AccomNews, Autumn 2021

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The essential industry guide

Issue 75 | Autumn 2021 | AUD $16.50 incl GST accomnews.com.au

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Inside our Autumn issue Front Desk__________________________________ Editor's Note: The only way forward is up for our sector........... 05

Industry____________________________________

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EDITOR

TAA Voice: A fair deal for hotels........................................................... 06 AHA Voice: Targeted temporary assistance urgently needed for sector.................................................................... 08 ATHOC Voice: Regional Australia wins with timeshare owners........................................................................... 08 ATEC Voice: ITO businesses need government help now......... 10

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Management_______________________________ Revenue Management: The next frontier for holiday park profitability.......................................................................... 12 Most sales prospecting is exercise in futility.................................. 14

Profiles_____________________________________ Eos by SkyCity: Shining light of ultimate luxury.............................16 Sequoia Lodge: Magical + unique.......................................................20 Little National, Sydney: Little bit of magic in national brand.........................................................................................22 Australia’s largest accommodation industry expo returns........28

Marketing__________________________________ Strength in brand numbers....................................................................34 Case Study: Quest Breakfast Creek....................................................37

Technology_________________________________

34

Compendiums made new in the digital age...................................38 Before signing a 10-15-year contract for technology – Ask these questions.............................................................................. 41

What’s Hot............................................. 42 Safety & Security____________________________ Hotels lock into smart technology......................................................44

Mandy Clarke, editor@accomnews.com.au STAFF WRITERS

Refurbishment______________________________

Grantlee Kieza and David Carroll

Transform your property: Luxury on a budget................................ 50

PRODUCTION

Hotels becoming works of art...............................................................54

Richard McGill, production@accomnews.com.au ADVERTISING Tim Svenson, t.svenson@accomnews.com.au Dee Dawson, d.dawson@accomnews.com.au SERVICE Gavin Bill, service@accomnews.com.au

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CONTRIBUTORS

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 - Autumn 2021

5 bed presentation design trends for your hotel...........................58 Nailing the ‘Luxe Factor’ with luxury bedding.................................62 Hospitality beds: Adjust your thinking!............................................ 64

Guest Facilities_____________________________

KEY Commercially funded supplier profile or supplier case study

Housekeeping______________________________

Theresa Angeles’s industry insights................................................... 68

Peter Shelley, Dean Long and Doug Kennedy

Supplier information or content

Bespoke biophilic feature walls............................................................57

Executive Housekeeper:

Michael Johnson, Stephen Ferguson, Laura Younger,

04

AA Voice: 2021 needs a clear roadmap.............................................. 10

50 FRONT DESK

Heat on swimming pool efficiency......................................................70 Electric vehicles on the charge............................................................73

Preferred Supplier Directory.................... 74 Front Cover: SureStay Hotel Sonora Texas USA NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Months have flown by since our Summer AccomNews issue and it has been a rollercoaster for the whole industry.

For many people, the open quarantine-free border is not just a chance to have their first overseas holiday in a year but a chance to catch up with much missed family and friends. With more than half-a-million New Zealanders living in Australia, it is no surprise that many flights for April are already fully booked. Whether this open bubble will translate into tourism dollars is anyone’s guess.

On the lows...

Just as things were returning to some form of normality, with state borders open and forward bookings looking healthy for many, the Easter period looked hopeful. Hopeful, that is, until COVID struck again, causing mass cancellations! On top of this, many regions experienced flooding, washing away what hope remained for many longsuffering local businesses. Then, after all this, JobKeeper ended.

Mandy Clarke, Editor editor@accomnews.com.au

On the highs...

praises and acknowledge their accomplishments. The occasion served as a reminder of just how far women in the hospitality sector have ascended, many earning spots in the highest levels of the sector and across all aspects of the accommodation business.

In March, we celebrated International Women’s Day and across all social media, attention focused on many incredibly accomplished women in our industry. It was a day to celebrate women, sing their

Another cause of celebration was the announcement of the opening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble. By the time you read this, flights between New Zealand and Australia will be criss-crossing the pond.

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Hope that New Zealand tourists will (in any way) make up for the absence of inbound international tourists is thin. Except for those parts of the South East Coast, where Kiwis love to holiday. I fear many of our cities and regions will not see any tangible recovery from Kiwi guests. Recovery still feels like a dream until inbound international tourists can safely return to our shores and vaccines are widely distributed.

Our industry experts, bodies, and association leaders all agree on one thing: we need our international tourists to return soon!

FRONT DESK

EDITOR’S NOTE

The only way forward is up for our sector

As for this edition of AccomNews, we showcase some remarkable accommodation, which has thrived in spite of the ups and downs of the last 12 months. We congratulate Jodi Brown and her team on the successful launch of Adelaide’s new hospitality experience Eos by SkyCity. Also in Adelaide, we profile the soon to open luxurious Sequoia Lodge, which has been applauded for beating the odds of bushfires and challenges of COVID. The Little National Sydney tells an equally inspiring story about how beautiful design and luxurious sleep experiences won their guests’ hearts and minds this year.

You will find this edition is filled with art, design, refurbishments, beds and furniture trends, as well as some informative systems on the latest PMS and door locking technology. Also flick through this issue to discover a feature on everything there is to know about joining a trusted brand.

Enjoy your Autumn AccomNews mag!

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

05

TAA VOICE

A fair deal for hotels A lot has been written about the Federal Government’s $1.2bn tourism and aviation package since it was announced.

Some was positive, a great deal was negative, and a lot of the talking heads we heard from in the days after failed to grasp the nuanced situation facing our struggling industry.

We were surprised by the lack of NSW destinations targeted and the fact Sydney was ignored despite the international borders staying shut

Michael Johnson CEO, Tourism Accommodation Australia

TAA welcomed some aspects of the targeted regional tourism plan - because any assistance to get struggling regional areas back on their feet is good.

However, we were surprised by the lack of NSW destinations targeted and the fact Sydney was ignored despite the international borders staying shut.

Running a hotel in the regions is tough in this country and you only have to look at the Mid-North Coast recently for an example.

While it was great to see recent government assistance for battling tourism areas like Far North Queensland and the entire aviation industry, we need to ensure all businesses still affected by the pandemic are looked after.

So, we were quick to push the Federal Government for a fairer deal for other regional areas and hard-hit capitals like Sydney and Melbourne – and will continue to do so.

Praise must go to the NSW state government for adding to its ‘Dine and Discover’ voucher program with a Sydney specific accommodation voucher scheme for hotels from June.

Places like Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Coffs Harbour were bursting at the seams one week and underwater the next.

Their brief period of prosperity was washed away with so many houses and businesses inundated in the one in a hundred-year floods.

As I write, Byron Bay is facing a COVID scare as Greater Brisbane is just out of lock down yet again.

This was something TAA NSW had been pushing for and I would like to thank NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres for his assistance with this $100 voucher scheme which will help bolster our hotels on weekdays.

It shows you how fluid the situation facing us is – it can change almost daily and will continue to do so at least until the vaccine is rolled out.

However, more help is needed.

Most of our businesses are still heavily impacted by a wide range of restrictions such as international border closures.

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

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With JobKeeper now wound up, we are very concerned at redundancies in businesses left out of this new plan.

The situation in the nation’s largest cities is as bad as it has been since this crisis began and our countries main international gateway city Sydney - has been largely ignored by the federal government.

This is despite the fact that, for example, January 2020 occupancy in Sydney hotels was at 79.8 percent and in 2021 was just above 30 percent.

Our gateway city has no international travellers, no weekday conferencing or events, and very few corporate travellers.

Not to mention the very real fear around interstate borders continuing to close when just one or two cases of COVID are discovered – as we have seen yet again with Queensland in late March.

Another problem complicating our recovery is the shortage of skilled workers across the country.

AHA CEO Stephen Ferguson and I recently appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Temporary Skilled Migration.

We warned the federal government the lack of international students, working holiday makers and skilled visa holders was at critical levels.

Many hotels in regional areas are crying out for chefs and cooks, while in capitals like Sydney some major hotels do not even have enough housekeeping staff to clean rooms daily if tourism suddenly increased.

INDUSTRY

While the first preference is always to hire Australian workers in hotels, it was proving impossible in many areas, particularly in regional Australia.

International border closures and the exodus of Working Holiday Makers (WHM) after the pandemic hit is having a huge impact on an accommodation workforce which was already struggling to fill positions.

Across NSW alone, TAA estimates a labour shortage in hotels of more than 3200 workers right now.

We need to find ways and means of getting international students and WHM back into Australia to fill positions which can’t be filled locally.

We need cooks and chefs to be added to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List and Hospitality (including accommodation) to be listed as a critical sector for the purposes of the subclass 408 Temporary Activity Visa.

We need international students working in hospitality to be permitted to work more than 40hrs per fortnight and WHM VISA holders working in tourism to be able to work for the same employer for more than six months in rural and remote areas of Australia.

We also need to enable pathways for permanency for temporary skilled workers currently in Australia.

Rest assured TAA is continuing to work with governments at both a State and Federal level to make sure our voice continues to be heard and our industry is not left behind.

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AHA VOICE

Targeted temporary assistance urgently needed for sector We all know the COVID pandemic is not over.

desperate for help until the vaccine rollout is complete. Hotels in the major CBDs of Sydney and Melbourne have occupancy rates below 35 percent and are really struggling to retain skilled staff.

We also know large segments of the hospitality, tourism, and accommodation sectors are facing increased pressures as border closures and lockdowns continue (at the time of writing, greater Brisbane is in lockdown and Easter travel plans are in chaos).

Adding to the distress suffered by hospitality businesses and their staff, is the fact JobKeeper has now ended and there has been no targeted support provided for a hospitality sector restricted

by Government health orders.

This is why the Australian Hotels Association and Tourism Accommodation Australia recently renewed calls to the Federal Government for targeted, temporary assistance for the hospitality, tourism and accommodation sectors post-JobKeeper.

The AHA has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlining the dire situation facing the sector and asked assistance be urgently considered by National Cabinet.

ATHOC VOICE

There’s no doubt the end of JobKeeper is causing unnecessary hardship for those businesses upon which governments have imposed temporary, targeted restrictions to limit the gathering and movement of people to help save Australian lives.

We understand the government restrictions are in place to keep Australians safe and we are proud of the role we have played.

But the fact remains that while keeping us all safe, these limitations come at tremendous cost to business owners and workers – the most recent Queensland lockdown and statewide restrictions just before Easter make that glaringly obvious.

Given the vaccine rollout is predicted to be completed in about six months, we are asking for targeted, temporary measures of support. It is vital in the intervening period that our businesses survive and are able to retain their skilled employees, so we are there on the other side of the pandemic. Now is not the time to pull the drawbridge up on those still on the road to recovery.

The government has closed our international borders and put in place a range of restrictions. With no international visitors, cruise business, conferences, or events for the foreseeable future these hotels need all the assistance they can get if they are going to be there when the pandemic ends.

What we are asking for is simple: •

Accommodation hotels in the major CBDs, in particular, are

Businesses whose activities are directly limited by public health orders, and whose gross revenue has been less than 70 percent over the last four consecutive quarters compared to the prior year, receive a cash boost payment equivalent to the PAYG tax withheld from wages for all employees. Or alternatively, receive $500 per (full time equivalent) employee per week.

For the Commonwealth to work with state and territory governments to individually consider further relief packages including tourism, hospitality, and accommodation vouchers, but also direct relief aimed at issues including land tax, payroll tax etc. Using NSW as an example, it doesn’t make sense a business which has 50 percent capacity due to a Government order still pays 100 percent land tax and council rates. In Victoria, businesses are still restricted to having no more than 75 percent of their employees back in the workplace.

The figures speak for themselves.

A recent ABS report, drawing on the Tax Office’s single-touch payroll system over the week to 27 February, showed there were still 110,000, or 12 percent, fewer pay-rolled employees in hotels, restaurants and cafes than before the pandemic hit early last year.

Only two-in-three hospitality jobs had been regained by the end of last month, the ABS reported.

These are people’s livelihoods being affected by government order and targeted, temporary relief should be provided by a government which has imposed restrictions on the few for the greater good.

Regional Australia wins with timeshare owners

By Laura Younger, General Manager, ATHOC

Timeshare owners own their time in their resort or club, so they make sure they use their holiday accommodation, and there is none better than along the great Australian road trip.

Most timeshare resorts are

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Stephen Ferguson CEO, Australian Hotels Association

Results of a recent survey of accommodation hotels in Sydney alone painted a bleak picture; a quarter of employees have been let go while another 15 percent are expected to be made redundant post-JobKeeper due to the ongoing low occupancy rates.

•

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

located in regional areas across Australia. With an average annual occupancy of over 87 percent, this is incredibly important for those towns that rely on tourism to survive as their economic contribution can be substantial, particularly given they have been starved of revenue following the various COVID-19 restrictions.

when lockdown restrictions were eased and continue to do so, with demand particularly high in those regional centres since.

Requests for bookings at timeshare properties spiked

Tourist visits outside of ski season have led to new

Places like Port Douglas and Mount Hotham rely on tourism for their very survival.

Dinner Plain at Mount Hotham has become a yearround destination since the introduction of timeshare.

INDUSTRY

businesses opening at Mount Hotham, and the local economy has grown as a result.

We have known for years that timeshare tourists spend more money when on holidays than traditional hotel guests.

Through the membership model, they have already paid for their accommodation well in advance leaving them with that extra spend at holiday time.

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ATEC VOICE

ITO businesses need government help now As we mark a year since COVID first closed our borders and the end of the JobKeeper support program, it's been a tough period for tourism businesses across the country both domestic and international, outbound and inbound.

Even with the rollout of our vaccine program the industry remains on tenterhooks as snap lockdowns see travel cancellations loom over travel plans across the country. If we’ve learned anything over the past 12 months, it’s how quickly things can change.

That change includes the sliding timeline for the resumption of international travel which we bravely anticipated would be back up and running by October 2020, then January 2021, then July and now we hope for some time during the last quarter of 2021, but many fear we may have to wait till early 2022 before we see a resumption of our key international markets.

AA VOICE

While some tourism supplier

ITO’s are the businesses which sell Australian tourism product across the world and while they are small in number, they deliver a huge amount of business across the country, especially to regional areas which have developed strong destination appeal for international visitors.

Peter Shelley Managing Director, Australian Tourism Export Council

businesses are desperately working to replace a percentage of their international market with domestic visitors, the story for Australian inbound tour operators (ITO) is much more stark.

With no inbound visitors, ITOs have had no income and have survived till now on a mix of their own capital, government grants and the JobKeeper subsidy.

Whilst the Federal Government has thrown the ITOs a lifeline in the form of the ‘travel agents grant’ in December and a second tranche about to be rolled out, this sector of our inbound industry remains highly exposed

We know that the Inbound Tour Operator cohort will play a vital role in the rebuilding of our international tourism success post COVID helping Australia get back to market and bringing our future visitors here. We know their value in the export tourism chain and the vast amount of business they facilitate, but we must support them until international travel is once again possible.

Pre-COVID, our inbound tourism sector was a thriving part of the economy generating $45bn in visitor spending and supporting thousands of jobs across the country. The industry had a huge future and we can’t afford to lose our

connection to this opportunity.

In a recent survey of ATEC’s ITO members, 73 percent of these businesses said they would be closed in nine months without the JobKeeper subsidy - probably right around the time our international visitors start to return. Clearly this holding out can't last forever, and without further government support they will be taking with them a good part of our future export tourism income.

So the next 6 months are critical - a small window of opportunity for the government to provide ongoing valuable support which will secure the future of these strategically important businesses to make it to the other side of the pandemic.

ATEC is calling on the government to provide clarity and certainty for Australian ITOs and to assure these businesses that they have a lifeline to help them retain valuable skilled staff while they have no revenue.

We know the future benefit these businesses will bring far outweighs the small government investment needed right now.

2021 needs a clear roadmap

By Dean Long, CEO, Accommodation Australia

Commonwealth Government to support our industry through 2021.

Our industry has shown enormous tenacity to regroup and reopen.

As we outlined at the end of last year, the Accommodation Association will be focussed on three themes: asset management and protection, developing a competitive workforce and driving demand growth.

Meanwhile, many of our political leaders continue with a sledgehammer approach to the opening and closing of our domestic borders, and therefore our industry. While there is an agreement between all levels of government on what a hotspot is and when borders are to be closed, states continue to ignore this.

With NSW the only state following national guidelines, it does emphasize the critical role of the

10

with no revenue, and requires additional government support in order to survive through to the reopening of the borders.

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

The Accommodation Association and all our partner Associations are focussed on advocating for the implementation of the national border framework and to continue a wage subsidy program for our sector.

While some regional areas are reporting record results,

many of our city hotels continue to shoulder the burden of border closures.

It was therefore disappointing when the Government's tourism support package in mid-March did not achieve the sector wide support the entire industry has been calling for and the lock down of Brisbane before Easter demonstrated it's short comings.

What is clear is that the Government has heard us loud and clear, the recent package is not sufficient and must be expanded.

In speaking with all major TV networks, print and radio stations and in-depth interviews on Sky News and The Project, I directly

INDUSTRY

addressed the need to expand the package to ensure our highly skilled workers were treated the same as aviation employees.

Finally, on a positive note, in February and March we kicked off our in-person event series with over 600 industry leaders attending member meetings with the NSW Tourism Minister, NSW Market Update at the Intercontinental in Sydney, Networking drinks on the Gold Coast, Victorian Market Update at Sofitel on Collins and the Destination NSW briefing. We have many more planned throughout the year. You can view our forward event calendar on our website.

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

11

Revenue Management: The next frontier

for holiday park profitability

By Joyce de Kruif, Principal Industry Consultant, Advisory Services, APAC

guest experience. With their wide range of accommodation types, mix of long- and shortstay business, membership plans, per-person pricing and unique ownership structures, the outdoor hospitality segment needs a solution with sophisticated and flexible pricing methodologies that meet its unique requirements.

There’s a new generation of traveller roaming the world today, many of whom don’t simply desire a basic bed, shower, and TV — they want authenticity and memorable experiences.

And what’s more down to earth than sleeping on the ground?

The trend of consumers seeking outdoor accommodations versus staying at traditional hotels had seen an increase in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in the wake of this global crisis, the holiday park industry has seen a significant spike in demand, due in part to its offering of sociallydistanced accommodations.

To capitalise on this rising trend and prepare their businesses for scalable growth in a fastchanging industry, holiday parks have made strategic investments in back-ofhouse business optimisation tools. To ensure continued profitability and efficiency, many have found a sustainable solution in automated revenue management technology.

Revenue Management – The Basics Revenue management has been widely used with demonstratable success in the airline and hotel sectors for decades. It focuses on selling the right product, at the right price, through the right sales channel, to the right customer, at the right time.

Business and property owners can leverage the advanced data and analytical tools associated with revenue management to predict demand and make accurate pricing decisions, that ultimately help maximise revenue and profit.

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Holiday parks in Australia have complex operational models, often with key differences to traditional hotels. While holiday parks are accommodation providers, they typically lease open sites or campgrounds where holiday makers can pitch a tent, park a recreational vehicle (or caravan) or rent lodging, which provide a range of unique inventory types needing to be priced strategically for customers.

The parks also usually have varied amenities and activities like recreational facilities (video games, fishing, etc.) laundromats and food & beverage outlets.

Importantly, the profit margins in holiday parks can far exceed that of hotels (in some cases by 50 to 80 percent) due to lower labour costs, meaning there is an extremely compelling case for revenue optimisation in this market.

Trailblazing campgrounds, holiday and caravan parks and more across the country have integrated demand-based, dynamic-pricing and inventorymanagement technology with significant, year-over-year revenue growth. After all: •

A campsite or cabin, like a hotel room or airplane seat, is a perishable asset

•

If the price is too high, the site isn’t filled, and it doesn’t

generate any revenue •

If it’s filled at a discounted rate when the consumer is willing to pay more, the business misses out on additional revenue

•

If the campsite or cabin isn’t sold that day, it cannot be sold again…

Advanced revenue management solutions feature automated, machine-learning functionality, empowering users to ditch errorprone, time-consuming practices.

Spreadsheets and human brainpower just don’t cut it when it comes to the vast amount of data generated and decisions needed daily to maintain optimal revenue performance.

By doing certain parts of the job better than a revenue manager can alone, a revenue management system enables its human counterpart to spend more time thinking strategically and finding creative solutions to problems.

Revenue Management – The Tools The hospitality and travel landscape will never be the same, and the competitive outdoor accommodation business of tomorrow will require revenue technology that fully understands their operations to optimise revenue performance and help facilitate a seamless

MANAGEMENT

An advanced revenue management system (RMS) utilises world-class analytics to automatically price and optimise all inventory types, minimising the need for manual, time-consuming estimations and maximising overall revenue performance. Using, superior, cloud-based technology, IDeaS G3 RMS is constantly updating as booking conditions change.

The system analyses park and market data to automatically optimise pricing, inventory, and occupancy rates. The optimised decisions are automatically updated to selling systems (property management system, channel manager, OTA, website, etc.) — no more manual updates required.

Whether used for a single holiday park or cluster of sites, revenue management software users can instantly access up-to-date performance data anytime, anywhere.

Visually compelling reports and dashboards highlight lowdemand periods so marketing teams can stay informed and be engaged to drive business in advance. And during busy and shoulder seasons, automated pricing and inventory controls select the ideal price so businesses can achieve the optimal combination of rate and occupancy.

For more information on how your outdoor accommodation business can benefit from a revenue management system, please visit: https://ideas.com/ solutions/revenue-management/

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

13

Most sales prospecting is exercise in futility With hotels desperate for revenues, attentions have turned toward prospecting for new business.

The challenge is that too few people working in hotel sales today have the necessary skills to prospect even under normal conditions. With the industry having experienced explosive growth in demand since 2010, a sales manager with as much as 10 years of experience in March 2020 had never experienced a recessionary market. Those who worked in sales during the Great Recession were badly out of practice.

Surely, there is no shortage of effort right now. The salespeople I speak with are making their best efforts, and it is not their

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Here are some sales training tips to help point your hungry, hardworking, well-intentioned salespeople in the right direction.

Effective hotel sales prospecting is not:

Doug Kennedy President, Kennedy Training Network

fault that they lack personal experience and proper direction from their leaders.

That being said, when I speak with real-world meeting planners and intermediaries, the consensus is that the vast majority of current hotel sales prospecting efforts are an exercise in futility.

Sending a generic email to a list of prospects who are copied on a message. Deanne Vigil, regional vice president for HelmsBriscoe, said, “I get at least 10 to 20 of these a day. If the message is generic, I generally delete it without even opening it.” But if a message appears to be at all personalised, she will read and always responds as a courtesy.

Messaging your LinkedIn contacts with generic posts, which may be a major turnoff.

Worse yet, if you pay for a Premium subscription to LinkedIn and can then send

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InMail to anyone on the platform, sending only generic messages will not only annoy subscribers, but you will quickly waste your five monthly credits.

Placing a number of random phone calls a day, week, or month because your general manager or director of sales said to. For one, few people these days will pick up an unknown call on a mobile phone.

Although they may listen to a voicemail, if the first 10 seconds sound generic, they are probably going to delete it.

Random drive-by visits to drop off goodies and logo-branded items. The odds are the doors to offices are locked these days, and even before the pandemic, the chances are slim of there being an administrative assistant at the front desk.

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Being polite. Always start emails, messages and voicemails by introducing yourself, your hotel, and by asking for “assistance in reaching the best person to be in touch with.” Generally, we human beings want to help others who politely and kindly ask for help.

© Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Varying from email to LinkedIn to calls and voicemails, and best of all personalised video email messages.

Reaching out with only a onetime prospecting message and expecting to get business, or even reaching out three times but by using the same medium and message, such as resending virtually the same prospecting email three weeks in a row.

Effective sales prospecting is: Doing more and better research to truly identify prospects. By doing thorough research, you will also be able to personalise all sales messaging.

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Start emails, calls, and messages by saying something specific about what you have learned about their company or organisation. Contextualising the sales messaging for their needs, which you can of course do much better after researching.

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In summary, rather than focusing only on the quantity of prospecting “reach outs” each day, week, or month, spend more time maximising the opportunity for each.

Most importantly, once you master these “sales hunting” habits, keep them up when demand rebounds later this year and refuse to return to the previous sales habits of “sales fishing.”

Doug Kennedy is president of the Kennedy Training Network. Doug's articles are originally published on www.hotelnewsnow.com and AccomNews shares them with permission.

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

15

Eos by SkyCity

of ultimate luxury Images supplied by Eos by SkyCity. Photos: Russell Millard

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

Eos is the goddess of the dawn, who rose each morning to bring light to the world.

In Adelaide, Eos is a shimmering jewel in the Australian hotel landscape, 12 storeys of absolute luxury, gleaming like highly polished gold on Festival Drive beside the River Torrens.

The $330 million expansion of Sky City Adelaide saw the

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

opening of the new luxury hotel brand “Eos by SkyCity”, on December 4, with 120 rooms and suites, among the most luxurious in Australia.

“It's a stunning and absolutely beautiful hotel,” Ms Brown told AccomNews.

Jodi Brown, the hotel’s vivacious general manager, praised architects Buchan for their stunning vision, and designers Walter Brooke, who in collaboration with Hecker Guthrie, sought to complement the iconic curved glass facade in the building’s interior with grey marble and brushed gold throughout the hotel.

“Eos was planned with elegance in mind and the architects and designers did such a fantastic job in creating the connection between the existing heritage building and the new building.”

“There are also 24 corner suites with beautiful original artwork and magnificent views, some over the River Torrens or Adelaide Oval or over the hills or the city.

Rooms range in size from 45 square metres up to the 305-square metre Grace Villa.

They range from 90 square metres to 210, and they are absolutely gorgeous with a separate living room, walkin wardrobes, ensuites with bathtubs, complimentary minibars and in-room tablets.”

“Everybody I show the Grace Villa to says it’s bigger than their home,” Ms Brown said.

Eos offers complimentary wifi throughout and is just about to launch keyless entry.

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Images supplied by Eos Sky City. Photos: Russell Millard

In addition to the 120 guest rooms in Eos, the Sky City expansion features two signature restaurants - one on the rooftop - a spa and wellness centre, heated swimming pool, fitness centre, and conference and event spaces for up to 650.

As a point of difference to other luxury hotels, Eos offers four signature experiences including a personal mixologist who comes to a guest’s room to create unique cocktails.

Brown said, “and we are offering their services to guests in their rooms before going out.

“We have partnerships with personal trainers, who meet guests at the hotel gym or go for a run around the River Torrens with them.

“There’s also the opportunity to do yoga on the leisure deck and we've had some fabulous feedback.”

Ms Brown said the hotel had experienced a “big demand” for guests taking up spa and wellness holidays.

“We also have relationships with Adelaide’s pre-eminent hair and makeup artists,” Ms

“We are taking bookings for a large volume of staycations and spa and wellness getaways,” she said.

“We have Eos Spa and Wellness on level three of our building that includes the gymnasium, swimming pool, sauna and spa.

In Eos Spa and Wellness, we have three treatment rooms and one couple's room, and a gorgeous lounge to just relax, drink some hot tea and eat healthy treats before and after your spa treatment.”

Ms Brown said she was “really impressed” by the number of

bookings during the pandemic.

“When we opened in December, we weren't really sure what to expect because in South Australia we had just come out of a lockdown, but honestly we were so busy it was incredible.

“People wanted a taste of luxury during the festive season and that rolled into January because everyone was still on holidays. Border closures meant they could not leave South Australia, so they thought ‘why not come and experience a new luxury hotel?’

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

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When we opened in December, we weren't really sure what to expect because in South Australia we had just come out of a lockdown, but honestly we were so busy it was incredible.

“We did have some cancellations in February because of the uncertainty over borders but March is holding up really well and we're looking ahead quite positively.”

Ms Brown started in the hotel industry 13 years ago, initially working for Event Hospitality, which includes the Rydges and QT brands.

Switching to Accor Hotels, Ms Brown then worked for the Quay West and Novotel before

returning to Events, taking the reins at QT in Sydney. Ms Brown moved to Adelaide at the end of 2019 for the role of General Manager of Eos Sky City.

“Eos is the embodiment of hope and optimism and we strongly believe that we have tied in the grace of the building with the name of the hotel.

“In everything we do we invite guests to live extraordinarily. Eos is absolute luxury at its finest.’’

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

19

Sequoia Lodge

Photo: Aaron Citti

By David Carroll, Industry Reporter

It is yet to be formally opened but Sequoia Lodge, nestled in South Australia’s spectacular Adelaide Hills, is already earning accolades from those fortunate to have enjoyed its luxurious surrounds.

Sequoia Lodge, part of the award-winning Mount Lofty Estate which also incorporates Mount Lofty House boutique hotel, was originally slated to open in November 2020 but the completion date has been pushed back, due in large part to the tumult sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“2020 certainly had an impact,” Mount Lofty House general

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

manager Jesse Kornoff said.

“Starting with the bushfires … then all the challenges surrounding Covid. This resulted in the construction being delayed.”

Kornoff said the new “formal” launch is scheduled for July 2 but some lucky guests have already enjoyed Sequoia’s unique attractions.

“While we haven’t finished completion of the artesian hot pools just yet, we have been operating the property in a soft opening, developing and adding to our onsite and offsite experiences and our guests have been absolutely blown away by the product, our team’s service and the experiences on offer,” he said.

Sequoia, named in honour of the massive 150-year-old tree at the heart of the lodge, has been developed to complement the

iconic Mount Lofty House, a 170-year-old manor nestled in the famous Adelaide Hills wine region and overlooking the stunning Piccadilly Valley just 15 minutes’ drive from Adelaide’s CBD.

addition in 2015 of the Stables Day Spa while the award-winning Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant was opened in 2017. A total renovation of all guest rooms, public areas, and event spaces followed in 2019.

Mount Lofty House has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s finest designer hotels, famous for delivering luxury escapes, fine dining, and decadent day spa experiences – think “Great Gatsby comes to the Adelaide Hills” reads the company’s website.

The owner’s vision also included the addition of another luxury accommodation offering.

“If you were to want to stay in the best boutique hotel in the state or arguably the country you would stay here,” Kornoff said.

Adelaide-based hotel investor David Horbeldt purchased Mount Lofty House in 2009. Since then, the estate has benefited from a significant redevelopment and repositioning, including the

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“The estate was purchased 10 years ago by the current owners who fell in love with the estate and always planned to build luxury accommodation on the valley rim,” Kornoff said. “This vision evolved during the planning phases, and after extensive consultation with Luxury Lodge Operators, Luxury Lodges of Australia, Luxury agents, and both SATC and Tourism Australia.

“The demand for true luxury products has never been higher, and the incredible offering here

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

in the Adelaide Hills refined the original plan into Sequoia Lodge.”

response to Sequoia Lodge has been overwhelmingly positive.

Sequoia provides guests with a private sanctuary and access to exclusive amenities and bespoke onsite and personalised offsite activities. Guests can relax in the privacy of the lodge itself or explore the surrounding region by foot, car, or helicopter. It also has access to the 30-acre Mount Lofty House Estate which is home to Hardy's Verandah Restaurant, the recently opened Arthur Waterhouse Cocktail Lounge and Champagne Bar and the Gatekeeper's Spa.

“I see a growing desire for luxury products and connection to stories, place and people,” he said.

“At Sequoia Lodge we provide a unique experience which very simply isn’t available anywhere else in the world,” Kornoff said.

“Sequoia is all about connection: to our people; the stories and characters behind our iconic experiences and brands; to our history; and the abundant nature we are surrounded with.”

Kornoff, who has been general manager at the Mount Lofty House for five years after making the move from Peppers Manor House in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, said the

“Unfortunately, I have seen many operators abandon their commitment to service and product quality, cutting costs and putting obstacles to connecting with guests.

“We decided to take the opposite approach over COVID, doubling down on our service and increasing our teams to continue to deliver magical experiences to every guest.

“This approach has certainly paid off with the hotel recording record revenues for five of the last six months.”

Kornoff said business revenues have tripled in the past five years and Mount Lofty Lodge has “been the most awarded hotel in the country the past two years running.”

“And the team we have built here is second to none and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved together,” he said.

Photo: Aaron Citti

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21

Little National, Sydney

Little bit of magic in national brand

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

A little goes along way especially at one of Sydney’s smartest new hotels, The Little National, Sydney above Wynyard Station.

Little in name, but big on reputation, technology and comfort, the hotel is even selling its own beds, letting guests take their luxury hotel experience home with them.

Sydney’s Little National is the

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

latest offering from Doma, a Canberra-based group that began in 1974 in the residential sector, and which now has eight hotels operating or in the works, with more planned around Australia.

of selling a good night’s sleep” and that it has “put a lot of time, effort and money into providing good mattresses”.

The guests love them, he said, and now many of them are buying them to take home.

leisure guest who demanded smart luxury and the best amenities in a prime location but at a rate that allowed for greater enjoyment of the other attractions offered by the thriving heart of Sydney’s CBD.

The Little National Sydney which opened in November, has 230 guest rooms that are compact yet use efficient spatial planning and generously proportioned sleeping spaces to ensure each guest is wrapped in comfort.

“We sell about six mattress a week,’’ Mr Lonergan said.

“We are very excited by this hotel,’’ Mr Lonergan said. “It was a long time in the making and is our first large hotel development outside of Canberra.

The director of Doma Hotels, Patrick Lonergan, says his company is “in the business

Mr Lonergan said Sydney’s Little National was designed for the business, conference and

“We started by taking email requests from happy guests and now we've set up a shop on our website.”

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“We started our Little National brand in Canberra as a smallerroom concept which really resonated with the market.

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23

the room size of many other hotels and ‘national’ because we started in Canberra and we have that aspiration to take the hotel brand nationally which we are now doing.”

Doma has five hotels in Canberra – The Little National, Hotel Realm, the Burbury Hotel, the Brassey Hotel and the Pinnacle Apartments, as well as Little Nationals in Sydney and Newcastle. They are planning an eighth hotel in Huskisson, on Jervis Bay. Mr Lonergan said Sydney’s Little National had weathered tough times, opening during a global pandemic.

“It's obviously not been the start that we predicted when we decided to build a Sydney hotel two years ago because no one saw COVID coming,’’ he said.

“We wanted hotels that would provide a great bed, great technology, and great shower – just the things that we needed – without the additional things that you normally do not touch in a hotel room, like a day bed or like extra chairs

“We felt that a lot of the extras in hotel rooms was unnecessary.

of design and amenities, and then on weekends we cater to couples wanting a base in the city.

“The Little National appeals to corporate travellers who appreciate the high level

“The name Little National comes from the fact the rooms are ‘little’ compared to

that are usually only used for throwing a shirt or bag over.

“Trade was tight like it was for everyone in the business, but we also opened with a lot of enthusiasm and energy and given that the market wasn't running so hot, it allowed us to have a louder voice and take a share of the market when other hotels were battered a bit.

Partnering for the future LUXXE Outsourced Hotel Services was delighted to continue its partnership with Doma Hotels with the provision of outsourced hotel services at the new Little National Hotel Sydney.

LUXXE provided management and frontline team members prior to opening to assist with precleaning so that the hotel would be shiny and sparkling in preparation for the first guests to arrive.

Now that the hotel is operational, our team maintain the public areas, including the amazing rooftop bar/ lounge/study, check and replenish minibars, service and

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

provide quality inspections in all guest rooms using handheld devices with the technology platform, Optii.

Little National Hotel Sydney is the fifth property of Doma Hotels to partner with LUXXE and we are looking forward to what the future holds as we continue to deliver high standards of cleanliness and service delivery across all Doma Hotels amazing properties.

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“We've been trading up steadily.

Our reputation and our brand are going really well. We started at No. 204 out of 204 hotels in Sydney on Tripadvisor and now we are No. 1, so that is fantastic.

“We’re now seeing corporates back in the offices surrounding us and we have high enquiry levels. The weekend bookings are doing pretty well, and midweeks are starting to catch up, so I think this is where we'll really start to hit our straps and have a lot more people through the doors in the coming weeks and months.”

Mr Lonergan, who grew up in Canberra, has spent more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, working in Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Far North Queensland and London.

“I love the industry and feel very passionate about it,’’ he said, “and we look forward to expanding our Little National brand. We are the biggest independent hotel operator in Canberra with five hotels, and we are now in Sydney, Newcastle and Huskisson, with more on the way.

26

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

York Lane. It's a nice outlook for our guests on that side and for the people in the office buildings because it's brought a lot of greenery to an area that was pretty grey and stark.”

On the hotel’s popular beds, Mr Lonergan said: “The custommade mattresses called “Arms of Morpheus” after the Greek God of Sleep – are available from $2100. They are exclusively produced by A.H Beard for Little National Hotels and the hotel’s advertising campaign says they feature a single-sided pillow top construction, premium gel infused and memory foams, premium support and unmatched comfort. The mattresses come with a 10-year warranty.”

on top. It was either going to be an office building or hotel and we purchased the air rights from Transport NSW.

“There has been good interest from outside investors who want to work with us not just in Australia but overseas, so hopefully we've got plenty to do over the coming decade.

Mr Lonergan said The Little National concept worked well in Canberra and his company started looking around Australia for where they wanted to be next.

“We were working on opportunities in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and we found a site that we thought was a prime location for us over Wynyard Station,” he said.

“Wynyard has several entrances spread across a number of city blocks and they built a new entrance with a podium

“We now have 230 rooms in Sydney spread across 11 floors with a large rooftop bar and lounge. It is the sort of hotel that when you come back from your meetings you can sit down and work in your room or we have a beautiful area which is an oasis in the city up on the 11th floor, where there are desk areas, a bar, library and a fireplace.’’

Mr Lonergan said the hotel’s “brilliant location” allowed guests easy access to the worldclass dining and attractions of Barangaroo and Martin Place, and even the option to travel to Sydney Airport by train.

“We are the owner operator of these hotels so it's a longterm commitment to the hotel and to the real estate investment behind it,” he said.

Little National Sydney also offers a guest gym.

“We always want to be in a great location. When you stay at a Little National hotel you have got great amenities right on your doorstep. We have food available and a beautiful bar in our Sydney hotel, but we always see the hotel as a base for exploring the delights of the city.

“There is also a vertical garden,’’ Mr Lonergan said, “ten storeys of bamboo which softens up

“It’s a place where you can stay as you set about enjoy the very best of the attractions all around.”

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1-2 JUNE 2021, ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre

Australia’s largest accommodation industry expo returns After a hiatus in 2020, NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo is set to make a triumphant return on the 1-2 of June at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre.

Boasting the coveted title of Australia’s largest exhibition and learning event in the hotel and accommodation industry, the free-to-attend event is open for visitor registrations and aims to reunite the industry to leverage opportunities for growth and improvement along the road to recovery.

NoVacancy has more than 200 confirmed exhibiting companies anxiously awaiting the opportunity to showcase their latest innovations and solutions to attendees at the event in June. Confirmed companies will showcase an extensive range of solutions for all departments of accommodation operations including amenities, guest experience, technology & software, housekeeping, energy efficiency, sustainability and more, all aimed at optimising operations and maximising profitability.

Additionally, NoVacancy will be co-located with Hospitality Design Fair. With an additional 100+ exhibitors, it’s the only event in Australia focused exclusively on interior design and furniture for hotels, bars, restaurants and clubs. Attendees who register to attend NoVacancy will have full access to Hospitality Design

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Fair to connect and collaborate with design professionals and to discover, experience and source the best and latest design elements for their properties.

NoVacancy will host 7 functionspecific summits whose educational content correlate directly to vital departments within the industry. New in 2021, the Hotel Technology Summit will share insights on the latest technologies and the opportunities they present including AI, VR, robots, 5G and more, while the Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit will highlight how to implement sustainable initiatives that reduce costs, improve operating efficiency and deliver better corporate social responsibility for properties.

Thanks to overwhelming demand, the Hotel Leaders’ Summit, Small Hoteliers’ Summit, Hotel Marketing Summit, and Revenue & Distribution Summit will continue to provide valuable insights for their audiences. DesignTalks

will also return, again delving into hotel and hospitality design trends and best practice, as part of Hospitality Design Fair.

and Wellness Solutions will help attendees relax, recharge and recover at the Wellness Hub near the Central Lounge.

With a reputation for the hottest networking on the industry’s calendar, the organiser has further invested in a ‘matchmaking’ technology platform that allows the attendees and exhibitors to plan ahead and connect with each other, schedule demonstrations and organise catch-ups with current suppliers. After more than a year of disruption to the industry, it’s seen as an important opportunity to facilitate connections that will help properties to recover.

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo takes place at the International Convention Centre Sydney, Darling Harbour on Tuesday, 1 and Wednesday, 2 of June from 10am to 5pm daily. Complimentary tickets are available to industry professionals who pre-register online at novacancy.com.au.

A $50 entry fee will apply for registrations on event days.

New this year, the show floor will feature a number of exciting activations the Gin Lounge curated by Australian design favourite CHADA featuring samples from Earp Distilling Co, a live art installation by Book An Artist with a masterpiece coming to life during the show,

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Additionally, NoVacancy and Hospitality Design Fair have both been approved for the Austrade Business Events Grant Program meaning exhibitors and sponsors can apply for a grant, covering up to 50% of your event-related expenses. Visit novacancy.com.au/ exhibit for more information.

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

1-2 JUNE 2021, ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre

The power of chocolate The turn down gift is a nice gesture, that helps you shine, engages with your guests, enhances your brand, and helps you spring to mind next time your guests are booking, and it did not start that long ago.

As the story goes, sometime in the early 1950s, actor Cary Grant was staying at the luxurious Mayfair Hotel in downtown St. Louis. He was a frequent guest and booked the penthouse suite, and had a woman meeting him there. The woman arrived at the suite before Grant did and found that he had laid a trail of chocolates starting in the sitting room, into the bedroom, across the bed, and onto the pillow.

The Mayfair’s manager heard about the chocolate gambit and liked the idea so much that he

creating bespoke chocolates for over 21 years and is the premium supplier of customised chocolates in Australia.

Your chocolates, your way.

Imagine providing a turn down gift that is not just a delicious chocolate but is branded with your company identity.

made a chocolate on the pillow upon arrival one of the hotel’s many standard amenities.

Anyone can do a mint.

The turn down gift has come a long way since then. Whilst a generic chocolate mint became the mainstay, now you can take your guests experience to a whole new level.

Chocolate Works has been

Crafted with the finest Australian made coverture chocolate, embossed with your logo or other design, and packaged in bespoke branded packaging.

More than just turndowns.

Extend your branded chocolate offering by providing custom branded chocolates as a check in sweetener, in-room amenities, gift shop goods, the perfect coffee condiment, conference

handouts, and special event chocolates. The uses for bespoke chocolates are as unlimited as the creativity that goes into designing and creating them.

Brand recognition at its tastiest.

Whatever purpose you put your bespoke chocolates to, every time a guest enjoys one, your brand recognition is enhanced, whether you are a local bed and breakfast or a global hotel group.

Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Whilst some turn-down or inroom amenities come and go as trends change, chocolate is always popular and welcomed by guests world-wide. As the old saying goes, 9 out of 10 people say they love chocolate, the other one lied.

Fully bespoke chocolate and packaging Quality Australian made coverture chocolate Turn downs, in room amenities, coffee condiments Australian company established in 1999 Premier supplier of customised chocolates Enhance your guest offering and brand recognition

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

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1-2 JUNE 2021, ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre

Excite your guests with delicious pure chocolate 17 Rocks makes pure chocolate from scratch with delicious wholefood flavours.

We start with cacao beans sourced from the rich volcanic soils of Papua New Guinea.

We gently roast our beans to retain the cacao’s natural nutritional benefits.

We stone-grind our beans with wholefood flavours to make our award-winning, naturally-pure chocolate.

But that’s not all…

• We create exciting custom chocolate designs that promote your brand • Our chocolates contain zero artificial (colouring, flavouring, emulsifiers)

as zero-waste manufacturing and bio-degradable packaging Our added-value range includes: • • • • •

“Surprise & delight” baskets “Welcome” chocolate cards In-room chocolates Marketplace display stands Custom manufacturing of white label products

Award winning chocolate makers For more information visit www.17rocks.com.au or email hello@17rocks.com

• We are driven by ethical & sustainable practices such

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

PROFILES

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

1-2 JUNE 2021, ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre

Simply the right tonic Tea Tonic was founded in 1998 by Lisa Hilbert, Herbalist & Naturopath using Australian Certified Organic products where possible, producing and manufacturing all hand blended teas in our tea factory in Melbourne.

With a tea bag making machine on site we are able to offer the freshest handmade & most comprehensive range.

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Shade & shelter for outdoor hospitality The hospitality industry was turned on its head in 2020 and it brought about many changes to the way patrons can dine.

One example is the introduction of purpose built ‘parklets’ creating temporary outdoor dining spaces – but how do you ensure that customers are shaded and sheltered in these areas? One solution is giant commercial umbrellas.

The Nova HD umbrella from Instant Shade is water repellent, UV resistant to SPF 50+ and has

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a rust free anodized aluminium frame. It is normally permanently installed, but it can also be used on heavy weighted bases in temporary dining spaces. The super strong aluminium ribs can potentially support blinds and heaters, perfect for creating an outdoor room to protect customers from the elements.

The integrated LED light kit provides ambience and a stylish lighting solution for patrons dining under the umbrella. You can be assured that a well lit, sheltered outdoor dining space is going to be a big draw card for your hospitality venue.

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SureStay: the fastest growing global brand Leading the next generation of premium economy hotels Without a doubt, one of the most important decisions hoteliers and developers make is the brand selection for their property.

Choosing the right brand and distribution partner can make a world of difference to their revenues and return on investment.

BWH Hotel Group is a global powerhouse, providing strong vibrant brands in every chain scale segment, from premium economy through luxury and comprising 16 brand options across its SureStay Hotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and WorldHotels portfolios.

Leading the premium economy segment, SureStay is one of the fastest growing hotel brands worldwide and is soaring in popularity amongst travellers and hotel developers alike.

Since its launch in 2016, SureStay has grown to more than 340 properties globally.

There are currently seven hotels within the SureStay and soft brand ‘SureStay Collection

by Best Western’ portfolio in Australasia and the brand is

SureStay Collection Riverfront Hotel King Washington USA

set for further growth, with several more in the pipeline.

BWH Hotel Group Australasia Managing Director, Graham Perry, believes the SureStay suite of brands is perfectly suited to the Australasian market.

“There is great opportunity for hoteliers wanting to join the SureStay suite of properties across Australasia,” enthuses Perry. “SureStay offers guests essential comforts and

exceptional value, backed by our 70 years of hospitality experience and know how.”

“The SureStay portfolio assures our guests of the quality of customer service they’ve come to expect from the Best Western brand and our associated properties,” says Perry.

Guest Satisfaction is Key The SureStay Hotel Group has

SureStay Collection Los Angeles CA USA

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

been reaching exceptional levels of guest satisfaction, ranked number 1 in the economy segment by global market research company JD Power.

It received the highest score in the segment across six critical factors: reservations; arrival/departure; guest room; services & amenities; hotel facilities and cost & fees.

SureStay is also a trusted and respected accommodation option among travellers, boasting

Hospitality Geraldton, Sure Stay Collection by Best Western, WA

MARKETING

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

average Google and TripAdvisor ratings of close to 4.0. and offering consistent and quality levels of comfort, cleanliness and a service guarantee – all at an affordable price.

The owners of SureStay Hotel by Best Western Blue Diamond Motor Inn in Dubbo NSW, Jan and Mal Scott, exemplify the customer-service focused ethos of the brand.

“Our business has been a part of the local community for over 30 years,” explain the Scotts, “so we know what locals want and we know how to welcome guests to provide a warm and comfortable home away from home experience”.

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Blue Diamond Motor Inn in Dubbo NSW

With a pride in the brand and a ‘can do’ attitude, Jan and Mal personally manage the property and provide a warm and hospitable welcome to every guest.

functions delivered by our dedicated Australasian team.”

“No matter the situation, SureStay Hotel by Best Western Blue Diamond Motor Inn is here for our guests.”

Branding Considerations Perry points out that brand presence is an important consideration for hoteliers and developers when selecting a brand.

“Differentiation is key, so you don’t want to be one of many hotels from the same parent brand in your location,” he

SureStay Phoenix Downtown USA

explains. “The beauty of the BWH portfolios is we are far from reaching market saturation with our SureStay and Best Western brands across Australasia, so there is plenty of opportunity for expansion.”

According to Perry, another

key factor is brand support.

“While all BWH hotels are independently owned and operated, our properties benefit from our sales and marketing expertise, our exceptional revenue management capability plus a suite of other support

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“Considering the crises of the last two years, and the impact of the pandemic, drought, bushfires and floods, there’s never been a better time to safely hitch an independent wagon to a trusted national and globally renowned brand to provide that extra level of guest assurance and to drive incremental business and all at an affordable price.”

For hoteliers and developers who are interested in more information about the SureStay brand in Australasia, visit bwhdevelopersaustralasia.com, call 02 8913 3300 or email au.sales@bwhhotelgroup.com.

SureStay Twin Falls ID USA

MARKETING

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

33

Strength in brand numbers

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

But, perhaps most importantly, Mr Perry said, there was also “the camaraderie and support of a network of like-minded hotel owners, operators and professionals to help grow their business”.

Get with the strength and have a big team promoting your interests and fighting your battles.

He said independent hoteliers who joined Best Western received access to the company’s global sales distribution via Best Western GDS (Global Distribution System), consortia programs and more than 3000 corporate accounts.

That is one of the key reasons why many independent accommodation operators join a recognised brand.

Being an independent accommodation provider in today's communicationintensive world can be tough, when technology changes so rapidly and many owners are choosing management or franchise agreements in order to access the extensive marketing and booking benefits that chains offer.

Many operators have found there is strength and safety in numbers and that being aligned with a brand gives them a feeling that they are part of

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Quest Ballarat

a team. It can also give them a much more powerful marketing presence and greater advocacy in battles for such things as “book direct” campaigns.

Graham Perry, Managing Director of BWH Hotel Group, Australasia, said the benefits of an independent motel or hotel operator joining Best Western included coming under

the umbrella of a “globally and nationally recognised brand, and a sales and marketing program backed by an award-winning rewards loyalty program with more than 44 million members”.

There was also multi-channel marketing, including dedicated campaigns targeting Best Western domestic and international loyalty members, digital and social media services and a partnership program.

The company also helps with revenue management services and “capabilities to optimise yield and the return on investment”.

“New members have indicated that they joined Best Western to leverage the recognised brand,” Mr Perry said, “to access the suite of sales, marketing,

MARKETING

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

distribution and revenue services offered, and to have the support of an experienced and professional hotel brand team.

“Post COVID it is also to leverage the trust associated with the 70-year-old Best Western brand to provide their guests with assurance that their stay will be as expected, including being safe and clean.”

The Best Western group represented a wide variety of properties, he said, many of them having started as independent providers.

He said that across BWH Hotel Group, there were 16 distinct brands ranging from luxury to economy, meaning there was a perfect fit for virtually every guest.

About the difficult year of 2020, we asked David Ridgeway, General Manager, Franchise Operations, Quest Apartment Hotels how Quest’s brand partners had coped and what support they received.

He agreed it was a challenging year but said: “Our franchise partners benefited from the strong existing relationships

Quest Docklands NewQuay

with corporate clients and their essential workers who still required accommodation for business travel or to maintain business operations whilst minimising disruptions due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns and restrictions.

They also received support from a network of franchisees

experiencing similar circumstances.” In 2020, Quest opened a total of six new properties throughout Australia and New Zealand as part of ongoing local and global expansion plans; Quest Robina (QLD), Quest Palmerston North (NZ), Quest Perth Ascot (WA), Quest Ballarat Station (VIC), Quest Preston (VIC)

and Quest Wangaratta (VIC) giving the brand some “good news” to share in the midst of very challenging times.

David said: “Despite the global pandemic’s substantial implications on the domestic and international tourism sector Quest’s regional properties have demonstrated resilience.

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MARKETING

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35

Quest Preston

The ongoing desirability of Quest’s regional properties among corporate and leisure guests underscores the opportunity for continued expansion in regional locations.

“While 2020 has been a challenging year in the accommodation sector and for Quest, we have been warmed by the unity, resilience and optimism exhibited by the franchise network. Quest has worked hard to provide clear and consistent advice to franchisees and ensure they have the resources required to navigate an incredibly complex period and see themselves through to the other side.

“Positively, Quest franchisees have mirrored the same camaraderie among themselves, leaning on one another for guidance and friendship. It’s been a stressful time for operators, but we are thankful that the nature of franchising really lends itself to such a powerful spirit of togetherness. We firmly believe our ability to emerge from this period is almost entirely contingent on the strength of our relationships with stakeholders and spirit of unity among the Quest team. Now more than ever,

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Quest Wangaratta

it’s essential we look at ourselves, not as individual operators under a brand, but as a cohesive unit which thrives as a collective.”

The business format franchise model that Quest Apartment Hotels is founded on provides operators with the complete resources to run profitable and efficient businesses, while delivering a consistent, high quality experience for guests. This encompasses everything from operations, legal

guidance, sales and marketing to human resources and franchising specialist support.

David explained: “Our strategy is clear, to be where the corporate traveller needs to be, and this is suburban and regional Australia, where often there is a clear gap in the market. Take Quest Wangaratta for instance, which opened in November 2020.

The property fills a genuine need in the area and has therefore been applauded by

MARKETING

the Mayor and other prominent members of the community.

While there continues to be a lot of discussion around the future of business travel, when it will return to pre-pandemic levels and how it will look, what has become self-evident over the course of the last 12 months is the importance of having the ability to ‘stay your way’ in a COVID-safe environment, with human connection and face to face interaction.”

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Case Study:

Quest Breakfast Creek Having worked in the hospitality sector for nearly 20 years, in September 2020 Roberto Salicio took the leap into business ownership, becoming the owner of the Quest Breakfast Creek franchise in inner suburban Brisbane.

Breakfast Creek may seem a long way from the glamorous sights and sounds of London and Barcelona where Roberto spent numerous years working for large hotel groups early in his career. However, he believes he has found his calling as the Franchisee of Quest Breakfast Creek. Roberto has been able to apply his strong hospitality operational background, as he has taken over the franchise business, which was originally established in 2013.

Roberto acknowledges there are some areas of owning and managing a business in which every franchisee needs support, and this was one of the key reasons he chose a recognised brand such as Quest Apartment Hotels. He said: “Quest understands my strengths and weaknesses. It doesn’t matter about your background, they have a team of subject matter experts who I can reach out to get advice with no judgement, which I think is important.”

Another reason for choosing Quest for his first foray into business ownership was the support offered by the Quest Apartment Hotel’s corporate office team during the business transition process.

“The handover process with the outgoing franchisees was really well controlled with strong head office support.

They were there for me during the transition process, which can be very overwhelming where many balls are in the air at once. I felt like I was in good hands during this time with Quest,” explains Roberto.

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As a Quest franchisee, I still have to work hard, in fact I am now working as hard as ever but I am starting to see a greater return for all the effort I am putting in...

Roberto continued: “Quest instil a respect for and a focus on the need to build and nurture solid relationships between the landlord, the franchisee and franchisor. These ongoing relationships help make running the business that little bit easier as there is a degree of trust.”

The strong brand awareness and customer loyalty enjoyed by Quest Apartment Hotels, and the brand’s network of 170 plus locations across Australasia, were also key factors cited by Roberto for choosing Quest.

“Quest Apartment Hotel has a firm focus on targeting the corporate traveller, which traditionally is a stable and lucrative segment to accommodate,” explained Roberto.

“I have been working for managed companies for several years in senior management roles, working hard and always making a difference. As a Quest franchisee, I still have to work hard, in fact I am now working as hard as ever but I am starting to see a greater return for all the effort I am putting in and this will help establish financial security for my family going forward,” Roberto explained.

“Quest made sure I was 100 percent happy with my selection.

They took a personal point of view, they took the time to understand my personal traits and what makes me tick, so they knew that I could deliver on the Quest brand expectations to ensure the guest receives the same experience no matter what Quest location they stay at,” concluded Roberto.

MARKETING

Roberto Salicio

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Compendiums

made new in the digital age

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

The Australian accommodation sector was already making major technological changes before COVID struck, but the pandemic has accelerated the uptake of many initiatives originally designed for sustainability and energy-efficiency.

Paperless check-in/check-out, bamboo key cards, electronic newspapers, bans on plastic straws and bottles, and a growing reliance on internal room controllers which allow staff to better manage guest room energy consumption, have all been ammunition in the war against waste.

Digital compendiums save forests because paper is no longer required, but in the COVID world they have become essential in an industry

where touchless technology is becoming paramount.

Michael Johnson, the CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, said while many hotel innovations such as digital compendiums were introduced for sustainability, their contactless nature had made them important as health initiatives, too.

“At Tourism Accommodation Australia we are looking at ways of coming out of COVID still making those environmental

improvements,’’ he said. “But things like digital compendiums not only promote sustainability but they reduce the items in a hotel room that are frequently touched.

and requiring replacement every time they became untidy and dog-eared. They involved a significant investment in both materials and labour.

‘They are able to contain all the information a hotel offers in a printed compendium and much more and so many hotels are using them now.’

Compendiums then became prevalent on in-room TVs, in a paper-saving drive, and now they are becoming more common as web-based information.

Two of the newest hotels in Adelaide, the Crowne Plaza and the EOS both offer digital compendiums or digital concierge services, reflecting demand by guests who have come to expect hotel technology to match a changing world constantly reshaped by their smart phones.

Guests using a digital compendium through their own smart phones or tablets, automatically see the latest hotel information and images, which can be updated effortlessly as the need arises.

Guest compendiums were once almost always printed and placed in a bound volume inside hotel rooms, outlining menus, guest facilities and local attractions.

But they were expensive and decidedly eco-unfriendly, requiring significant time to update details in every room,

Digital compendiums can also be provided at low cost in multiple languages, replacing what was once a costly and time-consuming print job.

Thanks to translation apps and websites, guests can also use digital compendiums to send messages to reception staff in their own language, which can then be replied to in that language.

Digital compendiums also make it far easier for guests to order room service, find information, order fresh towels, check gym opening hours or utilise services such as baby-sitting arrangements.

Images courtesy of Hinfo

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

TECHNOLOGY

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

smartphones. These app-based solutions easily provide guests with a consistent experience in all of their properties, while also reflecting individual branding.”

anytime, not just when guests are in their rooms, which can be vital if guests are sightseeing or looking for other attractions.

Digital compendiums also allow guests to dial numbers listed with one touch on their own device, rather than having to key in phone numbers manually as they once did with paper compendiums.

Another key advantage is that everything seamlessly links to a property’s current website, and guests can stay up to date instantly with the latest specials and things to do within the area.

Posting enticing images on a compendium costs little but it can also transform a hotel’s food and beverage revenue, allowing a wider and ever-changing range of offerings and increased revenue from room service and restaurant patronage.

Image courtesy of Hinfo

Along with sending the latest information to all guests automatically, updating digital compendiums requires little time or budget. Through the web, guest information also becomes accessible anywhere,

Offering an industry point of view, Neil Houlston, founder of Hinfo spoke to us about digital compendium technology and how accom managers can generate revenue beyond their room rate.

He said: “Managers can promote their in-house restaurants, mini bar and room service by

On other less obvious benefits of compendium app solutions he revealed:

Neil Houlston, founder, Hinfo

highlighting dining hours, menus and specials on the app, which is simple to instantly update.

“Managers can even offset the costs of their app-based digital solutions by on-selling listings to local businesses.”

Neil explained that guests can use their mobile devices to access the app and therefore the information and services for both the property and local area.

“They can offer direct services between a guest and management. This may include direct messaging and the ability to provide anonymous feedback.”

For managers deciding what digital compendium to choose, Neil shared five tips: “First, remember that modern guests are much more environmentally conscious, and a compendium app solution that allows them to use their own devices is more energy efficient and sustainable.

This is a fully contactless solution which is essential in a post pandemic world.

“Second, note that an appbased solution accessible on guest devices will also significantly reduce a manager’s maintenance responsibilities.

He said: “On average, 97 percent of guests accessing compendium details at member properties do so via the mobile app using their own

“Third, access beyond guest rooms via a mobile app, allows guests to have access to property and local area information wherever they go.

DIGITAL COMPENDIUMS DIGITIZE YOUR OPERATIONS AND GO PAPERLESS! Remove your paper paper-based in paper-based in-room compendiums now and increase revenue by boosting the utilization of your services while driving in-room cost efficiency through one centralized platform platform.

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Go Green Hygienic

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

39

does provide a more dynamic and engaging experience.

They also create “a seamless transition from the provision of information to the purchasing of products and services, and with the ability to access content 24/7 via their own mobile devices, digitising a property’s information, offers, booking and ordering processes gives operators the ability to engage and sell to their guests from anywhere, at any time, without friction.”

Images courtesy of SABA Hospitality

“Fourth, make sure privacy policies and practices are in place. App solutions can provide useful statistics on guest usage but should not identify or track an individual guest.

“Finally, investigate the cost of each digital solution, both short and long term.”

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How do apps enable guests to use their own devices to access compendium services?

The future? He added: “Appbased solutions open up a range of possibilities for new technical features and services that guests can benefit from wherever they are. Features such as voice-assistants and even augmented reality!”

based compendiums, digital content can be provided via text, video, links and imagery.

Byron Webster, Co-Founder & Executive Director of SABA Hospitality shared their industry expertise with us, explaining why compendiums are useful marketing platforms for generating revenue. He said: “As opposed to traditional paper-

Connecting with guests on a deeper level and drawing them into the experience of eating at a restaurant, relaxing at a spa, or participating in cultural activities, helps drive the emotional connection required to elicit purchasing behaviour. It really

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Byron Webster, Co-Founder & Executive Director of SABA Hospitality

“Progressive web applications provide an app-like experience, but don’t require any downloads to access the content, therefore increasing the uptake while still providing an engaging and dynamic experience,” said Byron.

His tips for managers began with the expert suggestion to “ensure the solution can be self-managed and updated by the operator wherever and whenever.”

Next, he advised: “Select a solution that can be customised to look and feel like an extension of your brand.

TECHNOLOGY

Nothing says ‘impersonal’ like external advertising or just the wrong colours on your products. Then, ensure your digital solution has capabilities that extend beyond a simple digital compendium. Selecting a solution that also supports digital ordering, chat and feedback capabilities allows you to maintain one central solution for the guest’s entire journey.

“If there is one thing operators do not need more of, it’s more systems on top of systems.”

Finally, he told us: “Implement a solution that has been built as a Progressive Web Application (or web-based platform). Uptake will be higher when compared to a native application, and there is greater flexibility.”

Moving into the post-COVID era: “Some technologies will prove a fad, but digital compendiums, digital F&B ordering and chat platforms that significantly reduce cost and drive revenue will see continued growth now guests accept minimal contact but still expect a level of service in line with their pre-pandemic experiences.”

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Before signing a 10 to 15-year contract for technology...

©Peera - stock.adobe.com

Ask these questions

I meet many accommodation providers and committee members over a year and my goal is to try to explain the different technologies available to deliver wifi at their complex and what we can and cannot use at the site and most importantly, why, and why not.

You do not have to be an expert on wifi; however, it is important that there is a general understanding to ensure the decision to proceed is the correct one for your business, your unit owners and your guests.

We have been to sites where they have outlaid finances for a wifi system and technology that would never work correctly at that site. Then the fight ensues to retrieve funds back from the supplier (which is not always possible) and remove the technology, while guests are complaining and posting negative reviews and in some instances the effect of the technology installed, is impacting the daily office functionality. Not to mention having to outlay a second amount of finance to procure another wifi solution.

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outlay or there may be a minimal capital outlay. It is a monthly payment made for the next ten or fifteen years.

Judy Senn Director, Time Out Internet

with a large financial outlay can be one of the most important made. It can affect your building, your guests, your management rights sale potential, and your body corporate funding (if BC is paying).

Decisions are being made on technology with no justification for choosing a supplier except it may have been the cheaper option. Cheaper is not always better. Sometimes it’s difficult to compare ‘apples to apples’ as technologies differ and suppliers can offer different outcomes.

Contract lengths…

There has been a surge of suppliers wanting accommodation providers and/or body corporate to sign ten- and fifteen-year contracts on technology.

The justification, I have heard, is that there is no initial capital

Would you sign a ten- or fifteen-year contract on your electricity or water supplier? I would not think so. You would want the option to be able to move provider when something better is on offer or if the supplier is not meeting your business requirements. Electricity and water providers do not change their offering very often, but wifi changes all the time!

As an example, in the last five years we have seen wifi go from N-speed technology to AC-speeds and wifi 6. This has been a major change in technology and the end result for accommodation providers has meant being able to provide unlimited data, faster speeds to guests and the ability for streaming of guests’ own subscriptions while staying at the complex.

As a wifi supplier, the longest contract we recommend/offer is five years. Technology changes regularly and the in room wifi systems of late should be based on robust equipment and technology that should easily see you through that timeframe.

Before you make one of the most important decisions for your site and sign these ten- and

TECHNOLOGY

fifteen-year contracts that lock in your complex, there are a few questions you need to ask: •

What is the warranty period for equipment and who covers the warranty of the equipment?

•

If out of warranty, what are the costs to replace a faulty device over the period of the contract?

•

What if, in five years’ time, there is better or faster technology available? Will the supplier automatically upgrade all the devices at your site, or will you have to pay to receive the newer technology and if so, at what cost?

•

What happens if the supplier is no longer in business in ten or fifteen years? Who supplies and supports the service?

•

What if this supplier starts to fail to deliver what has been contracted?

In closing, be careful what you sign. Read the fine print. Read it again. Highlight anything you do not understand.

It is okay not to understand.

Ask the questions you need to gain the understanding. Get a second or third opinion. Once you have signed these lengthy agreements you cannot get out of them. You are committed.

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NEW DARK BRONZE FINISH FOR SALTO ELECTRONIC LOCKS Enhance the décor of your hotel rooms and spaces with the new Dark Bronze finish for SALTO electronic locks. The locks perfectly complement both white and dark doors, as well as contemporary and natural styling. To plan your next electronic access control project, visit the SALTO MyLock Configurator at www.mylock. saltosystems.com or contact SALTO to help you choose the smart locking solutions that best suit your requirements. Our experts are experienced in working with architects, builders, and operators to ensure your vision becomes a reality.

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SALTO Systems

CHRISTIE GAS AND ELECTRIC BARBECUE COOKTOPS The name Christie is synonymous with Australian communal barbecues.

For over 50 years, they’ve been the provider of choice to the government, leisure, and tourism sectors. Christie Cooktops are the latest evolution of their popular barbecues. These self-contained appliances are shipped ready to plug in and use. Simply drop them into an existing cabinet to upgrade to the latest energy-saving technology. You can also buy them together with a prefabricated cabinet for an instant solution or use them to design and build your own outdoor kitchen. Available in reticulated gas, LPG, or electric options, Christie Cooktops have you covered.

C Christie Barbecues P 03 9708 2999 E sales@dachristie.com W dachristie.com

CREATE A LUXURIOUS SANCTUARY FOR YOUR GUESTS Unplug from your busy life and reconnect with nature through the restorative power of our Australian environment. With 100% Australian botanical extracts of Kakadu Plum and Kangaroo Apple extract, Ideology is an unrivalled bath and body collection created with a unique and on-trend fragrance. Designed to be a clean and sophisticated scent, the spicy and woody base notes leave a lingering feeling of comfort. Ideology’s signature formulation, presented in distinctive packaging offers your valued guest a luxurious sanctuary where there is time for everything.

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International Hotel Supply Company

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03 9580 9977

E ausupport@internationalhotel.com W www.internationalhotelsupply.com.au

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WHAT’S HOT

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DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? To the uninitiated this is just another umbrella base but if you are a resort focused outdoor furniture supplier you see the devil in the detail. FEATURE #1, 4mm thick aluminium stem.

ADVANTAGE, No rust means you wont be throwing the base out in 12 months. FEATURE #2, A full circumference thread on the stem connecting to the base meaning 55mm of contact point.

ADVANTAGE, Not just a single bolt so it wont loosen, wobble and snap off. FEATURE #3, 25kgs of concrete. ADVANTAGE, Its heavy and wont rust. FEATURE #4, Roller Wheels. ADVANTAGE, Ease of movement. 37 Years of experience in the resort industry means we know what to look for.

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sales@daydreamleisure.com.au

INTRODUCING ‘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.

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Mainlinen

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07 5437 8544

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www.mainlinen.com

Daydream Leisure Furniture

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07 5493 4277

www.daydreamleisure.com.au

IN-STOCK PREMIUM FURNITURE PACKAGE The Ocean Drive furniture package is made specifically for commercial hospitality operators, using durable high pressure laminates, commercialgrade fabric by Warwick and comes assembled ready for installation straight into the apartments. These premium 16-peice furniture packages are available for next-day dispatch, in contemporary finishes to suit most modern venues. Or they can be custom-made to order to reflect your own design and package requirements. Priced from just $4999+gst, this package will provide a fast return on investment to operators.

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Turn Key Furniture Solutions

sales@turnkeyfurniture.com.au

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03 8568 3611

www.turnkeyfurniture.com.au

MASTER YOUR CLEAN WITH THE GL SERIES Where industrial power meets a compact cleaning solution. Capital Equipment Hire’s new GL series from Fimap promises deep cleaning results with up to 40kg brush pressure for the most demanding applications. Guest-based venues cover a large variety of areas including accommodation suites, to shared entertainment areas to industrial kitchens and laundry facilities. The Fimap GxL Pro and Fimap GL Pro enable easy and reliable cleaning performance to ensure staff operations behind the scenes continue working smoothly, hygienically, and professionally. Get in touch to secure your GxL or GL Pro now! Available for hire or purchase.

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Capital Equipment Hire

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WHAT’S HOT

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1300 799 312

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fimap@capitalequipment.com.au

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Images courtesy of SALTO Systems

Hotels lock into smart technology

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

in rooms - and it’s great for cleaners who are servicing guestrooms as well, so that guests are not disturbed. The room access technology has meant great improvements in both security and service.”

For thousands of years, keys and locks were the primary security system for most buildings, just as the horse was the main mode of transport.

Smart technology also allows self-check-in and lets guests check out at times convenient for them. They eliminate the need for queues at the front desk with a survey by America’s Cornell University showing that a wait of more than five minutes at check-in leads to a 50 percent drop in hotel stay satisfaction levels.

But the technological revolution over the last two centuries has changed everything about the way we live, the way we travel and the way we stay secure.

Metal keys were the norm in hotels right up until 1975 when Tor Sørnes, a Norwegian author and inventor, patented the first electronic keycard lock.

His innovation opened the door for a massive new market in programmable locks and the potential for a huge range of authentication methods.

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chains operate with familiar key card technology, an increasing number are now embracing technology based upon the smartphones most of us carry with us 24/7.

Developments in hotel lock technology, though slow to take off, have accelerated in recent times.

The technology was first adopted by smaller hotel groups, with Aloft, in North America, one of the earliest adopters in 2014, followed by Hilton and Marriott.

While the majority of hotel

Tourism Accommodation

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Australia CEO Michael Johnson said hotel locks were often now high-tech pieces of equipment.

He said: “Now in most hotels when you tap on a door lock with your access key the front desk immediately knows that you have entered the room because the keys are interfaced back to property management systems.

“Security people know when people are in rooms - or not

SAFETY & SECURITY

And while thieves were able to crack security codes in a string of high-profile hotel robberies in the United States some years ago, technology has moved on and security is better than ever. In 2017 Hilton boasted that they had had 11 million digital key uses that year without a single security breach, and many hotels now use “bank-level security” for their locks with 128-bit encryption.

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Standalone access control solutions for door and cabinets, offering smarter access for everyone.

Our products include stylish push-button mechanical locks, digital electronic locks, KitLock locker locks, access controllers and smart lock solutions, which are easy for users to manage and operate using a keypad, card and smartphone. Convenience is at the heart of all our products.

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Dean Long, the CEO of the Accommodation Association of Australia, said while the latest hotel lock technology was more expensive to install than the old-fashioned key and lock systems, “not only do they offer much better security for guests but once they are installed, they are much cheaper to maintain.

on the property – whether it be a carpark, lift or gym.”

“COVID really increased the need for touchless technology, and the new smart phone systems offer a whole world of possibilities and convenience for guests that the industry is still tapping into.”

Cards can incorporate branding and be integrated into other systems such as GRMS, energy management, POS, and business centre services.

Tell us about RFID and NFC door lock technology?

“RFID technology is more secure and cost-effective than mechanical keys and can be used to create an audit trail of events for management.

“NFC and BLE door locking technology builds upon the benefits of RFID by incorporating smartphone technology.

We asked Cedric Duigou, SALTO Systems Hospitality Vertical Manager for Oceania about the benefits of the latest door lock technologies.

Image courtesy of SALTO Systems

He told us: “The traditional check-in experience is frustrating for guests and expensive for operators, more so now with the demand for hygienic interactions.

Cedric Duigou, SALTO Systems hospitality vertical manager, Oceania

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“Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near Field Communication (NFC) door lock technology reduces or eliminates front desk

hours and reallocates staff to roles that add more value.

Using a digital key sent over-theair to their phone prior to checkin, guests can bypass reception and the handling of keys or cards.

Digital keys not only authenticate access for the guest room but can be deployed anywhere

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Digital keys can be sent remotely, contact-free and can also be integrated into guest apps for an exceptional and seamless experience.”

What about antimicrobial options?

“A great support to cleaning programs, antimicrobial coatings help to reduce the growth and spread of bacteria and viruses on high touch areas such as door handles by up to 99.99 percent.

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What are the new door lock tech trends?

designed to cater to guests demands for enhanced convenience, mobile access functionality is now proving to be a crucial tool in a hotel’s ability to provide guests with safe service alternatives that limit their exposure to bacteria and viruses.

“We’re also seeing great interest for cloud-based access control platforms and PIN code locks that require no physical credentials. Without the need to interact with staff, guests can be sent a PIN code that works for the duration of their stay. This allows operators to effectively run their accommodation contact-free and remotely.”

We also consulted Michael Benikos from AssaAbloy.

On NFC, he told us: “Currently while technically possible with many RFID door locks NFC is not operationally ready

©Jürgen Fälchle - stock.adobe.com

The ability to integrate door locks with a Guest Room Management System (GRMS) is another step towards greater personalisation for the guest experience. When access control is linked with a guest profile, accommodation providers can drive their vision of the optimal in-room experience, as well as manage room energy consumption. Access granted to a cleaner by contrast, may simply turn on the lights.

because the backend systems integrating NFC on the phones to the hotel systems aren’t able able to send keys to guest using this technology.

“If these issues can be overcome depending on how it is implemented guests may not be required to download an APP to receive a mobile key.

He says, digital key and self-check-in technologies have increasingly become a mainstream feature at hotels around the world, with industry research projecting that such services will become standard amenities by 2022.

On being COVID safe he explained: “While initially

“As hotels and resorts look forward to recovery once the global health pandemic subsides, contactless technologies such as mobile access are now increasingly being identified as playing a central role in regaining the trust and business of guests.

On trends he said: “Thanks to its contactless and social distancing enhancing abilities, it is unsurprising that mobile access technology is now experiencing an even greater adoption rate than ever before.

“Future door lock technology will include mobile key - online connected locks using Zigbee which integrate to other IOT devices like room controls.

Also moving software running hotel systems to the cloud instead of on premise will become the norm.”

ASSA ABLOY provides Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour with future proof solutions When selecting the systems to be installed in the Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour the owners sought out a security access solution that could provide the highest level of security to boost guest confidence while still ensuring a hasslefree stay experience which minimized energy consumption.

By selecting ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions and with the adoption of VingCard Signature RFID and its advanced data encryption abilities, hotel guests can be assured that only authorized individuals are able to gain room access. This includes Signature RFID’s anti-keycard cloning functionality that prevents unauthorized keycard duplicates from being created.

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Once activated, Mobile Access can provide guests with the ability to digitally check-in using their own personal devices.

Engineered as a future proof solution that equips hoteliers with the ability to affordably and effortlessly adapt to evolving industry trends, the presence of VingCard Signature RFID at the property allows for the instant activation of Mobile Access whenever desired.

by coming into close contact with other guests or staff.

Once activated, Mobile Access can provide guests with the ability to digitally check-in using their own personal devices.

Also due to the fact energy is the second highest cost for hotels today, after salaries the owners of Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour were looking for ways to reduce energy waste.

This can serve as an alternative to having to wait in line at the front desk and risking exposure to viruses or bacteria

As a fully digital solution, Mobile Access also allows guests to use their own devices as a digital key to gain access to guestrooms and other hotel areas, further limiting exposure to germs by reducing interaction with shared surfaces.

One way of achieving this goal is controlling the energy

SAFETY & SECURITY

usage in the guest rooms so an energy management system from ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions was installed.

This is especially important as a guest room is typically unoccupied 60-65% of the time, by adding energy management logic to the system, the savings can be increased up to 35%.

The key principle of the system is to determine when a guest room is physically occupied and when it is not occupied by monitoring the door opening and closing as well as the motion in the room.

At times when the room is not occupied, the system controls the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and the lights, based on a set of parameters that allows the property to achieve energy savings while maintaining guest comfort.

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Leveraging digital keys & guest apps

for safety and an outstanding experience Guestroom door locking technology has come a long way since the physical key.

One of the most exciting innovations has been digital keys and their integration to guest apps. How are they transforming hotel management and the guest experience? And what should hotels consider when future-proofing their guestroom locking technology?

Digital keys Digital keys are an evolution from card-based electronic access control systems (EACs). With a digital key system, the guest’s own mobile phone becomes their ‘key’, replacing the plastic card. The key is sent to them via an app on their smartphone which they use to unlock their guestroom door.

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who provide a turnkey solution that can be used for every access point – from guest to back-of-house.

of safe, contactless transactions - there are no shared cards, and guests can bypass reception and go straight to their room.

stay - for example, they use the app to book a spa treatment and receive a digital key giving them access at the designated time.

Guest app integration

Selecting your guestroom locking technology

The digital key is fully programmable, so you can easily start, end or extend access based on the guest’s booked dates. You can include access to shared hotel facilities such as the car park, lift or pool. The digital key can be sent to guests before their arrival, enabling contactless, streamlined check in, and reducing queues in reception.

Digital keys deliver even greater value when they are part of a branded guest app. Guest apps allow hotels to engage directly with individual visitors, making personalised offers that enhance customer experience, and increase loyalty and revenue.

Incorporating digital keys into a guest app has a proven bottom line impact. When guests know they can get their key via the app, they are more likely to download it. With increased downloads and usage, the in-app purchase rate goes up to an estimated average of $140 per room per year.

The mobile phone is the single most widely carried item so guests find it natural to have it with them at all times, reducing the chance of loss. Mobile phones, unlike cards, don’t get shared, so digital keys help to enhance security within the hotel. Post-covid, digital keys are an important driver

The guest app is integrated with the hotel’s property management system, which allows you to automate processes a for an even better guest experience.

Keys can be sent automatically via the booking system, and guests can use the app to manage every aspect of their

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Not all digital key systems are the same, so it’s important to examine all options carefully.

There are three primary considerations hotels should take into account when selecting their locking technology.

1.

Compatible Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) access points – for the guest digital key to work, every access point the guest uses must be part of the same system, from the same provider. Some hotels - especially those that are part of a mixed residential/ commercial building - are specified with one system for guest rooms and another for the base building (including, for example, lifts and car parks), rendering digital guest keys inefficient. Look for providers like SALTO

SAFETY & SECURITY

2.

Integration – if hotels want to offer the ultimate streamlined guest experience by integrating the digital key into their PMS, it’s essential to select the right. Not all EACs offer full integration with a PMS and guest mobile app. The EAC manages the encrypted digital key, but the PMS instructs it to send the key to the guest, so seamless integration, like that offered

by SALTO, is essential.

3.

Smart wireless locks –many hotels don’t realise that access points don’t all need to be wired. They can make very significant savings on installation and running costs by using a wireless on-line real-time locking such as the SALTO system.

Efficiency, safety and a great experience Technology is at the heart of an efficient hotel and a great guest experience. Digital keys deliver efficiency, automation and up-selling opportunities for the hotel. For guests, they offer a fast, safe and hassle-free check in, and sophisticated experience incorporating every aspect of their stay.

Cedric Duigou is Hospitality Vertical Manager for SALTO Systems in Australia and New Zealand. For more information please call +61 (0)3 8683 9782 or email hospitality.au@saltosystems.com.

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Transform your property:

Image courtesy of Turn Key Furniture Solutions

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

Accommodation operators who survived the uncertainty of 2020 are now seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Many are rolling out a refurbishment and furniture refit of their property, with hopes of a busy summer season buoyed by travel hungry Aussies, ready to spend but with high expectations for luxury and cleanliness.

The decimation of international travel has highlighted an unlikely upward trend towards luxury experiences in Australia. Forward thinking operators predicted this trend in 2020 and used lockdown to upgrade and refurbish their property. Now they can reap rewards. Michael Johnson, CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia told us that although luxury and wellness holidays are far from the most affordable holiday option for Australians, there has been a surge in their popularity in recent months.

He said: “While people aren’t spending on the international trips it seems they are quite happy to spend a bit more on a luxury Australian experience.”

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

The transformation of a property during low guest occupancy periods makes total sense. On the other hand, right now may not be the best time for your budget! We asked three industry suppliers to talk about costeffective ways to luxuriously refurbish a three- or four-star property. This is what they said…

Develop greater purchasing power

Image courtesy of Hotel Interiors

Jamie Glaister

Jamie Glaister from Turn Key Furniture Solutions suggested that a property should focus on economies of scale: “This approach includes being consistent with material usage and focused quantity staging. If you use the same set of finishes for most of the items, it gives greater purchasing power for raw materials and the opportunity for less wastage, which dramatically drops the cost of manufacturing. P52 REFURBISHMENT

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AJK Outfitters:

Your hotel fit out partner Hotel and serviced apartment owners and developers have been impacted more than most during the global pandemic.

allocation to lifecycle asset management. It gives our clients transparency and confidence in the outfitting projects we collaborate with them on.

It is all about partnership at the end of the day, and getting the job delivered, on time every time,” Aliona said.

But thankfully it’s not all bad news, with demand for domestic, Australian travel dramatically increasing in recent months.

According to KPMG, “with the restrictions on international travel inspiring more Australians to explore their homeland, this could bolster the travel industry for years to come.”

New guest expectations and experiences

A robust supply chain

Andrew and Aliona Kidd, AJK Outfitters

•

Post-pandemic guests do however, have new expectations of what they require from their short-stay experience.

The AJK Outfitters team have fitted-out 17,500+ rooms, involving 875,000 individual product items, including Sydney’s The Felix Hotel on behalf of their client PBS Constructions.

Some of the trends in hotel fitouts in 2021 that Andrew Kidd, AJK Outfitters Managing Director, has identified include: •

•

•

Cleanability of furniture packages: surfaces are being updated to ensure they are easy to clean, comply with COVID-Safe standards and to give guests confidence before, during and after their stay.

A renewed focus on wellbeing: new developments and asset management projects are seeking to deliver an uplifting space that’s relaxing and a genuine destination, away from the home environment.

People are craving escapism after being in pandemicinduced lockdowns.

•

Technology: is playing an expanded role in the upgrading of rooms to create a premium guest experience, particularly for the Gen Z guest target market.

Consistency: Hotel owners are acutely aware that they are competing with alternative accommodation providers, particularly Airbnb domestically. A clear point of difference for a wellfitted out hotel or serviced apartment is consistency in the guest experience.

detail right,” Aliona Kidd, AJK Outfitters Co-Company Director and Head of Projects said.

AJK Outfitters service is adaptable to every sector. The team has experience delivering new build and lifecycle asset management outfitting projects, on scale. No project is too big for their team and as a familyowned and operated company, every project is personal.

A partnership approach to true turnkey delivery

The team maintains their quality standards, budgets and timeframes for delivery with a custom-built technology platform that gives full visibility to their clients.

“A critical stage of hotel fit out projects is the install. We take full responsibility for the installation of all projects we are engaged on.

We don’t outsource, it’s the AJK Outfitters team, on the ground, getting the job done, getting every

“Our OMS1 AJK Outfitters technology platform includes a range of features from product sourcing enabling domestic and international price estimates, safety management, installation product

With teams in Australia and China, the AJK Outfitters secure, global supply chain is a key factor behind their growth and success in becoming one of Australia’s largest outfitting companies.

Their clients vouch for them.

“AJK are leaders in the FF&E turnkey fit out market and should be the first name on everyone’s procurement list,” said Leon Kenney, Urbanest Director of Projects and Design, 2015-2020 and AJK Outfitters client.

Get in touch The AJK Outfitters team has a growing pipeline of projects and welcome enquiries for new outfitting opportunities across all sectors.

The experienced and expanding team have fitted-out the full variety of accommodation developments, including hotels, student accommodation, mining sites and Government correctional facilities. They specialise in fixed and loose FFE, and fully integrated joinery in large volumes.

Contact the team today to discuss your accommodation outfitting requirements, the AJK Outfitters team would love to partner with you. Phone 1300 355 888, email: contact@ajkoutfitters.com. au or visit ajkoutfitters.com.au, Connect with them on LinkedIn and Instagram: @ajkoutfitters

Flexibility of use: is being considered during the design stage, along with the need for custom design elements that create a bespoke and memorable guest experience.

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The AJK Outfitters team has built a supply chain over many years that covers every link; from project analysis and space planning, to procurement and manufacture to warranties and after sales service.

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P50 “Using many different finishes to create an eclectic look is only cost-effective if you are making a large number of each item. In this case, you may need to stage the refurbishment over several months or across financial years, and this may not be the most cost-effective long-term solution.”

He also pointed out that custom furniture packages can give you significant freedom of choice when it comes to satisfying the "sweet spot" of the right design for the property, with the right dimensions and finishes, at the right price.

“A custom package allows you to create your own look that can be compared or contrasted to the other hotels and serviced apartments in your competitive set so that you are both relevant and distinctive.”

Know your target market Andrew Kidd, AJK Outfitters’ managing director offered some tips as well: “If you intimately understand the motivations of your guests and what ‘ticks their boxes’ you can ensure you provide the right products and services in your hotel refurbishment to exceed your guest’s expectations.”

Image courtesy of Turn Key Furniture Solutions

to your guest’s experience. Start with features your guest will see first, such as window dressings.

“The use of wall mounted, flat screen TVs promotes a sense of updated smart technology.

“Light colour finishes on walls, floors and ceilings generates space and well positioned mirrors can make rooms look bigger and brighter.

“The use of furniture and joinery with integrated LED lighting not only provides energy and cost savings but guests can also control the mood and brightness of the room. “It is clever to install welldesigned furniture in areas that wear, so that they can be quickly and cost-effectively revamped with new coverings or surfaces.”

Andrew adds that if you “choose the right outfitting partner from the outset, the whole process will be smoother and more costeffective in the long-run’. He states: “If an outfitting partner has control over the supply chain it can give clients more certainty around timeframes, budget and quality.”

Have a clear refurb vision

“Having a clear vision for the refurbishment in terms of product design and selection, as well as the delivery and installation program, is essential to minimise disruption to guests and manage costs. Choosing FF&E that is of quality and designed for the rigors of a hospitality environment also reduces the cost on maintenance and replacement in the future.

“The key benefits of choosing a custom furniture package are that not only is it more cost effective to buy and deliver in bulk, but it also ensures uniformity across the property while giving you the opportunity to make your guest room furnishings unique. Choosing a quality FF&E provider to deliver a custom furniture package means that you are able to select product sizes, colours, finishes etc to suit your guest room size, functionality and layout, as well as your overall accommodation requirements.

“A complete custom furniture package, will often including soft furnishings, cushions and curtains and artwork, along with lighting, to ensure a successful and comprehensive refurbishment.”

Pay now or pay later?

All operators have unique financial circumstances therefore it is always advisable to seek good advice from your tax accountant and qualified financial advisor to make the most of any government tax incentives and overall cash flow.

Andrew Kidd

Use a single stage refurbishment approach. “Due to financial constraints, many operators implement their refurbishment program in stages, but I recommend completing as much of the refurbishment work in one stage, to minimise costs and maximise consistent guest experience. Your overall income stream and nightly tariffs will benefit immediately, and chances are you will receive repeat customers sooner.”

To get more bang for your buck, “simply focus on the guest room items that will add most value

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Dennis Clark

Dennis Clark from Hotel Interiors said that a “refurbishment is more complex than merely replacing items in a room and updating some finishes”. He advised: “Hiring a company who is experienced in the particular requirements of the accommodation industry will not only save you money but will also provide a better outcome for the project.

While it may be commonly agreed that it is best to own everything and pay upfront, this can also leave reduced cash on hand for developers or business owners, therefore negatively impacting cash flow. Financing a refurbishment or furniture package can save capital that could be utilised elsewhere in your business and most hospitality industry financiers provide a variety of options for finance.

Our industry experts identify incoming trends Dennis said: ‘Macrotrends are heavily influencing design at a micro level, and we are seeing

REFURBISHMENT

these elements incorporated into contemporary design; neutral colour palettes combined with texture, the use of natural materials like rattan, clean and curved lines in furniture, all introduced in a tasteful and mature way to give spaces a sense of lux or retreat.

“Integrated wardrobes units and semi open wardrobes are a strong trend in guest room design, along with design to bring unity, individuality and light into the room, making for a warmer more inviting space.”

Andrew noted: “More environmentally friendly, conscious consumers want to see eco-friendly furniture. We are also seeing a return to more natural products such as leather, glass, metal, and textiles.

“Also cleverly installed smart glass and screens as windows and bathroom partition screens are a stylish and versatile room addition. Media touch screens on bars and drink fridges and slimline, double-sided TV’s screens are being incorporated on various surfaces in luxury refurbishments.

“Traditional fold-out furniture is being taken to a whole new level, with better operating mechanisms and a much wider range of versatile applications now on offer.

Also, on trend is the use of fold-out furniture offering alternative uses and creating multi-purpose rooms.”

Jamie told us: “We have seen a resurgence of sculptural upholstered furniture free of any external framing and fully upholstered in interesting, often organic, shapes. Curved sofas and highly padded armchairs that could be mistaken for highly engineered beanbags of varying shapes.

‘In contrast, a modern French look is also popular, using rattan and other natural materials. While this look is delicate and sophisticated it may not be as durable as other designs, especially in highuse commercial applications where a sustained return on investment is required.”

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Complete Turn Key Packages from Turn Key Furniture Solutions Replacing the furniture in your hotel guest rooms or serviced apartments can be a daunting project from start to finish.

There are many elements to consider, from the design and style of the furniture, to the budget and the installation process. This can be even more complicated with multiple stakeholders and owners that need further “convincing” that such a refurbishment is necessary and/or rewarding to them. Getting this project right will increase room rates, improve customer experience (and ratings), and provide an enduring return on investment.

With over 25 years in the furniture manufacturing industry, Turn Key Furniture Solutions have been producing custommade furniture for hotels, motels and serviced apartments

and the provision of customised samples for prototype rooms.

We can work with practically any budget, thanks to our wide breadth of experience in working with all furniture types, materials and techniques.

throughout Oceania since 2005.

We work with small private motels through to 5 star resorts, all with the same attention to detail and expertise. We can work with you to produce an entirely customised design for your property, or help you curate a package from existing designs. Our project team all come from many years within the hospitality industry and will ensure that you get the right

balance of style, budget and operational excellence so that a sustained return on investment is assured. As a furniture designer and manufacturer, Turn Key can offer a full start-to-finish service, which provides expert design and manufacturing techniques, delivered to your property at the lowest cost in the shortest time. Our expertise extends to the selection of commercial-grade materials

For strata and letting pool properties, Turn Key also supports you in the provision of marketing material and documentation to owners and stakeholders, when required.

We will work in partnership with you to create a compelling case for these stakeholders to invest in your vision for their benefit and keeping your property relevant in the market.

Contact Turn Key Furniture Solutions today to find the right furniture solution for your property. Visit www. turnkeyfurniture.com.au or email sales@turnkeyfurniture.com.au.

OCEAN DRIVE

Complete Furniture Package PREMIUM 16 PIECE FURNITURE PACKAGE FROM

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In stock now, or custom-made to order - Contact us to discuss your requirements with our hotel furniture specialists

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03 8568 3611

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Hotels becoming works of

art Luxury Escape Collection, Image courtesy of Materialised

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

CHLOÉ, a young Parisian girl, has flaunted her naked body for more than 100 years from a 260 x 139cm canvas that has graced the upstairs bar of the Young and Jackson Hotel in Melbourne since 1909.

She has made the hotel a city landmark, more so than any of the prime ministers or business big wigs who have sat drinking

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in her shadow. Chloé doesn’t say much but her artistic presence speaks volumes for the hotel’s brand, a blend of sophistication, beauty and daring.

More than a thousand kilometres and a century away at the Rydges Airport Gold Coast, owner John “Foxy” Robinson wanted a unique feel to brand his new hotel as a luxury beach resort.

He asked veteran designer Dennis Clark to come up with artwork that conveyed feelings of sand, sun, and relaxation.

“Foxy wanted to have that beach feel throughout the hotel - so

there are big beach-themed murals across the walls,” Mr Clark told AccomNews. “One might be a Kombi Van in a beach car park, another will be a surfer, another will be the beach itself.

“And all the furniture was designed to have that real coastal feel as well, with a beachy whitewash but very contemporary at the same time.”

Not all hotel artworks are as relaxing as that, however...

The MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas has portraits of Hollywood stars throughout its luxury

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rooms, and it can be hard to sleep with John Wayne staring at you with a hard, flinty look from the bedroom wall all night.

Closer to home though, artwork is becoming a key to attracting guests and giving hotels a unique identity.

Artistic touches are one of the reasons why the new EOS hotel in Adelaide is considered so beautiful, according to general manager Jodi Brown, who says “the original artwork throughout the hotel helps to create a unique, luxury feel.”

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Crowne Plaza Sydney, Image courtesy of Materialised

Ms Brown praised design company Walter Brooke, whose brief included creating a South Australian perspective throughout the interior space with its selection of original artworks.

In the lounge area of Eos, there are works by renowned South Australian artist Nici Cumpston, including her photographic works titled Winter.

Walter Brooke director Mark Berlangieri told CityMag: “A lot of the artwork was really selected to complement the interior. It’s quite soft and natural, the palette is pretty much black or white or neutral tones the whole way through.”

Further down the hotel corridor is a commissioned piece by artist Mick Wikilyiri, called Blue Spears.

“And again, it was more about showing Aboriginal art in a more contemporary way, so these are quite abstract,” Mr Berlangieri said.

In front of the elevator door on every level is a display box featuring smaller items made by local craftspeople from institutions such as JamFactory and Greenaway Art Gallery.

Australia’s Art Series hotels are inspired by, and dedicated to, Australian contemporary artists, and offer an extraordinary boutique hotel experience.

Located in art and cultural hubs, each hotel takes design inspiration from the namesake artist.

They include the The Fantauzzo and The Johnson in Brisbane; Perth’s Adnate, which features a monumental artwork spanning 25 storeys as the largest ever painted by street artist Matt Adnate; The Watson overlooking the Adelaide Hills; and the Melbourne hotels, The Olsen, The Chen, The Cullen and The Larwill.

Industry artwork experts sound-off Belinda Price, Product Director at Materialised on how to make art design unique to your hospitality interior project…

“Use inspiration from the location of a project, or even elements of the building. It could be an art deco element for example or a play on the name of the venue. It then becomes a talking point. A story. Once that is established adding art in many ways is endless.

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

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What art options are available?

She says: “There are many options that offer beautiful pattern and texture. You can use conventional art in the form of framed canvas or paper prints with the option for security fixtures and even non-reflective glass for highly reflected areas.

“Commercial spaces often present acoustic challenges, with noise reverberating and echoing off hard surfaces, vast foyers and intimate spaces.

Sound that is not managed properly is a potential stress inducer and contradicts the relaxing experience we want guests to have. So, there are many acoustic art and wall solutions to help solve this.

“Amazing wall murals, wallpaper and wall vinyl often replace a decorative bedhead and we are seeing many calls for customisation in this area to make the space unique, working with artists local to the property for example.”

How do statement pieces create an impression?

“The statement piece could

be the bedhead, the bed runner, drapery, a chair, wall covering or artwork. Once you have established what type of statement piece you use make sure the other elements in the room don’t clash. Choose one or two heroes, not twenty.

“For artwork, size matters! Scaling up on artwork is the easiest way to make a lasting impression.

Ovolo The Valley, Photo: Dion-Robeson

“When choosing a statement piece, it’s so important to consider the mood you want to create in the space and pick an artwork that will reflect it.

Understand the importance of colour theory, and use it to evoke emotions, and command attention. Use the artwork as the anchor for the room, and subtly reference its colour palette in your soft furnishing and styling elements.”

Crowne Plaza Sydney, Images courtesy of Materialised

New trends to eye-up?

“We see a big trend in pattern and colour. Also, biophilia with nature themes and palettes being used through landscapes such as Australian mountains and florals.”

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

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NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Two-Bearded-Men – The Central Hotel, Image courtesy of Materialised

biophilic feature walls Undercurrent worked with Materialised’s

By Deborah Moss, Materialised

in-house team of designers to transform

The Central by Naumi Hotels is

Deborah’s artwork onto ‘Sandy Bank’ wall

an exceptional, boutique lifestyle

vinyl substrate, chosen for its smooth

hotel in the heart of Queenstown,

texture, durability, cleanability and fire rated

New Zealand. A surrealistic

requirements for commercial interiors.

sanctuary in the city centre where

One design challenge was that the original

a creative cool vibe meets a sense of childlike wonder and curiosity.

Paying homage to the surrounding natural environment was a key element of the interior design concept. The client requested that there were to be absolutely no whites or neutral colours. In fact, as a general rule, the bolder the colour the happier the client was going to be.

Designers Undercurrent Studio selected Deborah Moss art to be transformed into stunning bedroom feature walls by Materialised. Deborah’s work so closely aligns with the vision for the hotel, as well as the sustainable ethos that Undercurrent practice in the studio.

I spent some time making the two images blend into each other seamlessly and adding 10 cm of bleed to the top and bottom. I had to ensure I made the art sing!"

– Brigitte Marlot Textile Designer

Designer, Brigitte Marlot, brainstormed ideas to make a rectangular shape work in a way that was sympathetic to the artworks.

“I spent some time making the two images blend into each other seamlessly and adding 10 cm of bleed to the top and bottom,” says Brigitte. “I had to ensure I made the art sing!”

With the prototype approved, Materialised were then able to oversee the digital printing at their manufacturing headquarters in Sydney.

“I am thrilled to see my artworks translated into a dramatic scale and am really impressed with the quality of the colour and details

“My ultimate goal is to create extraordinary spaces for memorable moments. We believe our projects bring a sense of aliveness to the ordinary,” says Director and Designer of Undercurrent, Liv Macfarlane.

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art was square, so Materialised’s Textile

present in the wall vinyl, which mirrors the original works. People seem particularly impressed by the hotel’s decision to embrace colour in a really innovative way.”

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5 bed presentation design trends for your hotel

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

Three industry experts helped us put together this list of five spectacularly simple-to-implement design tips for styling the perfect hotel bed.

5. Sell your accommodation’s sleep experience!

When guests experience the best sleep they have ever had, naturally they want to take the whole bed home!

This is something many hotels have cottoned on to and have figured out how to monetise their sleep experience for guests to do just that. Some hotels even organise delivery of beds and bedding direct to the guest’s home.

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Belinda Price, Materialised

Helen Hurst, Australian Linen Supply & Bev Martin

Erin Coman-Beckett, Design Director of HotelHome, confirms that accommodation providers receive requests from guests to purchase beds and everything on it - including decorative bed coverings! “This is a great indication that the property is doing something right, and their guests are happy,” she says.

4. Add a surprise and customise…

Guestroom beds must be comfortable and feel like home away from home. Whether your guestroom design is minimalist, luxurious, technology-friendly, quirky, or themed, the bed should have that crisp bedding everyone loves but should also feel cosy.

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Erin Coman-Beckett, HotelHome

Guests also love a surprise, and what better way to create an unforgettable memory than to use the bed to stimulate their senses?

Keep a unique twist up your sleeve with some customisation - it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, something as simple as a personalised written welcome note left on the pillow will do the trick.

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

key is really to make the space different from your guests’ homes while still making it comfortable and functional. The whole stay should be a special experience and customisation can really make your property stand out.”

Image courtesy of Australian Linen Supply & Bev Martin

Erin Coman-Beckett agrees: “Guests LOVE to feel that they are on holiday. Beds should look clean and fresh but not too clinical and they should accent the overall feel of the property and location.

Carefully select fabrics in tasteful colours and designs to build your atmosphere and create ambience.

“Little things, from pillows with clean outer covers and germ-free waterproof protectors, can help reassure guests that the property is clean and ensure a pleasant sleep. Guests also like to feel indulged, so offer them something different on the bed such as a special custom-made cushion.”

Belinda Price, Product Director from Materialised, says: “The

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Helen Hurst, from Australian Linen Supply & Bev Martin, adds that a bedcap provides a unique touch to any bed. She says: “Guests expect a modern look and bedcaps are a stylish way to cover beds rather than using bedspreads.”

3. Use local art to create a genuine sense of place.

More accommodation operators now realise guests love to see local art on display, from small sculptures, photography, and artwork to large-scale installations. If local art is integrated into your bed presentation you can create an instant showstopping wow factor with an accent wall above or around your bed.

the room. The use of art or colour should have an impact and draw your guest’s eye to the bed. A bed can sell the room for you.”

In fact, Erin Coman-Beckett’s motto for an accommodation bed is, white is right when it comes to bed linen and sheets.

2. Colour my linen – white or wrong?

Helen Hurst suggests introducing a burst of colour through artwork, the bed cushions, or a bed runner, but warns: “Do not overwhelm the space with colour, it should not take away from the style of

A light, calm colour palette for guestrooms is very much on trend and a fresh, clean finish is also easy to maintain. For guest beds, the traditional ‘white cloud’ effect never gets old.

She explains: “Not only does white bed linen assure the guest that they are sleeping on clean sheets, but also easy to launder. If the proper weight of linen is used the property will find their bedding has longevity even over an extended period.

Image courtesy of Materialised

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Image courtesy of Materialised

Since the pandemic began, accommodation providers have been removing cushions and throws from beds to give guests peace of mind.

disinfectant product which, when used in conjunction with a particular barrier fabric, is effective in killing the COVID-19 virus (evaluated by the EPA).”

“Jacquard stripes can also be very forgiving when used as a quilt cover, presentation sheet or pillowcase, and can help disguise creases on the bed.

method (three flat sheets used on the bed) is the ideal concept for the hotel industry because it looks good, offers a quicker way to make up the bed and is easy to launder.”

She states: “Properties need to ensure they select decorative bed coverings that have genuine commercial specifications that can handle a proper hygiene wash.

“A plain white, heavy gauge polyester cotton construction is the perfect allrounder as it can handle the extra wear and tear of being a bottom or fitted sheet.

Jacquard will not work due to the high low construction not handling the extra abrasion that a bottom or fitted sheet endures.”

1. Cleanliness above everything else.

“By carrying a few spares when it comes to the decorative bed coverings means items such as cushions and bed runners can be rotated and laundered

Helen Hurst agrees: “In my opinion, plain white should be chosen for sheets in the hotel industry. I recommend 50 percent combed cotton with 50 percent polyester blend or an 80 percent cotton with 20 percent polyester blend. To gain great durability of bed sheeting you should always use a commercial grade yarn, it is much thicker.”

She also recommends triple sheeting: “The triple sheeting

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Image courtesy of HotelHome

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Erin Coman-Beckett stresses that the washability of fabric should be the first thing you look for when replacing your bed linen.

Belinda Price told us there is nothing more important than presenting your guests with a pristine clean bed. “When you choose accessories make sure the cushions, bed runners and even bedheads can be cleaned or removed for washing.

There are many textile and wall covering products on the market that have antimicrobial attributes and, in some cases, this does not add much more to the cost,” she explains.

“Fabric disinfectant and keeping surfaces clean is more important than ever and there are disinfection solutions which help keep guests and staff safe. Now there is even a fabric

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between each guest check out.”

Research suggests that COVID-19 can remain on surfaces for up to 72 hours, although researchers are not sure about fabrics.

Erin errs on the side of caution: “Be wary of many domestic quality bed linen products that masquerade as commercial.”

Helen adds that since the pandemic began, accommodation providers have been removing cushions and throws from beds to give guests peace of mind.

They can still be used if they are washable, though: “Stay away from silks, cotton, and delicate fabrics.

Only use commercial grade fabrics like polyester or microfibre.”

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Nailing the ‘Luxe Factor’ with luxury bedding

Photo: Logan Nolin on Unsplash

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

As an industry writer, my own personal travel and guest experiences of course influence my thoughts on what makes a luxurious accommodation experience… What, exactly, gives a hotel room its ‘Luxe Factor’.

I have stayed in dozens of accommodations around the globe, from holiday park cabins to motels and beach resorts, as well as 4-5-star luxury hotels.

The warm glow of luxury that I look for can be found in any accommodation type. It rarely matters what size, standard, or star rating the accommodation has, for me if a property has the ‘Luxe Factor’ it has it.

So, what creates this luxe factor for me? Above all, I demand cleanliness.

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The guest room must smell and look sparkling clean! Of course, my first impression is very important, and I look for comfort, a space that is tastefully furnished and provides nice amenities. However, the most important offering for me, when it comes to the ‘Luxe Factor’ comes down to the bed and its bedding.

A comfortable bed is essential to me because when you strip away every other luxury item, what I am paying for is a good night’s sleep. Once an accom has passed the mattress test, I am on to assess its bedding…

And I want it all! Clean, soft, crisp and durable, with classic white luxury hotel linen. I want to feel snuggled in a cloud of feathers and I want something sumptuous to keep me warm on a cooler night.

Pillows? Oh yes please.

I want lots of pillows in all shapes and sizes.

Turns out, my requirements for a luxe sleep experience are pretty universal.

I asked an industry specialist supplier to find out: According to industry bedding supplier Erin Coman-Beckett from HotelHome, most hotel guests want to feel as if they are the first person who has ever slept in the bed and on the bed linen. On that ‘Luxe Factor’, she advises: “A genuine feather down mattress topper is always the most luxurious touch in any property.”

Erin reveals that a property seeking to add instant luxury to their beds should consider using commercial grade mattress toppers: She says: “A genuine feather and down mattress topper is the only real way to take any property to the next level and offer guests that special feeling of luxury hotel comfort.”

HOUSEKEEPING

The best mattress topper should always be a-top a good commercial quality mattress, but Erin says that a genuine mattress topper does make a world of a difference to almost any mattress unless of course the mattress is lumpy, saggy and in need of replacement.

She warns: “It is not worth installing a quick cheap fix option because guests will always feel the difference. Yes, guests will notice the flat and hungry, lumpy or hot synthetic option you have tried to disguise.”

Erin also recommends selecting natural fibres and avoid synthetics and elastic straps on mattress toppers.

She says: “Natural fibre options, such as feather and down are cooler to sleep on and the topper will keep bouncing back offering longevity and extra comfort. Often elastic straps are attached to lighter toppers to anchor it down.

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Straps should never be used on a quality mattress topper because it should be regularly rotated and puffed.”

Guests today have high pillow expectations, and these can be met without spending unreasonable amounts of money, reveals Erin.

“Try to offer a selection of pillows on the guest bed, provide a combination of soft and medium pillows to satisfy even the fussiest guest. Many of our clients offer guests a combination of pillow sizes from standard and king to majestic king sizes.”

However, accom providers must always use commercial quality pillows and bedding, according to Erin. Otherwise, she says they will quickly notice pillows becoming flat and decorative bed coverings looking shabby, with stains that cannot be washed out or unsightly pilling and pulls. She warns: “This is a mistake many properties make, and guests always notice!”

Accom providers should keep a critical eye on their pillows. “Replace old pillows

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The warm glow of luxury that I look for can be found in any accommodation type

Photo: Nico Frey on Unsplash

with washable pillow options and always use pillow protectors, especially in a commercial environment.

Also look for pillows with a micro ball fill which can be washed on a regular basis.”

Cleanliness is more luxurious than ever!

Since the COVID pandemic excellent hygiene practices must be the top priority. Erin states that washability of bedding has always been her biggest priority.

She says: “Washability must be considered even before design, colour and price.

“Accommodation providers should be promoting their levels of cleanliness to

discerning guests. To create a feeling of confidence, proper bed protection is paramount which can include the use of hot wash waterproof mattress and pillow protectors.”

Washability must also include the bed quilt, and for this to be easily washable it must be light but still suit the location and climate.

Erin explains: “A few years ago, budget style properties were installing quilt protectors. They were just a cheaper stainresistant style product that not only added extra unwanted warmth to the quilt but often trapped stains on the quilt itself. These protectors were also easily torn thus eliminating the purpose of the quilt

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protector in the first place.”

Moreover, she says: “Some properties were not washing the quilts that were inside these covers! Now, with extra attention focused on bed cleanliness, many properties are steering away from the cheap fix option and instead want a good quality washable quilt. A clean quilt that will pass the test when guests look under the sheets.”

Finally, she says: “At the moment we are getting lots of enquiries from properties looking for alternatives to a quilt. Some guests may not fully trust the washability of a quilt and others feel it is too hot.

“Our suggestion is, why not consider a cotton blanket?”

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Hospitality beds

Adjust your thinking!

However, Michael notes that there are no limits on product design, and they can include extras such as a massage function and preset TV/Lounge positions. These are all features that accommodation guests love.

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

Sleep is one of the three pillars of good health…

And a guest review boasting about having a restful sleep in one of your accommodation beds is worth its weight in gold.

A good night’s sleep depends on comfort and bed quality.

Hospitality beds must offer optimum comfort, of course, but they also need to be adaptable, and they need to have longevity.

In the long run, investing in quality beds might just be crucial for the ongoing success of your accommodation business.

“We know that no one wants a bed that looks like it belongs in a hospital therefore we design modern products that blend in any contemporary guest room,” he says.

“We are adding more pre-set sleeping positions to the adjustable bed range. We aim to reduce sleeping issues such as snoring and fatigue and are working on mattress fabrics with innovative thermal conductivity and ventilation.”

Image courtesy of AH Beard

How do commercial beds offer optimum comfort?

Michael Reddy from Avante Australia shared his industry perspective with us this issue: “Commercial mattresses and beds are built to be robust, but they can also be designed with a customer’s sleeping experience in mind. The selection of premium fabrics, a quality spring system and generous comfort layers will provide a distinctive experience for all guests,” he said.

The adaptability of beds and the flexibility of different bed combinations are crucial for the hospitality sector. They

Michael Anderson, National Account Manager, Commercial, Sleepmaker answers questions on hotel beds...

Can you have commercial grade hotel beds but still provide ultimate luxury and guest comfort?

Yes, we take a lot of the technologies and methods we understand in making luxury retail beds and apply this to the hospitality sector, with some

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Peter Deveny, AH Beard

allow managers to redress rooms and suites, reconfiguring layouts to satisfy the widest possible range of guest needs.

Michael confirms that the adjustable bed is a fast-growing sector of his business: “We constantly upgrade our products according to research into the adjustments to ensure we meet Australian and New Zealand standards, as well as ensuring comfort and longevity of the bed.

What are the latest technology innovations in guest sleep comfort?

We have introduced one of our latest innovative technologies - Kulkote, which is an innovative temperature regulating technology, to some of our customer beds and will be rolling this out further in 2021 across our national ranges.

Michael Reddy, Avante Australia

needs of end users. We focus on those who require mobility assistance and have physical limitations. We design the bed with functionalities and accessories to meet individual user’s needs and select the best parts and components to ensure safety and convenience.”

Can you share some tips on space saving solutions for beds?

We produce and supply all types of bedding configurations for many hotels, each have their own preference for room layouts to maximise guest comfort and revenue, and we are currently working on some innovations in this space, so stay tuned.

What about future trends?

We see more properties and brands recognising the importance of sleep and

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Avante beds are perfect for customers in the older age bracket and Michael points out that this consumer group also wants to travel. To capture this market, he says accommodations need to provide more mobility-friendly rooms with suitable adjustable beds.

To increase profits operators can also increase “heads on beds” by very simply using a variety of bed combinations.

Michael suggests: “Use size to your advantage by using smaller size bed bases that attach and create King/Queen size beds when needed.” good quality beds. This has been increasing every year for quite a number of years now and hospitality bedding is becoming more luxurious every day, with guests wanting luxury experiences when they stay in a hotel or resort.

The bedding – from the mattress and base to the pillows, linen and manchester, all play a very big part in ensuring the guest leaves the hotel more than satisfied with their stay.

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equivalent to, or better than what they have at home. This means hotels must adjust their standard to meet the guest expectation.

“As a manufacturer we are constantly developing our design and manufacturing processes to make sure that we are delivering a product that meets the brief from operators. Our beds must offer comfort and performance as well as meet the market expectations around price.”

“Fortunately, Australian bedding manufacturers have access to some of the highest quality foams in the world from foam producers at home in Australia.

Design and durability have also significantly improved.

Image courtesy of AH Beard

COVID affected the bed business in a surprising way: Michael reveals: “It did change our routines, but indirectly it also boosted the home and furniture sector and demand for beds.

“Similarly, with the increase in domestic travel operators are seeing an increased demand to accommodate people with mobilities needs.”

AH Beard Group Commercial Manager Peter Deveny also shared his expertise with us, describing the impact of COVID: “It has been bittersweet for us.

We have watched as long-term customers, many who have been partners of our business for generations, have struggled to cope with almost non-existent occupancy. Some have battled to keep their doors open

and families and employees fed. The good news was the uplift in domestic tourism.

“For us, like most local manufacturers, we are heartened by overwhelming support for local manufacturing. The furniture sector has been largely dominated by imported products but now retailers and consumers alike are supporting local, not just because of quality and service but because they are aware of what it means to local families and businesses. I am very happy that buying locally is seen as the smart choice.”

When it comes to changes in the hospitality bed business, Peter says: “Over the past few years we have seen a change in emphasis from price to comfort and guest satisfaction.

“Driven primarily by guests having access to review sites, operators are making sure that their guest experience is

On future trends, Peter reveals: “For your hospitality beds you can now find virtually unlimited adjustability for guests to enjoy and experience a healthier, more restful sleep. There is also a shift towards improving the whole sleep environment.

We are also seeing a demand for mattress comfort materials and upholstery fabrics that manage heat and humidity.

“We believe that the upward trend to provide healthy sleep and luxury elements like adjustable bases will continue.

Alongside this we believe that sustainability will be a focus in the eyes of discerning guests.”

Peter asks: “Will future guests only choose to stay in properties that commit to buying responsibly sourced and sustainable products?

“We believe so, therefore hotel operators and bed manufacturers need to offer sustainable products without sacrificing comfort, cost or quality.”

Image courtesy of AH Beard

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Executive housekeeper

Theresa

Angeles’s

industry insights

By David Carroll, Industry Reporter

Executive housekeeper Theresa Angeles talks to AccomNews about her role, and the role of the housekeeping team at the 4.5-star Novotel and Ibis Melbourne Central, part of the Accor group which owns, operates and franchises more than 4,100 hotels in 95 countries.

She told us: “When I came to Australia in 1991 it was in recession. I had graduated in the Philippines with a bachelor’s degree of accounting. I completed everything except the board exam but after graduating I came to Melbourne.

Australia was in recession so the quickest job I could get was in housekeeping, but I had no experience in housekeeping. As well as studying accounting I was also managing my family’s restaurant, so my background is food and beverage, but I started as a room attendant in the Victoria Hotel. I was also working at the Welcome Hotel and Crossley Hotel.”

She has been with Accor for many years and jokes: “I’m part of Accor’s furniture. When Ibis Melbourne in Therry St, which is an Accor property, opened here in Melbourne in 1992, I started there as linen attendant and I moved to Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley as housekeeping supervisor.

Theresa Angeles

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“In 2006 I was promoted to assistant executive and later that same year I was promoted HOUSEKEEPING

to my role as an executive housekeeper. After 14 years at Novotel Glen Waverley, I moved to Novotel Melbourne St Kilda and after six years, Novotel and Ibis Melbourne Central opened and has given another opportunity for me to move into a bigger hotel. This is more than double the size, at 472 rooms compared to Novotel St Kilda and Novotel Glen Waverly.”

About her job, she explains: “It’s a challenging role. It is very diverse and very physical.

There are lots of different areas that you need to be an expert and more experienced to be an executive housekeeper.

“I have found it beneficial to have worked in all areas in housekeeping and it benefits the team too. I understand what they must do and what they are going through. The other side of that is, no-one can fool me on the cleaning of rooms!”

Theresa enjoys her job and most of all she loves “working and learning from those in the team, I enjoy helping people”.

“I love to see a room attendant promoted to a different role or moving to a different department. They are always very grateful, but they actually did it, not me, I am just assisting and always there to support my team.

“I also enjoy sharing my experience and I just returned from two months in Hobart as part of the pre-opening team at the new Movenpick Hotel which is a five-star hotel brand of Accor’s. It is the first Movenpick to open in Australia and I have also been helping with the pre-opening of the new Movenpick here in Melbourne.

NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo @ ICC Sydney, 1-2 June 2021

Although the hotel is still under construction, I helped prepare all the tools and equipment for the housekeeping department.”

Theresa is very proud of her (now) smaller team and says: “Before COVID we had about 70 staff in the housekeeping department, including casual, part-time and full-timers. Staff numbers have been reduced to about 30 but they are all very supportive of each other and very passionate at what they do.

I also used to have an executive assistant, two assistant managers and four supervisors but now it’s just me, an assistant manager and three supervisors.”

To be a good team leader she says: “It’s crucial to always acknowledge your staff. Working as a housekeeper is a very physical job so you need to acknowledge hard work. Another thing I have found is that the team is made up of people from different cultures, different ages, different education levels so it is a challenge to balance my approach. However, it is important to be accommodating and approachable to all. Some people might say that you should not get too close with your team because they won’t respect you, but I don’t agree with that.”

The industry has changed, Theresa notes: “Even

Housekeeping team at Novotel and Ibis Melbourne Central

It’s a challenging role. It is very diverse and very physical. housekeeping has moved to using technology with the use of cloud-based housekeeping software. Now iPods have replaced worksheets and supervisors carry a tablet.

This means, for instance that when a guest checks out, the room attendant is automatically updated.”

COVID has changed hospitality:

that are not used rather than leaving them in the rooms.

COVID has also meant that our service is no longer open 24/7, but from 7am until midnight.

Finally, we asked if Theresa has received unique requests from guests…

“Not only have we seen a drastic drop in occupancy levels but we have also implemented a new way of cleaning.

“The thing that stands out is a guest asking for a dozen extra bath towels, hand towels and half-a-dozen of each toiletry item.

“Accor’s new ALLSAFE protocol must be complied with. It includes sanitising all the high touch points every hour, and we have updated protocols for how we clean and service the rooms and isolate amenities

“The guest wanted these extra towels to be piled up in the cupboard but never use them. We were servicing the room every day but he also requested a permanent staff to service his room.”

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HOUSEKEEPING

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

69

Heat on swimming pool efficiency Photo by Drew Dau on Unsplash

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

but if it's too cold to use they might as well not bother.

Hotels and resorts that do not heat their swimming pools are costing themselves thousands of dollars…

“For those hotels and older properties, there's fairly easy and inexpensive options to heat pools these days.

That’s the opinion of industry leader Michael Johnson, who says accommodation providers are wasting big money if they are “spending thousands and thousands on a swimming pool and can't use it for a big part of the year”.

The CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia said any property manager with a swimming pool still had to clean it and use expensive chemicals even in months when it was not being utilised fully.

“I know of hotels that are adapting their pools when they traditionally only had them through summer. Now they have people swimming all year round which is great for their business.”

Jodi Brown, the general manager of the luxury Eos hotel in Adelaide, says her property’s pool is heated to 28 degrees and the jacuzzi to 36 degrees.

“This means we are able to use them at any time of the year,” Ms Brown said.

“Having a heated pool means you get the full cycle of the pool for 12 months of the year, and our guests absolutely love using it.”

Typically, water temperature between 25 and 28 degrees is regarded as optimal for swimming pleasure younger children sometimes like it even warmer.

Without some form of heating though, most pools in Australia hover between 18 and 20 degrees.

So, the power of the sun cannot always be relied on to warm the water, even in summer.

Swimming pool heat pumps use electricity combined with extracting outside air temperature to create extra

He said a heated pool means guests have that satisfaction 12 months of the year rather than just a few.

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

They generally come in two models, known as on/off heat pumps and inverter heat pumps. Inverters are now considered the market leader and typically use far less power.

Standard heat pumps continuously run on a single speed at maximum capacity instead of reducing load when the desired pool temperature is almost reached. This could mean a standard heat pump is wasting energy.

Swimming pool heat pumps with inverters allow the heat pump to adjust its heating capacity depending on the temperature of the pool.

Whether you heat your pool with solar, heat pumps, or gas heaters, automated systems offer integrated pool heating functionality across the board.

This gives you the ability to check and control pool water temperature and outside air temperature on screen. Owners can also reduce heating costs by utilising integrated commands that maximise the use of free energy from the sun.

“Hotels might as well make the most of their pools and have people swimming in them all year round,” Mr Johnson said.

“You can have the loveliest outdoor pool, but if it's too cold to swim through the winter and shoulder months then you really are losing that important facility for a large part of the year. A hotel can advertise that they are providing a pool

energy to heat a pool in a method similar to air conditioners.

Photo by Derek Thomson on Unsplash

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An automation system does much of an owner’s work, such as turning on and off pumps, dosing the pool with sanitiser and monitoring the water chemistry.

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Research into a new microchip developed by the University of South Australia that enables continuous monitoring of pH and chlorine levels, shows it can deliver consistent and accurate pool chemistry for reliable pool management.

The new ‘lab-on-a-chip’ technology makes monitoring swimming pools more affordable, more reliable, and easy to install – even on existing pools.

UniSA researcher and micro/ nanofabrication expert, Associate Professor Craig Priest, says the chip could be a vital addition to Australian swimming pools, particularly as COVID-19 makes people more aware of the importance of pool hygiene.

“Pool chemistry keeps swimmers safe from viruses and bacteria, yet getting it right takes a lot of effort," Assoc Prof Priest says.

“The sensor that we've developed is essentially a ‘lab-on-a-chip’ – a network of microscopic pipes running through a credit card-sized chip.”

Industry professionals also say pool covers are a must because

Talking about inverter heat pumps, Tim said: “They are the latest innovation in pool heating technology and are a popular choice for accommodation managers who want a reliable pool heater that offers a guaranteed water temperature, year-round, with the lowest running costs while also being environmentally friendly.

Pool covers, can in fact reduce the cost of heating a pool by up to 80 percent and save water as well, by dramatically reducing evaporation. they retain heat far better than pools without one and they can also help raise the pool temperatures by 4-8 degrees.

This means the pool won’t take as long to heat, saving electricity and money.

Pool covers, can in fact reduce the cost of heating a pool by up to 80 percent and save water as well, by dramatically reducing evaporation. They also save wear and tear on filters by reducing debris.

But the fabric of the cover can break down over time. The constant temperature variations lead to cracks and peelings. Pool chemicals and ultraviolet light also can have long-term adverse effects on covers. Often, pool covers contain sewn threads

that will become frayed, cut, or will even disintegrate over time.

If the fabric is brittle and stiff, or it has loose or broken threads, it is probably time to replace it.

Industry perspective Tim Martin, General Manager of EvoHeat pool heating and cooling supplier, advised: “Using a pool cover on both indoor and outdoor pools, (to) greatly minimise the evaporation and loss of heat. The cover will trap existent heat in the pool, allowing you to run your pool heater for a shorter amount of time to reach the desired temperature, saving up to 70 percent on your pool heating operating costs.”

“The inverter technology automatically adjusts its power and electricity consumption based on the exact requirements of the pool, this ensures the pool reaches the desired temperature faster and is maintained more efficiently. It will produce up to 15KW of heat from 1KW of electricity, this can be up to 15 times more energy efficient when compared to other heating technologies like electric element and gas.

“Inverter heat pumps offer a very efficient year-round pool heating solution, ideal for all resort and hotel pools. Most come with wifi control - an easy and convenient way to monitor and control your pool heat pump, 24/7, from the convenience of your smart phone.”

Brisbane Marriott Hotel saves 80% pool heating Brisbane Marriott Hotel in Brisbane’s CBD offers guests a stunning combination of 5-star serenity and cuttingedge urban luxury.

boiler with the piping fitted to the exterior of the building in a water catchment area.

Once installed, guests were able to enjoy the pleasant pool temperature while the Marriott were able to greatly reduce their pool operating costs using a reliable and ecofriendly solution.

Overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD skyline, their outdoor Grecian inspired pool located on level four is heated to the perfect temperature throughout the year.

Previously using gas pool heating, the Brisbane Marriot did their research five years ago and decided to upgrade their equipment with an energy efficient and ecofriendly pool heating solution.

After considerable research, EvoHeat were commissioned to supply two EvoHeat CS 38 commercial heat pumps to heat the Grecian inspired pool.

With a combined heating capacity of up to 76kW, the EvoHeat CS commercial heat

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AccomNews - Autumn 2021

Outstanding results Using the latest heat pump technology from EvoHeat, the Marriott reduced their annual pool heating operating costs by over 80%.

Brisbane Marriott Hotel

pumps were the most reliable and cost-effective way to heat the outdoor pool year-round.

The ability to maintain the pool water temperature to within half a degree of the set point while maintaining optimum operating performance made EvoHeat the ideal solution for upgrading their heating equipment.

EvoHeat’s innovative control

system allowed the Marriot to predefine different temperatures, timers and control parameters ensuring the lowest operating costs with minimal upkeep and on-site monitoring.

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Electric vehicles

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

The sale of electric cars in Australia has doubled this year.

In a bid to win new customers, increasing numbers of accommodation providers are supplying guests with charging equipment.

“Hotels and motels have always been quick to adopt new innovations and chargers for electric cars are another way for properties to entice guests,” Mr Long said. “Accommodation providers who equip themselves with chargers are able to use this as a point of difference.”

“Electric cars are becoming more widespread, and we will see them become much more common in the next five to ten years.

“I know the Kurrajong Hotel in Canberra was very quick to come on board with charging equipment and Jerry Schwartz has also taken up the technology for a lot of his properties.”

In 2018, The Schwartz Hotel Group transformed the rooftop of the Mercure Sydney into a major solar energy receptor, to produce renewable energy for the hotel’s operation and help reduce its carbon emissions.

The installation also powers the Mercure Sydney’s electric car charging station, which is available free to guests in the car park. It was one of the first hotels in Sydney to install an in-house electric car charging station, with car charging facilities also available at Schwartz hotels including the Hilton Surfers Paradise, Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, Fairmont Resort and Mercure Canberra.

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Dean Long, CEO of the Accommodation Association of Australia, says that while electric cars are still not widespread in this country, his industry realises the shifting nature of the way guests will travel in the future.

Motoring journalist Paul Gover said most electric vehicles were more expensive than the petrol alternatives and that many drivers still suffered "range anxiety".

He told the ABC that the cars were “terrific if you live in the inner city because the range is fine. But if you want to travel, we're a long way from a tipping point yet of making electric work in Australia.”

Already, though, electric vehicle owners are choosing where they stay, based on how conveniently they can charge their vehicle and at what cost.

Therefore, any regional property offering the facility to charge EVs will attract a share of that business.

Michael Leaney, who owns the iconic Star Hotel in the magnificent tourist town of Walhalla, two hours east of Melbourne, became the first hotelier in his region to install charging facilities for EVs. He installed two units and uses two plugs – a Type 2 for Teslas and a J1776 for other vehicles. He told AccomNews that together with installation, the whole process and equipment cost a combined $4000, but the Baw Baw Shire Councillor

says it is money well spent.

“There is a growing market for EVs and there will be more and more on the road. Melbourne is bristling with plugs, but it dies away quickly in regional areas,’’ he said.

“We installed our units late in 2019 just before lockdown so our promotion for them went pear-shaped.

“But while I can’t say we are seeing a lot of electric vehicles yet, guests with EVs seek you out.

And the demand will become greater and greater as EVs become more popular. “It is certainly a selling point for a hotel to be able to offer EV charging, especially if there are no other hotels doing that within your area.”

Guests at the Star Hotel can charge their electric vehicles for free, while casual users are charged $10 for a full charge, or a percentage of that.

Howard Argus, who owns the Castle Creek Motor Inn at Euroa, two hours north of Melbourne, said he had installed Tesla chargers about three years ago.

“We don`t charge for it, it actually depends on your electricity rates

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as to what it costs,” Mr Argus told his Facebook followers.

“We have solar, so during the day it’s pretty cheap, and overnight it goes onto off peak so still pretty cheap.

“We are the only ones I think between Melbourne and Albury with destination chargers installed, so we got Teslas in here regularly before the virus.

“Some of the other (electric) types stay here as well, but they bring a converter for the Tesla plug.’’

Official new car sales data shows 558 electric vehicles were reported as sold in Australia during January and February of 2021, an increase of 105.1 per cent over the same months last year.

The increase could be higher if Tesla sales were included but although Tesla has been selling cars in Australia since 2014, it does not provide monthly sales updates.

A total of 1769 electric cars were recorded as sold in 2020.

However, CarAdvice confirmed that Tesla alone added a further 3430 sales, bringing the national total to 5199, or around 0.56 percent of the new car market.

AccomNews - Autumn 2021

73

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 effective 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.

3.

4.

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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 - Autumn 2021

5.

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 – 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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All suppliers must receive a nomination from a property currently using their services that is completely satisfied with their levels of service and are prepared to recommend them to another complex in the industry (ie. if asked by another manager they could comfortably recommend the required supplier).

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