AccomNews, Spring 2022

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

EDITOR

Mandy Clarke, editor@accomnews.com.au

INDUSTRY REPORTERS

Sarah Davison, Mike Parker-Brown and Grantlee Kieza

PRODUCTION

Richard McGill, production@accomnews.com.au

ADVERTISING

Joe Clarke, j.clarke@accomnews.com.au Dee Dawson, d.dawson@accomnews.com.au

SERVICE

Gavin Bill, service@accomnews.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS

Brett Fraser, David Nicolas, Eric Reece, Judy Senn, Kerry Williams, Michael Johnson, Peter Shelley, Richard Munro, Stephen Ferguson and Stuart Lamont.

KEY

Commercially funded supplier profile or supplier case study

Supplier information or content

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

2022, you’ve been epic

Welcome to the Spring edition of AccomNews.

In nothing less than an epic quarter for the accommodation industry we witnessed more than one pivotal moment. Possibly the biggest news was the milestone agreement made by leading industry bodies AAoA, AHA and TAA, and now they are a step closer to being a proposed merged entity. The new “Accommodation Australia”. will be headed by industry legend Leanne Harwood, and recruitment for the inaugural CEO role is already underway. The news followed the announcement of the imminent departure of Richard Munro from his role as Interim CEO of AAoA, Michael Johnson will support the existing team at AAoA as interim CEO.

AccomNews wishes to thank Mr Munro for his work towards the success of the merger and the huge contribution he has

made to our industry, especially in his efforts to get the sector back on the road to recovery. Of course, we also thank him for his wise words and many editorial contributions to this publication. In other news, the long-awaited, Albanese Government Jobs and Skills Summit was recently held in Canberra’s Parliament. By all accounts some important decisions were canvassed and made, the summit was attended by many accommodation and tourism industry leaders

who reported success, and movement forward in a range of plans to alleviate the chronic worker shortage that is crippling our sector’s recovery.

In Sydney in September, AccomNews was delighted to attend The NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo 2022. It was a groundbreaking event and a fantastic opportunity to catch up with friends, colleagues, lots of new faces and many interesting people, enjoy reading all about it on pages 20 to 30.

Once again in Sydney AccomNews attended the very successful HICAP Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific ANZ 2022. I was honoured to be invited to host a session with Phillipa Harrison, General Manager of Tourism Australia and Stephen Hamilton the Director of Horwath HTL NZ.

At HICAP 2022 I was very fortunate to be given the

opportunity to touch base with many inspiring industry leaders, including Rajeev Menon, President Asia Pacific (excluding China) Marriott International. Mr Menon described his experience at the event as “powerful and energising” you can read my full interview with Mr Menon on pages 16 and 17.

Back to this magazine, I am thrilled to introduce our newest editorial contributor, David Nicolas. In this issue he talks about how the accommodation industry can go “Beyond green washing”, and in future editions you can look forward to him sharing ideas on sustainability and well-being initiatives for the hospitality and accommodation sector.

Finally, I hope you enjoy this issue of AccomNews, incredibly it is the last magazine of the year.

See you in 2023!

Cheers, Mandy.

Mandy Clarke, Editor editor@accomnews.com.au

Long and winding road to accommodation’s new era

Work Act, there are a number of regulatory steps to follow.

The amalgamation plans will now go to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for approval.

The FWC will hold a hearing in late November on its decision to allow the amalgamation to go on to a member ballot.

will be headed by industry legend Leanne Harwood with Sean Hunt Vice-President and Bruce Copland Treasurer.

This month the Australian Hotels Association National Executive and Board – representing Tourism Accommodation Australia - and the Accommodation Association of Australia Council voted unanimously on the same historic day to move forward together.

After substantial work from both organisations over the last 16 months, this is a pivotal moment for the accommodation sector nationwide.

While there are still some steps to take along the road, this is

Michael Johnson CEO, Tourism Accommodation Australia

the major step to unlocking the power of a unified national voice for the accommodation industry. The advantages of combined membership, resources and expertise cannot be underestimated and cannot come at a more crucial time for our sector.

With both the AAoA and the AHA (TAA) registered under the Fair

In February 2023, the Australian Electoral Commission will conduct a secret postal ballot of AAoA members, and in April 2023 the FWC will make its final orders regarding the proposed amalgamation.

We are taking the time to get this process right and secure the relevant regulatory approvals from the FWC as efficiently as possible, but we are simultaneously also planning for the future.

The new merged entity, Accommodation Australia,

The search for the first CEO of Accommodation Australia is already underway, and I have been appointed interim CEO of AAoA in the meantime, in addition to continuing in my role as TAA NSW and National CEO. Accommodation Australia will draw on the considerable scale of our combined member base to ensure the accommodation industry is top of mind for governments at a state and federal level. We have huge challenges ahead, with the staffing crisis and the ‘stop start’ recovery in international tourism, but there certainly has never been a more exciting and optimistic time to be part of our resilient sector.

Travelling again is great but...

By Peter Shelley, Managing Director, Australian Tourism Export Council

In the world of the Federal Treasury, Australia’s balance of payments is an important economic indicator as it shows how our resources flow out of the country and what we bring in to consume. Exporting more than you import creates a trade surplus and it’s what we aim for.

Since our borders reopened, Australians have been getting back to what they’ve always loved, travelling the globe. We’ve seen a steady month-on-month growth in the number of Australians taking an overseas holiday with the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing close to 350,000 of us returned from an overseas holiday in July. However, the number of Australians travelling

abroad has been outstripping the number of international visitors arriving - 93,000 in July, a 257,000 variation in the balance of inbound versus outbound travel.

At the same time, it is pleasing to see that our domestic travel demand has been holding up reasonably well, but many anticipate this demand will soften outside of school holiday periods over coming months. So, if we still have reasonably busy tourism businesses even given the sluggish return of international visitors, what’s the problem?

First, domestic travellers tend to spend a lot less than international visitors. They have their own car, stay with friends, are comfortable with planning their own itinerary and are less likely to spend up on some of the more expensive big-ticket items of travel. Current Deloitte research shows the significantly higher value of international tourists suggesting one international visitor to Australia is equal to seven domestic trips.

Secondly, those international visitors we’ve previously enjoyed hosting here are still travelling but are doing it closer to home which means the northern hemisphere’s international tourism industry is recovering much faster than ours. For many, Australia has simply been put on the back burner while the world settles down not just from the chaos of COVID but from global political tensions, exorbitant oil prices, air capacity and economic uncertainty.

Third, we are all aware that balancing up the numbers of inbound and outbound volumes is critical for the management and growth of flight capacity (number of seats), and aviation sustainability generally.

Finally, there is a fundamental need to ‘balance the books’ by ensuring the value of foreign revenue arriving with international visitors is closer to the value of Australian dollars flying out of the country with departing Australians, this is of particular interest to our friends in Treasury.

We always knew that rebuilding our international visitor market would be challenging and now we are beginning to see just how challenging it will be. In July 1991, the year we first started to measure our inbound visitor numbers 130,000 international visitors arrived here for a holiday. That number is around 35,000 less today and when you compare this year to the 350,000 from July 2019 it is clear we have a lot of ground to make up.

To make up that ground we will need a collective investment, across business and government, in getting our industry back into the market and back on track.

We must keep an eye on the long game and recognise this current trade imbalance has the potential to distort our industry’s rebound. By prioritising our collective efforts in addressing this imbalance we will quickly erase the ‘30 year’ performance gap and embark on a much needed rebuild to deliver $45 billion in revenue once again to the Australian economy.

It has been a long time coming - and the road has at times been winding - but the future single voice of the accommodation sector is now clearly in our sights.

Accommodation and hospitality represented at Jobs and Skills Summit

Everyone would be aware the Albanese Government held its long awaited Jobs and Skills Summit at Canberra’s Parliament House recently.

It was a true honour to be there to represent hospitality, including the hard-working accommodation sector, as one of 52 business and industry group representatives (the remainder of the 143 delegates were drawn from trade unions, all three tiers of government and various community groups). And it could not have come at a more important time for our embattled sector as we face chronic staff shortages, visa backlogs for skilled workers and the hangover of the COVID pandemic.

Walking into Parliament, seeing big business leaders happily chatting with union delegates before the summit started was a sight unthinkable a few months ago. An immediate lift.

It was an early win for the government, it succeeded in bringing together disparate groups who definitely do not usually see eye to eye, or even communicate at all except before the Fair Work Commission or over a picket line.

The two-day summit followed more than 100 roundtables across Australia and across different portfolios in recent weeks, our sister organisation Tourism Accommodation Australia and its CEO Michael Johnson (and the Accommodation Association’s Richard Munro) prominent at the tourism roundtable for example.

It was a heavy responsibility being the sole representative for nearly 100,000 businesses in the hospitality, accommodation, and food service sector and, I think, indicative of the respect in which the AHA (and TAA) is held across all sides of politics especially after working with

unions on practical measures to help workers and business during the height of COVID.

We had also prepared a detailed 35-page submission with supporting practical economic evidence from EY which really told of the impact on our sector.

The figures speak for themselves - hospitality short 102,000 workers - more than 23,000 baristas, 13,000 bartenders almost 12,000 chefs, 7,000 plus housekeepers across accommodation and 11,700 kitchenhands needed.

And needed now.

Not yesterday.

Not last week.

Now.

I’m pleased to say there was strong recognition across the summit regarding the worker shortages, and it was something I pushed hard on from the start.

As much as there is an understanding skilled and unskilled migration are necessary to plug gaps, there was also a strong theme other domestic worker markets could be better developed, especially mature aged workers and females returning to work.

It was good to see the government announce an initiative to enable more age pensioners to get back into the workforce. Age pensioners will receive a one-off

credit of an additional $4,000 over this financial year without losing any of their pension.

This is a good start, but more can be done, and we believe the mature age market is an untapped local resource not reliant on migration. It’s here now and can start work tomorrow.

Regarding the current vexed visa processing backlog blighting the accommodation sector and the entire hotel industry, it was good to see the government allocate $36.1 million and an additional 500 staff to process the backlog of more than 900,000 visas, a problem they have largely inherited.

The AHA, TAA and AAoA had previously met with Immigration Minister Hon Andrew Giles MP on this matter. Minister Giles promised to do more, and he has delivered.

As mentioned above, skilled migration was a big topic at the summit.

We had long been pushing for an increase to the migration cap, which pleasingly was increased by another 30,000.

Unfortunately, despite our calls to reduce labour market testing and skills assessments, these tests are likely here to stay.

The government has also announced it will be completely reviewing the migration system and will be appointing three eminent Australians to conduct the review. The review will look at the current complex visa system including 70 different visa types,

labour market testing, skills assessments and the TSMIT.

The TSMIT was amended ten years ago and set at $53,900, but it was not indexed. The government has a strong view it needs to be increased, likely at least to the tune of CPI over the last ten years.

In other matters impacting accommodation at the summit, the government announced it was reviewing the workplace bargaining system and intended to introduce multi-employer and sector wide bargaining. This is a critical watching brief for our sector and make no mistake we will be watching closely.

At the end of the summit, it was good to see Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers announce 36 immediate initiatives the government would act immediately on; plus, about another 36 initiatives the government will do further work on.

I congratulate Prime Minister Albanese and Treasurer Chalmers for their initiative.

The summit brought people together in the one room who would not normally ever see each other, a range of views were canvassed, some important decisions were actually made but now is the time for action to alleviate this worker shortage that is crippling recovery across our great hospitality sector.

Let’s work together, the accommodation sector, hotels, Government, business, and unions to make it happen.

Stephen Ferguson CEO, Australian Hotels Association

Skilled migration was a big topic at the summit

Queensland tourism industry update

As we welcome spring and an influx of domestic visitors over the recent holiday period, our tourism industry continues to grapple with staffing and costing challenges, while simultaneously celebrating positive visitor and occupancy rates.

While Queensland operators across the board are reporting a remarkable uptick in visitor numbers compared to the same time last year, businesses still struggle to fill critical skills gaps.

In an effort to tackle these unprecedented workforce challenges, the federal government held a much-talkedabout Jobs and Skills Summit in early September. The Albanese government invited Queensland Tourism Industry Council, along with other industry bodies, representatives from civil society, government, and employers to participate in these important conversations. The summit provided a timely opportunity to

have the real-world concerns of industry voiced on a national stage.

The two-day event delivered several significant and immediate measures. A number of which will make a direct contribution to the revitalisation of our visitor economy. From introducing measures aimed at reducing employment barriers, to easing visa applications pressures and providing funding for vocational education, the summit spoke directly to many of the challenges faced by our industry.

While more work must be done and no silver bullets were provided for the tourism sector, it is affirming to see that government has listened and responded to

some of our immediate concerns. The new tone of collaboration between industry and government allows us to move forward with renewed optimism in tackling our pressing workforce challenges.

Job vacancies continue to grow month on month, with latest figures showing that Queensland tourism and hospitality businesses are looking to fill 6,122 positions. From tour guides and customer service managers to chefs and adventure tourism specialists, these empty roles are deeply affecting operators. We know that many business owners and senior managers are having to pick up tea towels, don aprons and drive the tour buses to ensure services continue operating.

In Queensland, these efforts haven’t been left unrewarded as the latest figures from Tourism Research Australia show that our sunshine state broke records for domestic visitor spending in the year to June 2022. Domestic holidaymakers and weekend warriors spent a nation-leading $19.6 billion in Queensland.

While destinations like Brisbane,

Amalgamation a step closer

The much talked about amalgamation of the peak bodies of AAoA and AHA/TAA has taken its most significant step so far.

On Friday September 30, the respective Boards passed the resolutions to officially submit the requisite documents to the Fair Work Commission to proceed to the formal process.

“It takes a village to raise a child” and many industry leaders have worked hard to achieve this incredible milestone which

will ultimately benefit our members with better services, benefits and advocacy.

With this milestone achieved I will depart as Interim CEO of knowing the industry is recovering well and we have a great trajectory, and my contract is complete.

We will have immediate challenges, which the teams at both AAoA and TAA are dealing with.

The biggest issue still remains the Labour and Skills crisis. The key advice we are providing to government is to remove barriers to employ domestic and international workers and remove antiquated requirements

the Tropical North and the Gold Coast were standouts for visitors, all 13 of our state’s tourism regions were in the top 50 for visitor spending across the country. This is wonderful news for our state’s visitor economy and the operators who work tirelessly to make Queensland a standout destination.

Another exceptional location and a quintessential outback Queensland destination is Winton, who, I am pleased to share, took out silver at the Australian Top Tourism Town Awards in September. With a population under 1,500 and a community that works tirelessly to make Winton a must-see destination, they were crowned Queensland’s Top Tiny Tourism Town earlier in the year at our state awards. Congratulations to Strahan, Tasmania who took out the top national spot.

As we celebrate these wins, we are reminded of why we work so hard to ensure Australia remains a world-class visitor destination. While the challenges remain, the positives are slowly mounting and serve as a sign of the good times that are ahead for our tourism industry.

on business owners such as labour market testing especially when the unemployment rate is as low as 3.5 percent.

The AAoA and TAA recently made a submission ahead of the October budget due to be handed down on October 25. This special budget was an election commitment by the new government to implement its election priorities as well as several key short term policy recommendations from the Jobs and Skills Summit.

We made 20 recommendations for the Federal October 2022 to 2023 budget and the document will be available on the website shortly.

Brett Fraser Chief Executive, Queensland Tourism Industry Council

Richard Munro CEO, Accommodation Australia

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Industry success "Always On" throughout pandemic

There is no denying the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on Australian domestic tourism. Border closures and travel restrictions wreaked havoc on both international and domestic markets alike and sent most of the industry into a state of hibernation. While the worst of the pandemic may have passed, lingering financial stress continues to impact many operators who are battling to survive or claw back operational cashflow.

To support industry through this unprecedented event, Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) proactively responded to market conditions to keep caravanning and camping ‘front of mind’ to the consumer at all times. Maintaining an "Always On" marketing presence throughout the pandemic not only supported operators at the time but also favourably positioned the caravan and camping sector for a swift rebound when the country opened back up, results of which have been seen through recent tourism numbers.

Camp at Home Heroes, (Easter 2020)

The Easter holiday period is usually a buzz with much excitement as Australians take advantage of the public holiday days to travel for leisure and/or family get-togethers. This is in stark comparison to how the 2020 Easter holiday period played out, where Australians were subject to strict ‘stay at home’ orders and social distancing directions.

Conscious of a holiday lockdown, CIAA activated a

hasty “Camp at Home Heroes” initiative, designed to encourage campers to reimagine their camping trip at home rather than 'cancelling'. Campers that shared their ‘camp at home’ experience through social media went into a draw to win holiday park vouchers. The initiative was not aimed at immediate market conversion, but rather at keeping consumers connected with the industry to maintain 'stickability' when travel restrictions eased.

Travel Your Road (June to September 2020)

With an estimated media value in excess of $5 million, the "Travel Your Road" campaign, developed in partnership with Tourism Australia, was one of the first significant tourism industry recovery efforts of the pandemic.

Launched in June 2020 across print and digital, the campaign highlighted the benefits of domestic road trip holidays and leveraged the absence of international travel by inspiring Australians to explore their own backyard.

A wealth of content was incorporated into the campaign and was brought to life through aspirational lifestyle editorials designed to appeal to the identified target audiences. At campaign end, a total digital reach of 10.9 million and print media readership of 6 million was achieved, which resulted in over 32,000 referrals to industry businesses.

Win a Weekender (August to September 2021)

The "Win A Weekender" promotion has run (almost) annually since 2018 and while not specifically targeted as a COVID-19 recovery effort, it remained valuable as part of CIAA’s "Always On" marketing approach throughout the pandemic. The 2021 promotion ran while major lockdowns were in place for Victoria and New South Wales and at a time when Australia was sitting on a record-high level of accrued leave. These factors presented an opportunity to capture new audiences not previously engaged with caravanning and camping product.

Over 29 million newspapers in August and September carried camping messaging that positively positioned industry to a captive audience supported by $300,000 worth of caravanning and camping prizes, at a time when family and friends were looking forward to reuniting in the approaching summer and acting on their pent-up demand to travel and explore. This led to over 51 percent increase in total campaign entries from previous years and kept the industry active in the minds of the consumer in the lead-up to state borders reopening.

Road to a Million (June to October 2022)

Ongoing natural disasters on top of the lingering impacts of COVID-19 caused the caravan and camping visitor segment to reduce their trip length and distance travelled, significantly impacting accommodation occupancy and revenue. To address this, a "Road to a Million" consumer stimulus campaign was launched in June 2022 designed to encourage consumers to not just take up travel, but to travel further and for longer periods. Moreover, this objective had to be achieved quickly, since operators particularly in highly desirable but

transit locations, were working with depleted funds following two years of lockdowns and travel restrictions and couldn't wait for a summer or holiday influx to recoup operational funds.

The campaign incentivises Australians to travel by offering the chance to win $1,000,000 with entries earned by staying in a caravan park and/or renting a recreational vehicle during the promotional period. To encourage dispersal into the regional areas experiencing the greatest decline and who would not normally directly benefit from such industry stimulus activities; the number of entries per night is multiplied, by up to five, the further a park is from one of the five major capital cities as determined by a zoning system. To date more than 60,000 individual entrants have registered their caravan park stays, representing over 268,000 nights in market.

Further, based on a consumer survey; 71 percent of entrants said the campaign will likely influence a further booking this year, 34 percent said it influenced a winter holiday they otherwise might not have taken, and 19 percent said they booked additional nights as a result of the campaign. Additionally, 20 percent said they travelled further due to the campaign, which was reflected in ‘distance travelled’ during July having significantly increased compared to pre-pandemic levels, with trips greater than 2,000km now accounting for 27 percent of all trips, versus 19 percent in 2019.

All the above marketing initiatives played fundamental roles in ensuring above average activity through and post-COVID relative to other tourism sectors. The tangible success of CIAA’s COVID marketing responses can be seen in the most recent industry figures with the June 2022 quarter recording 3.9 million trips and 14.1 million nights: the largest June quarter on record for nights and the second highest for overnight trips.

Stuart Lamont CEO, Caravan Industry Association of Australia

Handy tips:

Surprise and delight guests who have a disability

Surprising and delighting your guests is the core of who you are as a tourism accommodation provider or operator. But

how can this be achieved if a guest has a disability?

Those who are not familiar with disabilities and the unique challenges they present, might ask this question.

First, let me tell you that no two disabilities are the same, therefore you cannot please everyone. But by making small changes you most certainly can delight most of your guests who have disabilities. And for that matter, you can delight many of our ageing population too. After all, a retiree with a bad hip or a bung knee would appreciate the convenience of step free access or the stability of a shower seat.

I am about to share five helpful, cost-effective, and practical ways to wow your guests with disabilities. All items I recommend can be easily purchased, stored and moved in and out of guest rooms, depending on what the occupying guests needs are on any particular stay.

1. Make your accessible shower more accessible

Imagine this, you are a guest with mobility issues, and you arrive on holiday but despite booking the accessible room you realise that you cannot use the loo or shower!

This is a very common experience for people with disabilities.

In this scenario the accommodation provider is confident they have done the right thing. After all they have provided an ‘accessible

bathroom’ because the shower is step free (but we have also found that not all ‘accessible bathrooms’ are totally step free) and a fold down shower bench has been fitted. However, feedback from guests with disabilities tells us that this typically ‘accessible” bathroom may not be useable by 50 percent of them. That’s right statistics from our website show that half of our 30,000 followers cannot use this type of fold down shower bench because they do not have the upper body strength. Even worse, users told us they may be in danger of sliding right off!

This is vital information that the building regulations negated to consider.

So, how do you please this half of your guests with disabilities?

Simple…

Instead of a fixed fold down chair, invest in a freestanding shower chair that is height adjustable and has arms, or better yet, one that allows side transfer.

2. Now for the loo

Providing a toilet at the right height is critical for a person with mobility issues. The “disabled” toilets are rather ugly, and it’s not just me saying this, our followers feel the same.

A fantastic alternative is an ‘over toilet chair’, or if you are tight for space, I recommend a toilet seat raiser space saver because it is height adjustable and sturdy.

3. Bin your pedal bins

A wheelchair user is generally unable to use their feet, therefore pedal bins are one of their biggest bug bears. A very simple and thoughtful fix to make life easier? Swap pedal bins for top opening bins.

4. Rearrange your accessible selfcontained kitchen appliances

Pull up a chair and take a seat in your kitchen ‘cooking triangle' and see if you can reach all the essential cookware items and appliances.

Dexterity is a common issue for people with disabilities and therefore pouring hot water can be very dangerous. That’s why it’s a good idea to offer what is called an 'Easy Pour Tipping Kettle'. It has a tilt function, which makes it ideal for people with reduced hand function, tremors, or visual impairment.

5. Make sure your guest room balcony is accessible

Can guests with disabilities fully enjoy the guest room balcony? Figures from our website show 70 percent of accessible rooms with a balcony are inaccessible.

A simple solution is a ramp. The rubber threshold ramps are very affordable and come in a variety of heights. They simply require you to measure the lip of the door for a perfect fit before you order. For higher thresholds, a metal ramp might be a more practical and durable alternative solution.

A final thought. I’ve found that whenever an accommodation provider ‘goes that extra mile’ for any guest it is very much appreciated. And if you strive to enrich the accommodation experience of your guests with disabilities by taking simple but thoughtful actions, it will certainly be noticed.

Minor adjustments or small investments will surprise and delight your guests with disabilities and most importantly they feel heard.

Kerry Williams Founder, Accessible Accommodation

Image courtesy of The Accessible Group

Better together

HoneyBadger Technologies & Simplifi Merger

HoneyBadger and Simplifi have merged to create a single point supplier for the hospitality industry.

HoneyBadger Technologies, a leading provider of innovative Digital Integration Solutions, In-Room technologies, Guest TV entertainment, and IPTV solutions and Simplifi, a fully managed HSIA Network and Wi-Fi Solutions provider have merged to become a single source provider.

The merger promises to provide high-end digital integrated solutions for the hospitality, mining, aged care and hospital market segments.

“Aligning our brands will enable us to deepen relationships with our customers and partners and further enhance the services offered to their guests.” said Heinrich Saayman, Founder and Director of HoneyBadger Technologies. “Our hotel partners from global chains to smaller independent hotels want a competitively priced single source supplier and we have taken their advice and merged to provide exactly that offering.”

David Lowthian, Founder and Director of Simplifi added, “We are pleased to merge our companies for the benefit of

the industry. As we expand our products and services across all levels of the vertical industries we are currently addressing and expanding into new areas for the growth of the business. At HoneyBadger/Simplifi, our focus is our customers’ focus - guest satisfaction, coupled with a drive to improve that guest satisfaction using

specifically designed digital technology solutions.”

About HoneyBadger Technologies

HoneyBadger Technologies is an Australian company with over a decade of experience in creating innovative Digital Integration Solutions, InRoom technologies, Guest TV entertainment, and IPTV solutions. Our solutions power rooms across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji & Samoa and APAC. One of the major advantages of working with HoneyBadger Technologies is knowing that we front the world’s largest provider of hotel guest technologies. Our SONIFI STAYCAST™ powered by Google Chromecast is best of breed and exclusive to HoneyBadger Technologies.

Our engineers and our technical teams are all locally based. Our tailor made brand compliant systems are matched to offer maximum brand exposure whilst delivering superior guest experiences.

About Simplifi

Simplifi is a fully managed HSIA Network and Wi-Fi Solutions provider and is partnered with ANTLabs to provide the best Guest Wi-Fi experience in the industry.

Simplifi was founded in 2015 by industry professionals that have been working in the Hospitality IT industry for over 15 years and are a Ruckus Wireless Tier 1 Hospitality Partner.

Our multi award winning technology solutions provide best of breed converged network solutions.

At Simplifi our goal is to ‘Future-proof’ your network to enable additional applications and services (eg IP-TV, Digital VOD, roaming check-in, OTT technology, PABX and more) to run securely over the same infrastructure maintaining the highest possible return on investment for the customer.

For more information contact us at www.honeybadger.tech

HoneyBadger Technologies is an authorised reseller of SONIFI. SONIFI® & STAYCAST® are registered trademarks of SONIFI Solutions, Inc. Google Chromecast is a trademark of Google LLC. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owner.

Here’s a limited time offer from HoneyBadger/Simplifi

Elevate your hotel’s entertainment experiences when you purchase the Samsung 55” HAU8000 hospitality TV model and receive a complimentary Chromecast solution from HoneyBadger / Simplifi for each TV purchased.* (Terms and conditions apply)

Your guests can experience the vivid picture quality of home entertainment systems and technology to display content in UHD resolution – four time the pixels of standard FHD.

Selecting a model that has an ultra slim design and light weight ensures a stylish environment without heavy mounts or cables on display.

Taking advantage of this offer gives you access to incredible content development flexibility over 2000+ apps, touchless integrations, personal support and provides a high ROI on your investment.

SONIFI’s STAYCAST™ solution is the number one hotel in-room entertainment system trusted by global hospitality brands for its ease of use, service and reliability.

Let your guests have a safe and seamless experience while staying at your property, using our touchless offering they will be in control during their stay. Simply scan the QR code on the TV welcome screen and your guests are able to take secure control of the TV from their device – all touchless and convenient.

Freedom to choose where you work

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

It took a global pandemic to trigger the trend to ‘work from home’ and accelerate demands to ‘work from anywhere’.

Some say this trend will reverse, but economics, improved work performance and lifestyle preferences suggests otherwise. Improved digital solutions make the trend possible.

When it comes to Property Management Systems (PMS) cloud-based solutions and apps can offer everything from online payments, staff and guest communications, to guest check-in, remote monitoring, data collection and accounting.

If claims are true that a PMS app not only helps make remote work possible but also

reduces staff and admin costs, increases revenue streams, and most importantly improves the guest experience, could there be a rapid movement towards remote property management? AccomNews investigates…

Q&A with Stephen

Martin, Chief Sales Officer RMS

Can accommodation managers really do everything from an app?

We have considered all angles to help alleviate management with the right tech solutions and grow guest experiences that make happier guests. RMS' diverse suite of mobile friendly apps has a custom-built solution for staff, managers, guests, and housekeeping that brings all your communication into one place and is accessible from any device.

Our mobile portals are designed to bring together management and guests to find the right solution for everyone.

What are the possibilities and limitations of Property Management Apps?

Stephen Martin Chief Sales Officer RMS

For example, you can allow your guests to check in via our Guest Portal, which cuts back on wait times and reduces front desk pressures, or you can let your managers communicate with housekeeping on what room needs to be cleaned and updated schedules.

A limitation is not having a proper operational solution that seamlessly communicates management with staff and guests and helps to save time. RMS' intuitive property app suite opens endless possibilities including transparency across housekeeping, such as monitoring what room needs to be cleaned and how much bed linen has been sent to the drycleaning.

This opens the opportunity to grow your bottom line with access to data you otherwise wouldn't have.

Property Management Apps:

Management can create valuable reports from within the RMS Staff Portal app, compare costs, and improve efficiencies.

On the flip side, RMS aims to provide elevated guest experiences with a banded guest portal that communicates with your guests, allowing them complete control over how they manage their bookings, mini bar or late checkout all in one place.

This saves management and front desk time and creates valuable guest experiences by seamlessly giving guests the opportunity to choose what they want.

What are the benefits of having the freedom to choose where you work?

One of the most significant benefits of working with RMS software is that it is based in the cloud, meaning you can access the entire RMS portal suite from anywhere and at any time. Let your managers connect to staff in real-time while travelling between locations or allow your guests to log in via the guest portal to check in before arriving.

with

What are the possibilities and limitations of Property Management Apps?

The possibilities are endless, dependent on how well built the app is. Remember it is an extension of your PMS, and your PMS should always be your source of truth.

The limitations really tend to relate more to the willingness of the user to adopt new processes and to get used to the flow of the app. As we all know, it can take time to become familiar with new systems, and this can create some reluctance to change.

What is the setting up process and what are the costs involved?

Setting up can be quick and easy if the app has been built as an extension of the PMS and has two-way seamless connectivity. You shouldn’t need to pay a high fee for an app. Many providers will include it in their PMS pricing, or perhaps ask for a small monthly fee. Can an app be trusted for secure, fast, and easy payments?

How much can accommodation managers do from an app?

There is certainly a lot that can be completed from an app. All the basic everyday processes can be accomplished by a good quality, well-built app.

It should be an extension of the PMS, rather than a stand-alone application. However, if your PMS has extensive functionality, it may not be practical to include everything in the app as it can become too unwieldy.

An app is not a suitable tool for handling payments unless it is connected to a secure industry certified payment gateway. Do not consider using an app for payments if it is not an extension of a secure PMS or connected to a secure gateway for payments. What are the benefits of having freedom to choose where you work?

There are extensive benefits. The ability to work from home, for instance, kept many businesses ticking over during

the constraints posed by lockdowns during the pandemic. However, it is very important that freedoms don’t come at the expense of the security of your business information and data. For example, using public wifi to access browser-based software doesn’t provide the same peace of mind as a secure link to your own private cloud. It is your obligation to ensure that the security of your business information and your guest data isn’t compromised in your desire for greater work freedom.

What are the latest apps and what would you like our readers to know?

The latest apps to hit the market are comprehensive housekeeping and check-in tools. These take housekeeping organisation and communication with your guest via check-in portals to a whole new level.

Calling some of these ‘an app’ almost disparages their capabilities!

What is in store for the future?

Really the focus for the future should be more about connectivity and distribution than ‘tools’. Whilst they are all great to have, it is ‘bums in beds’ that create profit. If the tools simplify processes for you so that you can concentrate on increasing your bookings, then well and good.

Don’t limit yourself by choosing ‘pretty’ and ‘simple’ products with limited connectivity. Look for products that offer choice of distribution channels and the ability to maximise your profits.

Q&A

Sylvia Johnston HiRUM Software Solutions

Sylvia Johnston Senior Executive, HiRUM Software Solutions

The possibilities are endless, dependent on how well built the app is

Hyperlocalisation agility & innovation

By Mandy Clarke, Editor Rajeev Menon, President

Asia Pacific (excluding China) Marriott International, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule, to talk to AccomNews.

You now have three decades of experience in the industry but what was your first foray into hospitality?

I joined the hotel industry over 30 years ago, starting out at the Sir Stamford Double Bay and Stamford Plaza Double Bay in Sydney, Australia.

Four years later, in 2001, I joined Marriott International, and soon became General Manager of the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre and Marriott Executive Apartments, Mumbai. Since then, I’ve taken on a number of different roles, living in multiple major cities around the globe, mentoring employees and serving guests.

What is it about this industry that excites you the most?

It is my passion for people that really got me started in hospitality, what drew me to Marriott International many years ago, what keeps me going and what excites me the most.

What lessons have you taken from the ‘ups and downs’ of the last couple of years?

After spending almost three decades in the industry, the last two years have undoubtedly been the most challenging and difficult. The pandemic has been one, if not the worst crisis to hit the hospitality industry.

However, it was also an incredible time of learning for me, as we weathered the storm together, grew closer as a team and came out of it stronger.

Take care of employees and always put people first

To me, there are three main key learnings that I have taken away from the past two years. The first is hyperlocalisation. Hyperlocalisation continues to be important, as we at Marriott International continue to focus on relevant partnerships locally. Our collaboration with Rakuten, launching Japan and Korea co-branded credit cards are just a few of the many examples we are doing that.

The second is agility. The situation over the last two years was immensely fluid and challenging at times with unpredictable outcomes. In order for us to overcome the challenges, we needed to be and still continue to be mindful of the volatility of pandemic, even now post-pandemic. Lastly, innovation was and continues to be key. During the pandemic, we had to adapt to a more digital approach compared to our traditional methods of hospitality. This included introducing innovative solutions and ideas like Marriott Bonvoy on wheels which brought hotelquality food to the comfort of homes, and the launch of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy which provided opportunities to guests to create a positive impact on the environment and communities as they increasingly look for purposeful travel.

To help ensure guests’ safety and well-being, we also pivoted to more digital and technological solutions like mobile chats and digital check-ins for our guests.

You lead Marriott with such passion, why do you love the brand so much?

One of the core values of Marriott International is ‘Putting people first’, this is something that truly resonated with me over 20 years ago when I joined the company and still does, even today. It is this key value that helped the company navigate

Rajeev Menon, President Asia Pacific (excluding China) Marriott International

Success is never final

and weather the storm of the pandemic and goes far beyond just caring for our guests.

“Take care of the associates and they will take care of the customers”. This is our founder’s philosophy and, for more than 95 years, Marriott has committed ourselves to nurturing and empowering our associates across our properties and creating a positive impact in local communities with our key programs and initiatives. What are the signs of recovery in ANZ that please you the most?

There are many exciting signs of recovery, and we remain confident in the resilience of travel, with our growth momentum expected to continue.

Marriott anticipates the opening of our 1000th hotel in early 2023, a demonstrator of our confidence in APAC growth for the near future. These new openings and brand debuts further build on our vision of delivering exceptional and distinctive travel experiences for travellers.

Marriott International saw the debut of the AC Hotel brand in Australia with the opening of AC Hotel Melbourne Southbank in May this year.

We also launched Homes & Villas by Marriott International in Australia and New Zealand which is a collection of Marriott Bonvoy's curated and growing premium and luxury whole home rentals around the world. The launch comprises over 350 premium and luxury homes in prime leisure destinations, including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Orange in Australia, and Auckland and Queenstown in New Zealand.

We are also expecting to launch The Ritz-Carlton in Melbourne, marking the 2nd Ritz-Carlton hotel to open in Australia and the anticipated opening of W Sydney in 2023, which will mark the third W hotel in Australia.

What was the most important message you took away from HICAP 2022?

Despite headwinds (which everyone is watching closely) travel is returning and the excitement of being back together and catching up on the lost personal moments is powerful and energising.

It was great to catch up with peers and partners during my in-person time at HICAP.

One of the biggest hurdles for recovery is the staffing and talent crisis in ANZ, how is Marriott managing the situation?

We will continue to focus on a number of approaches.

The first is to strengthen our ‘People-first culture’, making sure that we grow great leaders, investing in our associates, and providing equal access to career opportunities.

We have our Future Forward Program, to identify, develop and engage with the best high potential associates to continue growing the company. It was founded as a collective leadership effort to continue developing our talents despite the difficulties we were going through during the pandemic.

We believe that “Success is never final”, and there is always more to be done.

In your opinion what are the most important qualities a hospitality leader should have?

The last two years in the industry really challenged my role as a leader, as I had to navigate challenges that I had never encountered in my more than thirty years of experience in the industry.

To me, a hospitality leader needs to be agile and adaptable. Being nimble and the ability to flex in challenging times is an essential aspect to have in hospitality, especially with changing circumstances.

Another quality is take care

of employees and always put people first. People are the foundation of every hospitality business, and it is important to look after your associates well, so that they take care of our guests with the utmost care and comfort. Finally, respect for all in the service and industry is crucial, as there is a shared and mutual respect for all involved. From associates to guests and to the community we work in, everyone deserves respect, especially in our role as hoteliers - to serve and welcome from all over the world.

What is your advice to aspiring industry leaders?

I believe self-awareness is an extremely important skill that all aspiring industry leaders need to have. A self-aware leader not only understands themselves and their values but also recognises the impact that they have on others. If we are not aware of our own strengths and weaknesses, it is difficult for us leaders to improve. That’s why, personal development is of great

importance, especially true for aspiring leaders.

It is also why we at Marriott include personal development as part of many of our associates’ balance scorecard. We want to develop an organisation where people grow, and where we advocate for lifelong learning - no matter what stage of our career. What are you hoping for the future?

Sustainability is and will be a priority for all of us in the future. It’s no longer just a buzzword, but an urgent call-to-action that needs to be inculcated in all aspects of a hospitality business. Although put on the backburner over the last two years, the pandemic has now more than ever highlighted the need for a more sustainable and resilient future. It’s taught us to be more resilient and responsible than ever before, and it falls upon us to steer this industry forward responsibly and holistically for the people and the travel. It falls on us to make a better world of travel for generations to come.

What you need to know Guest wifi design:

Your guest wifi supplier should be the expert in their field. They should also be guiding you and proposing a guest wifi system that is set up according to your sites requirements.

But what if you don’t know what your site’s guest wifi set up requirements are?

A lot of accommodation managers don’t and there’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t have to be an expert in guest wifi to make an educated decision about the end outcome. However, there are a few key points to be aware of which may help you decide which supplier to engage and procure their guest wifi system and services.

There are two main system set up configurations to be aware of:

• Multiple SSIDs: Where every unit or room has their own secure network name, if you have 20 units, there will be 20 unique network names.

• Single SSID: Where the complex has one signal and one password for the whole site.

SSID stands for Service Set

Identifier and is your networks name. If you open the list of wifi networks on your laptop or phone, you will see a list of SSIDs.

We get asked this a lot and thought we would clarify it for you.

Below is a list of pros and cons for both guest wifi system set ups:

Multiple SSID pros

 Secure network within the unit or room: Each unit and room has its own unique password, like what you have at home.

 Foxtel iQ is easy to setup and install.

 Secure casting to televisions: Easy to plug in a Chromecast and have them work immediately so people can watch their own subscriptions without having to enter their login details onto the television.

 Easy and seamless connectivity of all wireless devices: Any wifi device can connect easily, as they do at home.

 Guests can bring Smart displays and speakers eg., Google Home and connect them easily.

 No need for expensive casting solutions as normal Google Chromecast and televisions with

built in casting devices work out of the box.

 Wireless printers can be used on the network.

 File sharing on the network between devices.

Multiple SSID cons

 Not a roaming system: The signal connectivity is contained to the unit and nearby areas.

 Initial configuration is more time consuming and more complex to set up by the supplier, so may cost more.

 A separate signal and password for common areas is required.

Single SSID pros

 Easier for the supplier to configure and setup (may be a cheaper price).

 Foxtel iQ easy to setup and install.

 Roaming signal across the complex.

 One password for all units or rooms.

Single SSID cons

 Guests can’t bring Smart

displays and speakers eg., Google Home. The isolation requirements for this type of network makes the setup fail.

 Built in casting devices in Smart TVs do not work on these networks.

 Requires expensive subscriptions to casting solutions to work around this system setup.

 Can’t network in the unit with others due to isolation of devices.

 Unable to bring wireless printers and use them on the network.

 Unable to file share through the wifi network.

 One password for everyone: Easy for it to be handed to external people.

Your guests want a seamless guest wifi journey and they also want to be secure and know that what they do at home, they can do at your site. Choosing a guest wifi system can be stressful and something you will have for numerous years.

I hope that the above has helped outline a few key areas to help make your decision easier.

Judy Senn Managing Director, Time Out Internet

Guesty announces the acquisition of hospitality software companies Kigo and HiRUM

Guesty, the leading property management platform for the shortterm rental and hospitality industry, today announced the acquisition of Spainbased vacation rental software company, Kigo, and Australian property management software company, HiRUM.

Guesty will welcome Kigo’s and HiRUM’s existing teams into the Guesty family, expanding its global reach, increasing R&D resources and product advancement for customers of all three platforms. The mergers continue Guesty’s long-term growth vision, extending further into new markets and offering an end-to-end solution to manage the complex needs of property managers and hospitality professionals in all category segments, wherever they operate.

Kigo and HiRUM bring thousands of customers to the Guesty family of product solutions, representing short-term rentals, vacation villas, and hospitality listings within

Europe and Australia’s thriving tourism sector. United in the same mission, all three companies are working to standardize and advance the best-in-class software experience for simplifying property management and operations for property management companies (PMCs) and hospitality operators of all sizes. Together with Kigo and HiRUM, Guesty expands its capabilities for flexible inventory management, allowing operators to handle traditional hotel listings, aparthotels, holiday homes and short-term rentals from one dashboard.

“Guesty, Kigo and HiRUM view consolidation as the path forward in such a dynamic space and fragmented industry,” said Guesty Co-Founder & CEO, Amiad Soto. “The continued advancement of property management solutions, technology and service requires substantial resources and financial investment that can only be achieved by merging the industry’s best teams and regional leaders under one entity.”

HiRUM Software Solutions is a household name in Australia’s

tourism sector, with its headquarters on the Gold Coast of Queensland. The company powers small and large hospitality operators and counts prestigious brands as its loyal customers, including Palazzo Versace Gold Coast, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Ramada by Wyndham and Grand Mercure Hotels & Resorts.

“For more than two decades we’ve helped Australia’s leading hospitality brands streamline their operational processes, maximize revenues and grow the local tourism sector,” said Sylvia & Philip Johnston, co-Founders and co-CEOs of HiRUM Software Solutions. “We are excited to join forces with Guesty and work in tandem to power the next generation of hospitality and property management technology. We will continue to stay on in our roles with HiRUM to ensure our customers receive the best-in-class service.”

"The merging of Guesty and HiRUM marks a major milestone in Australian hospitality and a new era of technological advancement," says Yoav Tourel,

Guesty's APAC Managing Director. "HiRUM's legacy, experience and knowledgeable roots in the local market pair perfectly with Guesty's global outlook. Together we will push forward the next era of property management solutions, covering the full ecosystem, from traditional hotels to vacation villas and short-term rentals. The timing could not be better, with Australia's tourism market booming in full recovery mode."

The acquisitions follow Guesty’s latest funding round of $170 million last month, from top-tier investors Apax Digital Funds, MSD Partners and Sixth Street Growth, with existing investors Viola Growth and Flashpoint also participating. With a current global employee base of more than 600 and growing, Guesty now welcomes the Kigo and HiRUM teams within the United States, Spain, the Philippines and Australia. As one entity, Guesty increases its regional market share, expands its technological capabilities and services, and further cements its leadership position in its category.

The merger follows Guesty’s latest funding round and expands its presence in strategic regional markets to further its mission of becoming the premier global provider of property management and hospitality solutions

Right time, Right place and the Right people

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

And just like that: A truly resilient industry is back!

The NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo 2022 has been hailed as the “event that connected people at the right time and in the right place”.

The ground-breaking event in September kicked off with the most gender balanced program that the industry has yet seen, achieving a 63 percent female gender balance in its education program, believed to be a first for an accommodation industry event in Australia. And not only has it been praised for timing and diversity but also because of the many ways it differentiated itself from other industry events.

AccomNews and hundreds of passionate industry colleagues descended on the International Convention Centre Sydney where Exhibition Event Director, CEO, and Co-Founder Brad Langton and the NoVacancy team brought together the best industry minds, the hottest case studies, a variety of jampacked panel discussions, real people, real artists, real designers, and really passionate exhibitors and suppliers.

At the expo, visitors found everything from the newest hospitality high-tech systems, robots, entertainment solutions, apps and booking platforms to furniture, beds, kettles, toasters, and everything in between.

And this year’s NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo felt worlds apart from last year.

At the NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo in 2021, Dave Baswal, Managing Director ANZ, Ovolo hotels said 2020 was a year of uncertainty and described COVID as a humbling experience. He gave the example of the sudden Melbourne shut down, followed by hotel cancellations that had occurred just days before the event.

But when describing this year and this event, Mr Baswal put it beautifully when he said: “In just one year, we’ve seen our industry adapt under enormous pressure only to evolve into something greater. The excitement for a restored hospitality sector was palpable yesterday and it’s incredible just how different our discussions are.”

Foxtel BWH

Cvent

He said it was great to be on the panel with “Gabby Daniels, Graham Perry, Jerry Schwartz, and Shaizeen Contractor, speaking about the emergence of lifestyle brands, people, technology, and it was fantastic to catch up with many familiar faces.” Moderator, Michael Johnson CEO of TAA, described the event as a very enjoyable and productive two days that was well attended, he added that he had received lots of positive feedback from suppliers and exhibitors.

Mr Johnson was impressed by how well attended all the panels had been, he put this down to the compelling content and positivity in the room.

He said: “The NoVacancy team 2022 should give themselves a pat on the back.”

He also pointed out that the event was a historic moment for industry associations Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) and Accommodation Association of Australia (AAoA), with it being the first time that they have ever shared a

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Richard Munro, CEO of the Accommodation Association of Australia (AAoA) also praised the event saying it was "a terrific opportunity to bring the industry together for an exposition of new products", but mostly it was a great "opportunity to network and catch up with colleagues".

He told AccomNews: "I remember when Event Director, Brad Langton first mentioned the concept to

me. I was a little sceptical given how busy our industry is and the number of events already available, but I have to say the team successfully differentiated the event from industry marquee events.

"It was wonderful to see such a wealth of topics being explored and it was an honour to host the General Manager Insights Panel with Emma Hynes, Sandi Bellamy and Jennifer Brown, providing an important and powerful update across key areas including boosting diversity."

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Exhibitor, Leah Rankin, Siteminder said it had been “a great event for the hospitality industry”, and “efficient to bring everyone together and to showcase products and services in such a dynamic environment”.

The event was also described as the perfect place for international investors to fly in and attend such a varied marketplace and to meet so many operators, providers, suppliers and services in one place.

The variety of inquisitive attendees who stopped by to chat with the AccomNews team was outstanding, they told us how impressed they were to explore such a huge variety of products and services in such an informal and relaxed but buzzing marketplace. They were wowed by how many perfectly curated suppliers were present under one roof.

Following the event, Mr Langton thanked all of those who attended and supported NoVacancy 2022. He said: "We've come off an exciting few days in Sydney and

have been overwhelmed with the feedback from the industry.”

He shared just a few of the emails, LinkedIn messages, and survey responses from the thousands of attendees at this year's event…

"The best event of the year."

"The best NoVacancy yet."

"How haven't I been to this before".

"Thank you for such an inspiring event".

"My annual must-attend just. got. better!"

He told us: "The program has been very well received with a mix of deep-dive case studies and thought-provoking panels

seeing speakers challenged with questions from the audience during and after the sessions, most of which were standing room only. "Suppliers too achieved great success, reconnecting with their customers, demonstrating the latest innovations, and helping the industry discover time and cost-saving solutions.

Duetto Grace

HoneyBadger

Hotel Interiors

Label Concepts

"A record number of suppliers secured their 2023 stands right at the event on the new-look floorplan, it’s a strong gauge of event success against their objectives.

"Special mention goes to the stunning Cocktail Lounge on the expo floor, designed and curated by Mathew Dalby of StudioFab. It's rare to see such a fabulous space created for just a few days pop up, and to such high quality. Attendees enjoyed live

jazz music, delicious cocktails, and even better company."

What about next year?

He revealed: "We've got a lot of new features and competitions planned for next year, as well as incorporating the feedback from our attendees to make the core event offering even more valuable in the future.

"The next event will run from August 31 to September 1, 2023, back at the ICC Sydney."

Cvent helping hoteliers worldwide do more with less

After a difficult couple of years, the hospitality industry is bouncing back.

Leisure bookings are surpassing 2019 levels, in-person meetings and events are returning with a vengeance, and organisations are putting their employees back on the road to connect face-to-face with their customers and prospects.

With all this pent-up demand – and a more complex environment due to inflation and evolving customer needs – it’s more important than ever that hoteliers get in front of planners to attract MICE and corporate travel business to their properties or destinations.

Cvent has helped tens of thousands of hotels deliver more impactful marketing campaigns and grow their MICE business through its Supplier and Venue Solutions; and with a global network of more than 90,000

event planners worldwide that use Cvent Supplier Network to find and book their event venues, hospitality professionals have a robust audience to reach and engage to drive results. Despite staffing challenges, hoteliers are leveraging Cvent’s software and marketing solutions to generate qualified leads, manage that demand more efficiently, and measure group business performance – all with less manual effort.

Cvent is helping hotels and destinations do more with less by automating key processes while simultaneously generating demand. Overall automating marketing, sales and operations functions for group business and managing hotels’ group sales lifecycle, from winning business to benchmarking success.

Learn more about our Cvent Supplier and Venue Solutions, please visit: https://www.cvent. com/au/supplier-venue

Joe Clarke and Dee Dawson from AccomNews

RMS Cloud

WaterRower

A room upgrade to encourage return visits

With summer and the holiday season fast approaching, now is a great time to upgrade the entertainment technology in your property. When you offer the best in entertainment, it helps you stand out from your competitors and that can be the difference between a guest choosing to return to your hotel or booking somewhere else.

With Business iQ, guests can access over 90 channels of live sport, entertainment, movies and documentaries. The on demand library provides over 20,000 hours of programming and the casting solution is easy for guests to use. Providing options for how your guests can watch TV ensures you are prepared for the ever-changing preferences of your guests.

“The Business iQ from Foxtel is an advanced entertainment and technology platform that instantly upgrades the entertainment offering in your hotel rooms.” Scott

Wiedemann, Foxtel’s National Manager for Accommodation

explains. “You can now truly give your guests a better than home experience. They have the option to watch live television, view on demand programmes from our extensive content library or they can cast their own streaming apps to the TV from their mobile device.”

Customisable technology

Not only does the Business iQ give your guests access to a range of entertainment options, but its leading-edge technology allows you to customise the platform to promote your hotel better. The digital compendium enables you to promote your onsite services, restaurants and bars as well as

your loyalty program while the guest messaging feature allows you to directly message individuals or groups of guests. You’ll also be able to add in your own content such as welcome videos or external content channels. All of this is fully managed via an easyto-use online portal, complete with remote monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities.

One hotel that has upgraded their entertainment system to Foxtel’s Business iQ is Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney. “We now have an entertainment system that caters to everyone, and as a minimum, we are now able to match whatever

entertainment system our guests might have at home.” General Manager, Peter Tudehope says. “The entertainment system is not a reason for people to select a hotel but it is a reason to complain about a hotel if it is substandard. What we have now is a system that no one is complaining about. Subconsciously it is having a positive impact on why guests want to return to the hotel.”

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Future-proof solution

The unique benefit of the Business iQ is that it’s constantly evolving, whether that’s the content available on the platform or the technology that is remotely updated. Content is refreshed each month and technology updates are released throughout the year. Our latest update, for example, includes a built-in QR code generator enabling hotels to link guests directly to their booking facilities or other transactional URLs. With the Business iQ, Foxtel can evolve the product based on technology trends as well as changes in media consumption and user behaviour, providing a truly futureproof allround solution for hoteliers.

To upgrade your rooms, visit foxtel. com.au/biq or call 1300 760 347.

Re-energising the hotel industry with new tech trends

NoVacancy put an extraordinary event together for the hotel industry that encapsulated the essence of future trends, technology and leaders.

RMS Cloud was proud to be front and centre at the conference and welcome the reignition of the hotel industry at its finest. The national expo and conference aimed to bring the industry together with thought-provoking topics and new strategies for delivering enhanced guest experiences.

RMS' leadership team harnessed this opportunity to network with some of their favourite hoteliers and discuss the essentials of hotel technology.

"NoVacancy really gave us a golden opportunity to build stronger relationships with our

current hotel operators, meet new prospects, and deliver innovative global solutions for the industry," says Stephen Martin, Chief of Sales at RMS Cloud.

The atmosphere at the event was buzzing with curiosity about what was coming up next in the industry. With big topics around room automation, guest technology and contactless door solutions, the RMS team showcased the newest technological advancements and partner integrations from within the RMS soft ware, serving up valuable customisable solutions.

Stephen reported that the conference's most significant trend was about creating customisable room experiences with the right technology. Interests around how technology can adjust room temperatures, specialised mini-bar off erings and mood lighting all to suit the guests' acquired needs for any

occasion. "Guest customisation has just got a lot more detailed and advanced! Creating ultimate guest experiences for any occasion has become the newest trend in hotels and is here to stay. It's becoming increasingly important to have soft ware that can accommodate for this and house your off ering in one place," said Stephen Martin.

RMS also focused on introducing RMS Pay as the latest advancement at RMS Cloud, allowing delegates exclusive access to view the UI for the payment gateway, showing the potential in customer experience and how hoteliers can save hundreds of dollars. The new payment solution is easily integrated into a hotel's PMS. It allows the collection of payments from multiple touchpoints, including sending pay links to customers with the ability to upsell - all in one platform.

Smarter tech. Happier guests.

The two-day event was packed with thousands of delegates, with overwhelming positivity and an overall productive conference with many new advancements in the industry. It is fair to say many hoteliers are gearing up for a successful year of travellers with lots of new properties expected. RMS successfully met with many industry partners and hoteliers to help take the industry into the next stage post covid and into the future with the right technology.

"Seeing our hotel friends and partners face-to-face this year was not only a rewarding experience but one well overdue. We are excited to be finally meeting up again and be amongst the flowing energy of the conference - thanks to everyone who connected!" says Stephen Martin, Chief of Sales at RMS Cloud.

Thanks Thomas. You have successfully completed check-in.

Our innovative guest-facing technology enables guests to manage every aspect of their reservation from their mobile. Empower and retain your guests with a fully contactless solution that quickly connects you with your guests in real-time. rmscloud.com

Reimagining Hotel Security

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Grace Workplace Solutions

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With over 220,000 square metres of high-quality warehousing, Grace can store and stage large quantities of stock for delivery and installation anywhere in Australia.

Electronic stock control with detailed exception reporting together with transparent milestone performance analysis and reporting ensures timely information and project progress is available to key stakeholders.

Grace Workplace Solutions has additional capabilities for fine art handling and installation including complex sculptural installations as well as sound and video installation. Grace is also able to facilitate waste and debris removal, recycling and certified E-waste disposal and destruction for redundant equipment.

At Grace, we take quality assurance seriously and our certified ISO management systems, processes and health & safety framework is at the forefront in everything we do. This commitment to excellence extends to our regard to our environmental and corporate social responsibilities. All Grace vehicles have their carbon emissions estimated annually and off-set via an innovative native reforestation program administered by Greenfleet.

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Why upgrading to cashless is right for your guest laundry equipment

Guest laundries in accommodation facilities have been around since the beginning of travel, but are you making sure yours is up to date?

Previously, a washing machine and dryer set up for coin –usually at $4 per wash and dry was standard for most guest laundries throughout Australia. Collecting, counting, and banking coins was all a part of offering this ‘service’ to your guests. However, with less people carrying coins, instead relying on card or tap’n’go payments - it is important to make sure your laundry takes the payment type your guests have in their pockets.

Cashless or card payment options are the solution to upgrade your guest laundry, and it’s easier than you might think.

Why upgrade to cashless / card payment laundry equipment?

• Never worry about changing, counting, and banking coins again.

• Remove the threat of vandalism and break-ins.

• Make paying easier for your guests and increase the amount they spend.

• Ensures every dollar goes into your bank account.

Most brands of commercial washers and dryers can either be purchased outright with card readers pre-bolted on, or if you have older equipment on site retrofit kits are also easily available. While the retrofitting of card readers to old equipment on site can very from model to model, if you have washers or dryers with a “Coin Drop” or that has a digital display, you can rest assured that they will be

fairly easy to retrofit from coin to card. There are a number of cashless or card payment options available for your laundry room which fall into 3 categories.

QR codes or App’s Societies response to Covid brought with it a huge resurgent of QR codes.

Like scanning a QR code at a restaurant, this system will have a QR code stuck onto the machine, which your guest scan to take them to a website to either use their phone pay or enter there card details online to process the transaction.

The downfall to this set up is that it is not intuitive for the customer and the customer journey to payment can be difficult. QR codes are also easily spoofed and scammed.

Cental pay kiosks

Central Pay Kiosks are often mounted in the room of the laundry, and these kiosks are where the users make their payment, before going and selecting the wash or dry

required from the machine itself. End customers often find these kiosks confusing, having to run back and forwards from the machine they’ve loaded with their clothes to the central kiosk.

If your central pay kiosk goes down, having all machines tied back to this one kiosk means all machines in the laundry are rendered unusable.

Card reader direct to machine

Card readers directly mounted to each washer or dryer is the most common and userfriendly option to upgrade your guest laundry equipment.

Similar to a parking meter or your supermarkets self-serve check out, this individual card reader to each machines ensure your users can easily load the machine and swipe, insert or tap their payment, all on the machine itself for simplicity.

There are no additional scanning of QR codes or apps to download or manually entering of payment details etc – just a quick tap’n’go! With these direct to machine card readers usually installed with their own Data Sim, each card reader is completely separate to each other, so if one fails, the rest of the laundry equipment will keep operating as per normal.

Costs:

Upgrading to card reader machines does have some costs involved.

Firstly, a new machine with a card reader installed or a retrofit kit must be purchased. After that, you have 2 on-going costs.

The first cost is a monthly hosting fee, to keep your card reader online and connected to the bank processing system. The second cost is a payment processing fee - the company that processes the payment into your account will take a set percentage of each transaction to facilitate this. These fees will vary from supplier to supplier, make sure you find out upfront the exact ongoing fees you will be paying.

At Dependable Laundry Solutions we have partnered with one of Australia’s largest payment processing companies to ensure you are getting the best ongoing costs backed up by industry leading support.

The Dependable Laundry Solutions team can be reached on 1800 MAYTAG (1800 629 824) to learn more about upgrading your guest laundry to cashless.

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Aussie-made movement heats up for hospitality

By Swisstrade

As a nation, our love for locally made goods has always been strong.

But in recent times this fondness has reached new heights, encouraging Australian hotels to rethink their approach to purchasing bathroom amenities and guest room supplies.

The penchant for Australian designed and made products was marked as one of the top trends for the hotel industry to keep an eye on this year.

As we approach the end of 2022 and wit the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, this movement continues to gain momentum.

A recent report from Roy Morgan found 96 percent

of Australians prefer to buy locally made products, a figure unchanged year-on-year.

“Support for buying Australianmade goods shot-up during 2020 and the first year of the pandemic and has remained high ever since as the closure of international borders and restrictions on travel during the last two years has clearly boosted the attraction of buying locally made goods,” Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said.

This research came just after Australian Made Week, a national campaign encouraging consumers to buy authentic, locally made products.

As Australians continue to embrace holidaying in their own backyard, their search for local products has also spilled into their travels. Travellers, both

domestic and international alike, actively seek out Australian made features when choosing which hotel, motel or resort to stay in, honing in on the origin of bathroom amenities and room supplies like tea and coffee.

The time is now

With this trend showing no sign of slowing, the time is now for hoteliers to tap into the Australian-made buzz. But you may be thinking, how do we best appeal to travellers looking for a local experience?

Peter Weingartner, Director of Swisstrade, an Australian-owned hotel guest room supplier says: “Supporting local producers has been an effective way for us to lead on environmentally sustainable amenity solutions, reducing our own environmental

impact while helping Australian hoteliers in reducing theirs”.

During this time, they have uncovered a host of ways to enhance the guest experience and delight the discerning traveller with luxurious, locally made features and fixtures which will have them returning time and again.

Here are their six tips for how hoteliers can appeal to travellers seeking an authentic local Australian experience.

1. Keep guests caffeinated with local coffee

Australians are very particular and often discriminating when it comes to their coffee and high expectations here have fuelled high standards and demand for high calibre.

Domestic travellers will have their eyes peeled for a topquality, memorable local caffeine experience, while international guests who have heard all about our coffee culture are waiting to be wowed by a premium brew. One coffee brand to consider is Pod & Parcel.

The specialty-grade coffee from this Australian familyowned brand is roasted in Melbourne and packed into biodegradable and compostable coffee pods, ready for any Nespresso compatible machine, delivering your guests an elevated, barista-style coffee experience in their room.

2. Pamper guests with native products

How fortunate we are in Australia to have an abundance of incredible native plants and produce to inspire our locally made bathroom amenities.

When looking to treat your guests to skin and haircare products which are not only made here in Australia but feature locally grown botanicals and ingredients, you are spoilt for choice!

Some popular options include:

Olive Oil Skincare Company products which are 100 percent Australian owned and made, using Extra Virgin Olive Oil sourced from olive groves in NSW and VIC. Locally made Leif skincare products that are infused with Australian botanicals like Kakadu Plum, Eucalyptus, Lemon Myrtle, Wild Rosella and Desert Lime to create a distinct collection which transport you around Australia. The clean formulations are vegan, cruelty-free and gentle enough for all skin types.

3. Hug guests with homegrown bedding and robes

Discerning travellers know that comfort is paramount when looking for accommodation, and that all starts with the sleep experience. Enhance your guests’ quality of sleep by adoring your beds with locally made luxurious linen, blankets and throws.

Products from Australian linen designer and manufacturer, Bemboka, have been selected at a range of reimagined motels

and boutique hotels across Australia to offer supreme comfort, durability, and style. Guests’ comfort and love for local has been extended into the bathroom with luxe bathrobes and thick, soft towels.

4. Dry guests with Aussiedesigned towels

When guests are soaking up our beautiful Australian weather by your hotel pool, what better way to make them feel even more at home with locally designed towels?

Swisstrade’s favourite range for pool and beachside relaxing is from Melbourne-based Knotty Australia. Their premium Turkish towels are made from 100 percent cotton, designed here and hand finished in Turkey in a range of bright colours and patterns. They’re also soft enough for your guests to wear as a sarong or scarf, and versatile enough to use as a gym towel or picnic rug.

5. Treat guests to top local tea

Many guests begin and end their day with a cuppa, so it

could be said that it’s the most important feature of a room to get right. Upping the ante on your tea selection is also one of the simplest and most costeffective ways to enhance your guest experience. Indulging your guests in a home-grown tea drinking experience with T2, the globally recognised Australian tea brand, known for sourcing and producing the highest quality teas using whole tea leaves and the best fruits, herbs and flowers they can find.

6. Inspire guests with the details

We know the length hotel guests go to in researching their travels, browsing Google reviews, perusing Instagram and scouring websites to uncover the nitty gritty details of hotel rooms, facilities and features. Be sure to capture their interest in locally made and design products by sharing the details of your carefully curated selections across your own channels, particularly your website and social media. It may just be the thing that gets your next guest over the line to make a booking.

Wash your own linen

Dirty linen crisis won’t be ironed out anytime soon

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

With an industry laundry crisis reaching boiling point many accommodation providers have been forced to wash their hospitality linen in house. Many more are now considering the purchase or rental of commercial laundry equipment.

Recently AccomNews received complaints from an array of sources, about various laundry service providers not meeting the demands of accommodation businesses. The claims of below par service came on top of vastly increased laundry costs and transport failures. We’ve been told many accommodation businesses throughout Australia are faced with an (almost) impossible task to try and find an alternative laundry service because the regular provider (at short notice) ceased servicing the property altogether, or cancelled transport.

The situation has become so dire for some that laundry equipment has been urgently purchased to

wash linen in-house. And it is the regional motels and short stay management rights resorts that seem to be suffering the most.

Many say they are often drastically short of clean towels and bed sheets, with piles of dirty laundry backing up. Meanwhile laundry service providers appear to prioritise the larger hotel contracts.

A regional motel owner who wishes to remain anonymous said their regular laundry supplier not only raised charges without notice but also left them without clean linen on one of their busiest weeks of the year. And what happened when they complained? The supplier cancelled the service contract.

The motel owner was left with no other choice but to purchase

two industrial washing machines. Several other motels also came forward to AccomNews making similar claims. Likewise, management rights owners have been faced with significant laundry problems. On the crisis, one unhappy manager told us: “We have been dealing with this since reopening from COVID. Our laundry provider has not been able to keep up, delivering short orders every other week and not picking up dirty laundry without any notice. Housekeeping had to clean towels and pillowcases. “Also, we are having to use king sheets on double beds as they could not supply enough double sheets, then charging us for the cleaning of king sheets which we would not have used if our order was complete.”

A “chronic shortage of staff ” is the main reason for drastic price rises and disruption in laundry service. Yes, the blame is being laid at the foot of the current industry staffing crisis.

And some think the crisis may only get worse before it gets better. A senior linen supply company manager told us she believes it is unlikely to be ironed out for quite some time.

Laundry equipment has been urgently purchased to wash linen in-house

Australian Linen Supply & Bev Martin Textiles National Sales & Marketing Manager, Helen Hurst said the situation with laundry services is being felt right across the board nationally, and particularly in the NSW North and South Coast regions, where she said accommodation providers are being severely “disadvantaged.”

Ms Hurst agreed that some operators are considering

buying and installing their own machines, but she said it could prove an expensive exercise and they also must consider space requirements. Added to which, she feared they would have to find the time to do the laundry themselves (on top of already existing busy schedules) or employ extra staff.

She pointed out that washing and ironing sheets is very time consuming but to ease the

pressure they could consider purchasing equipment to wash pillowcases and bath linen.

“Then they would only need a laundry service to supply bed sheets,” she said.

And she confirmed there has been a recent increase in demand for pillowcases and bathroom linen, due to more accommodation providers buying their own machines, to at least try and overcome the issue.

Alternatively, she suggested several small accommodations could get together to purchase laundry equipment and service their own laundry needs.

It is a possible solution for those small regional towns. She said: “They would be creating work in the region while servicing their own laundry requirements.

We spoke to a laundry service provider

Sarah Rowley, General manager Sales & Marketing for Broadmeadows (VIC) headquarters SPL confirmed that her company found itself under enormous pressure finding staff as demand from customers returns. She told us: “Many of our long-term production team members were non-permanent Australian residents and found it necessary to return overseas as COVID lockdowns took over. We remain in touch with many of these people, but they are still to return to Australia.

“While there has been a lot of discussion about the skills shortage in Australia, our challenge is unskilled workers.

We know this is the same for many of our customers.

“Our demand nationally is still only 65 percent of prepandemic. While we are largely on top of managing this now, the growth from near zero was incredibly difficult and financially very hard to navigate.

“Pleasingly, we are now managing the demand increase in many areas, although in some regional locations we continue

to find recruitment difficult.”

Regarding price increases she said: “The laundry industry is highly exposed to the Australian cost of goods and services. As wages, fuel, energy, rent, chemicals (and so on) all increased for everyone in Australia, so did these costs for the laundry industry.

“Operating in a high-volume low margin supply industry, small changes in the cost base

often mean the difference between profit and loss, and the changes we are all continuing to experience are not small. Moving price is a response to these input cost changes and necessary if we are to remain in business and continue investing.

“Every laundry supplier is facing challenges through rising costs, staffing and transport difficulties and while frustrations are often high, it must be recognised that

not all industries have been able to recover as quickly as others and the lack of understanding and poor treatment of our staff by some people has been the most disappointing outcome.

“We also continue to see too much of our linen held for too long and in some cases even being washed by customers or others, which only damages our linen and the sustainability of our business.”

Other challenges for SPL have included delivery services impacted by a lack of trucks and drivers, Ms Rowley said this is improving but these challenges forced the company to look at alternative, innovative solutions.

The company has been using Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology to create mobile linen hubs, which Ms Rowley said, “serve customers in a far better way”.

For now, their fixed and mobile hubs are only in Victoria, but more are planned for rollout in South Australia, Western Australia, and Far North Queensland.

The Pullman PV950 - The quiet achiever

engineered to lead the way when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene in the hotel and accommodation sector.

Vast floor spaces and multilevel areas with varying floor types will always be spotless as this industrial vacuum has plenty of features that make it efficient, dynamic and most of all, comfortable to use.

With the PV950, the cleaning team won’t need to operate on guest timelines — making around-the-clock cleaning possible. As this model is renowned for its Eco Mode feature it ensures very low noise emission (62 dB(A)) meaning minimal disruptions for guests.

Perfect for even the largest floor space, the 5.5L capacity dust

compartment means you’ll be able to vacuum for longer with fewer interruptions and less emptying. The PV950’s strength and reliability come from an efficient 450w brushless motor and two high-performance 43.2v lithium batteries that provide up to an hour of runtime at a lower current, putting less stress on the battery.

Not only does this vacuum feature powerful suction, but the innovative blower application makes it a versatile must-have product. Patented in Australia, the Blowerport function transforms the backpack into a blower, allowing for maximum adaptability in any application. Featuring an award-winning* patented ergonomic design, the Pullman Advance Lithium Backpack battery pack is mounted at the lower end of the body, distributing weight across the user’s hips. Rubber insulation pads inhibit vibration transmitted through the adjustable three-

height harness designed with extra padding on the shoulders. The renowned patented Advanced Gulper Floor Tool is the only one of its kind (substantiate) that features ball-bearing wheels that help it to glide effortlessly across any surface, providing the smoothest operation.

Whether it’s cleaning multi-level international hotels or small family-run motels — the PV950 is a true leader in innovative commercial cleaning.

For more information on how the PV950 can revolutionise the way your business stays clean, please get in touch with our friendly team of experts at Godfreys Commercial, godfreyscommercial.com.au.

*Good Design Australia Award Winner 2020 for Product Commercial and Industrial

The PV950 from Pullman is a powerful cordless backpack vacuum

QT Hotels are changing the mane

By Sarah Davison, Industry Reporter

In an exciting collaboration with Dyson, QT Hotels is inviting all their guests to look and feel their best.

In the pursuit of extraordinary experiences, QT Hotel guests throughout Australia and New Zealand can now enjoy a coveted Dyson Supersonic hair dryer in their room, as well as a Dyson Corrale straightener in all suites and on request.

Costing $86 million to develop and launched in 2016, the Dyson Supersonic quickly became a must-have item for beauty aficionados.

But what sets the Dyson Supersonic apart from its competition is its ability to create a salon-quality blow dry on all hair types, without the heat damage of traditional hair dryers. And with a $600 AUD price tag, the Dyson Supersonic remains the premiere hair styling tool. Dyson Global Styling Ambassador Peter Thomsen said the addition of the tools to each guest room would help QT guests look and feel amazing.

“As a professional stylist, I know a lot of my clients who travel are increasingly wanting to prioritise their hair health, as well as looking and feeling amazing, wherever they are,” he said.

“Bringing the Dyson difference to QT Hotels & Resorts with styling technologies that are engineered to style all hair types while protecting hair health and natural shine will create the ultimate styling experience for guests.”

For QT Hotels & Resorts Group General Manager Callum Kennedy, the partnership was the perfect way to elevate the guest experience to another level.

“Like QT, Dyson do things differently,’ he said.

“Dyson continues to lead their industry with the development of technology and place the customer experience at the forefront.

“QT is a trend-setting market leader that is constantly looking for ways to elevate the QT Guest experience; this is as simple as celebrating what’s unique about each and every guest and making their day the best we can.

“Dyson helps deliver, providing the tools for our guests to look and feel their best” he said.

“The collaboration with Dyson is an example of QT’s commitment to providing a world-class guest service.”

QT Hotels prides itself on the creative and unexpected style of guest experiences it offers. And with a focus on art, design, fashion, and entertainment, the exciting decision to invite guests to indulge

with luxe bathroom accessories was a no-brainer for the brand.

“We pride ourselves on providing the best in-room and hotel guest experience, that means collaborating with the best of the best,” Mr Kennedy said.

“The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is not your ordinary bathroom accessory; they are the leaders in hair technology and the best in market.

“I firmly believe these iconic hair dryers alongside Kevin Murphy amenities set us above our competitors - gone are the days of bathroom boredom, from hair products to low voltage hair dryers.”

The inclusion of the Dyson Corrale adds yet another level of luxury, with guests able to give themselves a salonquality hairstyle from the comfort of their own room.

Mr Kennedy said the response to the Dyson hair stylers had been “incredibly positive” from guests of all walks of life.

“Dyson is a brand that is well-regarded as high-end and luxurious. Of course, these coveted bathroom accessories are resonating with our guests,” he said.

Additionally, guests who may be new to Dyson’s suite of hair stylers, will be able to access exclusive video tutorials.

“Not only do we have the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer in all guest rooms and Dyson Corrale straightener in suites and available on request, but we’re also making it easy for guests to use,” Mr Kennedy said.

“We’ve created exclusive Dyson instructional styling videos which are available in-room for all guests to be guided on how to create their desired ‘do’.”

The videos were filmed onsite, starring the QT’s ‘Directors of Chaos’, they cover a range of hair types and attachments available at the hotels.

“We love that every guest will check-out looking and feeling as if they’ve just stepped out of the salon,” Mr Kennedy said.

“This collaboration truly shows that QT continues to deliver the unexpected across a playground of design, entertainment, and fashion through signature QT quirk, with the guest experience leading every touchpoint.”

However, QT Hotels’ partnership with Dyson doesn't stop there.

In addition to hair styling tools, Dyson purifiers will also be available on request to look after guests with specific allergies.

Purifiers will also be integrated into QT’s designer spaces, along with Dyson Outsize Absolute Extra cordless vacuums for public area housekeeping use.

Like QT, Dyson do things differently

Blow your own way

A guide to guestroom hairdryers

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

Travelling with a hairdryer can be cumbersome, and a waste of precious luggage space.

While providing a hairdryer for guest use is standard, hairdryers and hair stylers have seen significant technological advancement in recent years.

To ensure your accommodation business continues to offer high-quality appliances for your guests, it may be time to upgrade your guestroom hairdryer.

To help identify the main considerations when purchasing new guestroom hairdryers, AccomNews reached out to Weatherdon, a company that specialises in guestroom accessories and is a leading supplier of hospitality hairdryers.

Weatherdon Managing Director Robert Weatherdon said that after many years in the industry he has been able to identify several key areas that

However, he said the purchasing process can be simplified if the buyer takes note of these pointers.

Aesthetics

The overall look and design of a hairdryer should be an essential consideration when updating hotel room amenities and appliances. Why?

Because guests are impressed with cohesive, stylish guest room interiors, and they notice (what you might consider to be a minor detail) an ugly appliance!

Mr Weatherdon agreed and said: “Classic, sleek designs remain the timeless choice for hospitality settings. Many of our styles are neutral black, white, or silver (some may have slight pops of colour) but they match almost any guestroom.”

seen significant technological advancements.

Mr Weatherdon advised that the top-of-the-range Nero Professional AC Motor Hairdryer provides whisper quiet operation, and an auto shut-off functionality.

He said: “The design of the AC Motor Hairdryer ensures a quiet and comfortable stay for all guests.”

Which hairdryers do guests like best?

The Nero Retrak appliance boasts a retractable cord and is very popular with guests Mr Weatherdon revealed.

have to constantly spend time wrapping cords around the hairdryer to store.”

With a final note on design, he explained it’s essential that hairdryers in guestrooms are user-friendly, because guests don’t have time to work with “fiddly or complicated designs”. Over time the hotel hairdryer will have thousands of users and for that reason it must be practical and very easy to use.

Eco-friendly options

Consumers have become increasingly environmentally conscious, and accommodation providers must offer more eco-friendly amenities to meet guest expectations.

However, Mr Weatherdon said: “Don’t forget eco-friendly appliances also help reduce electricity costs and that is a sure-fire win-win for all!”

He also recommended looking for hairdryers with multiple heat and speed settings, and a cool-shot function so guests can tailor their power usage.

accommodation providers should be aware of when selecting their guestroom hairdryers.

First, he warned that because the hairdryer market tends to be geared towards retail. He often sees buyers get overwhelmed when purchasing for their guestrooms and they make mistakes.

He cautioned buyers against choosing hairdryers in “trendy” seasonal colours because they will often date. For those looking for consistency over time, Mr Weatherdon said: “We offer a consistency of supply so buyers are safe in the knowledge that what they ordered today, will be available when a replacement is required. Frequently we see accommodation providers make the mistake of purchasing a ‘fashionable’ retail brand appliance but when they need to replace it, the item has been discontinued.”

Design features

In recent years, the hairdryer and hair styler market has

“We presented this design to the Australian market and this appliance with its retractable cord remains a ‘point of difference’ in many accommodation establishments,” he said. Guests do enjoy discovering new and distinctive products and appliances in guest rooms.

This is why this hairdryer is so popular because it is different to what guests use at home or can find in a retail store.

Importantly, the retractable feature also ensures bathroom cabinets and drawers remain neat and tidy. And staff love this too.

Mr Weatherdon confirmed that the Nero Retrak attracts plenty of positive feedback from housekeeping staff.

He said: “These are great for hotel staff as they don’t

He pointed out that older hairdryers tend to become less effective over time, which leads to an increase in hair drying time and therefore reducing power usage is another incentive to replace old guestroom hairdryers.

Safety features

Often positioned in bathrooms, hairdryers can be a safety hazard if used incorrectly.

Mr Weatherdon implored establishments to think carefully about where they store the hairdryer and the placement of the power points. To alleviate concern, he said consider providing guests with a vanity where they can style their hair.

Finally, he advised "buyers should only purchase appliances from reputable brands and ensure they meet Australia’s safety standards".

Weatherdon Managing Director, Robert Weatherdon

Commercial beds:

Body signature NEVER but Aussie made ALWAYS

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

A comfortable and luxurious guest bed might just be the single most important demand for any accommodation stay and for most guests, a good review will always be about the quality of the sleep experience.

However, in 2022 survey after survey has shown that sustainability is the most important traveller trend. Moreover, guests say they are prepared to pay more for a sustainable experience.

Pondering this trend our evercurious team at AccomNews

had some questions about the sustainability factor of commercial guest beds.

We wondered how an accommodation provider in the market for new mattresses can provide guests with the very best beds with luxury sleepenhancing features, while also satisfying the ever-growing demand for sustainable products.

And what about end-oflife recyclability?

AccomNews contacted Peter Deveny, Group Commercial Manager A. H. Beard with those important questions. He shared his expertise on the latest developments in commercial beds and how to satisfy guests' sustainability concerns.

First, we asked what constitutes a commercial grade accommodation bed while providing utmost guest comfort?

He answered with a word of caution, hospitality guest beds should never have a 'body signature'.

He explained: “The rigours and demands of commercial situations mean that beds should be specifically designed for that environment. We’ve all seen the big, fat puffy beds in retail stores and thought about how comfortable they look, but the reality is that many of these models aren’t at all suitable for commercial environments.

“But mattresses made with a lot of fibre fill in the comfort layers can be problematic, in that they are often more likely to show “body signature”, which is the indentation that is left in the mattress when you get out of bed.

“This is obviously a huge red flag for guests in the commercial environment. To avoid this comfort fills should be made from high-quality, Australianmade foams, with small amounts of fibre in the quilt fill. Pocket coil spring systems provide the best support, ideally, they should be zoned so that correct posture is maintained.

“Upholstery should be durable, fire retardant and treated to resist mould, mildew, and other allergens for safe, comfortable sleep.

Image courtesy of A.H. Beard

What are the latest innovations in guest sleep comfort?

“Continued developments in spring technology and comfort materials mean that commercial beds are more comfortable and luxurious than ever.

“Zoned pocket coils that react and respond to different sized and shaped bodies offer ergonomically correct support that gives your body better quality rest and is healthier for you.

“Materials like latex provide incredible comfort, pressure relief and durability. There is nothing quite like the feel of a bed using latex as the main comfort layer.

“Fabric treatments that help to redistribute heat and moisture make your bed more comfortable and healthier.”

What are the bed options for environmentally conscious accommodation providers?

Mr Deveny advised to determine what environmental factors the bed has impacted. He suggested the following.

Ask your supplier:

• Where are the raw materials sourced from and what are they?

• Are they produced with environmental sustainability in mind?

Buy local

Only buy Australian-made products. Is it really worth the cost to the planet of shipping a mattress halfway around the world to save a few dollars?

Think end of life

Ask, will the materials used in the bed be easily recycled at the end of their useful life? And choose a product that doesn’t excessively add to landfill.

Trust your supplier

Only buy from reputable, established suppliers who can prove their credentials in relation to the way their beds are manufactured and the efforts they go to, to be responsible for their actions.

On the issue of recycling, when it is time for a new mattress what happens to the old

one?

“There are several viable recycling businesses around the country that break down mattresses and other bedding products, reusing or re-tasking as much as possible of the various materials” Mr Deveny explained.

“You can send your beds to one of these facilities as part of your refurbishment programme. Don’t

forget to include this in your budgeting, as there is a financial cost attached to recycling beds but there is also a significant environmental and social benefit.

“Many of these recycling businesses are also social enterprises that employ people who might otherwise not find meaningful work in the community. People who have been displaced because of domestic violence, political and social refugees from other countries and many others are given the chance to find a way into mainstream employment by way of these social enterprise employers.

“Therefore, by recycling your beds you are not only helping the environment, but you are also contributing to a better society as well.

“The Australian Bedding Stewardship Council is an industry body working with governments and other

stakeholders to improve the way we deal with end-of-life bedding products and AH Beard is a founding member.

“We are proud to be part of the solution and embrace the challenge of finding new uses for old beds.”

Finally, what else can you tell us about sustainable beds?

“Our Origins range is the first fully recyclable mattress and is a new approach to mattress design and construction. Using no glue, no foam, and sustainably sourced, recyclable comfort materials it is the world’s most sustainable mattress.

“Available in a range of different comfort levels and constructions, this range is the ultimate solution for accommodation operators looking for an environmentally responsible and sustainable solution without sacrificing comfort and performance.”

Image courtesy of A.H. Beard

Choose a product that doesn’t excessively add to landfill

Externals looking a little tired? How to transform with paint

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

Is your accommodation property looking tired? Then it’s time to talk about external transformation.

Properties become old and tired looking with age, and deterioration can happen quickly, particularly in a harsh climate or if your property is located near salty sea air. But a paint refurbishment will give your building fresh appeal, and proactive care will keep it looking good.

Does your property’s exterior ‘wow’ your guests, and does it present curb appeal? If not, what exactly does this say about you, your accommodation offering, the experience you are promising and ultimately the quality of your business?

The way your property is

presented dictates its reputation because first impressions count. If the externals of your building look tired, your guests will perceive it as neglected and will struggle to have confidence in the entire accommodation experience.

Why? Because study after study on the psychological interplay between humans and their environment indicates huge improvements in how they respond, learn, and work. Humans are also happier and generally better behaved in comfortable, clean, wellmaintained environments.

Graffiti, for example, even in innocuous amounts negatively impacts a person’s feeling of safety and well-being. When graffiti appears and is not removed immediately, it sends the signal that people just don't care, which in turn triggers visitor anxiety, and attracts more graffiti. This implies that an environment that seems

unloved, creates a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude in guests.

Looks are very important but there is much more at stake for you, as an accommodation owner or operator than just good looks.

Undertaking a high-quality paint refurbishment not only impresses guests but also protects the bones of your building, keeping it healthy for years to come. Importantly it is also an active investment strategy that will give you immediate growth in your property rather than waiting for capital growth.

The Australian climate is particularly challenging to the external condition of any building. In some locations deterioration seems to be in ‘fast forward’ mode, with some buildings particularly prone to faded and peeled paintwork, loose roof tiles, cracked concrete, and the list goes on…

Coastal buildings suffer from salt damage, and rust commonly causing problems, city dwellings suffer from environmental pollution and acid rain.

In addition to sun damage, Australia’s harsh and sometimes freakish weather events (like the most recent flooding disasters on the southeast coast) punish buildings and if neglected lead to very costly repairs.

The answer to your potentially inevitable maintenance nightmare is to implement a regular schedule of planned maintenance, undertaken by experts who have all the proper equipment to assess, clean, paint and repair. They know best what products to use on what areas and when.

A schedule from a recommended property maintenance company will preserve and enhance the life cycle of your building for many years.

A typical painting maintenance program would usually be planned over six to seven years depending on the location and size of the building and would consist of a full repaint in the first year, with an annual paint, cleaning, and maintenance service thereafter.

Being proactive with your building’s maintenance will prevent damage so that you and your guests can enjoy peace of mind.

AccomNews sought advice on painting management from preferred industry service provider, Higgins Coatings. Nick Higgins, General Manager of Operations agreed that scheduled maintenance offers several long-term benefits.

These include lengthening the lifespan of the paint, protecting the substrate, reducing future costs of repainting because less preparation work will be required, and keep the property looking pristine.

He advised, before any external painting commences, it is crucial to ask a few important questions…

“First ask about the previous paintwork. Know which paint was used last time so that the correct undercoat and preparation work is done prior to applying new coats.

“Then ask, what access equipment will be required? The use of proper access equipment will ensure the job is completed safely and without delays.”

He explained: “Access may require the use of elevated work platforms, alongside certified

FOR ALL YOUR COMMERCIAL PAINTING NEEDS

abseilers and operators trained in the use of motorised access equipment. It is also important to have thorough sign-off processes for each elevation.”

According to Mr Higgins preparation is key.

He said: “Prior to painting all rust areas should be spot primed and all holes filled and sanded. To get the best finish you must use the appropriate roller, spray or brush when applying paint.

“It is also a very good idea to complete a ‘prototype area’,” he suggested.

“Use a small section to verify the colour, finish and consistency that will be applied to the whole building prior to mass painting.”

Finally, Mr Higgins divulged

his top tips on how to achieve the best external paint job:

• Engage a local contractor and paint representative who can provide a combination of paint and workmanship warranty, based on the location and property.

• Get references for other buildings that have been completed by the selected contractor, to gauge how they look.

• Seek clarification on maintenance requirements of the coatings. This needs to be factored into the annual costing to maintain the building.

• Obtain two quotes on the project for all works.

Nick Higgins, General Manager of Operations

Scheduled maintenance offers several longterm benefits

Higgins Coatings complete a full external repaint of ibis Styles The Entrance

access, applying a premium Taubmans Armawall paint specification to all areas. By utilising abseiling, they were able to reduce costs and avoid any major interference to ground level car and foot traffic. Multiple points of contact were maintained as part of a contingency plan. From the site foreman and project manager to access and paint specialists, the project ran smoothly because they were equipped to address any issues that arose. Alongside the full external repaint, allowances were also made to carry out minor internal

works aimed to rectify the common areas. The project was completed in just over two months despite being delayed due to the weather.

The results

Upon completion, the hotel’s condition had been elevated.

Gone were the water ingress issues, surface rust and stained walls that gradually deteriorated the look of the building.

Importantly, the customer was impressed with Higgins Coating’s communication and willingness to go above and beyond to satisfy their needs.

Popular

hotel, ibis Styles, The Entrance, on the Central Coast of New South Wales, recently received a well-due makeover.

The property is located just two minutes from the beach and overlooks the stunning Tuggerah Lakes. But, after years of being subjected to the elements, the building’s externals were looking worse for wear.

Higgin Coating’s Newcastle team of experts helped to revive the surfaces.

The challenge

The hotel owner recognised the extent of the damage to the building’s externals and wanted a cost-effective solution to improve its appearance. The Higgins Coating’s team was faced with the challenge of

providing a thorough scope of works that would guarantee the best possible results while being budget friendly. This meant that considerations had to be made when determining the paint specification and access methods.

After conducting numerous assessments, the team realised that the building not only needed a repaint but also repairs to address the water ingress and surface rust issues plaguing the substrates. Given poor weather conditions, the team were required to revise the schedule of works to account for delays.

The solution

The project was tackled systematically but first, all staff and guests were notified before conducting preparation and substantial remedial works. The team then safely scaled every substrate using rope

Before

The building not only needed a repaint but also repairs

New and Improved Strand Hotel:

Celebrating the best of Sydney with a Parisian twist

By Sarah Davison, Industry Reporter

A 99-year-old pub in Sydney’s Darlinghurst is set to celebrate a new era of the roaring twenties, with an impressive transformation.

The Strand Hotel is the first in a series of new venues by Public Hospitality. The group has been guided by a vision to uncover the potential within heritage buildings, restoring them to their former glory.

Public Hospitality executive director Peter Crinis said the Strand’s refurbishment spoke to the evolution of Darlinghurst.

“With The Strand’s opening, we want to offer something that leans on the charm, history and character of the building and neighbourhood right on the fringe of Sydney’s bustling city, while creating something new and fresh for locals and travellers,” he said.

“As the experience of dining and travel continues to evolve, we are looking forward to welcoming guests to experience something truly boutique for a more intimate experience of Sydney.”

The Strand has undergone extensive refurbishment in two

key areas, providing guests with a delectable new dining experience in their bistro alongside a magnificent rooftop bar.

As for the hotel, there are 17 freshly renovated boutique suites. The accommodation ranges from cosy one-person accommodation through to deluxe residential-style rooms.

Suites are appointed with refined, contemporary interiors that includes everything from crisp white linens, rattan bed heads, accented with deep green finishings and contrasting dark floorboards.

The Strand’s offerings are designed to appeal to both travellers looking for an innercity Sydney oasis and locals wanting a staycation within walking distance of Surry Hills, Potts Point, and the CBD.

Public Design Studio Principal Architect Tom de Plater said the refurbishment was a light touch, with an aim to revive the interiors to meet modern-day standards.

“The approach is always to reuse the existing configurations and add some layers to the space, after peeling back many of the previous layers,” he said.

“This process means you are always thinking on your feet, you can’t set and forget the design, so

it’s a very hands-on approach.”

The first glimpse of the inspired restoration is The Strand Bistro on the ground floor.

It draws its cues from turnof-the-century Paris, with a modern laidback interpretation of French cuisine.

Alongside the architectural team, co-founder of cult denim label Ksubi George Garrow had a hands-on role with the project as creative director.

He said: “My purpose is for the character of the hotel to grow and continue to build over time, just as if you were building your own home.

"The Strand has been designed with the intimacy and personal service of a boutique hotel, creating a community hub of likeminded people, that makes you want to return again and again.”

Described as a “charismatic hotel house of Parisan sensibility where grit meets glamour”. The Strand’s design has a masculine edge to contrast the refined furnishings and warm texture of the walls.

Mr de Plater said the bistro’s French influence was inspired by the design concept.

“The idea was to tie the aesthetics in the with the menu to strive for a well-rounded and strong

experience for guests,” he said. With this in mind, culinary director Nick Mahlook alongside head chef Alex Kavanagh designed the Bistro menu to hero seasonal Australian produce, with a Parisian twist. Expect all the classic French flavours, alongside dishes that shine in their simplicity.

The bistro’s drinks list is also impressive, with an extensive line-up of French and Australian wines, aperitifs, cocktails and beers and a 49-strong whisky.

Heading to the newly opened Strand Rooftop, the space has been designed to provide hotel guests and locals with an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle.

George Garrow

“We've designed the rooftop to provide an unexpected and charming escape amongst the anonymity of William Street, with a deliberate strong contrast to the aesthetic experienced through the brooding texture and materials of the hotel rooms and Bistro below,” Mr de Plater said. The bar serves signature drinks alongside a menu of light dishes such as tuna tartare & fried shallot with sesame crackers, corn and gruyere croquettes, fried chicken with pickles and hot sauce and our rooftop toastie with leg ham, mustard and pickles.

Describing The Strand Hotel

as a drink, Gorrow wants the hotel to feel like a dirty martini; classic, with a twist. And if it was a song? Sebastien Tellier’s Look or Roland Ray’s Girl on my Mind.

Contemplating The Strand’s refurbishment, Tom de Plater said it was hard to select a favourite feature of the building.

“It’s a curation of multiple uses and spaces that all weave together to create a mix of exploration and intrigue, no matter where you are, or what you are doing,” he said.

“The upper levels of centuries old pubs are often ignored, so we try to reinvigorate them to lean into the history.”

Create maximum impact: Alfresco style

By Mandy Clarke, Editor

Alfresco means openair and Australians are well known for their love of fresh air and outdoor spaces. With such a wonderful climate and a unique natural environment, all visitors to Australian shores seek a special outdoor space to wine, dine and unwind.

Many Australian accommodation properties are well-designed to take full advantage of beautiful locations and the environment outside. Some guestrooms are accessed via open-air corridors, some rooms step straight out to the pool area, tropical gardens, or delectably designed secret dining spaces, and then there is the increased demand for funky urban rooftops!

But with a little creative imagination just about any space can be transformed into an alfresco drawcard for any property.

What is the perfect place for guests who want to feel on top of the world? Rooftop alfresco is trending, and many properties (where possible) seek to create a beautiful space ‘up top’ for guests to enjoy the fresh air and sunset views.

Another popular industry alfresco design trend is bringing ‘outside in’. Here designers seamlessly flow interior space into alfresco space and back again, sometimes they use vertical hydroponic gardens, natural materials, and outdoor furnishings. You may have also noticed that many new properties feature huge living green walls and natural light inside the lobby to create an ‘outside in’ wow factor.

Whatever outdoor space you choose to present as ‘alfresco style’, remember it must suit the overall aesthetics of your property and its surroundings. What works for one establishment might not be the right fit for yours.

That’s why it’s a good idea to work with specialist suppliers when furnishing and equipping an alfresco space.

Some styling tips

• Alfresco lounge suites provide comfort and flexibility: Offer seating for a large group, or the perfect spot to relax (feet up) with a book.

• Create shade: Use cabanas, plants, canopies or umbrellas but make sure they won’t blow off your rooftop haven!

• Provide elegant bar stools and high cocktail tables so guests can enjoy a livelier chat with drinks and snacks.

• For cold spells add additional pieces such as a fire pit or consider installing some nice heat lamps. Don’t forget to provide some snuggly blankets.

• Mood lighting creates atmosphere, warmth, and a touch of romance. String

lights are an inexpensive but memorable touch.

• Only purchase quality furniture that suits the environment, consider both sun damage and mold.

• Remember cushions, they add comfort colour and pizzazz!

On refurbishing Alfresco areas, AccomNews sought advice from two of the industry’s most trusted outdoor furniture suppliers.

Dean Gesterkamp, Director, Kudos Premium Outdoor Furniture, told us that achieving maximum impact in any space requires a combination of good design, clever use of colour, and of course comfort.

“Nothing turns guests off more than old, tired, and grubby outdoor furniture, it should always be replaced,” he said.

“The type and style of the new furniture is very much down to personal choice and preference but should also complement the overall look of the property and at the same time meet the needs of guests.

“Remember it is essential to provide adequate seating and tables to meet guest expectations.”

On the latest trends for alfresco spaces, he said there has been an uptick in the use of colour, with vibrant cushions adding another element of comfort.

Images courtesy of Daydream Leisure Furniture

© Deborah L Carlson on Unsplash

He advised, but make sure the colours blend well with your furniture and decor.

On another popular trend, the use of artificial plants, green walls, and vertical gardens he said they can effectively transform spaces. If used well, they can provide nice private spaces and achieve a stunning visual impact.

With delivery times still impacted by ongoing shipping delays due to COVID, Mr Gesterkamp cautioned, if you want to refurbish your alfresco area in time for Christmas, do not delay ordering. Demand is

high and you do not want to disappoint your guests at the busiest and sunniest time of year when they want to enjoy your outdoor spaces most.

Finally, we asked, for tips on creating an impressive and comfortable alfresco area.

He said: “Don’t be afraid to engage a designer. If you are not confident in your choices, a good designer will know exactly how to create the most impactful outdoor spaces for your guests.

“Always only select durable materials and products that

offer longevity. Quality comes back to choosing products with a good warranty from reputable suppliers.”

Jason Condon, owner of Daydream Leisure Furniture believes that there is nothing guests enjoy more than eating, drinking, relaxing, and spending time in a tastefully designed and well-puttogether alfresco space. He told us: “Visitors want to make the most of Australia’s incredible climate. And if you were to ask your potential guests where they intend to spend most of their time at your

property, I would suggest their answer would be outdoors; by the pool, on the rooftop and relaxing in alfresco spaces.

“Given this, comfort and style are key when choosing furnishings for those areas but always remember you are buying for a commercial environment, therefore everything should withstand sustained abuse from guests, weather, and various unguents.”

He added: “Yes visual appeal is very important to your guests, but when you purchase any outdoor furniture practicality should be paramount.”

Image courtesy of Daydream Leisure Furniture

Images courtesy of Kudos Premium Outdoor Furniture

Image courtesy of Kudos Premium Outdoor Furniture

Website personalisation tactics to boost direct bookings

By Eric Reece, Global Creative Director, Cendyn

Today’s traveller is highly attuned to contextual information that’s relevant to their given situation, preferences, and mindset. Every day, they interact with platforms, such as Netflix and Spotify, that tailor their offerings to individual tastes.

These travellers are also exposed to OTAs and other travel intermediaries that leverage personalisation to craft a more relevant experience.

To compete in this environment, your hotel must step up its own personalisation game. Otherwise, your direct booking strategy won’t live up to its full potential. You’ll spend handsomely on brand marketing and PPC campaigns to get potential customers to your website – and then promptly lose them when the experience doesn’t match their expectations.

To optimise your hotel’s direct bookings, focus first on your hotel’s website to convert

more lookers into bookers –and capture as much of that direct demand as possible.

Here are four website personalisation tactics to drive direct bookings:

1. Create personalised pathways

Your hotel’s website shouldn’t just be focused exclusively on the “book now” experience. Instead, each guest should be delivered a unique pathway through your website. That’s because the journey a user takes as they interact with your website reveals a trove of intent: are they looking for a specific date (goes straight to the booking engine), researching for a

flexible upcoming stay (browses property pages), or seeking inspiration (reading the blog)? And in what sequence are they accessing this information?

The answers to these questions should inform personalised pathways throughout your website. Here are a few tactics to get you started:

Adaptable blog content

When researching a trip, consumers visit an average of 38 websites. To appeal to travellers at different stages in this process, adapt your blog content accordingly, especially as users return to engage with your website multiple times.

Content journey mapping is a great way to achieve this, as it helps lay the foundation for personalised pathways.

Intent-driven offers

Use what you learn about an individual’s needs and preferences from their journey around your website. Using this data, such as the number of user visits to the website, click patterns and country of visit, tailor offers and packages so that they’re relevant to the requested booking dates, length of stay and traveller count.

Personalised perks

Frequent guests have higher expectations for their onsite experience. These guests expect information gleaned from past stays; their tastes, interests, preferences, and bookings, to personalise perks and offers on your website. By adapting your hotel’s booking experience based on this data, you upgrade the guest experience and give them a clear incentive to book direct.

2. Target for specific search terms

Search traffic is a goldmine for website personalisation. These key words and phrases

are ripe with intent since they tell you which term the person clicked on just before arriving on your site, providing a very clear signal of their interests. Use that inbound intent, coupled with data on clicks within a session, as inputs to personalise the first touchpoint a visitor engages with upon arriving at your website. This creates a thread of interest, which ideally hooks the visitor into exploring your content.

There are three revenue-rich examples of visitors that may signal intent, and can be converted with more thoughtful personalized experiences:

Weddings

When a future groom- or bride-to-be lands on your site from a specific search term, make it easy for them to get wedding-related information.

A simple and direct CTA wins the day!

Also, this category should fold into your content personalisation strategy:

Make a list of weddingrelated terms and be sure to have relevant landing pages (or blog posts) for targeted visitors. These can be used on social media, as well as for PPC campaigns, to make your CTAs more likely to convert.

Events

When major local events happen, such as music festivals, think carefully about the types of travellers it attracts and what they’re looking for in a hotel. Then, create packages that target different demographics.

Those personalised offer pages create much more buzz and potential interest than generic booking engine pages. Make your website visitors feel the excitement of the upcoming event, and how a stay at your hotel can amplify the experience.

Groups

Other group types, such as conferences and business meetings, should also be served up targeted content related to each individual group type’s most common needs. Your website should also integrate group sales technology that enhances the meeting planner’s experience from the first touchpoint.

3. Invest in landing pages

Looking for a sure-fire way to waste marketing dollars?

Dump all paid traffic to generic landing pages that don’t have anything to do with what the user clicked prior to arriving onsite. That sort of dissonance (where the landing page post-click) has low-to-no relevance, spikes bounce rates and reduces conversions.

To make stickier paid campaigns, invest in relevant, visually rich landing pages. These benefit your hotel in multiple ways:

Boosting high-value terms and campaigns

Landing pages are ideal for high-value terms and campaigns. Start launching personalised landing pages for these terms first, since these tend to return outsized revenues.

More precise reporting

Custom landing pages also facilitate more precise reporting.

By using custom campaign URLs, your landing pages can be easily updated to the most relevant one for a specific target audience, offer or geography. That way, the landing page can be served in French for a French ad campaign, match the offer within your PPC campaign, or even match the visual vibe of a paid social campaign.

More satisfied guests

It can be disappointing to click on a link in an ad, within search results, or on social media, only to land on an irrelevant landing page. More precise personalisation makes for a better experience, which sets the stage for stronger satisfaction throughout the entire guest journey.

4. Tap your firstparty data

Transformation is on the horizon, as the pending end of thirdparty cookies puts the onus on hotels to leverage their owned data in all aspects of their online presence. This of course, includes your website, which can be personalised much more effectively thanks to your data. Some first-party data to improve your website personalisation:

Email marketing data

Click data from your email list is a trove for personalisation. Take every indication of guest preferences, interests, and intent from email engagements to personalise content across your website.

Social media data

Social media platforms, especially the visual ones like Instagram, provide a lot of information that can flow into your website. By using custom links on your posts, you’re able to serve more relevant content when users click through to your website.

Guest profiles

Your rich guest profiles provide a deep well of data for personalisation. As guests engage with your direct communications, whether via email or text, work with IT to ensure that relevant details are passed through to personalise their experiences.

Loyalty data

Rely on the connection between your booking engine and guest CRM to surface opportunities for personalised perks for past guests.

For instance, a repeat guest could be served a surprise screen post-booking with a complimentary room upgrade as a thanks for their loyal business, or perhaps it could be a round of drinks (or golf!) on the house. It all depends on the individual guest preferences.

5. Bringing it all together

The power of personalisation is clear. In a world inundating consumer with choices on where, when and how to shop, relevance is key. Each of your website personalisation tactics should maintain this core objective: giving guests the power to craft the perfect stay, without paralysing them with the paradox of choice.

Relaxed security and access control makes guests uneasy

By Sarah Davison, Industry Reporter

Borders have reopened and tourists are eager to see more of the world. However, while masks and social distancing may have relaxed, personal security remains a high priority for travellers.

Earlier this year, the 16-storey Londoner Hotel made headlines after installing over 500 CCTV cameras in the interests of security for their “high profile” guests and extensive art collection.

In the United States, hotel employee unions are proposing legislation that would mandate personal panic buttons for all hospitality workers. It follows a hotel siege in Somalia that left 21 people dead in late August.

These recent examples highlight the need for a renewed focus on safety and security for property, hotel guests and staff.

There is now overwhelming evidence that the mindset of guests changed in recent years, with survey after survey revealing that travellers prioritise security and safety.

With terrorist attacks and crimes

in hotels making headlines globally, it could be theorised that the mindset of the traveller has changed from one of ‘it won’t happen to me’ to one of ‘it might happen to me’.

Studies have consistently shown that hotel security is an important factor when booking, with guests responding especially well to safety and security features they could see and touch (sprinklers, CCTV, smoke detectors, and so on) considering them an important part of a hotel’s ‘service-scape’.

And importantly, studies found that guests are willing to pay

more for additional safety and security measures.

A 2020 study of female solo travellers highlighted the need to help guests feel safe and secure within the hospitality accommodation setting.

From the 181 study participants, researchers determined the elements of the hotel stay that caused the greatest uneasiness.

The check-in process was found to be one of the greatest causes of anxiety for solo female travellers, who felt that checking in alone left them vulnerable to criminal behaviour.

Additionally, entry points such as the parking area, corridors, elevators, and other spaces where travellers could be followed were reported to be big areas of concern. However, unlike other venues or public spaces, accommodation offerings must juggle the importance of visible safety and security measures while also creating a hospitable and welcoming environment. The balancing act between providing a comfortable and inviting space and one that adequately responds to security concerns requires nuance and forward-thinking. P58

Image courtesy of Salto Oceania

Retro hotel meets modern access technology

The Isla is the perfect Batemans Bay getaway for holidaymakers who value retro style with and modern high-tech. So when the owners designed the fully renovated hotel, they incorporated the latest in technology from the start – including hotel access.

The Isla’s owners partnered with SALTO Systems to install an electronic access control (EAC) system that makes accessing the hotel simple, streamlined and efficient. They installed SALTO XS4 Original Keypad locks on all 18 of the hotel’s rooms and suites, which are accessed via a PIN code that the guest receives when they book.

The SALTO system integrates

with the hotel’s online booking system and property management system (PMS) for a sleek, hassle free experience. The guest simply books online and receives a PIN via SMS. The booking system automatically sends the guest details to SALTO, which generates the PIN, and notifies the PMS, which updates the lock to receive the correct code.

On arrival - no matter what the time of day or night - guests can go straight to their rooms without checking in, and because the PIN code expires after their stay, checkout is simply leaving the room at the end of their trip.

It's not just the guest rooms that use SALTO’s innovative technology: when guests want to purchase The Isla’s selection of local produce (or simply buy the toothbrush they forgot) they use the same PIN to access the ‘Cantina’ - a room full of

custom-built vending machines containing local beers, wines, snacks and essentials.

For the hotel, using SALTO’s cloudbased EAC brings many benefits: it fits perfectly with the ethos of the hotel – which combines the nostalgia of iconic design with the convenience of modern technology. It saves the cost staffing a reception desk, stocking of individual mini-bars, and producing and managing keys or key cards. Above all, it contributes to an outstanding customer experience, where every element – from booking to checkout – is designed to remove hassle so guests can focus on enjoying their time in beautiful Batemans Bay.

P56

To help you select the correct security system for your accommodation, AccomNews spoke to industry expert Tim Kneebone, the Hospitality Vertical Manager, Salto Oceania. He determined that the use of technology provides the best and most discreet defence for perimeter security for accommodations.

Danger zones are the multiple access points

He said: “Technology not only secures the perimeter but also allows accommodation providers to fulfil their duty of care to their guests and staff alike.”

According to Mr Kneebone, the major danger zones are the multiple access points to your property.

“Both guests and staff need to have the appropriate access rights to an entry point. Should someone try and access an area they do not have the rights to,

or if a door is forced or left open, the manager of the property should be notified in real-time, so they can act accordingly” he said.

“Therefore, the best way to keep accommodation perimeters secure relies on real-time electronic access control.”

He explained this can be done by “using a fully integrated security solution including online access control integrated with CCTV. Staff and guests can be kept safe in the knowledge that their movements and the movements of others is being

monitored for their safety.”

On CCTV, he said: “It is an important aspect of accommodation security and when fully integrated with cloud-based access control, numberplate, and facial recognition technology it provides reassurance that a premises is secure and much less likely to suffer from theft and vandalism. Moreover, if security is ever breached it is comforting to know that a manager is notified in real-time and the event is recorded.”

Late check-in is another accommodation activity and access point where it is vital to make guests feel comfortable, safe and secure. And again, Mr Kneebone said technology is the key.

“By utilising self-check-in technology solutions guests can be issued a pin code or a mobile key ahead of their stay which is only valid for the duration of their booking,” he said.

“This means that guests arriving after hours can open the front door and comfortably proceed to their room. This avoids any risk to those arriving in the dark and it eases worries such as being unable to safely enter the property.”

Finally, on future technologies, Mr Kneebone revealed: “Utilizing cloud technology to manage your access control requirements means you can monitor your accommodation from anywhere in the world in real-time.

“User rights can be updated, and mobile keys can be issued simply using the application on a mobile phone. If someone is having problems getting access to their room, the manager can verify their identity and remotely open the door from anywhere in the world.

Image courtesy of Salto Oceania

Tim Kneebone, the Hospitality Vertical Manager, Salto Oceania.

Don’t leave guests in the cold

By Mike Parker-Brown, Industry Reporter

The shower experience should be seamless for guests with the water reaching optimal temperature easily. Accommodation providers must ensure that every guest has access to hot water at any point during their stay.

AccomNews investigates the different types of water heating systems now available, the latest technology to hand, as well as ways to meet peak hot water demands. Making sure guests have access to non-stop, piping hot water is an absolute must for any accommodation provider. There is nothing worse for guests who find themselves deluged in freezing cold water when only halfway through a shower.

But it’s not just all about keeping the guests happy in the bathroom, a hotel’s hot water supply needs to be on tap for a multitude of reasons, in the laundry, the pool, the spa or sauna and even in some heating systems.

AccomNews spoke with Automatic Heating Global Pty Ltd’s Director of Automatic Heating, Terry Plaisted to gauge an insight

into the latest developments and how technology is shaping commercial hot water systems.

What’s the latest in commercial hot water systems?

We are experiencing an increased uptake of CO2 heat pumps with storage tanks to deliver carbon neutral hot water systems. Hydrogen ready hot water heaters are also entering the commercial market in response to environmental concerns.

How can the accommodation industry satisfy peak hot water demand?

The size of the hot water system needs to be engineered to ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet the peak times for each facility. Built-in redundancy is also a must, so that if one unit fails, the system still provides hot water for the end user. When assessing the performance of a hot water system, we take into account the peak times, number of rooms and the type of accommodation.

Bear in mind, the peak demand times of a resort will be different to that of a hotel in the CBD.

Electric or gas?

We consider all options and capitalise on the efficiencies of both electric and gas hot water systems when working with an accommodation facility.

Dependent on the accommodation and building constraints, we assess the space available in the plant room and its access, the size and number of rooms in the accommodation facility, and the peak hot water demands. We then engineer a hot water system to meet the specific accommodation needs.

An electric heat pump system

that captures solar contributions can deliver lower emissions and increased efficiencies and lower running costs. Surprisingly, these technologies can often be incorporated in existing capital works budgets and deliver long term savings and environmental benefits, as well as improved customer experience with steady hot water supply.

accommodation providers install a commercial hot water system designed to meet their maximum capacity needs, opposed to multiple instantaneous heaters designed for residential systems that aren’t efficient in the long term.

A commercial CO2 heat pump or high efficiency condensing heater with storage tanks will lower the maximum energy demand and have a steady hot water profile.

It is imperative that

A regular maintenance schedule will ensure the hot water system is always running optimally and catch any issues before they arise.

As an industry expert what do you think are the best methods to ensure hot water for all guests?

Terry Plaisted

How accommodations can best communicate & motivate sustainable choices

It's no secret that sustainability initiatives and workforce shortages have been hot topics at industry events in recent months, no matter the vertical.

In fact, that was the case at the 80 TWENTY Hotel conferences I attended a few months back in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. Both topics have become realities for all hotels after more than two years since the start of the pandemic. It was fascinating to hear all the strategies being implemented to attract young employees back to the industry, including high wages, flexibility, immigration sponsorship, and other measures, which are all important, but they failed to make the connection that their sustainability measures need to change to attract that young talent more successfully.

All accommodation properties have traditionally benefited from sustainable practices in two ways, namely improving resource efficiency by reducing energy consumption, and attracting environmentally conscious customers.

There certainly seems to be overwhelming evidence of the demand for brands to provide honest sustainable offerings.

Additionally, accommodation sector investors and employees

who are concerned about environmental issues are driving implementation of these sustainable practices in their organisations. If the additional statistics below are any indication:

• About half of people would stop using a brand's products and services if their values were violated.

• Sustainable brands are now desired by over 50 percent of consumers.

• Almost 90 percent of people believe brands and companies have a responsibility to protect the environment.

• A product with sustainability claims grows six times faster than one without.

• Seven out of ten consumers avoid travel destinations or transportation options

due to scepticism about sustainable practices. The implementation of sustainability practices and its effective communication should be a priority for travel destinations. Yet many accommodation operators shy away from acting on these measures due to their belief, among others, that guest convenience will be sacrificed. In most cases, accommodation businesses should not feel hindered when it comes to advancing their sustainable initiatives, especially if they know how to encourage behaviour change in an effective way. By emphasising drivers (most important for increasing preference) or addressing sustainability barriers (most important for persuading sceptics), hotels can better capture the demand for sustainable consumerism.

David Nicolas Founder of Reson8

Image courtesy of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

The drivers

Brands can win preference among sustainabilityminded consumers if they appeal to these motivations in a distinctive way:

• Altruism: Motivated by desire to help.

• Fairness: Motivated by a sense of justice.

• Newness: Motivated by innovation.

• Belonging: Motivated by relatedness.

• Status: Motivated by esteem and rank.

• Hedonia: Motivated by pleasure.

The barriers

Recruiting sustainabilitysceptics into buying sustainable products and services requires travel brands to address motivational barriers as well:

• Reactance: Motivated by freedom.

• Denial: Motivated by making a diff erence.

• Value: Motivated by value (benefi ts, costs).

• Tradition: Motivated by heritage and nostalgia.

• Patriotism: Motivated by national or group pride.

• Disgust: Motivated by cleanliness.

How can accommodation off erings best leverage these 12 motivational drivers and barriers to better sustainable interest and consumption from their guests?

With the advent of information technology, especially the rapid growth of social media, guests’ relationship management has become increasingly important.

Communicating eff ectively with the customer through email, SMS, blogs, and podcasts is also very important, especially after they have supported your destination.

There may be a lack of emphasis on communicating sustainability practices on accommodation websites, as they focus mostly on products and services that aff ect guest bookings.

Spicers retreats, The Calile Hotel in Brisbane and Lady Elliot Island featured at the 80 Twenty Hotel event exemplify this with excellent communication of sustainability practices on a variety of digital communications channels, including their website, blogs, and social media platforms.

Verbal and non-verbal communication strategies on sustainable hospitality Verbal communications:

• Being accurate.

• Being comparable.

• Being positive.

Non-Verbal

Communications:

• Certifications: Several previous studies have shown that third-party certification improves buyers' trust-related beliefs and intentions.

• Being visible: Rather than simply making a statement about what has been done, guests should be able to see sustainable practices throughout the property including sensors, passive shading, rainwater harvesting, native vegetation, habitat protection, or locally sourced food.

• Being authentic: Guests who are unwilling or feel forced to be ecofriendly will have a negative perception of services. Accommodation businesses must find a way to sustainably steer guests toward following what hotels propose in terms of environmental protection.

• Being internalised: Accommodation businesses should become sustainable before communicating sustainability. Communication should extend from the inside to the outside. Guests can easily perceive what insiders do based on the behaviour of the management team, staff, and supplier.

The specific motivations and goals for each of the stakeholders including accommodation sector investors, insurers and employees needs to be established before they can be eff ectively communicated to take the desired action.

Investors are more interested in how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors

connect to the long-term business strategy and how the company manages their ESG risks, which can typically be found in annual ESG reports. Opposed to dissecting dense reports, tables, or data sheets, employees and consumers are more interested in how the company adds value to the community.

It's increasingly important for accommodation businesses to take a stand on sustainability issues and talk about them with a voice, instead of just shouting their achievements, but actually engaging stakeholders in a dialogue.

A big failure to realise that more and more guests want to 'buy into' a brand rather than 'buy from it', and they want to stay at an accommodation business they can trust to live up to their ethical and social commitments.

Now that we're living in an 'integrity economy', it's important to not just walk the talk, but talk about it while you walk.

David Nicolas is the founder of Reson8 marketing agency. A well-being evangelist and former Optometrist, David now works with well-being including hospitality brands to communicate sustainability and well-being initiatives in their business more effectively.

It is his goal for more purposeful brands to feature a "sustainable tab" on their website. This September 2022, David will present on sustainability at the HSMAI Digital Marketing conference in Phuket.

Now that we're living in an 'integrity economy', it's important to not just walk the talk, but talk about it while you walk

E-scooters

Give Accoms an eco-friendly edge

It is safe to say that most travellers are keen to explore the local area. For that reason, access to ecofriendly, safe, and lowcost transportation can be a serious value-add to an accommodation experience.

When it comes to accessible transport, there is no denying the popularity of e-scooters. Since the launch of shared public e-scooters in Brisbane in 2018, cities across Australia have followed suit.

E-scooters and other modes of ‘micro-mobility’ have emerged as viable and sustainable alternatives to cars and public transport for travelling shorter distances.

However, the potential for e-scooters to tap into the tourist market directly through accommodation providers is yet to be fully explored.

URBNRIDZ Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Ullah said while e-scooters have proved popular with tourist accommodation providers across the world, the Australian sector was yet to reap the benefits.

He told AccomNews: “Today, travellers demand access to affordable rooms, free wifi, a comfy bed, a variety of dining options and a more sustainable experience.

“This is the new norm and right now the accommodation sector has a wonderful opportunity to differentiate its offerings while addressing environmental and sustainability goals.

“Studies show that sustainable practices have a positive impact on guest experience and the likelihood of them returning. Simply put, going

‘green’ leads to loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing, and higher customer satisfaction.

“I suggest that providing direct access to a unique transport amenity like e-scooters not only meets guest expectations but may also offer an additional revenue stream for accommodation businesses.”

Cater to convenience

Mr Ullah believes e-scooters can help your business “stand out in a saturated market, by offering guests a convenient mode of transport”.

Unlike public shared e-scooter schemes, private rental fleets offer onsite transport and users return the scooter to a designated location.

“Convenience is key,” he explained.

“When you make a private fleet available to your guests, it means they can pick up a clean, well-maintained e-scooter at your property instead of having to search the neighbourhood for public e-scooter rides.

“Then your guests can jump on their e-scooter to sightsee for hours. Not only do they get to see much more of the locale but

once they’ve had their fun, they just return the e-scooter to the lobby. What could be simpler?

“Furthermore, this arrangement is less disruptive to the surrounding environment.” Return to base e-scooters make for a happier neighbourhood.

“Absolutely,” Mr Ullah agreed “after all, no one wants e-scooters left all over the streets, especially in tourist destinations. Everyone is happier to see them safely parked in an Eco-Hub. Hubs can be placed in a designated space on your property or private land.

Mr Ullah said: “With global tourism opening again, the Australian accommodation sector should expect a surge of visitors. What better way is there for international travellers to make the most of Australia’s incredibly unique environment than to sightsee on eco-friendly e-scooters?

He said: “Accessibility is a massive benefit to the accommodation sector. An e-scooter ‘gifts’ your guests the experience of going to extraordinary places that a car cannot access. It also allows them to cover much more ground than a walk, and time is very precious to a tourist!”

Give your accommodation experience an ecofriendly edge

It is essential to recognise how environmentally conscious guests are in 2022.

E-scooters can give your business an ‘eco-friendly edge’, more importantly it’s an authentic ‘edge’ because e-scooters produce zero emissions and offer major environmental benefits. In fact, a study by a popular shared public e-scooter provider found that using e-scooters in Paris for a year helped save over 330 tons of carbon emissions in the city. This shows, promoting the use of e-scooters and other micromobility services will lessen the number of cars on the road. As a result, also reduces the overall carbon emissions in cities and eases congestion.

“With over 65 percent of global travellers intending to stay somewhere eco-friendly,” Mr Ullah revealed: “Our vision is to reduce congestion in cities and improve air quality.”

“The statistics are encouraging. Rather than taking a car, environmentally conscious guests will appreciate the offer of easy eco-friendly travel options.”

User safety

five times safer than road bikes. The report said electric scooters have an incident rate of 0.66 collisions for every million miles (1.6 million kilometres) travelled.

That’s five times lower than bikes, with 3.33 collisions per million miles travelled.

However, Mr Ullah advised accommodation providers to always keep safety at the forefront of their mind when considering e-scooters.

“Insurance is something that is often overlooked,” he warned.

“Make sure it covers, not just the operator but also the rider and third parties, in the event of accidental damage.

“Rider waivers are not sufficient.”

the right equipment, the right management platform, and the right support,” he said.

“Purchasing your own a fleet may seem like a good idea but remember they also need to be operated and tracked in line with local laws and regulations.

“Most importantly, damage, repairs, and maintenance must be well managed. As well as providing rider support and a high-quality service to elevate the guest experience.

“My advice is, yes, it is possible to do it yourself but consider the risks and overheads first. Be aware that managing a fleet can be an extra burden, an unwelcome distraction from other important duties.

While concerns have been raised about the safety of e-scooters, a recent study out of the UK had reassuring results.

The UK E-scooter Safety Report by accident prevention charity

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) found electric e-scooters were

Private e-scooter fleets: Where to start

Once all the benefits of providing e-scooters have been considered, you might be tempted to purchase your own fleet. Why not?

Mr Ullah recommends caution.

“Running an eco-fleet requires

“Whereas a Business to Business (B2B) rental operator provides everything needed to launch a managed fleet of e-scooters, with accessories, support, and a customer app.

“A successful partnership removes the headache of managing the fleet and allows you to focus on guest experience.

“Smart travellers now expect sustainable choices when they travel, with 65% of global travellers intending to stay somewhere eco-friendly. ”

© stock.adobe.com

Breakfast epiphany: Grab & Go breakfasts

By Sarah Davison, Industry Reporter

Between wanting a relaxing holiday liein, making that early business meeting, a dawn flight or just heading out early to explore, guests are often time-poor in the morning.

To cater to guests with tight schedules, consider adding some ‘Grab and Go’ breakfast options to your accommodation’s menu.

Not only will ‘Grab and Go’ options appeal to busy guests but will also go towards increasing overall business revenue.

However, to ensure your menu meets the needs of your clientele, it’s important to consider the current trends in food and beverage.

Offer a variety of breakfast options

Interesting new research

commissioned by Agoda, revealed the top things international travellers look for when they book accommodation in Australia, and the results might surprise you. While cleanliness, friendly staff, a comfy bed, great location and value for money have in the main proven decisive factors, now research shows a complimentary breakfast is the number one expectation on most people’s list.

And international travellers have high expectations,

with 70 percent of respondents expecting their accommodation to offer a complimentary breakfast. They also want options.

What they look for in a breakfast very much depends on where they come from in the world.

Agoda’s Oceania Director, Zsuzsanna Janos said the research showed it was increasingly important for hotel owners to know where their guests were coming from and match their offerings accordingly.

Health and wellbeing choices

Other research shows consumers have refocused on their health, after indulging in comfort foods during the COVID-19 pandemic and they are looking for healthier options. In the top 10 for 2022 are immunity-boosting snacks and alternative sweeteners. To appeal to your health-conscious guests and those with food sensitivities or allergies ensure your ‘Grab and Go’ choices include gluten-free, nut free, whole-food, low carb, low sugar or protein options.

Think tubs of Greek yoghurt, muesli and protein bars, superfood smoothies, chia puddings and low-sugar muffins.

Nutrition-packed beverages such as kombucha might also be a worthwhile addition, with consumers showing an increasing preference for functional health drinks over soft drinks and juices.

While wholefood options and superfoods can be costly, healthconscious guests are more

Images courtesy of The Handmade Food Co

likely to see these costs as an investment in their wellness.

Include vegetarian and vegan offerings

Don’t forget your vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian guests, while vegetarianism and veganism remain popular, the number of consumers now defining themselves as “flexitarian” has risen steadily. Defined as “plant-curious” eaters, flexitarians choose to reduce the overall amount of animal products they consume. It may also be wise to have a look at your meat and dairy suppliers because while flexitarians still consume animal products on occasion, consumer trends have seen increased demand for highquality meat, dairy and eggs.

The trend is believed to be a result of increasing awareness of animal wellness and environmental concern.

Source local

When curating your ‘Grab and Go’ menu, ensure to select Australian sourced and locally

produced products if availablebecause your guests will love it if you can tell them where the eggs in their breakfast are from.

Sustainability is important

From paper straws to biodegradable coffee cups, the market has clearly responded to a global push for more sustainable food packaging.

In fact, the “What’s Hot” October 2021 National Restaurant Association Survey ranked sustainable packaging as the top trend for 2022.

Additionally, Waitrose’s 2022 Food & Drink Report found that nearly 70 percent of surveyed customers said the carbon footprint of their diet was important.

Stocking the essential Accommodation Supplies

LePack has a wide range of supplies to suit any Accommodations needs with Amenities, Food & Beverage, Electrical appliances, Accessories, Bed Linen & Towels, Bathroom and Housekeeping essentials.

Lepack has a strong focus on

Complete Breakfast Pack

Australian sourced products, all packed in our HACCP approved premises.

LePack offer a wide range in Guest Amenities items such as Shampoo, Conditioner, Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Soaps, as well as all Food & Beverage consumable items such as Tea, Coffee, Sugar and more.

Our range also includes a wide selection of Hotel Linen

LePack supplies convenient and tasty Breakfast, Lunch and Snack packs to the Accommodation Industry Australia wide. With a strong focus on Australian sourced products, all packed in our HACCP approved premises.

and Housekeeping supplies with the essential bedding and towel options to suit any accommodation, as well as housekeeping trolleys, cleaning equipment and toilet paper products. Call LePack today and they will help you with all things Accommodation Supplies www.lepack.com.au.

When considering your ‘Grab n Go’ menu, ensure you provide biodegradable food packing to help minimise your accommodation’s carbon footprint and appeal to environmentally conscious guests.

Additionally, look at providing green bins for guests to dispose of their biodegradable packing and food waste.

Image courtesy of Le Pack Accommodation Supplies Australia

Not only convenient, green bins will also highlight your accommodation’s commitment to sustainability.

Coffee time?

For many guests, coffee in the morning will be non-negotiable. When considering ‘Grab and Go’ options, it is important to ensure they have access to quality coffee on the go.

Cold brew cans are popular choices for consumers looking for convenience, while specialty coffee bags are another option.

Juice may also be a popular choice for guests in summer. Consider upselling by providing guests with a choice of freshly squeezed juice in the morning.

Link into the current wellness trend by allowing guests to add ginger, turmeric, or wheatgrass to their juice.

Big breakfast

For guests looking to start the day off with a hearty breakfast, it’s important to offer some substantial options on the ‘Grab and Go’ menu.

A choice of fresh breads and pastries always goes down well with guests from around the globe. Egg and bacon muffins, breakfast burritos, cheese and ham croissants and even a frittata are good options for guests on the go, while giving them enough fuel for a busy day.

For a meat-free option, think veggie breakfast sandwiches, a warming bowl of porridge or oat milk and cereal.

Brad Richmond, Operations Manager at Lepack agreed that guests love a free breakfast and ‘grab and go’ breakfast

packs are a very affordable way to satisfy that demand.

“Guests also like the flexibility of being able to use the packs at any time of the day, whether it be for early checkout or even a late-night snack,” he said. With hygiene still a top priority for guests Mr Richmond also pointed out that the packs are a perfect hygiene friendly option. Furthermore, he said breakfast packs can also increase revenue for accommodation providers because they “save time and money in labour”.

He added: “Our packs are ready made to give or sell straight to guests as a meal option. They can also be sold at a profit with little effort involved.”

On current trends he revealed: “Guests will always demand a variety of options and our ‘Variety Breakfast Pack’ range is very popular, it features a choice of cereal, juice, snack bar and fruit or muffin.

“Our location specific packaging options are also very on trend with Tropical, Coastal, Outback and Australiana options available.”

Guests do want more sustainable products and packaging according to Mr Richmond.

He said: “However, all industries should care about a more sustainable future, and not just because guests are demanding it. It is time for a switch to sustainably sourced and recyclable wooden spoons and biodegradable bowls.”

He added that “sustainability is also about using Australian sourced products where possible”.

David Taylor the National Sales

Manager at The Handmade Food Co told AccomNews, in his opinion a good breakfast is all about the bread!

He said: “Guests are happy when they are presented with a fantastic variety of bread, they love artisan breads, café classics toasties as well as gluten free options. With traditional bacon and egg or ham and cheese fillings shown to be the most popular choices for breakfast.”

“For this reason, we offer classic breakfast combinations across various bread types including ciabattas, Turkish breads, café style toasties, croissants and even our popular croque monsieur.”

On current trends he revealed he’s seen an increase in demand for quality products with dietary preferences or requirements.

He said: “We added harissa vegetable with hummus and other plant-based sandwiches and wraps to our range. We also have a tasty gluten-free ham and cheese toastie, which comes in a heat proof bag to prevent cross contamination with glutinous products.”

To satisfy international guests Mr Taylor agreed that “variety is key”.

He said: “Offering proteins like beef, ham and chicken combinations as well as vegetarian means you have something to appeal to a broad audience.”

Mr Taylor confirmed guests do love local produce. He said: “The consistent feedback received from guests (especially international travellers) is how much they appreciate an Australian business who takes great pride in sourcing ingredients locally.”

When accommodations make the choice to offer ‘Grab and Go’ breakfasts Mr Taylor pointed out an obvious benefit is the savings that can be made on labour costs. He said: “We know there is a real shortage of labour across the industry. Having quality preprepared food at your fingertips when you simply do not have staff is so important. The other major benefit to buying in a frozen product like ours, is you can minimise your wastage.”

Flexibility is key, especially when the accommodation sector is dealing with fluctuations in demand he said.

“Another challenge we hear from the accommodation industry is how important it is to be able to provide a meal or snack for guests when they arrive at odd hours. Many hotels purchase our products, so they always have something tasty on hand to satisfy a hungry guest outside kitchen hours.”

Finally, he added: “Smart operators keep our pre-made food offer on hand to capitalise on every opportunity without compromising on quality.

David Taylor, National Sales Manager, The Handmade Food Co

Short on staff ? You’re not short on options

Like so many sectors in Australia, the accommodation industry is suffering from the nationwide labour shortage.

To meet this challenge headon, savvy businesses are looking for innovative ways to provide their guests with the same great experience but with fewer resources.

Many operators are turning to a pre-made offer as a tasty, cost-effective and speedy alternative to support their food service needs.

The Handmade Food Co is an Australian family-owned business and we pride ourselves

on using the best quality locally sourced ingredients.

Our extensive product range under our Everyday Café brand spans the 24-hour menu including breakfast, lunch, room service and after hours. Created with years of experience in the cafe market and drawing on world inspired flavours as well as traditional favourites, our product range has a solution to suit everyone.

Popular favourites include grab-and-go sandwiches and wraps as well as hot breakfast and lunch options that can be heated or toasted upon request. Your guests will love choosing between café style toasties and artisan breads, including Turkish and ciabatta. Plant

based and gluten free options are also offered throughout the Everyday Café range.

Our products are delivered to you frozen, so there is minimal wastage and fuss. You simply thaw what you need as you need it giving you all the convenience a frozen pre-made offer provides with the look, taste and feel of freshly made.

You’ll never need to worry about disappointing late or unexpected

arrivals again. With The Handmade Food Co pre-made products on hand, you will always have something delicious, quick, and easy to serve your guests.

Our convenient food offer is available nationally through foodservice distributors to all metro and regional areas across Australia. Backed by a quality assurance team and HACCP certified, food safety and consistency are guaranteed.

To find out more about how we can help you create great food experiences for your guests, call us on 1300 722 748 or email sales@thehandmadefoodco.com.au

EVERYDAY CAFÉ

All of the benefits of a pre-made food offer without compromising on quality

NERO COOL TOUCH KETTLE

For those properties wanting to give their guests that little bit extra, the Nero Double Wall kettle fits the bill. Covered by an outer plastic shell over a stainless-steel body, the kettle is cool to touch even when boiled. Its 0.8L capacity is perfect for the accommodation industry and its black matt finish fits any décor. Other features include a concealed element for easy cleaning, 360-degree rotational base for easy access and push button lid for easy filling. This is another innovative product from Nero, Australia’s largest range of accommodation electrical appliances.

C Weatherdon P 02 9906 2202

E sales@weatherdon.com.au W Weatherdon.com.au

PULLMAN PL950 CORDLESS BACKPACK VACUUM

The PL950 from Pullman is a powerful cordless backpack vacuum engineered to lead the way in cleanliness and hygiene in the hotels and accommodation sectors. This model is renowned for its Eco Mode ensuring very low noise emissions and the patented Advanced Gulper Floor Tool meaning your guests will never be disturbed. No matter how vast your floor space is, the 5.5L capacity paired with an efficient award-winning patented ergonomic design means you’ll get the job done comfortably with minimal interruption. Impressively, the unique Blowerport function transforms the backpack into a blower, allowing for maximum adaptability for any application.

C Godfreys Commercial P 1800 314 580

E Weatherdon.com.au W godfreyscommercial.com.au

NARDI DOGA RANGE

Introducing the Doga range from Nardi, it encompasses all you have come to expect from Nardi. Italian made with Italian flair, designed, and built for commercial use featuring fiberglass reinforced polyprop for maximum strength and durability. Choose from the arm or armless dining chair or the Relax version, also complimented by a matching side table. All options stack and are available in six on trend colours. Enquire now about the Doga range or any of our resort focused products.

C Daydream Furniture P 07 5493 4277

E sales@daydreamleisure.com.au W www.daydreamleisure.com.au

SPRINTBOK INNOVATIVE MANUAL, CURVED TREADMILL

• Made in Germany

• Innovative manual, curved treadmill

• Encourages ergonomic running style – reducing the likelihood of injury

• Burn 30% more calories than on a conventional treadmill

• Available in a range sustainable hardwood

• Full commercial warranty

C WaterRower Australia P 02 9898 1405

E admin@waterrower.com.au W waterrower.com.au

XS4 ORIGINAL KEYPAD

The SALTO XS4 Original Keypad smart lock offers the ultimate in flexibility for accommodation venues particularly looking for an automated booking system. The Original Keypad offers three forms of authentication for guests, covering pincode, card/fob and a mobile key. With software integration, the pincode, for example, can be automatically generated and sent to a guest when they book, saving administrative time and making for a smooth experience. The XS4 Original Keypad is also available in a variety of finish colours, enabling it to complement any décor.

C SALTO Systems P 03 8683 9782

E info.oceania@saltosystems.com W hospitality.saltosystems.com

CHRISTIE’S ICON

ACCESSIBLE BARBECUE CABINET

Christie’s ICON Accessible Barbecue Cabinet has received a prestigious Good Design Award recognising its outstanding design and innovation. The ICON cabinet is a modern interpretation of Christie’s Modular cabinet that has become synonymous with Australian public barbecues. The versatile design incorporates current requirements for sustainability, inclusivity, and occupational health and safety. The Good Design Awards Jury commented: “A definite improvement on existing offerings, the design has thoughtfully considered the experience of users of all abilities. The considerations of social distancing are also thoughtful. Aesthetically the design is robust and clean, and will integrate well into public spaces.” Learn more about the award-winning ICON cabinet at www.dachristie.com

C Christie Barbecues P 03 9708 2999

E sales@dachristie.com W dachristie.com

COMPASS BATTERY-FREE BATHROOM SCALES

Save time and help the planet with the new battery-free bathroom scales from Australia’s leading guestroom products supplier. Just step on the central button and quickly get an accurate reading. No more calls to the front desk to replace the batteries. Hours saved for housekeeping not having to check if the batteries are working. The Compass scale has a maximum capacity of 180kg and gives readings in both kilograms (kg) and pounds (lb). It has a large easy to read LCD display and an elegant 6mm safety glass with rounded edges. Compass is the range of quality bathroom and laundry items from Weatherdon, Australia’s premier guestroom supply company.

C Weatherdon P 02 9906 2202

E Weatherdon.com.au W sales@weatherdon.com.au

Preferred Supplier Programme

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FACTORY DIRECT PRICES

• Delivering the highest standard of product designed to give long life and superior comfort

• Two sided mattresses used across the entire commercial bedding range

• We use only the best quality re retardant fabrics and foams which also include pest resistant treatments, as well as conforming to Australian standards Sunshine Coast ph 07 5446 7541 Cairns ph 07 4032 5133 sales@themattresscompany.com.au www.themattresscompany.com.au

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 benefi t from the positive experiences other managers have had with their suppliers.

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

1. 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).

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Subject to the satisfaction of these processes and commitments suppliers

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 AccomNews magazine and online at accomnews.com.au.

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.

BED SPREADS & BED COVERING PRODUCTS

For over twenty five years in Australia the preferred supplier programme and directory has been an extremely valuable and effective tool for accommodation managers.