in a primarily carpeted environment, with plenty of outlets and essentially zero stairs, would consider an upright vacuum. www.accomnews.com.au

Ergonomic Design

Available at

GODFREYS.COM.AU

HOUSEKEEPING

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Image supplied by Dependable Laundry Solutions

Why accom is frothing over laundry upgrades Guest laundries have come a long way. They no longer require users to hoard gold coins like watchful squirrels or spend precious holiday hours waiting for their well-crisped smalls to stop tumbling. Significant performance enhancements in recent years mean cashless commercial machines run smarter and faster than they have ever done. Quality washers and dryers can last for 20 years and beyond, so choosing a reputable supplier offering comprehensive servicing agreements and an extensive warranty is a must. A good guest laundry is an extension of an accom property’s service, meaning customers have the same expectations of quality, minimal hassle and no hiccups that apply to every other aspect of their stay. AccomNews approached Sam Nolthenius, sales and marketing manager for Dependable Laundry Solutions - Maytag Commercial Australia for the

AccomNews - Summer 2020

wash-up on what to expect from next-generation laundries. What needs to be considered when planning a laundry system? When setting up any laundry room there are three important things to keep in mind, the amenities required to run the equipment, the aesthetics of the room and the flow of the laundry room for your guests. Without all three of these key components being set up from the get-go, you risk an uninviting laundry room that does not function, leaving a negative feeling with your guests. The first thing to ensure is that your room has the correct supply amenities for the equipment you want. Will your dryers be powered by gas or electricity? Does your room meet local gas code? Do you have hot and cold water supply as well as ample drainage and fresh make up air into the room? Once you have confirmed your laundry room has the correct supplies for the laundry equipment you need, you will need to think about your guests’ work flow in the laundry room. Will the door be automatically opening or remain open during operating

hours for ease of access? Will there be a table near your washers for your guests to sort their washing before loading into the machine and where will your guests fold their laundry once they have removed it from the dryer? When it comes to laying out your laundry room you want the washers closest to the door, so your guests do not drag dirty laundry through your laundry room. Often forgotten in the laundry room is to ensure the aesthetics matches the rest of your premise. The last thing you want is for your guests to leave their beautifully presented rooms and foyer to do their laundry in an ugly white box. Are there statement accents from your rooms that you can incorporate into the laundry to ensure your guests have the same experience throughout all areas of your facility? What are the latest design trends and features, and how do modern washers and dryers’ rate for energy efficiency? In years gone past, owners would happily throw a top load washer and matching electric dryer into

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the laundry and call it a day. These days the laundry room should be an additional profit centre for your business, ensuring more revenue from the same guests. With any part of your business, to keep your profits up you need to keep running costs down and that is why nearly all new guest laundry facilities are upgrading to front load washers and gas dryers. With 9kg front load washers on average only using 40 litres of water compared to over 100 litres that some top load washer will use, you can easily cut your water bill by over half in the laundry room just by upgrading to commercial front load washing machines. The biggest trend in guest laundry in the last few years has been the rise in popularity of credit/ debit card payment systems for your washers and dryers. Changing from coin to cardonly removes the temptation for break-ins and vandalism, while giving managers clear reports on how much money each machine is making without having to worry about people pocketing a few dollars while they collect the coins. www.accomnews.com.au

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your advice for stacked washers and dryers? Whether you chose to have single washers and dryers side by side or stacked washer/dryers all comes down to the size of your laundry room and personal preference. When using stack washer/dryer units it is important to keep in mind the accessibility of all guests. With the dryers usually being built above the washing machine in a stack unit, this can often leave them out of reach for guests with different accessibility needs and this is why it is critical to ensure if you are doing a laundry full of stack washer/dryer units you have at least one single dryer at ground level for easy access. How do you optimise revenue from a coin operated-style laundry? By ensuring the laundry room is viewed as a true profit centre of your business, you should be able to ensure you grow and optimise your revenue with a few simple tweaks. Always make sure the laundry room is clean and inviting so your guests want to enter and spend their money.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Making sure your guests are aware of the laundry room and that you have the latest state-of-the-art high efficiency washers which will give them the best wash quality is key to getting them into the laundry room to spend their money. This can be highlighted through

in-room printed material, Smart TV welcome programming and signage through the building. Ensuring your washers are set up with card readers will also give you the ability to set up dynamic pricing on your laundry equipment. If you know your accommodation facility is booked

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out with long-term stays for a certain period of time you could increase the vend price of your washers and dryers to ensure you are making money during the peak, and offer a discounted wash or dry price during quieter times to entice guests to use the laundry room.

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Bed bugs:

Your most unwelcome guests By Kate Jackson, Editor

it’s often not the bed bugs, but signs of their infestation, that are detected first. Little brown or black faecal dots on linen or mattresses are a giveaway, as are shredded bug skins, squashed dead bugs and tiny white eggs.

As the summer season wanes and accom looks to fill autumn beds, there’s one visitor noone wants checking in. Bed bugs induce itchy welts and ugly reviews and are particularly likely to be on the march during times of high tourism movement - which means now is the perfect time to check for the pinhead-sized parasites. According to Netherlandsbased scientist Bastiaan Meerburg, the emergence of house sharing platforms is prompting a resurgence in pests globally. “All those people who rent out their house through Airbnb to a few dozen people do not know who they are bringing into their house,” he said earlier this year. “It is a very small animal that hides in cracks and seams. Once you have bedbugs in the house, then really everything has to be taken apart, there is a lot of work in it.” Entomologists have identified the double whammy of fewer legal pesticides and an increase in cheap travel as causes for increased bed bug activity around the world. The good news is while they may be resilient, plentiful and superb travellers, there are effective treatment and prevention measures available to stop them in their tracks.

Prevention The best cure, as they say, is prevention, and while it’s naïve to think you can ever bug-proof you property, there are ways to minimise risk. 1. Provide luggage racks These help guests avoid them putting their bags on the bed and giving any hitchhikers a free ride onto mattresses. www.accomnews.com.au

Treat them yourself or call in the experts? Bearing in mind the breeding cycle of the female bed bug, which lays 2-3 eggs per day, it’s advisable to call in the experts on this one. 2. Make detectives of your staff

5. Fit bug-trapping caps to bed castors

Ensure your housekeepers are familiar with what bed bugs look like and can identify the tell-tale signs of their presence. They should always check the bed and bedding when cleaning or making up a room. All establishments should also conduct regular more thorough checks of all rooms. Although most will be found in the bedding, they will also travel to other areas such as bedside tables.

These are discrete screwin barrier caps which are chemical free and designed to prevent bed bugs accessing the body of a bed via its legs.

3. Invest in detecting traps These will quickly provide evidence of a bed bug infestation. If one is found, there are likely to be more, and immediate action should be taken.

6. Wash linen on hot Always wash and dry bedding at the highest permissible temperature allowed. Bed bugs don’t like heat. 7. Vacuum seal After vacuuming rooms, always make sure the contents from the vacuum are sealed in a plastic bag and discarded in a bin outside. Even if you haven’t seen them, the vacuum may have picked up a bed bug or their eggs.

Detection

4. Use bed bug-resistant mattress and pillow encasements Quality options will have a dust-proof flap and tamperproof seal, making the mattress or pillow bed bug entry and escape proof, whilst also ensuring allergens can’t become airborne. Cover the mattress encasement with a waterproof fitted mattress protector for easy removal and regular washing with other bedding.

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs do not mean a dirty room. They can latch onto luggage or clothes causing infestations in the cleanest of environs. To detect them, you first need to know what you are looking for. Bed bugs have small, flat oval bodies. Adults are brown in colour, reddening after feeding. Fully grown they are about 4-5mm in length, small but visible. They are primarily nocturnal and hide well in crevices, so

HOUSEKEEPING

Pest control experts are licensed to treat the areas infected by the bugs with a much stronger insecticide than accom operators can safely use. Reputable companies will employ licenced pest controllers who have undertaken specific training in bed bug removal. They should provide ongoing inspections, as often more than one treatment is needed to completely eradicate bed bugs. Although heat treatments may be an option, pesticides will most likely be required, so check on what residual chemicals may be left and how long the property needs to be left unattended.

The guest who cried bed bug Remember, guests can be like Google doctors when it comes to bug detection. Just because they think they’ve seen one, they may well have mistaken it for a harmless creepy crawly. “I can’t tell you the number of times that a guest just sees a bug near a bed or on a bed and makes an assumption,” Victoria Agredo, a hospitality industry veteran, told USA TODAY Recently. “An untrained eye checking a room for themselves really isn’t that helpful. They may find something, or they may create a panic over nothing.” AccomNews - Summer 2020

The spare bed time story Shrinking room trend Rather than spending time in a lonely room, the trend is to connect and be part of the tribe in the common areas. The foyer of the future makes use of space as a place to chill, relax or work. Hotel designers lean towards minimalism. Where once there was a big-box TV, today there is a flat screen. Radios, kettles and mini-fridges have shrunk too. Wardrobes are out and hanging space is in and the desk has moved to the work hub in the foyer.

The updated, plumped and primped spare bed is being rolled out as a revenue generating fixture as more hotels come into the market. As of July 2019, there was a total of 53,227 rooms in the pipeline until 2028, from a total of 305 projects. 2019 saw the opening of more than 6,500 hotel rooms across the 10 major markets and this number is on the upswing.* The vast majority of those are independent operators, many who recognise space is becoming scarce in Australian cities and redevelopment opportunities thin. With ever-smaller floorplates the new norm, the stage is set to wheel in the rollaway bed. When Asian brands first entered the market, 40-plus square metres was standard. Now anything over 25 square metres is luxury. Travellers’ preferences veer towards a quality sleeping space over floor space. The spare bed is a steadfast requisite of every hotel, hostel and guest house. Out of town resorts, with larger apartment-style rooms, have always had a strong demand for spare beds. On holidays the rules are different, it can add to the fun to have a pyjama-party style sleep-over with friends and family all in the same room. The increase in travelling families, the rise of the millennial group traveller and operators with an eye on flexible options, is the combination that steers the demand in spare beds.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Owners and operators, just like guests, seek cost efficiency, convenience and a pleasant and profitable experience. Coils, springs, foam, thick, firm or soft. There are just as many

variables in commercial beds as there are in the domestic brands. Commercial suppliers cater to the unique requirements of the industry. Hotels’ priorities are durability, robustness and easy cleaning without buttons, studs or anything that can be damaged. Weatherdon’s three top tips when purchasing rollaway beds: 1.

Check that the beds fit through the elevator and door frames

Ensure coils don’t protrude or dig into a guest’s back

Test the models for ease of set-up and manoeuvrability.

*STR: a data and analytics specialists’ Australian Accommodation Monitor results for last ﬁnancial year. It provides a breakdown at a national and key tourism level across the country.

Robert Weatherdon Managing Director, R Weatherdon & Co

There are several factors that owners and operators take into account when considering spare beds: quality and choice, flexibility, space and storage.

Quality and choice There are makes and models aplenty, from the foldaway to the upright that can easily be stacked back-of-house. The decisions are between coils, springs or the much-improved foam mattresses with depths of between 10 – 27 centimetres. Bed widths start at 30 centimetre and go up to a plump 48 centimetres. With that choice comes an array of headboards. Sturdy frames, strong straps and firm fasteners hold the upright mattress in place and castors make for manoeuvrability around tightest corners and housekeepers appreciate the time-saver of a ready made-up bed. HOUSEKEEPING

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style comfort power The best equipped guestrooms. Add value to the guest experience, reflect your brand and complement your dĂŠcor.

A family-owned and operated business established in 1975, Weatherdon is the preferred supplier to more than 1,600 hotels in Australia and New Zealand. Our team of designers and manufacturers is able to specify standards to meet the unique demands of the hospitality sector. www.weatherdon.com.au Phone: 02 9906 2202 Email: sales@weatherdon.com.au

Make your gym fit for purpose

By Kate Jackson, Editor

Humans have evolved the way they exercise. In 2019, communal gym classes are as in demand as treadmills and bikes, and while this does require accom to rethink its offering, it also presents opportunities. Yes, there is still strong demand for large single gym equipment, but there’s now an added focus on weights, resistance exercise, mat work and, above all, wellness. Group sessions, whether they’re offering spin, dance, yoga or high impact interval training, help motivate people to stick to wellness plans while travelling and provide a serotonin kick from the social interaction. With holidaying singles and particularly solo female travellers on the rise globally, such sessions can generate income for your business while building a sense of community, engaging guests on a regular basis and increasing endorphins through exercise to create a happy clientele. Jennifer Findlay, founder of Core Essence, advises hotels to revisit the traditional concept of the fitness centre. She told HotelNewsNow: “Visualise this: an entire floor of your hotel devoted wholeheartedly to wellness.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

“For a nominal fee, guests can upgrade their stay to a specialty wellness concept room and wander down the hallway to a boutique wellness lounge that offers a variety of progressive fitness, yoga and meditation programming, and perhaps hydro-therapy experiences and more.” OK, so a wellness concierge and superfood-focused vegan restaurant might not be within the realms of possibility for most accom operators. But a hotel gym which offers regular classes through personal trainers can be a lucrative proposition, particularly if it offers a limited membership allocation to the wider community - while retaining a degree of privacy and privilege for guests. By opening up your hotel gym to a capped number of outsiders, you can ensure that there are generally always some people exercising, so creating more of an atmosphere

for guests while keeping fitness staff gainfully employed.

Equipment When it comes to equipment, managers need to be mindful not only of safety, but of practicality and balance of equipment. Some pieces are fine to be used singly, others work best as part of a group. Providing enough equipment so guests aren’t queuing, and placing the right pieces to work in combination, is a tricky balance. Treadmills are still among the most popular items in a gym environment, alongside the old workhorse ellipticals. Bikes, spinners and steppers are all sought-after cardio options, while strength equipment used to build muscle has been in demand for some time now. Modern gyms should also offer a choice of hand-held strengthening devices such as free weights, kettle bells and medicine balls

Providing enough equipment so guests aren’t queuing, and placing the right pieces to work in combination, is a tricky balance. GUEST FACILITIES

alongside their multi-exercise weight and resistance machines. And guests now expect to be able to sync their wearable devices or phones with the piece of equipment they’re using, so they can track their workouts and enjoy tailored video and audio while working out.

Funding The fundamental difference between purchase and a lease or serviced lease for gym equipment is that the purchase option requires an upfront capital outlay and ongoing assessment. Equipping a gym can cost anything from around $10,000 to well over $40,000 depending on size and complexity. A lease is a financed version of the purchase option, while a serviced lease covers the cost of equipment hire, maintenance, repairs, parts, labour, electrical safety compliance and equipment upgrades under a monthly flat fee agreement. Serviced leases are the most popular options for accom providers, but however your fund your gym equipment, having a service plan with a quality provider is important to ensure there are no maintenance issues that could damage equipment or cause a potential safety risks for guests. www.accomnews.com.au

More than meets the eye The Earth is revolving around the sun. The moon is revolving around the earth. Our world is revolving around indoor bikes. Body Bikes are what we do. Nothing else… There are no lapses in concentration. We are focused. We are specialists and we stay completely dedicated. We don’t want to do it all. We just want to do bikes. That is our secret and is why we excel in developing, designing and producing the world’s best indoor bikes. Often the most important things in life are outside our field of vision. They are invisible to the naked eye. Right there in our blind angle. But even though we cannot see it, it is still there. Making a difference, shaping our lives. Creating a high quality

From the small start-up gym to the largest fitness chains, from the home user through to hotels and resorts, we have indoor cycling covered.

indoor bike that is safe, low maintenance, an eye catcher and at the same time provides its rider with the ultimate indoor cycling experience, can be difficult. But it is a task that we have managed to fulfil. And with perfection. We say that we make our indoor bikes by hand. That is not telling the whole truth. We actually apply some of the newest technologies in constructing and measuring the various components of the bike. Sometimes computers and

robots are more accurate than the human hand. With 8 different models in production, we take care of every aspect of indoor cycling. From the small startup gym to the largest fitness chains, from the home user through to hotels and resorts, we have indoor cycling covered. Eliminating things such as rust, by using marine grade stainless steel, and reducing the deterioration from the elements like dirt, dust and sweat with the fully enclosed design, we give our bikes a longevity like no others.

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Our bikes come in a variety of colours. In black or grey they elegantly and discreetly fit into any environment without disturbing the eye. In one of the many other colours, they become an eye-catching sculpture with a strong personality. Impossible to ignore. Body Bike Indoor Bikes also have their hidden secrets. You see a sculpturally designed high quality bike - but there’s more than meets the eye. Behind the protective plastic cover you will find a world of details. Details that set us apart. Body Bike Australia Indoor Cycle Specialists. For more information please contact: Body Bike Australia on 1300 84 84 55, info@body-bike.com.au or visit: www.body-bike.com.au

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Luxury utility cars at award-winning resort

By Mandy Clarke, Industry Reporter

electric utility vehicles when it opened but has added more to the collection as needs demanded and changed over time. Michael stated: “Our acquisition of buggies has been a constant evolution depending on logistics and use. It is fantastic that we have been able to work with Augusta Golf and Utility Cars to adapt and design our vehicles to meet a need or to provide a specific service. Indeed, I am sure we will go on evolving and expanding our collection of their vehicles.”

The award-winning luxury resort Elements of Byron exceeds all expectations and is one of the finest accommodation options in this incredible location. Boasting absolute beachfront, the stunning resort is spread across 50 acres of nature and is the perfect holiday destination with facilities that ensure unforgettable memories are made. When guests arrive at a luxury resort with world-class facilities, undoubtably they expect the best of everything! Therefore, an important part of ensuring guests receive the very best experience at this large resort is the availability of high-quality electric utility vehicles and golf cars. AccomNews spoke to Michael Skinner, the general manager of Elements of Byron about the resort’s extensive use of electric utility and golf cars. He told us: “We are very proud of our incredible facilities and our 193 standalone villas (202 keys) spread across 50 acres. However, the logistics of managing a resort that is so spread out presents some tricky challenges. The answer for us has been to purchase a variety of electric buggies from Augusta Golf and Utility Cars.”

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Elements of Byron has an internal roadway system that meanders from the main facilities to the villas and some guests need and expect to be shuttled to and from main reception to their accommodation. For this reason, a range of larger sized electric people movers that look great and are comfortable are provided to move passengers and their luggage around the resort. Michael said: “Of course transporting guests is an important service for a luxury resort, and it is expected by our guests, but the main user of our electric buggies is our housekeeping team. We have a large collection of buggies (24) that have been specifically adapted for our housekeepers’

use, to transport them and their equipment quickly and easily from villa to villa. I like to think of our housekeeping electric buggies as the equivalent of mini elevators/housekeeping trolleys that you would find in a standard multi-storey hotel.” These adapted vehicles have space and storage for a vacuum cleaner, cleaning equipment, amenities, laundry and rubbish. The resort’s maintenance team use another type of utility cart that has been chosen and adapted for their particular use, these are smaller and have trays to transport tools. A few vehicles are also used by the food and beverage department, specifically to deliver an Uber Eats style room service. This resort purchased some

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According to Michael, the electric vehicles are relatively maintenance free if they are looked after properly. They are charged from solar panels in rotation and this system is based on a process implemented by supervisors. He said: “Using electric buggies instead of a petrol or diesel vehicles supports our sustainability initiatives as they are versatile, cheaper, more efficient, lower maintenance, quieter and better for the environment.” He advised: “When it comes to purchasing an electric buggy, you should understand the application that you want it for and choose a vehicle that meets that brief. We were able to work closely with Augusta Golf and Utility Cars to adapt and modify a collection of electric vehicles to fit exactly what we required; this is essential because one size does not fit all.” www.accomnews.com.au

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The vehicles driving accom performance By Kate Jackson, Editor

Moving people safely and speedily around a busy accom property can be the difference between a slick operation and a chaotic one. Lightweight golf buggystyle vehicles can help your business run as smoothly as their battery-powered ride. People movers can ensure a positive visitor experience before your guests even set foot in their accommodation, while utility vehicles transport staff and equipment around your property with optimum efficiency. Need both? A carrier used for maintenance can be transformed into a people mover by snapping a seat module onto the back of the cargo bed, making it the ultimate multi-purpose vehicle.

People movers Graham Janson, national sales manager for Augusta Golf Cars, told us: “Maximising customer experience has long been a goal for resort managers. In recent years the use of alternative, sustainable, electric transport options to enable effortless guest movement has increased in popularity. “Many resorts now use 4 to 14 seat electric transport vehicles to transport guests and their

Image supplied by Augusta Golf Cars

luggage. These vehicles are multi-purpose, most featuring a rear seat that folds to form a luggage carry tray. The multitude of model choices mean that there is a specific, fit-for-purpose vehicle to cater for all circumstances, including 4x4 electric vehicle options for the specialist resorts that may require a new exciting foray into guest transport.” Leah Liddy, marketing assistant at EMC Electric Vehicles, says: “In terms of people movers, there are small resort-style vehicles that can have up to eight seated, and a range of shuttle buses that can take up to 29 seats. “These can also come in a utility tray arrangement as well as providing wheelchair access. These are also ideal in airport situations and they have the capacity to fit

luggage as well as providing passengers with a comfortable and safe ride - providing safety first as a stand-out necessity showing consideration for your customers.” Guest safety and comfort is paramount when it comes to people movers. Graham says: “As most vehicles are primarily used in pedestrian precincts, the safety features are considerable. Many include four wheel hydraulic brakes, the ability to speed restrict to match site requirements, automatic park brake systems, regenerative braking, head lights, tail and brake lights, turn indicators, horn, seat belts, rear view mirrors, brush guards, reverse beepers, rear view cameras and audible reverse proximity sensors.”

Image supplied by EMC

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Utility vehicles Aside from transferring guests, utility vehicles can make light work of most tasks around a property. They allow housekeepers and ground staff to work speedily and with less effort, helping to reduce both costs and work-related injuries. They can be customised to suit most requirements: refrigerated compartments allow for easy transporting of hot or cold food and drinks, for example. Leah says: “When considering a utility vehicle in terms of size and capability, our utility range, for example, can be offered in a two-seat or four-seat configuration of either a short or a long wheelbase option. “The short wheelbase offers compact size with the short tray giving you enough to be

Image supplied by Augusta Golf Cars

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Image supplied by Augusta Golf Cars

functional and practical on smaller sites. However, with the long tray option, more activities can be completed in one load, so if your site is bigger and requires more maintenance, this would be the better choice. “The laundry housekeeping unit gives you extra functionality and practicality in your workday. This clean and dirty work unit gives you storage capabilities for your equipment to maximise productivity. The cabinet storage compartment in an extra-long wheelbase in particular helps you maximise efficiency giving you the flexibility of storage, usability and practicality all in one.” Utility vehicles can include cargo beds with drop sides for the transport of heavy items, and they can be fitted with steel mesh sides to contain loads such as foliage during maintenance runs. Waste collection is made infinitely easier with a tail lift modification to help with bin lifting or beach cleaning. And ladder racks, tow bars, snow blades and trailers can all enhance the vehicles’ capabilities. Graham points out: “Sustainable electric vehicles provide cost effective, silent and unlimited access to all areas of resorts.

There is no noise to disturb guests as vehicles pass by to perform maintenance, housekeeping and food delivery tasks. The vehicles are specifically built to cater for all jobs within a park or resort. Some feature heavy duty aluminium electric tipping trays for grounds maintenance others have water and dust proof compartments used as linen buggies for housekeeping, others have tow ratings up to 3629kg. With an average width of 1.2m the vehicles have an excellent turning circle and provide access to areas that a normal utility style vehicle cannot provide.”

options, to suit their location and requirements, are made available.” What is it that makes electric so popular? The answer is improved battery technology. Maintenance-free gel cell and lithium-powered batteries are responsible for vastly improved power and longevity performance in modern electric vehicles. “Maintenance free gel batteries are standard on most resort vehicles and optional on others,” Graham says. “We are now introducing lithium ion batteries to some of the highend range, these batteries carry

a five to eight-year warranty.” The appeal of electric is multifaceted, according to Leah. “Electric vehicles are great for the environment and have other advantages as well,” she says. “A zero tailgate emission vehicle offers minimal noise pollution, lower maintenance costs and all day charging for you to go about your working day with ease. “Overall it will reflect well on your brand to choose electric as sustainable practices in business show an effort for improving our environment.”

Electric charge While some operators prefer the go-all-day, off-road performance ability of petrol and diesel vehicles, particularly in rugged environs, electric options now dominate the market.

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Romancing the stone By Mandy Clarke, Industry Reporter

Jasper Hotel Melbourne is named after the soothing and positive energy of the multi-coloured Jasper stone and in Sept 2019 it impressively re-introduced itself to Victoria’s accommodation industry. Presenting the completion of a remarkable $2.2 million refurbishment and renovation of its 59 accommodation rooms. This is a timely major investment for the boutique hotel that opened in 2014 and is set to re-establish the property as a unique and intimate hotel offering, in a competitive environment where newbuild hotels are currently being developed across Melbourne. The six-week revitalisation project directed most attention to a stylish makeover of deluxe rooms, following the refurbishment of its suites three years ago. Formerly the “The Y”, this unique hotel site was the original YWCA headquarters of Victoria but was redeveloped into the Jasper hotel in early 2000. It is considered a modern and vibrant central Melbourne boutique hotel offering bright, stylish hotel rooms and access to a tranquil sun-filled indoor courtyard. It also provides all-day dining at Jasper Kitchen and Bar, and an onsite gym. The hotel’s extensive state-of-the-art conference and event facilities offer ten multifunctional pillarless meeting rooms, including a function hall for 300 people and nine rooms and pre-function areas with varying capacities for exhibitions, workshops, meetings, training and special events.

with the Kian design team and the time frame from concept design to install was only four months. The bedding was supplied by AH Beard, curtains by Victory Blinds and loose FF&E by Yardley Hospitality.

hotels, increase the satisfaction of their existing guests and attract new business. Therefore, this business promises solid long-term growth in its thriving address, with positive longterm demand drivers for both leisure and business guests. Tony Tantaro, general manager of the Jasper Hotel, told AccomNews: “We can help meet the growing need for quality accommodation while offering a unique style of hotel with a local atmosphere, in a building that has retained the true character of our neighbourhood. We are also able to meet demand for goodsized, affordable conference and event space in Melbourne. “As a revitalised boutique hotel with 90 rooms, we offer something different, attractive and well-priced that will appeal to both the domestic and international market for hotel stays, functions and corporate events.”

The hotel design is inspired by amber shades of the Jasper stone and is reflected in the hotel’s vibrant colour palate. The warm, ambient guestrooms feature new oak-finished furniture and bespoke highbacked fabric armchairs to form a haven for sleep, relaxation and/ or working away from the office. Kian Furniture was appointed to provide both fixed and loose furniture pieces. According to Tony, this choice was made in a deliberate move to cut out the need for costly architects, designers and project managers. Kian used its preferred builder Cal’s Construction and the project was overseen by the hotel manager. The design process began with a ‘room in a box’ concept of prefabricated designs which were slightly altered to suit Jasper Hotel’s needs. The Jasper Hotel owner travelled to Malaysia alongside Tony to discuss all details directly

AccomNews - Summer 2020

He stated: “Without doubt Kian’s ‘room in a box’ concept was above expectations regarding quality, overall design, communications, timely delivery and professionalism. Cal’s Construction were also tremendously efficient, and from start to finish they showed care for the project and hotel guest environment while the hotel continued to operate. Overall, the project fit-out timing was exceptional; five levels, 59 guest rooms delivered in under six weeks.” Jasper hotel’s relaunch was overwhelmingly well received, with a stream of new enquiries from attendees of the event for both accommodation and function rooms. Guest reviews about the refurbished rooms have also been overwhelmingly positive on many levels, including the guest room appearance, choice of colours and furniture. Tony proudly concluded: “As a revitalised boutique hotel with 90 rooms, we can offer something different, attractive and wellpriced that will appeal to both the domestic and international market for hotel stays, functions and corporate events. “The layers of history around the hotel and the site have shaped its distinct architecture and some of the colours of the Jasper stone are evident in the interior design today.”

This was the final stage of a hotel-wide renovation that has significantly lifted the standard of the hotel. The hotel owners have seized this opportunity to get ahead of the wave of new

According to Tony, the underpinning choice of utilising Kian furniture and their preferred builder meant that valuable time, resources and money were saved and in his personal experience, he had “never been confronted with the conundrum of being ahead of schedule”!

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Sitting pretty

Make outdoor settings work for you By Kate Jackson, Editor

Soaking up al fresco moments is one of the great joys of a holiday getaway. Appealing outdoor spaces make guests happy - and more likely to linger on their loungers as they soak up the ambience of a pool deck or private verandah. Jason Condon, owner of Daydream Leisure Furniture, told us: “If you were to ask potential patrons where in the resort they intend to spend most of their time, I would suggest the balcony and pool area would be their answer. “Given this, the furnishings offered in those areas should be of prime importance.” The first thing to remember when investing in outdoor furniture is that you are buying for a commercial environment and it needs to withstand sustained abuse from guests, weather and various unguents. Visual appeal is important, but practicality is paramount. What are the best materials? Jason recommends a quality polypropylene as “the most practical low maintenance, valuefor-money material” which “offers the most durability and comfort”.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

“Next best would be aluminium, followed by timber and wicker,” he says. “Timber generally requires ongoing maintenance and wicker has a limited life in full UV, while both generally involve cushioning, which has its draw backs. Most people think rain is the biggest threat, whereas UV is actually a more destructive force and dictates the use of high-quality materials for furniture longevity.”

James Lindqvist, sales manager for Nextrend, told AccomNews there are three things to consider when furnishing balconies, whether in a high-rise building or a deck on a cabin:

Weather The environment in which the furniture will be placed plays a major factor in the type of furniture you should use. Coastal areas are subject to

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salt air, which can cause certain materials to rust. Additionally, sand being blown in the wind can eat into the surfaces or finishes of some materials, which may cause early aging on the product. The amount of sunlight the furniture will be exposed to also a major factor. Furniture in direct sunlight can fade and degrade. Certain surfaces can also get extremely hot. You will want to look for products that contain a high level of

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UV stabilisation or experience minimum heat absorption or aging when exposed to prolonged sunlight. Lastly you have rain, hail and snow. If your furniture is expected to get wet, you should consider how the material responds to moisture. Utilise waterproof cushions and consider seating which contains holes or perforations to allow water and wind to flow through and speed up the process of drying.

your balcony, so consider cafĂŠ style table and chairs if looking to maximise use without taking up too much space. We asked Jason Condon to shed some light on best options for shading outdoor settings using commercial umbrellas. He told us:

Space

Umbrellas are a fragile thing by nature and as such, management and common sense are required - particularly in regards to wind. Generally, they fall into two categories; non wind-rated free-standing with a base, and wind-rated permanent fixture. In addition, they can be centre post or cantilever. We always suggest wind-rated for commercial environment common areas. They require far less management, last much longer and are less likely to be handled by patrons. In addition to that, we suggest centre post over cantilever, as physics dictates that the centre post provides a much stronger structure with the load shared. Most people are attracted to the idea of a cantilever, but the spend required to get true commercial quality and the fact that patrons tend to want to operate them detract from the benefits. If they opt for less expensive free standing then I would suggest high-quality materials, solid structure and minimal moving parts such as winders and tilt mechanisms, as this is where they will fail.

Lastly and possibly most importantly is space. When selecting your furniture, you need to know what you want to use the space for, and how people are to move through the space. Balconies come in all shapes and sizes, and thus a dining table may suit some, whereas a couple of chairs and a side table may be best for others. You do not want to overcrowd

Also, as with any purchase, ask if they can be repaired and if your vendor is capable of carrying out these repairs. There are so many small quality factors which go into manufacture of umbrellas and outdoor furniture. A chain is only as good as its weakest link, so if one of these seemingly inconsequential components fails, it can render the product a throw away.

Wear As the weather can prematurely age your furniture, you need to consider the longevity you seek to get out of the furniture and the best material to deliver this. Timbers and metals may require ongoing maintenance to ensure longevity. Wicker furniture can rust and unravel overtime. The ideal product for longevity is UV Stabilised polypropylene. This product will not rust, unravel and if you have purchased quality products, fading should be minimal over an extended period of time. If purchasing Polypropylene, check the quality of the brand and the warranty terms for fading. Products that do not warrant against fading may not have the same levels of UV stabilisation as other products in the market, meaning they are likely to look OK for a season, but may quickly fade.

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Good times at Novotel

Cairns Oasis Resort By Mandy Clarke, Industry Reporter

Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort has completed a multi-million-dollar refurbishment and unveiled a contemporary new look. This tropical oasis is an excellent choice for both business and leisure travellers to Cairns who want to be within easy reach of the Esplanade, the Reef Casino and a wide variety of restaurants and bars, as well as tours to the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest and the hinterland. The extensive 15-month renovation project of this

AccomNews - Summer 2020

resort has not only reinvigorated the property but also energised the team, who are elated with the results. Novotel Cairns Oasis general manager Scott Grant said: “We’re very excited about the hotel’s new look, which we think captures the spirit of Far North Queensland and everything the Novotel brand has to offer business, leisure and family holiday guests.” The Novotel’s guest rooms, public areas, bars, restaurant and conference rooms have all been wonderfully transformed to exceed the expectations of premier business and leisure visitors to the city. Last year, the hotel’s MOKU Bar

& Grill and MOKU Beach Club opened after being revitalised in the first phase of the renovation. Guests are in awe of what is now a beautiful tropical sanctuary and they delight in ordering cocktails at Cairns’ only swimup bar. The final part of the project focussed on Novotel’s 314 guest rooms, with 204 refreshed, light and spacious deluxe rooms now offering a new level of comfort and quality. The guest room update includes “new timber looking flooring and cabinetry, and a chic new colour palate of teal and purple hues, inspired by the tropics”. The rooms have been transformed, now evoking a sense of calm and nature and featuring

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new flooring, bathrooms, entertainment systems and dreamy beds from SleepMaker. Every room has been thoroughly modernised with technology and facilities including 55-inch Samsung Smart LCD televisions, a convenient table for two, mini-bar fridge and renovated bathrooms and showers. A variety of bedding configurations are also available to accommodate the needs of different guests, including one king bed, two double beds or three single bed options. Accessible room types and rooms with interconnecting doors are also available, catering to those with specific needs or for larger families.

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GM Scott is exceptionally proud of the resort’s new look. He said: “In our refurbished guest rooms, we’ve tried to evoke the spirit of a modern oasis for guests through our carefully curated update inspired by the tropics. The same stands for our two new food and beverage outlets, where we offer South Pacific inspired experiences from our indoor/ outdoor bar to our alfresco restaurant and poolside beach club. The investment means we can offer a more competitive product in both the hotel and food and beverage space, meaning new work opportunities for Cairns locals too.” AccomNews asked Scott…. What is the hotel’s biggest point of difference? “Our large lagoon style swimming pool in the centre of the resort as well as our unique Polynesian inspired food and beverage offerings.” What was the most important thing to get right before you unveiled the new refurbishment? “It was key to ensure we had the service and overall ‘vibe’

set for our food and beverage outlets. Key elements of this were our new uniforms, sound systems, music and menus. The arrival experiences.” What has the reaction been from staff and guests to the refurbishment? “It is wonderful to see the reaction of both our return and new guests arrive in awe of the facilities. As soon as they step into the hotel, they

feel like they are on a holiday in a tropical destination. “Our staff are so proud of the product and are true ambassadors. We may have seen a few more staff rates in the arrivals now!” What went well with the refurbishment? “The planning that we put in place in readiness for refurbishment. This included

choosing the correct designer, stylist and creating a detailed story board. Another key element was to introduce a detailed staff training program to ensure we minimised the impact on guests and empower our team could assist with any concerns.” Novotel worked with Myriad Design Group, plus local Cairns builders including RC Harders and Jonelle Constructions, to bring the new look to life.

Image courtesy of Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

“Sleepmaker congratulates Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort on their refurbishment and is proud to have supplied the beds for their guestrooms. ” Sleepmaker is proud to be a preferred supplier of Bedding to Accor Hotels.

1800 425 903 | commercial@sleepmaker.com.au www.sleepmakercommercial.com.au www.accomnews.com.au

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Decoding the guestprint How to give guests what they want by knowing them well Your guests are unique. Their passions, journeys, and personality traits push them beyond easily defined demographics. In the age of “customer-first” and machine learning, guests expect hotels to service and communicate based on subtle nuances and details. Guest expect these messages in the channels they prefer and will ignore messages that don’t resonate or that appear irrelevant, tonedeaf, or untargeted. Each guest has a series of favourites, likes, dislikes, stay patterns, preferred hotels, and overall preferences that shape their experience. Similar to a fingerprint, each guest leaves behind a guestprint, a distinctive, one-of-a-kind mark that encapsulates all kinds of data. A guestprint correlates each guest with a corresponding profile.

Step 1: Define your personalisation tracks To define your personalisation tracks, you’ll need to determine six key characteristics. As an illustration, we've taken the example of Libby, who wants to book a girlfriend getaway to Austin for a holistic spa retreat and to see some live music. Here's how the six characteristics define Libby’s guestprint. Intent •

Intent is valuable because it highlights the guest’s frame of mind when searching for a hotel. The intent shapes how the guest wants to be treated, what information AccomNews - Summer 2020

Behavioural •

Casey Munck, Director of Marketing (Americas), Cendyn

they're looking for, and what the desired objective is. Customer status •

It's important to understand the guest's relationship with the hotel. Have they stayed here before? Are they affiliated with a loyalty program? Are they somehow familiar with a sister brand? This information helps ensure proper Personalisation throughout the guest journey.

Geographic •

Where the guest is located determines which type of offers may resonate the most. It also reveals critical insights around languages and cultural preferences.

Behavioural patterns, such as past stays and recent searches, reveal a lot about how, when, for what purpose, and where a guest prefers to travel -- and what they are considering in the future.

Step 2: Map the touch points along the guest journey Once you've defined your guestprints, the next step is to map guest touchpoints. Each interaction is an opportunity to further refine the guest profile. If you haven't already, plot each touch point in a linear graph so that you can have a full picture of where and how you communicate with guests. This becomes the baseline for evolving and improving those touchpoints with data derived from your guest prints. Let’s consider a quick example: the Miraval Hotel in Austin. The hotel has taken a methodical approach to building a guestprint mindset.

Before stay: Miraval maintains topof-mind presence with its ongoing search ads, as well as pre-arrival emails and texts. These messages provide not just confirmations but additional touchpoints to promote on-property amenities, such as classes and spa treatments. During stay: Personalised messages sent during the stay ensure that everything is going well -- and gives the guest an easy way to discover nearby things to do, as well as upsell opportunities to drive additional revenue with offers tailored to their preferences. After stay: A Personalised, loyalty-focused message offers a discount for a repeat stay, while targeted ads continue to keep the resort top-of-mind for that future repeat visit. The cycle must be continuous and relevant, as it’s what keeps the guestprint accurate, timely, and relevant.

Step 3: Choose the right technology Technology is an essential ally for decoding guestprints.

Demographics •

These quantifiable characteristics define the guest from categories like sex, age, family status, job and income, and are the most common ways to personalize.

Psychographics •

These are internal characteristics, such as personality, values, beliefs, interests, and attitudes that shape a guest’s worldview. MARKETING

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With the right tech, you’ll be able to more easily activate the various data points into a single profile that shows you all relevant details. CRM. Customer relationship management software, or CRM, is your central source of truth for guest profiles. This is where you track guest communications, preferences, and patterns. A capable CRM maintains your guestprints and enables you to effectively (and accurately) personalize across touchpoints. Digital marketing tools. If the CRM is the heart of your guestprint approach, your digital marketing tools are your arms and legs. These are the tools that you use to actively engage with guests across channels and touchpoints. To be most effective, hotels should use a blend of email marketing, display ads, and retargeting. Push notifications and text. As more consumers prefer text messages, a guestprint approach increasingly relies on push notifications (for those brands with an app) and text messages. These touchpoints facilitate greater Personalisation and provide the personal touch across the guest journey.

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Step 4: Use artificial intelligence to automate personalisation Of course, all of this is quite complicated. It also sounds like a lot of work, right? The reality is that manually entering these types of details is a tedious process, one that’s impossible to do consistently across systems and teams manually. Thankfully, automation can help reduce the burden on your staff and increase the overall accuracy of your guestprints. Lean on artificial intelligence to accomplish the following key Personalisation tasks: 1.

Personalise welcome emails. Personalising the welcome email is your chance to not just create an instant connection with guests, but also drive incremental revenue. For example, “Thanks for your reservation, John. We look forward to seeing you” magically becomes “Thanks for staying with us again, John. We reserved you a

room facing the pool. Click here if you’d like to book a discounted massage at the spa,” and contain images most relevant to the guest’s lifestyle. 2.

Mine data for targetable insights. The naked human eye can detect far less than an artificial intelligence engine that continuously scans for patterns. Let the system mine your data for essential insights that help you better serve the guest and offer more relevant offers.

Create dynamic segments. AI can segment guest profiles dynamically, using guest habits, interests, preferences, spending, and loyalty to evolve segments without human intervention. Intelligence algorithms fit the pieces of the puzzle together to calculate the best messages to guests.

Build adaptive upsells. Artificial intelligence can unlock revenue opportunities with past data and create feedback loops so those improvements always

MARKETING

enhance offers. Let your upsells adapt accordingly! 5.

Enhance guest profiles. Guestprints must go far beyond email, age, and address. Central data intelligence warehouses weave disparate databases from across your PMS, POS, CRS, and F&B to create a “Single Version of Truth,” which includes guest history, value, preferences, behavior, satisfaction, and intent.

Bring it all together A guestprint approach empowers your hotel to connect more authentically with your best guests, combining the art, science and passion of hospitality to learn guest preferences and distil recommendations based on a traveler’s unique profile. It's about personalizing across the entire experience, from pre-arrival to in-stay to post-stay. Each touch point becomes memorable, relevant, and authentic. When your hotel engages at a personal level, you build trust, boost loyalty, and drive results. That's the power of the guestprint!

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Communicate value and increase conversions Five copywriting tips The power of the written word has always interested me. The ability to capture, intrigue, evoke emotion and encourage action is a critical skill set, the power of which is still widely underestimated. Considering that a large percentage of purchase decisions are made today with no human interaction, the written word is an incredibly important element to a marketing strategy. “Every successful business person must be able to sell through the art of the written word” - Justin Ford Today's consumers are highly informed - capable of doing tremendous research; and their purchase decisions are guided by how well you can communicate value. So how do you create and communicate value to your customers via your offer? Your offer is not the product or the price, it is how you sell it, you create value or perceived value through language – this is known as your ‘copy’.

Melissa Kalan, Founding Director, ARMA (Australian Revenue Management Association)

material, video scripts, website text, emails (including the body and header), written sales letters, wedding and event kits and conference packages. You can have all the fancy images and technology in the world, but that is only part of the puzzle, they must be supported by a business that knows how to create an offer and encourage sales through written words. Before you start writing, it is important to have a very clear plan, know who your ideal customers or action-takers are and keep them at the forefront of your mind – you must know exactly what you are trying to achieve.

The ability to write words that sell is one of the most important skills in business. Now here’s the good news, you don’t need to be a natural copywriter.

Below are some important copywriting tips to consider;

The blank white screen and blinking cursor can be intimidating, however, there are some tried and tested structures of good copywriting – you just need to make them unique to your product.

You can’t just expect someone to read something – you must give them a reason – the “because”, a why they should stop and consider your offer – so the first line needs to resonate. People are busy, people are bombarded with messages.

Some examples of where these techniques can be applied include sales pages and descriptions of your products, marketing www.accomnews.com.au

1: Justify the Why at the start

Consider this analogy, you have been waiting in line to purchase a product and someone comes

up behind you and asks if they can go ahead of you. Your initial reaction may be simply to say “no”, however, if they rephrased this as “can I go ahead of you because I need to urgently collect my sick child from school”, consider how you may feel then. Your initial reaction changed, and you are more open to this intrusion when they justified the “why”. The same needs to be applied to an offer – give the reader a reason to keep reading from the very start.

2: Who are you talking to? For this tip you’ll need to get out of your own head and think about the problems, fears and pain points of your target audience. Who are you writing this for, if it is a particular market segment then detail specific aspects of your product relevant to them – their needs and wants.

3: Why should they care? People want to know what is in it for them. Why should someone choose to read your message over every other pressing task in their lives at that moment – think about that, it is a very humbling thought. They have jobs, families, hobbies, to-do lists, deadlines and responsibilities and you want them to put all that aside and read your copy… There must be something in it for them that helps them get away from all of these distractions, your offering must explain how it will help them?

4: What are the benefits to them for taking action? This is important – there is a

MARKETING

5 big difference between features and benefits and this can make or break the conversions you receive from your message. Features are the inclusions of the offer, the specifics around what they are getting… Benefits are focused on what those features will do for them, what will they experience?

5: Why you? You are not the only one promising the benefits of your offer to your market, you have competition which can be saturated in some markets. You can’t expect people to be loyal to you alone unless they have a reason to be. You can spruik about all the fancy awards you’ve won, but what is more subtle and powerful are testimonials, social proof and examples of how you have helped others. You can tell people your product is awesome until you are blue in the face, but it is far more humbling and powerful when other people say it’s great. These don’t sell the product, but they help justify a customer’s commitment. Once these questions have been answered, the blank page is no longer as intimidating and the creative juices can start to flow. And finally, to really craft those copywriting skills with ninja precision, it is important to try and include story-telling, urgency and scarcity, emotion, a call-to-action, major points of difference and ensure you speak to people using language that is easily absorbed – clear and concise beats fluffy and fancy. AccomNews - Summer 2020

Signs of progress:

Why digital leads the way By Kate Jackson, Editor

Never has the human race been so attuned to the moving image. Smartphones and tablets have changed the way we seek out information and digest it - and the way we expect it to be packaged. Screens are becoming a part of our ‘natural’ - even filling up the car involves digital screens in 2019. Providing dynamic movement through digital displays shows guests you understand their digital world and creates a sense of connection. They allow efficient and speedy communication with a clientele which appreciates not having to queue for the answers to mundane requests, but also help deliver marketing and informational campaigns to a targeted audience. They allow interaction between venue and guest and, with the addition of a sensor, can even gather audience analytics which track factors such as how many people viewed the screen, their age and their gender to allow content delivery based on demographics. A 2017 report by Digital Signage Today found some 60 percent of retailers surveyed listed ‘improved customer service’

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Providing dynamic movement through digital displays shows guests you understand their digital world and creates a sense of connection.

as a key benefit of digital signage, and almost half chose ‘branding’ as the top reason companies will invest in digital signage in the next two years. Which means digital signage may be useful for consumers, but it also improves accom’s ability to sell itself.

What works best and where? At the heart of many accommodation businesses is the lobby. It’s where guests become oriented and where they wander and linger, searching out food, friends, charging stations and a social space in which to work. It’s where they make up their mind about return visits - research showing guests form their impression of a hotel within the first ten minutes of being there. Yes, human interaction is important here, but providing readerboards, wayfinding

screens, video walls and virtual concierges in this space can be a valuable way to enhance the guest experience. While signs can be anything from small digital door mounts to large multi-screen displays, the most common found in accommodation are largescale wall-mounted screens used to attract and brand, and medium-sized standalone or wallmounted units which promote, navigate, educate and assist. Readerboards are used to convey information that people can easily consume on the go. In the lobby, they can present useful data like check-out times, weather and traffic news. They can also be used to direct guests to the various revenuegenerating areas around a property, including conference rooms. They allow the display of localised information like meeting times and company descriptions. And the screen

MARKETING

can be customised into multiple zones for different events or provision of additional content. Targeted messages can steer guests to specific activities and areas you want to promote - a happy hour food and drink offering at your poolside bar or an early morning yoga session, for example. In the event of an emergency, readerboards can provide upto-the-minute communication to minimise confusion. Video walls provide a real wow factor in open areas. Their large-scale size and placement is designed to capture guests’ attention. A video wall can be a unique piece of art that promotes the hotel brand, sets a tone for the space or displays revenuegenerating advertisements. Uniqueness is a key factor for many providers, and video walls provide ultimate flexibility through traditional, grid or mosaic-style displays. www.accomnews.com.au

Aside from check-ins, virtual concierge screens can provide interactive site maps and travel-related information with directions to locations in and around your accom, including an optional ‘push’ of directions to mobile devices. They can allow promotion, such as through QR codes, to unlock hotel packages and can advertise targeted specials, coupons and vouchers. External advertisers such as tour operators can also advertise through them, proving additional revenue for your business.

They also offer value as an educational space promoting events and attractions, welcoming conference guests, inviting social media interaction or displaying prices to upsell rooms. Wayfinding screens with navigation software can help guide guests through your accommodation. Hotel lobbies can be a confusing hive of activity; touch screens that direct people relieve pressure on front desk staff and can free them up to provide better customer service. In addition to the lobby, these can be placed around lifts, common areas and hallways and again can be used to guide guests to areas that increase revenue, such as spas and eateries. Virtual concierges are another form of interactive touchscreen which not only work as wayfinders but can allow guests to check in without ever approaching a front desk. They provide time-dependent and location-based personal welcome messages, visitor

Scalable and flexible

listings and room indications and can allow self-registration and mobile digital key management.

of paperwork, including information that has already been provided when booking.

The Ruby group was the first in Australia to introduce self-service check-in through Enzosystem kiosks in 2018, CEO David Brook saying: “Guests are no longer required to wait in line filling in mountains

“All information is entered into our check-in system at the time of booking, which means that guests check time is much faster, and they can start enjoying their holiday as quickly as possible.”

ci_workplace_mcsquared_hp.qxp 20/1/20 12:41 pm Page 1

Hotel Floor Mobile Coverage

BEFORE mc2

AFTER mc2

Digital signage can be customised for deployment across a wide range of settings and is almost infinitely scalable, from a single-unit display to hundreds and even thousands of displays operated through an integrated cloud-based or local management service. Quality manufacturers will design and deliver custom solutions and offer comprehensive content planning, design and management support services.

Are you ready for upcoming guest frustrations about their mobile phone reception? If it is not happening already, then it soon will be, especially in a high-rise building old or new. Guests don’t forgive or forget poor mobile coverage easily. Mobile connectivity is their personal link to loved ones and the world at large, so a bad experience will reduce the likelihood of their return. Such problems are soon expected to increase significantly. The good news is that you can do something about it straight away. 3G / 4G and LTE reception was already fighting an uphill battle, inhibited by lift wells, overcrowded office spaces, building materials, bad weather or simply line of sight. Soon it will face the added difficulty of end of life infrastructure that won’t be replaced due to 5G being all the rage. Further losses in signal reliability will result, especially in built up areas with high population density. So if your hotel is at risk you need to take action Fortunately, there is now an affordable answer to the problem specifically tailored for Australia and installed by engineering teams with the necessary expertise.

Called mcSquared, it is based on technology already proven to work successfully and reliably in Asia, Europe and North America and it improves mobile reception immediately throughout each floor on which it is installed. Meeting all Australian regulatory requirements and improving signal on any standard 3G / 4G / LTE (and soon 5G) mobile device including Apple iPhones, it will ensure both you and your guests always stay connected. To measure the current quality of your mobile coverage throughout each floor, site audits can be arranged and deducted from any subsequent mcSquared purchase. • Improves voice & data speeds • Multi carrier capable • Certified by over 200 mobile operators worldwide • Industry leading coverage (Up to 100dB gain) • Commercial scalability • Optus/Telstra/Vodaphone, Single or Multicarrier • Ethernet/RF compatible • Specialised antenna choices • Manageable Remotely • Built to harmlessly co-exist with 2.4 ghz and 5.0 ghz wireless signals

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MARKETING

AccomNews - Summer 2020

2020 Vision:

What the future holds for hospitality TVs As we race headlong into a new decade, the acceleration of technological change will see TVs develop to embrace a personalised viewing future. Over the last 20 years working in the hospitality technology space with focus on in-room technology and in-room entertainment, I have had the opportunity to see the technology develop from movie-tapes in the basement, to premium On-demand entertainment, to the guests embracing Bring-Your-Own-Device and Bring-Your-Own-Content. Up until now, the common structure of in-room technology has been the existence of an in-room technology vendor offering a solution that requires a head-end, be it a local server or a cloud-based solution. The service has developed over time to deliver an interactive portal that displays hotel compendiums, movies-on-demand, room-service menus, property facilities, etc. The common devices at the end is always the television set. The role of the television set has become less glamorous as it’s become more or less a glorified monitor, with TV tuner or network capable appliance for IPTV (internet protocol television). What if there was a smarter TV that offered more?

Extended lifetime is one of the key features that really futureproofs TVs.

Richie Cheng,

Hospitality Channel Manager, Westan Philips Professional Displays

the TV and casting, with built-in access to Google Play Store and Chromecast 4K as a world first. Providing hoteliers with the ability to create, manage and edit a customisable user interface (UI) means management can brand their interactive portal on the television screen, empowering the team to manage their own content. Extended lifetime is one of the key features that really futureproofs TVs. With the ability to upgrade the

Android platform, new technology applications and features are introduced without the need to upgrade the television sets. This gives the product a new look and feel with the latest applications all made available in the future.

One common question asked by hotel management regarding the role of traditional IPTV vendors and movies-on-demand vendors is: ‘Do we need these vendors or can we selfmanage them to save cost?’

The future of hospitality televisions needs to not only accommodate what the guests can experience easily at home, but also provide an easy-to-access method to experience entertainment.

Our latest TVs are not a new solution to simply replace these services. Products still rely on a managed network, a good IPTV or MATV (master antenna television) head-end. The objective is to empower businesses to have the ability to choose if they need managed services or can self-manage.

Latest models allow us not only to meet guest experience with Chromecast, Google Play Store and customisable UI, but offer them as a package with the investment into the television at no additional cost. The removal of operational expenditure is exactly how such TVs will add value to the hotel room and the investment.

How do you futureproof hospitality televisions?

Futureproofed TVs into the next decade

Offer a product that will allow ongoing upgrades that continue to introduce and accommodate new technology in the coming years, ensure operation cost for management are removed, and continue to support integrators with the ability to develop their applications via the development kit.

Our latest smart TVs are Googlecertified and Android-powered, offering three key messages for hotel owners when they evaluate what product to invest in for their hotel: enhanced guest experience, cost saving and greater value. They offer the ability to BYOC and BYOD in the form of launching apps from

AccomNews - Summer 2020

This is a new concept for a lot of hospitality businesses and it’s exciting to see that they have a choice. My personal belief is that there is still a role for the traditional vendors, but it requires them to re-invent themselves and add value with their service rather than simply expect to be included as part of in-room technology.

TECHNOLOGY

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Guest wifi summary:

The year it was 2019 has seen the goalposts move in regards to what guests are requiring when they travel for work and leisure. Guest wifi can be the showstopper to someone staying with you, or not. It is a utility and a must have. Data amounts that guests are going through have increased dramatically and speed and good signal strength are key requirements. People want to do what they do at home while they are on holidays or travelling for work. They want to watch their own subscriptions of Netflix, Stan, Kayo, Foxtel, etc or listen to their subscription music through Spotify. Guests want fast, free wifi with unlimited data with the ability to be able to cast and stream their own content, easily and everywhere. Statistica.com recently published figures regarding Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) in Australia. •

Number of Netflix subscriptions 2017 - 2.7 million

•

Number of Netflix subscriptions 2020 - 3.3 million

These figures are staggering. Statistica.com say: “Streaming www.accomnews.com.au

backbone to increase bandwidth as required? •

Does each unit have their own secure network within the unit to ensure secure casting?

Don’t spend money on systems that won’t give you this functionality. Judy Senn

Director, Time Out Internet

services of all types are becoming the most popular and influential platforms in the world. It almost seems like television shows and DVDs are becoming less important and are going to be replaced by video streaming services in the future. “Video streaming is a type of media streaming in which a selected video program is continuously delivered via the internet to a remote user. Thus, the video can be watched online without the need to be downloaded on a computer or any other device. Australia is ranked number six in terms of video streaming penetration rate after the United State, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland.” On demand services will increase and you need to ensure your guest wifi system is scalable to meet the guest demands. Some questions to ask your provider or to ensure when selecting a guest wifi provider are: •

Can you add additional NBN connections to your

This leads me to casting. Casting gives guests the ability to cast their own content from their own SVoD service and their own device (smartphone, tablet, etc) to your smart TV and stream. Or they can plug in their Google Chromecast, Apple TV or gaming device and stream it on the unit’s TV. Casting is one of the top three sought-after features a guest wants and is a core feature that must be included in your guest wifi system. Guests want to bring their own streaming subscriptions; they don’t want to have to enter their account details on your TV. Important: For guests to be able to cast, you must ensure that your guest wifi system can isolate the devices on the network to each specific unit so only guests in that unit can cast to that units TV. You do not want someone in another unit being able to cast unwanted/ undesirable shows onto a guest’s TV in a different unit! Earlier in 2019 I touched on 5G and what it would mean to wifi. Why do you still need to provide wifi to guests if this new super-fast technology will be

TECHNOLOGY

available to everyone? The key points to remember about 5G are that the signal range shortens from kilometres to hundreds of metres, requiring transmission towers to be closer together. The higher frequencies used in 5G applications have difficulty penetrating solid objects such as buildings, walls and windows. 5G signal is more easily blocked by obstacles. Without transmission towers close together the signal penetration into buildings will be poor, often requiring receivers on the outside of buildings cabled to access points inside the buildings and on every floor or every unit, particularly if your doors and walls are fire rated. 5G could be an NBN alternative but is unlikely to replace other broadband plans and options. It will offer faster speeds for mobile phones, tablets and other devices such as Internet of Things (IOT) devices. Although it may offer faster speeds than NBN, the coverage will be limited in comparison due to network infrastructure required and shorter signal range. You still need the wifi equipment inside the complex and a management system to offer secure, unlimited data with the best signal coverage and fastest speeds available to your guests. Happy guests are returning guests. Give them great wifi signal and fast internet and you will have very happy guests. Have a great summer holiday season. AccomNews - Summer 2020

Vending machines are not what they used to be…

By Kate Jackson, Editor

salads and milk. For operators who don’t have a restaurant, providing breakfast and other food options - including meat pies and pastries - could be a real draw for check ins.

There was a time when putting coins in a vending machine was exciting.

Now, vending machines are not only boringly reliable but generally come with touchscreen controls for easy interactions with users - many of whom use paywave to buy their wares. They may fail to deliver the same edgy anticipation, but they can dispense an almost infinite variety of products from cosmetics to clothes, phone accessories to pharmaceuticals, champagne to cigarettes, and lollies to lotto tickets. A machine in your lobby

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Whether it dispensed your chosen snack, something else, or nothing at all, depended on the whim of the curly tongs and the mood of the selection buttons.

or courtyard capable of stocking washing powder and toothbrushes, or sandwiches and juices, might just prove the difference in guests choosing to stay with you. Just as importantly, they can become revenue generators, allowing accom owners to cash in on providing a useful service while saving money

on staff meals and hours spent running a kiosk.

Fresh food vending Accom is seeing an explosion in the demand for wellness offerings and properties can tap into that trend by providing refrigerated food vending machines stocking fruit, sandwiches, wraps,

FOOD & BEVERAGE

And it allows access to real food at affordable prices at any time of the day or night.

Hot and cold While not quite Melbourne barista standard, today’s new machines can be configured to produce up to 32 different quality hot drink options, including roast and ground coffee, leaf tea, hot chocolate, soup and milo. Refrigerated vending machines have been around for decades, but the latest machines can stock a combination of chilled and ambient product so operators with limited space can offer chips and lollies on the upper shelves and cold drinks lower down. www.accomnews.com.au

Revenue drivers When travelling, it’s easy to forget the little things that can make a big difference. Vending machines can work as mini corner shops, dispensing everything from office supplies and personal hygiene products to mints, deodorants, umbrellas and medical items. They can also be tailored to your market, so if many of your visitors are drivers, for example,

a machine might be stocked with tools, car wash sponges, fragrance trees and tyre shine. One insider told AccomNews: “Property managers need to view vending as retailing; as a way of making money from maximising sales. “To do this, they need an optimum location in a high traffic location like the foyer, and good merchandising - the machine must look modern and clean, while products must stand out.”

Servicing staff Replacing staff canteens with vending machines that provide quality meals can save serious money. The machines can store fresh meals at around 3 degrees, to be available to staff 24/7, and can either contain a built-in microwave or the meal can be heated in microwaves elsewhere onsite. Meals can be fully subsidised or

Vending machines can work as mini corner shops, dispensing everything from office supplies and personal hygiene products to mints, deodorants, umbrellas and medical items.”

partly subsidised, and tokens or vouchers can be provided to staff to control usage.

Lease or buy Property managers can enter into an operating lease for five years and at the end of that time, update the machine for the newest model. Or they can buy the vending machine outright or enter into a finance lease to purchase it.

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AccomNews - Summer 2020

Preferred Supplier Programme

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assisting the industry For over twenty one years in australia the preferred supplier programme and directory has been an extremely valuable and eďŹ&#x20AC;ective tool for accommodation managers. It allows managers to access industry specialists who are committed to the highest levels of service and dedicated to the accommodation and hospitality industries. This is extremely helpful for all accommodation providers but especially new managers as it allows them to benefit from the positive experiences other managers have had with their suppliers.

Control your aircon Costs! then go on to the Preferred Supplier Database. Only Preferred Suppliers in this database have the opportunity to utilise the Preferred Supplier logo and make their contact details available to managers via the Preferred Supplier Directory, located in every issue of the A and online at accomnews.com.au.

Listed below are the stages of the process that ensure only the best industry suppliers can participate in the Preferred Supplier Programme: 1.

All nominations received are then qualified through a secondary questionnaire process to ensure nominated suppliers are able to provide the highest levels of service required and expected by managers. Suppliers that still qualify are then asked to commit to the required levels of service for the next 12 months guaranteeing their commitment to the industry. Subject to the satisfaction of these processes and commitments suppliers

AccomNews - Summer 2020

Preferred suppliers have their status reviewed every 12 months to ensure they still qualify and that their commitment to the industry is being met.

With these criteria in place it means that you as a manager have access to a complete range of specialist suppliers who are actively seeking to improve their services to the accommodation industry. For your own peace of mind when dealing with any supplier ask if they are a Preferred Supplier. This can be verified by viewing a Preferred Supplier logo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; made available for use in any of their stationery or marketing material or more simply by locating them in the Preferred Supplier Directory. So when looking for products or services give yourself the peace of mind that you are dealing with a recognised industry specialist and support these suppliers who are committed to servicing your needs.

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