Hotel Magazine // October 2015 by Review Publishing Ltd

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THE BUSINESS OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT

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Oct/Nov 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Vol. 1 No. 3

World Citizen pg 12

Milano Fair pg 23

The Minibar pg 27

NO RESERVATIONS Hospitality doesn’t operate the way it did years ago when if you wanted to go somewhere in New Zealand, you looked up the trusty AA handbook. In our now technological era, there are plenty of ways to check you have the right choice and plenty of companies wanting to book it all for you – at a price. The worry of it all is that surveys show that 84% of people trust the recommendations of people they know and 68% trust online customer reviews. The latter leaves 32% either just plain unhappy through to the disgusted and that’s a high percentage of your potential guests. It also means that a lot of people trust fellow consumers rather than the brands we operate under. Companies are now spending a lot of their marketing budgets on social media and general online activities, but measuring the ROI of that work is almost impossible. It may well be true that it saves money by going down this track rather than advertising but does it generate revenue ? The key is tracking clicks through to conversion to a booking but just looking at some of the hotel websites creates doubt about their efficacy. Admittedly, many of our smaller units are still in the do it yourself arena and just don’t have the marketing budgets, but there are many mistakes they can avoid – such as pages that take

forever to load, terrible choices of typefaces, bad photography, sites that have no sense of urgency of simply no call to action or simply way too many room and rate choices. We spoke recently to several smaller operators recently and they had decided that it was easier to pass it all over to the OTA’s and live with the commissions – because frankly they have the funds to do a much better job. One of the secrets in influencing a decision is to better understand your customers and then investing the dollars in the area that already generates the best business – not going fishing for new people but developing what clearly is your market. Or just get a kid to come in and do your website.

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Peter Mitchell, Publisher, peter@reviewmags.com

ON THE COVER: The Langham Auckland is an oasis of luxury and New Zealand’s leading environmental hotel.

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thenumbers For July 2015, compared with July 2014: North Island guests were up 5.7 percent, and South Island guests were up 1.4 percent

China is New Zealand’s second largest visitor market. Its growing middle-class has seen sustained growth in Chinese visitor arrivals to New Zealand over the last five years.

@thespirehotel

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International Visitors Arrivals August 2014 – July 2015: Australia 1,290,192 (up 4.1%) @stregishotels

100% OWNED www.hotelmagazine.co.nz PUBLISHER: Peter Mitchell, peter@reviewmags.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Sarah Mitchell, sarah@reviewmags.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Tania Walters, tania@reviewmags.com ADVERTISING Robyn Lambert, robyn@reviewmags.com

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ISSN 2423-1193 EDITORIAL TEAM: Thomas Fowler, tommie@reviewmags.com Monique McKenzie, monique@reviewmags.com Rossella Quaranta, rossella@reviewmags.com SENIOR DESIGNER Raymund Sarmiento, raymund@reviewmags.com CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION Kieran Mitchell, kieran@reviewmags.com

Review Publishing Co Ltd Suite 9, Level 3, 20 Augustus Tce, Parnell, Auckland PO Box 37140, Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 304 0142 or Fax (09) 377 2794 HOTEL is published monthly under license. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to HOTEL. The opinions and material published in this edition of HOTEL are not necessarily those of the publishers unless specifically stated. All material appearing in HOTEL is copyright and may only be reproduced with the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2015.

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industrynews

QUEENSTOWN 202 ROOM HOTEL PLANS

A downtown Queenstown hotel plans have been upsized significantly by the developer. Lew Gdanitz, a long time resident, has plans to build a hotel on his 3000m2 site that borders Shotover St, Stanley St and Gorge Road that last year saw a plan drawn up for a 110-room hotel. However, this year, a new plan has been proposed that will see an increase of 92 rooms, totalling $50 million. Gdanitz is seeking a joint venture partner and said his key driver is the major shortage of accommodation in Queenstown. A series of restaurants, a cinema and the space for a small pharmacy, laundry and ski rental business has been allocated on the ground floor of the four and a half star family style hotel. According to Arrowtown architect John Blair who has been assigned to the project, given the site is special, an increase in the height of the building could be taken into consideration. l

SKYCITY FLAGS NEW HOTEL SITE

SKYCITY is looking for an external investor for the development of Auckland’s latest five star hotel alongside the proposed convention centre. The 300 room five star hotel is part of the Hobson Street, Nelson and Wellesley Streets conference precinct. Linked to the casino by an air bridge, it will add further restaurant and entertainment facilities to the area. l

GREEN SPACE AWAITS PLANS A decision has not yet been made as to what the green space on Kaikohe’s main street will be developed into. The KaikoheHokianga Community Board has turned down an initial plan that sought to convert part of the former Kaikohe Hotel site – about 760sqm of the total 10,000sqm into a roadside recreation area. The board members have encouraged Far North District Council staff to work with the

site’s owners and the Kaikohe Business Association to come up with a new report on “reasonably practicable options” for public use of the space. The rundown Kaikohe Hotel was demolished last year after it was bought by Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngapuhi in a mortgagee sale. Local tertiary institution NorthTec has indicated an interest in the space for it to be involved through its sustainable horticulture course. l

MILLENNIALS AFFECTING HOTEL DESIGN

Vee Kessner, founder of design firm Space Studio, spoke at the 2015 New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference about designing for the Millennials and how this is affecting hotel design thinking currently. According to the HVS Global Hospitality Services report 2015, by 2030 Millennials are expected to reach 78 million, and baby boomers account for 58 million. Millennials are choosing hotels that design for authenticity, are increasingly global in their views and less culturally segregated, Kessner said. Guests will look for simpler, healthier, interesting concepts rather than relying on a signature chef and a single F&B outlet. As Millennials are generation “choice”, they are looking for multiple food offerings and to support locally produced food, meaning hotels are amping up the food and beverage choices available.

Guests are customising their stay with online booking treatments, experiences, personal trainers, yoga sessions, and places to meet and eat. Technology prerequisites means guests want free wifi everywhere, in room device charging, connection to TV’s and the ability to order from personal devices. Key design and functionality trends show that Millennials want air purification to reduce allergens, toxins and microbes from the air, health-energizing lighting for jetlag and to regulate circadian rhythm, and Vitamin C infused water to neutralize chlorine. Additionally, trends include exercise equipment and space within hotel rooms, food and beverage offering a health orientated farm to table concept, and Grab and Go “pantries”, which work if they are stocked with gourmet and health brands. l

WARNING ON PORTAL SCAM

THE Commerce commission has warned small owners and operators of an invoicing scam undertaken through the post by a German company operating a website called Corporate Portal New Zealand. A number of companies have been approached to update their business details and have been misled into entering

an ongoing subscription contract. The paperwork has led some companies to believe they are obligated to provide their details to the New Zealand Companies Office. By filling out the form and posting it back, companies are automatically signed up to a $1411 annual subscription to an online directory for three years. l

RA KING AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED Finalists for the 2015 ra King Best Dish NZ and Best ra King Ambassador NZ awards have been announced. Bradley Hornby from Marlborough and Auckland’s Makoto Tokuyama have scored spots in both categories and are among six finalists up for two awards which recognise outstanding contributions from chefs working with premium ra King salmon. Other finalists are MacLean Fraser from Wellington and Auckland’s Thomas Barta in the Best Dish NZ award category, Nick Honeyman and Chetan Pangam in the Best Ambassador NZ section.

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New Zealand King Salmon marketing general manager Jemma McCowan said the third year of the awards has delivered four distinctively different submissions from the NZ Best Dish Award finalists. “The ra King team found it tough to predict a winner from such a diverse range of top quality entries, and it seems the judges have found it equally challenging,” she said. The winners of all ra King categories are announced at an awards ceremony at Raetihi Lodge in Marlborough on 20 October. l

October/November 2015

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SILVER FERN FARMS BEST CUT

Top chefs from the Bay of Islands to Queenstown are gearing up to compete for the title of Premier Master of Fine Cuisine in the third annual Silver Fern Farms Premier Selection Awards. The nationwide competition showcases the talent and craft of 61 of the country’s best chefs, who were invited to create an original dish using Silver Fern Farms premium red meat cuts of lamb, beef, venison or SILERE alpine origin merino. Dishes will be judged on how well the chefs ‘let the red meat be the hero’ and points will be awarded for presentation, preparation and cooking, as well as taste, texture and creativity. Finalists will be announced on 20 November. l LEFT: Palate Restaurant Head Chef Mat McLean

SLEEP EASY AT HERITAGE Heritage Boutique’s Beechtree Suites in Taupo and The White Morph in Kaikoura have newly installed Sleepyhead Tranquil Beds. In addition, Heritage Hotels are offering deals to celebrate Jetstar now adding all New Zealand’s major cities starting with ‘N’ to their national airline routes. Jetstar begin flying into the region – Nelson from 1 December, and New Plymouth from 1 February 2016. l

CROWNE PLAZA’S NEW APP

Auckland’s Crowne Plaza is helping its guests stay in touch with local and world news with the launch of an innovative news app. It has introduced PressReader, a free application where the guest’s favourite newspaper or magazine can be downloaded onto their smart device. The new app unlocks full access to over 2000 full content and current day newspapers just as they appear in print worldwide. IHG area director of sales and marketing Franck Hesse said it the most advanced and environment friendly way for guests to stay up to date with world news while they were staying at the hotel. l

KINGSGATE SITES UP FOR SALE

AKAROA ROLE

Heritage has appointed Gina Leslie to the role of resident manager for its Boutique Akaroa Cottages. She has led the Heritage Christchurch reception team for the past three years and was the hotel’s Employee of the Year last year. l

Two of the Kingsgate Hotels are up for sale, either individually or together through Dean Humphries of Colliers International. The Kingsgate Hotel Whangarei and the Kingsgate Hotel Hamilton will be sold by way of expressions of interest. Both hotels represent a fantastic opportunity to acquire significant real estate assets in two of New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing regions according to Humphries. “Due to the underlying land and high building costs, they are unlikely to ever be replaced in their current format, assets of this nature are rarely sold on the market,” Humphries told the Herald. “Both hotels are currently being managed by the prominent hotel operator Millennium & Copthorne Hotels under its popular 3 to 3.5 star Kingsgate brand.” The opportunity gives new investors the choice to either retain this group to manage the hotels or alternatively appoint a new hotel company under a different brand. l

OVEN FRESH HEAT AND EAT

To cater to the growing number of Coeliac consumers, New Zealand bakery company Purebread now offer Flatties, a gluten free product that delights and impresses straight from the oven. The three healthy varieties, Garlic, Rosemary and Turkish, allow for several menus and serving options for bruschetta, Panini, dippers, pizza or bread board selections. Purebread Flatties are handmade and baked fresh daily using certified organic ingredients chosen for their nutritional value. They utilise age old, natural fermentation methods that aid digestion and altogether offers customers optimum flavour and nutritional value. Paraoa Bakehouse Ltd is based on the Kapiti Coast and is the only small company to win the prestigious Sustainable Business of the Year award. This is attributed to its commitment to organic production and

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responsible packaging. Flatties sport fully compostable packs so are environmentally friendly from fields to finish. Its community support and social giving includes supporting food banks, kaibosh and giving thousands of veggie seeds for school gardens, supplying toast for its soup and toast meals and Trees for Survival sponsorship. Purebread products do not include pesticides and artificial chemicals commonly found in non-organic grain products which tis a great point of difference for the company. It also produces many other organic and gluten free products including pizza bases, rolls, breads, cakes, biscuit and cereals. Your establishment is welcome to its great introductory offer saving 25 percent on a mixed box of 12 until 20th December. For more information phone 04 902 9696 or email orders@purebread.co.nz. l

NEW HOTEL INCLUDED

Auckland’s Eastern suburbs Pakuranga Plaza is to get a $500m upgrade from its Singaporean owners with a conference centre, offices and more shops. Also included in the GYP Properties plan is a hotel. The mall was sold to the Singapore company last year for $96m. l

management

October/November 2015

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INTER-FRIDGE ON THE MOVE

HYATT HOTEL GRANTED RESOURCE CONTENT A 195-key luxury hotel will be built on Auckland’s waterfront starting next year and is set to open in 2017. Run by the Hyatt Group and developed by Fu Wah International company, Park Hyatt Auckland represents one of the largest Chinese infrastructure investments in New Zealand, to the tune of $200 million. The building will house a ballroom, entertainment facilities, a health centre and a day spa. A brand-new public space around the hotel is also encompassed in the project. l

HILTON TAUPO WINS BIG IN SYDNEY Hilton Lake Taupo has been honoured again at the prestigious 2015 HM Awards ceremony held at Sydney Town Hall earlier this month, by taking away Champion Regional Property in New Zealand. This is the fourth time Hilton Lake Taupo has taken home this award, proving their consistency in delivery outstanding service, and providing in a pristine environment for all guests year after year. “We are proud to receive the HM Award for the fourth time running,” said general manager of Hilton Lake Taupo, Roger Brantsma. “I would like to congratulate our remarkable team and the recognition

they have received. Every year the standard of hospitality is raised by the quality of hotel finalists, which is a demonstration of the extraordinary performance from the Hilton Lake Taupo.” Now in its 13th year, the HM Awards are presented annually and celebrate achievements of excellence within the accommodation industry across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, honouring the industries finest staff, properties, brands and chains across a region rich with stunning landscapes and dream destinations. l

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(see editorial)

HAVING purchased the refrigerated cabinet division from Cowley Services in April this year, owner/operator James Holdich has announced that InterFridge are locating to a new premises at unit 1/20 Cain Commercial Park, Penrose. The Auckland premises faces the northbound motorway just before the Ellerslie off ramp, and is easily accessible from Great South Road via NcNab Street. With thousands of vehicles passing along the motorway hourly, the highly visible location provides Inter-Fridge with a branding awareness opportunity. Primarily focusing on the supermarket, convenience, café, restaurant and hotel sectors, the new premises will provide Inter-Fridge a chance to showcase their wide range of commercial refrigerated and heated display and storage cabinets that feature on their website. Previously located in Mt Wellington, the move was motivated because the 500sqm Penrose premises features a 150sqm showroom backing onto a sizeable ground floor warehouse for customers to purchase. Office and meeting rooms are situated on the first floor. For the convenience of visitors, generous car parking is available. The new showroom starts operating on November 1 and will be open 7.30am-5pm on weekdays and 9am-1pm on Saturdays. For more information visit www. Interfridge.co.nz or contact Sales@interfridge.co.nz. l

MAJOR PROGRAMME FROM DINERS CLUB DINERS Club has introduced a major new marketing programme with its Privileges Dining Collection and is telling consumers it is the key to an elite gourmet world. It is currently inviting gourmet restaurants across the country to join the no-cost programme. Diners Club International is well known in the industry as the official financial services sponsor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, a move that has inspired the new Privileges dining Collection in New Zealand. In other parts of the world, the exclusive Collection includes a number of the 50 best, a number have also earned accolades from Michelin, James Beard, Gayot and other prestigious

institutions. The programme has a serious marketing thrust where Diners Club members can access exclusive offers and unique experiences such as complimentary glasses of wine, edible souvenirs, extra courses, behind the scenes tours of kitchens or wine cellars, signed menus and even special table visits by chefs. There is no cost to restaurants and hotels to get this global exposure as long as the establishment is a Diners Club merchant. Participating restaurants around the world can be seen on the website dinersclubprivileges. com and more details on the programme can be got from Rod Noble at Diners Club marketing on 0800 280544 or rodney.noble@ dinersclub.co.nz l

DEBATE ON MEETING TOURIST CHALLENGES

THE rapid growth of the burgeoning tourist industry in New Zealand is creating many challenges for the $24 billion a year business. With tourism enjoying a book and visitor arrivals now topping three million a year, there has been strong doubledigit growth in visitor spend – but it comes with pressures. These pressures and challenges are to be debated at the national tourism summit being staged by the TIA in Wellington next month as well as looking at the new opportunities needed to meet the aspirational target of $41 billion over the next decade. “How can we successfully host thousands more visitors, spread them across the country and make sure they all don’t want to come in summer?” said TIA’s Chris Roberts. He asked how the industry could protect the natural environment, keep the goodwill of kiwis and also find the infrastructure investment needed to ensure the industry could deliver a world-class visitor experience. The event takes place on November 19. l

October/November 2015

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MILLENNIUM ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

Millennium Hotels have reached agreement with Alex McKenzie, the owner of the Kingsgate Hotel Paihia, to manage the hotel effective from 1 October. The Kingsgate Hotel Paihia has been a loyal franchise partner for over 15 years and Millennium will transition their processes and systems into the popular waterfront location over the coming months. Staff will also be transferred across to the new company. “We are absolutely delighted to continue our support of the hotel in our new capacity as the hotel manager and operator. This is a stand-out hotel with its exclusive waterfront location, guest facilities and extremely well appointed modern rooms. It is well positioned as Northland continues to grow in popularity with both domestic and international visitors to the region. Northland and specifically Paihia have been featured more and more in tour programmes and itineraries. We will continue to work with industry partners to further promote the region and raise its profile,” Karl Luxon, Vice President Operations at Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Limited said. The management agreement will bring enhanced

efficiencies into the hotel; Millennium has a great knowledge of what the hotel can offer and can achieve that through the branding. They have maintained a relationship over the years with Kingsgate, building the marketing and profile of the hotel. Millennium has set very specific targets, and the nature of the agreement means McKenzie still owns the hotel and chattels and is still involved with helping the hotel achieve a healthy return. “Organisations like Millennium try to create a brand – and they want to make a return,” Alex McKenzie, director of Kingsgate Hotel Paihia said. As for Kingsgate staff, there will be many benefits. Most employees are locals and are passionate about the region. The move to Millennium Hotels offers them future growth in their careers, and for those that want it the ability to move within the Millennium hotel network in New Zealand. The Millennium hotel group offers numerous training and development programmes to their employees and they actively encourage them to undertake unit standards in NZQA nationally recognised qualifications. These are offered throughout all areas of hotel operations and are supported by their own industry approved learning advisors. With the focus on an outstanding service experience for their guests, this will only enhance the reputation of the Kingsgate Paihia and tourism for the region. “We welcome the Kingsgate Paihia staff as they join us from 1 October. They are an enthusiastic and dedicated team with a great reputation for warm smiles and hospitality. With the weather warming up for summer we are looking forward to managing the hotel with the team as we welcome people to Paihia and the North. The location is absolutely standout and it is a key property to have,” Luxon said. The 1 October transition is expected to be seamless as far as customers go, and Millennium looks forward to continuing to welcome their regular guests and those staying for the first time. l

HOTELIQ PLAN FOR TRAINING

A REPUTATION for consistently excellent service certainly is a key to business and the HotelIQ assessment tool from Service IQ helps guarantee first class service. By integrating with a hotel’s standard operating procedures, it helps operators to know whether their employees are meeting the required standards. The assessment also works for employees, who get professional satisfaction from doing an exceptional job and building their career with a nationally recognised certificate qualification Level 3 or Level 6. While the business benefits from sustainable excellent service, it also makes staff understand the importance of their role and helps them gain specialist skills and knowledge. Information on the programme is at Service IQ on 0800 863 693.

techwatch

HOTELS EMBRACE SELF SERVICE TECH

ROBOTIC ERRAND RUNNER

STAFFLESS RETAIL SOLUTION

In a growing international trend, hotels are looking at automated technology to replace traditional check in processes. The luxury hotel firm YOTEL have recently overhauled its property management system, implementing new technology powered by StayNTouch. A popular option for web-based PMS, StayNTouch offers a user-friendly interface that automates customer check in processes and maintains the hotel’s booking system. “We implemented StayNTouch to build upon our ongoing digital strategy to find the right balance between technology, efficiency and service with focus on enhancing our guest experience, and giving both our crew and guests more options and control at their fingertips,” said Fergus Boyd, vice president of digital for YOTEL. “The StayNTouch PMS platform will also be the base for YOTEL’s forthcoming app and self service tablet integrations at its airport hotels.”

Situated in five hotels already, a California startup has produced a 3-foot high robot that can carry out menial tasks for hotel guests. Savioke was founded in 2003 and unveiled the robot during Intel Corp’s developer forum. It is designed to perform general delivery tasks and feedback collection for guests; with some even able to call lifts through specially enabled WiFi connections. Leased on a monthly basis, Savioke provides consistent service updates and software upgrades as needed at a price tag of $1,500 to $2,000USD per month. “What’s interesting about the robot is that customers are more willing to give honest feedback, because they’re less afraid of hurting somebody’s feelings,” said Savioke co-founder, Tessa Lau.

Originally founded in France but promptly bought out by the Japanese SoftBank Group, Aldebaran Robotics has released an automated retail robot. Pepper, a 4-foot tall humanoid robot is designed to run through pre-programmed scripts and greet customers and is currently in use in Japan. Whilst Pepper hasn’t been launched outside of Japan, SoftBank are hoping to continue development, with plans for Pepper to be used across residential and commercial properties. The robot retails for approximately $1,600USD and features an inbuilt tablet to help customers access information.

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PROPERTY WATCH EVERY month in New Zealand there is an array of large and small hotels, motels and B&B’s on the market. Here are some them advertised in the past few weeks. Some may have been purchased and others still available. • The popular Flames International hotel and conference centre in Whangarei that was recently up for sale has been taken off the market. The present owner has decided to rebrand and refurbish the 21 executive suite operation that is a well-known wedding and conference facility that caters for up to 130. • Tourism Properties has six properties available. They include Arrowtown House outside of Queenstown as a going concern, Kirwee Tavern in Canterbury (leasehold), At The Rocks Motor Lodge in Napier (leasehold), management rights and a possible freehold investment of the Beachfront in Whitianga on the Coromandel, the Otorohanga and Waitomo Motels in the tourist area of the Waikato and the franchise for the Whangarei Top 10 Holiday Park in the North. • In the Bay of Islands, the well known Duke of Marlborough

Tavern in Russell sees the business, the lease and all assets are up for sale through Bayleys. With a TAB and increasing tourist numbers, the profits have grown by 82% in the past three years. • Nearby in Kerikeri, the Avalon Resort is on the market. This is a high-end accommodation business being handled by Link. • And not far away the freehold Bream Bay motel is on the market for the first time in 50 years. It has 18 self-contained units and is being handled by First National. • In central Auckland, the 150-yearold historic Edinburgh Castle hotel goes under the hammer later this month by Bayleys. This pub has a huge profile and is fully leased to a food, beverage and residential accommodation business. • Also in Auckland, Colliers have a 30-unit motor lodge in Henderson available. It has been suggested that this would be an ideal residential development site. • Monarch Commercial in Hamilton is handling the sale of the Grosvenor Motor Inn that has a 20-year lease in place. It has 40 motel units plus conference room, restaurant and bar.

• Link Business has Whanganui’s Aotea Motor Lodge on its books. This boutique property in the central city has 28 rooms. • Link is also handling the popular resort of Kingfish Lodge in Northland for sale. The land, buildings and business are for sale in 30 acres of near tropical paradise. • In one of the biggest offerings around, Colliers is handling the 247-room Novotel Ibis in Auckland’s Ellerslie along with the Kingsgate operations in Hamilton and Whangarei. With 147 rooms, the Hamilton property is the biggest accommodation and conference facility in the city. The other is the largest hotel in Whangarei with 115 rooms. Colliers are also handling the sale of Wellington’s Travelodge.

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• Further south, Benton’s Motel in north end of Levin, a nine-unit operation, is a sale being handled by McCrae Real Estate. This freehold unit has a restaurant and bar. • In the Wairarapa town of Martinborough, the well-known Peppers Parehua Lodge with its 28 luxury units is on the market with a Peppers management contract in place. The 10-year-old five star estate is in the middle of local wine country is being handled by Bayleys. • Resort Brokers has the wellknown Huka Falls Resort outside of Taupo going as the business only or as a freehold purchase. It has 25 villas, conference and restaurant facilities, a vineyard and an onsite church for weddings. l

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SAVOY 2014 LOSS London’s Savoy Hotel made a net loss after tax of NZ$98.8m for the 12 months up to 31 December 2014 compared to a loss of NZ$76.4m the previous year. The hotel’s operating profit increased to NZ$17.9m for the period up from NZ$13.4m for 2013. Accounts for the year for Breezeroad, the hotel’s operating company, showed that sales also increased by 3.4% from NZ$135.4m in 2013 to NZ$139.9m. The financial report said the increase was partly due to

the re launch of Savoy’s main restaurant Kaspar’s, which was closed for six weeks during 2013 for renovations. The company’s group refinanced in October 2014 and is expected to meet all its financial obligations for the next 12 months. The group has secured bank financing until 2018. The Savoy is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which is in the process of being sold, with InterContinental Hotels Group rumoured to be a front-runner. l

MOST EXPENSIVE SUITE IN NEW YORK At US$50,000 a night, the Ty Warner Penthouse suite at the top of the Four Seasons Hotel is currently the most expensive hotel suite in New York and was named the most expensive hotel suite in North America last year. Purchased by Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner in 1999, the 4,300-square-foot space occupies the entire 52nd floor of the building and has a private elevator that leads guests directly to its rooms. Only occupied around 10 nights of the year, the suite offers 360-degree views of Manhattan

and Central Park and has a long list of amenities, including a 24-hour butler, Rolls-Royce chauffeur, personal trainer, and art concierge. Guests can sleep in Thai silk sheets in the 600-square-foot master bedroom. The restroom comes with an infinity tub, a rain shower, and sinks made from semi-precious tiger’s eye stone. There’s also a zen room equipped with a waterfall, as well as a spa room for massages. l Photos: Business Insider Australia

LAKE CRACKENBACK SIGN DEAL Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa have signed a sponsorship deal to support the Canberra Cavalry for the upcoming season of the Australian Baseball League. The resort, located on the border of the Kosciuszko National Park, is well known for its array of sporting facilities and events and is a strong supporter of local sport, Anthony Cleary, general manager of Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa said. The fan base for baseball in Australia was growing each year, according to Cleary, and that there is mass fan support for the team in Canberra, and the home games had significant potential to increase tourism to the region. “We are hoping that interstate

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fans decide to stay on for a couple of days after the baseball game and discover the beauty in and around Canberra as well as take the easy drive out to the Snowy Mountains and spend some time with us at Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa,” he said. The resort also hosts an impressive calendar of events during the year including the Cross Triathlon World and National Championships, an off-road multi-sport festival, mountain bike events, fly fishing workshops, specialised trail running weekends, photography tuition and celebrity chef dinners. l

MANTRA PURCHASES APARTMENT HOTEL Mantra Group is set to operate Australia’s largest apartment hotel in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. The Group purchased the Towers of Chevron Renaissance management rights, which consists of 711 apartments across three towers reaching between 35 to 50 levels in height. The property has rebranded as Mantra Towers of Chevron Surfers Paradise and will bring the number of Mantra branded properties to 12 on the Gold Coast. Mantra Group now operates 21 properties on the Gold Coast across its Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree brands making it the largest hotel operator

in the region. “This is an important acquisition that firmly places Mantra as the hotel brand of choice on the Gold Coast. We have great faith in this region as a popular tourism destination for Australians and international visitors. The upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2015 has positioned the region for future growth,” said Mantra Group CEO, Bob East. Options range from one, two and three bedroom apartments through to superior sub-penthouse apartments accommodating up to seven people. Each apartment offers scenic views of the Pacific Ocean or the Nerang River. l

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FHA ON TRACK FOR 2016

SCENTSATIONAL SOAP CONCIERGE

Mexico’s Viceroy Riveria Maya hotel offers the unique service of a soap concierge. The hotel, known for its luxe, over-the-top amenities on Mexico’s coastline, invites guests to explore a range of Mayan soaps that promise to cleanse, invigorate, moisturise and exfoliate. Scents are both classic and exotic, including peach, lemon, chocolate and cinnamon. Guests can request a new soap every day, or stick to a favourite choice throughout their stay. All soaps are available to take home as souvenirs. l

The major Singapore hotel exhibition, Food & Hotel Asia that attracts a number of New Zealanders every second year, is on track for another bumper show in 2016. The April event is a sellout of several thousand exhibitors and while the feature of the show is hospitality technology, it also has a number of standalone sectors including bakery, hotel style and fit outs, food, a specialty coffee and tea area, wine and a general hotel section. Before the end of the year, two major Chinese exhibitions involving the industry are scheduled. From November 11-13, the major Food and Hotel China (FHC) takes place in Shanghai with over 2000 exhibitors from 73 countries. And Texcare, the international laundry show featuring many hospitality aspects runs from November 25-27 in Shanghai also. l

SLOWER RATE OF GROWTH PREDICTED FOUR SEASONS EXPANSION PLANS

The Four Seasons is continuing to expand its global footprint with 12 new openings currently scheduled in late 2015 and 2016, including several first time entries in new countries. This year, the first Four Seasons Hotel in Bahrain Bay was opened, and the company added a second hotel in France with the rebranding of the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat. By the end of the year, the company will add three more destinations to the global traveler’s wish list with Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca and Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota, the first of two in the city. Additionally, the fifth resort in the award-winning Four Seasons Hawaiian Collection and its first on O’ahu, Hawaii, the 358-room Four Seasons Resort O’ahu at Ko Olina was scheduled to open. Located beachfront on the island’s sunset coast, with easy access to recreational pursuits, historic sites and shopping, the resort features include multiple beaches and pools, several reserved for adults only, a multi-level spa and wellness centre plus on-site tennis and water sports, and preferred access at the Ko Olina golf club. Event spaces at the hotel can host up to 900 guests. A new design by Philpotts Interiors will enhance the original building by architect Edward Killingsworth. l

Hotel occupancy in UK provinces is expected to be at an all time high in 2016, while London’s figures will be the highest for a decade according to PwC, which published its UK hotels forecast for 2016. Hotels in the United Kingdom are expected to continue to see growth next year but it will be at a slower pace. Occupancy for the provinces is predicted to increase by 0.6% to 77%, while London is expected to see occupancy increase by 0.3% to 84%. The average daily rate (ADR) is expected to increase by 3.5% to NZ$164 for the regions and by 2.2% to NZ$344.7 for London. The strongest growth is forecasted for the provinces in terms of revenue per available room which is predicted to increase by 4.2% to NZ$126, while London is expected to see a rise of 2.3% to NZ$290.1. London hoteliers saw a record 2014 but so far 2015 has failed to replicate the strong performance according to analysis from PwC. The second half of the year is expected to be better than the first half partly due to the Rugby World Cup. l

EXPEDIA BUYOUT Expedia has completed the purchase of Orbitz Worldwide in a deal estimated at $US1.6 billion. Expedia now says its mission

is to revolutionise travel through the power of technology, and with Orbitz direction, the companies were closely aligned. l

October/November 2015

worldcitizennews

PET FRIENDLY HOTEL

SKY-HIGH HANGING ROOMS IN PERU Located 4,000 meters high in the sacred Valley of Cuzco, Peru, and hanging from the side of a mountain, the Skylodge Adventure suites can truly be a nightmare for people afraid of heights as well as a dream for nature lovers. The three transparent capsules, conveniently nicknamed “condor’s nests”, are to be reached either by climbing a 400-metre tall steel ladder or sliding on a hikeand-zip line route. Made of aluminium and polycarbonate, each pod contains four beds, a dining room and a private bathroom. Electricity is provided by solar panels, and there is even an openair seating area on top of every capsule. The current rates start from US$289 per night, with transport and meals included. No room service is available, for obvious reasons. l

London hotel The Athenaeum recently held a runway fashion show to promote this season’s collection by East London-based dog outfitters Hiro + Wolf. “The collection features bold botanical prints seen at Victoria Beckham, pearly-studded collars similar to those at Balenciaga and cosy faux-fur jackets and pom-poms spotted at Osman’s AW15 show,” according to Amy Fleuriot, designer of Hiro + Wolf. Guests of the hotel can borrow or purchase the Hiro + Wolf items for the duration of their stay. Pets are also able to borrow travel rugs, beds for the room and the hotel’s concierge will be happy to provide dog-walking routes. l

LUXURY RANCH NAMED WORLD’S BEST HOTEL STUDY RANKS TOP LUXURY HOTEL BRANDS

The remote luxury Triple Creek Ranch in Montana topped this year’s list of the “30 best hotels in the world” compiled by Business Insider. The 700-acre, 24-cabin hideaway snatched the title of planet’s greatest hotel from other first-class opponents, including a private island villa in the Maldives and an Irish castle. According to the list, the hotel was awarded for its excellent customer service and the all-inclusive package of available activities, such as trail-rides, fly-casting lessons, cattle drives and nature safaris, to name a few. When all the action is over, a very relaxed atmosphere takes over; kids under 16 are not allowed, which makes it a perfect choice for couples seeking peace and wanting to experience a bit of Western lifestyle without renouncing the comfort of a top-class retreat. The price range goes from a minimum of US$950 per night for a one-bedroom cabin, to a maximum of US$2,650 per night for a three-bedroom cabin, both inclusive of meals and drinks. l

HILTON BAN INHOUSE PORN HILTON Worldwide has decided to eliminate all on-demand pornography from its in-room entertainment offer in a new policy that affects all managed and franchised hotels across it global portfolio of 4,400 properties. The company said it believed in offering a high degree of choice, it had decided that porn was not in keeping with its vision and goals moving forward. l

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A new study by Luxury Branding, a London-based consultancy that specialises in the global luxury market, revealed an unexpected ranking of the most popular high-end hotels and resorts worldwide for 2015. Surprising highlights, based on independent analysis of 2.25 million travelers’ reviews, include the Ritz-Carlton, owned by hotel giant Marriott International, taking out top honours by a substantial margin. Its large network is made up of around 90 properties and nearly 40,000 employees worldwide. Traditional luxury marks, including Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, dominate the top ten. So-called luxury lifestyle brands, including Morgans Hotel Group and W Hotels Worldwide, fare considerably worse by missing out on the top 50 entirely. Some of the industry’s most established and best known names fail to make the top ten, including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,

JUPITERS MOVE Jupiter’s hotel and casino at Surfers’ Paradise on Queensland’s Gold Coast is well on the way to add real glamour to the area with the launch of a six-star 17 storey hotel tower alongside the existing property. The project will be underway shortly and completed in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This is the first six-star property to be built on the Gold Coast in more than 15 years. l

The Peninsula Hotels, St. Regis and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. “The luxury hotel sector, which traditionally has been ranked by industry organisations, travel operators and specialty publications, is becoming democratised by the advent of TripAdvisor and similar portals that allow consumers to act as vocal, real-time critics, champions and commentators,” Piers Schmidt, Luxury Branding’s founder said. Schmidt noted that despite a persistent industry perception that high-net-worth consumers don’t write reviews or engage with social media; digitally native travelers rely both on their own experiences and those of friends and family in making brand decisions. Luxury brand operators that embrace the trend of peer-to-peer reviews and respond thoughtfully and consistently, rather than impulsively, can build greater brand loyalty and transparency among today’s connected and ever more demanding luxury clients. l

check-inprofile Chateau Tongariro, Whakapapa

Inspired Design Delivered

Check-In

Wairakei Resort, Chateau Tongariro

EVERYBODY knows the internationally famous sites of Wairakei Resort and the Chateau Tongariro – one in the thermal wonderland and the other perched amidst the snowfields. And today they are both still as popular as ever. The elegant Chateau Tongariro is in the Whakapapa village in the heart of the Tongariro national park and was built in the ‘roaring twenties’ when the world’s greatest depression began in 1929. This property has had an extensive refurbishment in the past 12 months and its heritage wing now has a timelessly elegant theme. This product is famous for its snow sports, bike trails and alpine crossing and offers 106 rooms with the addition a few years back of 40 rooms in a new wing. A stunning natural playground of diverse landscapes surrounds the hotel. Chateau Tongariro is part of the Singapore-based Bayview International Hotels and Resorts group who also operate the Wairakei Resort near Taupo with both properties overseen by general manager Kathy Gray who has been with the two hotels since 1991. On State Highway 1, the Wairakei Resort has presented many faces to the travelling public since it first began operating in the late 1800’s and continues to provide visitors with a one-of-akind geothermal experience. In fact people have come from all over the world to experience the beauty of Lake Taupo, the Waikato River and its spectacular nearby Huka Falls. The Wairakei Resort is the largest international four-star resort in the North Island and is a historic property not that you would

consider it that with its modern exterior and interior refurbishment – a hotel that has been transformed in the last three years with rebranding and a real value proposition for both tourists and kiwis. Wairakei now has 187 rooms including onsite villas set in 168 acres that includes a nine-hole golf course, tennis and extensive conference facilities. The property was better known in its history as a Tourist Hotel Corporation, a Government operation, until 1991 and the MIICE market is now a key target that has grown extensively in the last few years. It is a value for money resort property that has such innovations as a bespoke high-speed fibre wi-fi network, the only one of its type in the country. Although it is a strong supporter of OTA’s who can reach audiences outside its marketing reach, it has recently been using national television to pitch to conference buyers. Its facilities can now handle up to 650 delegates in banquet style and has even used a giant marquee for gala dinners. It’s changed strategy over the past few years has lifted revenues, boosted as well by a product update and refurb. There is a strong focus on the culinary aspect and the multinational cheffing team led by Raja Sharma is building an international reputation. l Wairakei Resort, Taupo

Specialising in the design and delivery of hotel projects in New Zealand and the Pacific.

October/November 2015

HOGLUND GLASS ECLIPSE VASES Handmade in New Zealand, unique blown art glass and glass jewellery is created by internationally renowned glass artists Ola and Marie Höglund. Based in Richmond, Nelson, the Höglund Glassblowing Studio and Gallery sells Eclipse vases from $195, or can be bought online at www. hoglundartglass.com.

PENTA CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY Penta have just celebrated their 40th anniversary and have released a range of new designs including the Je Suis, a table and floor lamp with the base available in oak, stained anthracite wood or Carrara white marble. The 360 rotating blown glass shade is available in two colour varieties, white and silver or transparent and silver. All Penta lighting is Italian made, and Sarsfield Brooke Ltd are the exclusive agents and suppliers in New Zealand.

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KESTER BLACK Kester Black is releasing its first ever duo of Soap-Free Liquid Hand and Body Wash, Pardon and Lucky. Pardon is scented with cedar and amber, thyme oil and bergamot. Lucky is enriched with a velvety caramel scent and a hint of vanilla. The new products are a permanent addition to the range. All Kester Black products are vegan friendly and come with Choose Cruelty Free (CCF), Cruelty Free International and Vegan Society accreditations. 100% OWNED

ECOSTORE Ecostore has launched a new mini amenities collection designed for hotels and bed and breakfasts in partnership with Health Pak. The range consists of five products, with packaging including distinctive artwork by John Reynolds, and includes Normal Shampoo & Conditioner, Orange & Patchouli Body Wash, Extra Moisturising Body Lotion and Lemongrass Soap. “The range is a great extension of our product offering to provide domestic and international travellers with quality products,” said Malcolm Rands, founder and Chief Executive Officer ecostore.

ECOYA Home fragrance purveyors Ecoya has introduced the second collection of limited edition fragrances for the year. The latest scents mastered by perfumer Isaac Sinclair are two new fragrances, Summer Rain & Wild Jasmine and White Peach & Orange Blossom. The limited edition fragrances are blended with Ecoya’s natural soy wax and use pure lead free cotton wicks. Soy wax candles create significantly less carbon emissions than most other candles and offer a burn time of up to a third longer, as well as burning cooler than most other waxes.

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NELLIE TIER In response to retail, hospitality and restaurant requests Nellie Tier have recently launched a new 300ml hand lotion which partners the liquid soap in two of their most popular perfume blends, Green Tea & Geranium and May Chang & Mandarin. The hand cream has been developed using pure floral waters, nourishing vegetable oils and botanical extracts. The addition of creamy nut butter and New Zealand Manuka honey leaves the hands hydrated, nourished and gently perfumed. As with all Nellie Tier products it is handmade in small batches and is natural and safe.

SAMSUNG SMART DISPLAYS THE newest addition to Samsung’s Smart Displays has been specifically developed as a solution for hospitality. The narrow bezel and thin profile makes the displays compatible with a range of interior design styles and provide an enhanced in-room entertainment and information experience. The panels serve to improve in-room amenities with web connectivity and mobile device compatibility, while delivering targeted messages to guest rooms with simplified content management. For more information contact Sally Vernon on 09 477 7180 or email s.vernon@samsung.com.

STUDIO ITALIA Sophisticated wood finishes, marbles, natural stones, leather and fabrics define the shapes of Mad, the collection designed by Marcel Wanders for Poliform. It is a cohesive range where dining table and chairs, chaises, armchairs, coffee tables and side tables can be found. This year Wanders has extended and continued his work with new additions to the Mad collection, with sculptural forms revealed by the details on both the chairs and tables. The Mad Queen armchair is part of the collection and is available exclusively at Italian manufacturer Studio Italia.

METTA SKINCARE Metta Skincare’s new Body Butter is a rich formulation of certified organic fairly traded shea, cocoa butter, grapeseed and jojoba oils provides long lasting protection, hydration and softness. It melts upon contact with skin and is suitable for all skin types, especially dry, mature or environmentally stressed skin. Metta is a range of natural skincare products created with an environmental and social consciousness and uses 100% natural ingredients and established relationships with local and international artisan producers.

ZALTO AT FOXES ISLAND Exclusively sold through Foxes Island in New Zealand, the Zalto Denk’art stems are the new range of Austrian stemware. From the perfectly executed balance to the extraordinary design, the achievement of the Denk’Art line are glasses that seem nearly too delicate to hold. The design has been based around the three tilt angles of the earth with the curve of the bowls at the angles of 24 degrees, 48 degrees and 72 degrees. Zalto glasses have always been produced following a tradition of using only the most highly skilled glass blowers working with a selection of the best raw materials.

TRENZSEATER The CARRERA Sofa is Trenzseater’s newest modular sofa design. Available in a range of different configurations, this sofa can be tailor made in a choice of leather or fabric. Exclusively made in New Zealand. Picture of Carrera Sofa in Carousel fabric from Michael Woods Fabrics. For more information contact 09 303 4151

October/November 2015

seafood

SOUTHERN BLUE WHITING Southern Blue Whiting (SBW) is a deep-sea cod species that is only found in waters around the Sub Antarctic Islands. It schools near the seabed at depths of 450 to 650m. Southern Blue Whiting is caught all year round but predominantly from August to early October. Southern Blue Whiting has moist, delicate flesh that is easily flaked and has low oil content. It is suitable for most cooking methods. New Zealand’s largest seafood brand, Sealord is now offering Southern Blue Whiting as part of its

foodservice range, in 5kg shatter packs. This product represents great value for money with approx. 50 frozen fillets per 5kg carton. Fillet size is 2-5oz (56-140 gram). Ask your local foodservice distributor for more information or contact Sealord customer care 0800 732 5673, email inquiries@sealord.co.nz. l PICTURED: Sealord Southern Blue Whiting, with a ragout of slow-roasted tomato, Kalamata olive and basil from Sealord’s Innovation Chef Danny Sheridan.

OMEGA GAINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION Marlbourough seafood company, Omega Seafood has gained recognition in this year’s Westpac Business Growth Grant awards. The company which sells ready-to-eat vacuum packed small mussels grown in the Marlborough Sounds, as well as clams from Golden Bay and Otago, to New Zealand foodservice

• NZ marine fisheries waters (Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial sea) are 4.4million km2. This is the fourth largest EEZ in the world and makes New Zealand an ocean territory ‘superpower’. • There are 130 commercially fished

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establishments also exports product to China, the United States, Australia and United Arab Emirates. The 12-year-old company was selected from 424 applicants to a final group of six businesses in the Westpac Business Growth programme. l

species in NZ. • In 2009 New Zealand’s seafood industry was twice ranked the most sustainably managed fishery in the world. • 45% - Nearly half of New Zealanders eat fish at least once a week.

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR NZ SEAFOOD

With the global demand growing at a rapid rate for environmentally sustainable, natural, healthy food, the New Zealand seafood industry has seen great opportunities according to Seafood New Zealand chairman George Clement. Speaking at the New Zealand Seafood Industry Conference in Wellington in August, Clement referred to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) prediction that global food production will need to increrase by 40 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050. Growth in global seafood production continues to outpace population growth said Clement. “Nutritionally, seafood is part of the solution, not the problem,” said Clement. In addition, there is a growing middle class globally, especially within Asia. “Customers in these high end markets increasingly want to know where their food comes from, whether it’s safe to eat and natural, how it was harvested and whether it comes from a sustainable source.” This places New Zealand in a very good position, he said. The challenge for the New Zealand seafood industry is rising to those opportunities by establishing a validation scheme under a New Zealand brand with four key assurances including natural, safe, healthy, and sustainable. The New Zealand seafood industry has experienced steady growth in exports since 2001, with 85 percent of New Zealand seafood being exported. “It’s not just about selling our seafood, it’s about promoting it and telling our story, our commitment to quality, sustainability, the environment and the exclusivity of our products,” he said. l

industrynews

October/November 2015

seafood

SALMON RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT South Island based Mt Cook Alpine Salmon has been awarded significant Government investment that will help refine and maintain its fully integrated operation. Callaghan Innovation is a Government agency set up to support hi-tech businesses in New Zealand by increasing investment in research and development to support long-term economic growth. The agency awards funding grants that support businesses by adding scale to existing R&D investment. “Research and development underpins everything we do,” said chief operating officer for Mt Cook Alpine Salmon, Janine Tulloch. “We’re developing a culture of continuous improvement and are keen not to simply adopt best practice but to be setting the new benchmarks. Increasingly, our high-end overseas customers are demanding it. “As a result of our uniqueness, in 22 years of operation we haven’t had any benchmarking structures from other farms like ours to follow,

so we’ve worked hard to generate and fine-tune all our operations in-house.” With the business now rapidly growing, Callaghan Innovation has recognised the growing need for an operation like Mt Cook Alpine Salmon to be constantly innovating to meet an increasing demand for sustainable salmon according to Tulloch. To be eligible for funding, the company has committed to spending at least $300,000 a year on research and development, 20 percent of which is reimbursed back to the company by Callaghan Innovation. Established by the Government in 2013, Callaghan Innovation was tasked with making more of New Zealand’s businesses innovative. Located in Twizel, and overshadowed by iconic Mt Cook, the Mt Cook Salmon farm attributes

No fuss

Mussels & Clams No hidden cost

cold glacial waters, high altitude and isolated environment to its product supremacy. Its sustainability credentials also include Best Aquaculture Practice certification from the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the first salmon producer in Australasia to earn such recommendation.

Farmed at Twizel, the fish is processed through its modern purpose-built factory in Timaru, with the majority of the harvested fish going to export markets around the world. The company reported an impressive growth of more than 50 percent last year. l

GIVING SALMON SOME LOVE Seafood lovers seeking New Zealand salmon are being urged to ask for it by name following the arrival of a foreign imported species. New Zealand salmon farmers have launched the #loveNZsalmon campaign to educate consumers on the differences between locally farmed King salmon and the imported Atlantic salmon products emerging in retail and food service settings. “For most Kiwis, there is only one type of salmon, and that’s the King salmon they have been cooking at home for decades,” said Aquaculture New Zealand CEO Gary Hooper. “But now we are being asked to choose between locally farmed, fresh premium and sustainable King Salmon and imported Atlantic salmon products, yet it is not always clear from labeling and

packaging that they are very different species that offer different culinary properties and have different cooking and handling requirements.” “New Zealand salmon is the champagne of salmon. It’s prized for its purity, clean flavour profile, vibrant apricot flesh colour, higher oil content and pleasant silky bite that has top chefs around the world praising it as the best salmon they’ve ever eaten.” “Environmentally concerned consumers can also eat New Zealand salmon with a clear conscience, knowing that our industry is the only farmed salmon industry to have achieved a green light, best choice rating from the gold standard of sustainability guides, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch,” said Hooper. l

REVOLUTIONARY NEW TRAWLING METHODS • Less labour • Less waste • Easier food safety • Easier quality control • 12 month chilled shelf life – no additives

For more recipe ideas visit

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A revolutionary new sustainable trawling method is showing great potential for increasing the value of New Zealand’s fisheries by more then $43 million per year by 2025. The Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) technology known as Modular Harvest System is a potential replacement for traditional fishing methods. Using a large flexible PVC liner with specifically sized holes along its length, it allows undersized fish to escape before being brought on board a fishing vessel. In addition, the fish that are brought on board stay in good condition because they are still

swimming in the liner when they are on deck, resulting in less stress and reduced likelihood of injury. The PSH programme is in its third year of a six-year commercialisation trial period. The technology is being trialed on six vessels in the hoki and snapper fisheries. Dave Woods, programme manager for PSH said at this year’s New Zealand Seafood Industry Conference that the results of trialling the Modular Harvest System showed potential for much higher survival rates in juvenile snapper and improved quality of the catch for both snapper and hoki. l

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October/November 2015

profile

IMPROVING YIELDS Bruce Robertson, Chief Executive Hospitality New Zealand

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New Zealand is experiencing record numbers of tourists visiting. This is having a very positive impact on occupancy rates. The outlook in terms of tourism growth is very positive, with forward bookings showing much greater strength than the industry has experienced over the last decade. This is a very good opportunity to think about rates and yields. While occupancy rates have been strong this has not necessarily been reflected in yield as the changing pattern of distribution has increased marketing costs as OTA’s gain increasing market share. It is imperative that the industry recognises these changes and reflects them through increasing rates across the board. Now is an excellent time to do that as it will be far more palatable for international customers, given the recent devaluation of the New Zealand dollar. Now is the time to be bold and for the industry to look at an across the board quantum shift in rates. An upward shift in rates is critical to allow the industry to reinvest in much needed

“The outlook in terms of tourism growth is very positive, with forward bookings showing much greater strength than the industry has experienced over the last decade.” refurbishment. Over the past 10 years many operators have struggled to achieve necessary profit levels to maintain the refurbishment cycle. A lift in rates provides the opportunity for this trend to be reversed. This is very important if New Zealand is to have an offering of the quality necessary to satisfy the travellers of the future. A good example of this is the expectations of travellers in terms of IT and in-room entertainment. There was a day not long ago when a television with many movie channels was a treat. Now that

is mainstream in almost every household. Furthermore travellers are looking to be able to replicate the entertainment options they have at home in a hotel environment. Increasingly travellers are saying ‘give me a smart TV and a fast internet connection and I’ll bring the rest with me through one of the number of devices I carry’. All of this future state technology and access is a cost and the best way to recover it is getting rates up to cover it. The opportunity to do so has never been better than right now. l

industrynews

MARBLES AND LIGHT COLOURS AT MILANO FAIR

IS YOUR HOTEL ACTING ENVIRONMENTALLY AS THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS?

John Webber

General Manager Glass Packaging Forum

There is an expectation from the community including patrons at hotels and bars that recycling will be taking place as it does for them when they are at home. While this is a specific expectation most consumers recognise that there is a need for all businesses to do the right thing for the environment.

Is your restaurant or bar recycling all its glass bottles? Last year New Zealanders consumed around 225,000 tonnes of glass packaging or over 845 million glass bottles. Our recycling rate is getting better and at 72.6% it’s on a par with the European average, but there is still 67,000 tonnes of bottles/jars not being collected. Every glass bottle can be recycled and sent back to O-I in Auckland for remanufacturer into new glass bottles. This process can happen again and again but only if empty glass bottles are put in the recycling bin.

Valeria Carbonaro-Laws Director at Studio Italia

At Studio Italia we are very fortunate to import from some of the very best furniture manufacturers in Italy. These companies collaborate with the world’s leading designers to produce enduring pieces of

“This palette I found to be very elegant and sophisticated and translates well to our style of homes in New Zealand.”

furniture that stand the test of time. The year on year changes are more subtle for us and so we like to talk about style directions rather than trends that tend to come and go. During my latest visit to the Milano fair I noticed more metal detailing on legs and frames in golden tones, this included brass, bronze and shiny gold - also, the use of a new glossy black metal. This is a shift from the stainless and chrome metal that we had seen previously. Natural stone has always been included in the collections presented at Italy but this year we definitely saw more beautiful marbles in lighter colours like Calcatta oro but also basalts and honed granites in darker shades being used on dining tables, coffee tables and kitchens. When it comes to fabrics I always love the way Italians mix a lot of textures, and it always looks right. I saw a lot of velvets, linens, soft aniline leathers and suedes - in a range of cool colours like soft blues and greens and layered with neutrals. This palette I found to be very elegant and sophisticated and translates well to our style of homes in New Zealand. Probably a more transient colour and relating well with fashion trends at the moment was the more moody maroon and purple hues, a very rich and opulent colour that also played out well in the velvet and linen fabrics. l

The Packaging Forum operates two voluntary product stewardship schemes for glass packaging and for public place recycling which are funded by industry. Funding collected helps increase glass recycling including hospitality outlets. If you aren’t sure, check with your waste service provider. The glass packaged goods industry in New Zealand can only continue to operate free from legislation as long as it can demonstrate that its voluntary product stewardship scheme is growing in membership. There are some really great examples of how the hospitality sector has increased its recycling rate: • Tauranga District Council introduced recycling collections for 20 bars and clubs; • Wellington waterfront bars and restaurants participate in a daily collection programme for their glass and other recyclables; These projects are having great results and show that if everyone worked together we will easily achieve our target of 78% glass recycling rate by 2017. Please seriously consider giving your support to the Glass Packaging Forum. John Webber | john@glassforum.org.nz

www.glassforum.org.nz

promoting

October/November 2015

liquor/beverage news

Michael East

ACCOLADE WINES NEW PARTNERSHIP Leading wine company, Accolade Wines, is strengthening its partnership with long-standing New Zealand distributors, Hancocks Wine, Spirits and Beer Merchants for the distribution and marketing of their brands in New Zealand. The partnership would allow both companies to unlock the potential value of their respective businesses, with Accolade Wines providing leading global brands,

whilst Hancocks provide brand and category management skills, leading national sales and merchandising teams complimented with logistics, distribution and administrative functions according to Accolade Wines’ general manager Asia Pacific, Michael East. “Hancocks have earned an enviable reputation for excellence across trade channels and customer types and we are delighted to be partnering with them,” said East. l

VILLA MARIA TAKE HOME BRAGATO TROPHY An Auckland Chardonnay and a Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot have taken top awards at this year’s Romero Bragato Wine Awards. Grown by Brett Donaldson, the Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Chardonnay 2013 won the coveted Bragato Trophy, Champion Single Vineyard Wine and the Bill Irwin Trophy for Champion Chardonnay. “The Bragato Trophy went to this beautifully handled Chardonnay because in simple terms, it was exceptional,” said chairman of judges Ben Glover. “The wine had a sense of place and it was a pleasure to savour and taste.” Villa Maria’s Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay

Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013, made from grapes grown on the Vidal Vineyard by Phil Holden won the Richard Smart Trophy, Champion Domaine Wine. “This was just a beautifully crafted wine, well done to all on allowing the fruit to shine with deft and subtle winemaking,” said Mr. Glover. The awards, held each year s apart of the New Zealand Winegrowers Romeo Bragato National Conference, are awarded to the grower for viticultural excellence. The competition recognises that growing excellent grapes is the foundation of making wines of true quality. The trophies were presented at the Bragato Dinner in Hawke’s Bay. l

NORTON FOR INVIVO

Talk show king Graham Norton has been working with winemaker Invivo on his latest 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. Last year Norton rolled-up his trouser legs and personally stomped a barrel of NZ grapes to help create his own limited edition Sauvignon Blanc with the kiwi winery. The wine was a sell-out success in New Zealand. This year, Norton went hands-on and added his ‘Norton Hemisphere’ magic to Invivo’s Southern Hemisphere Sauvignon Blanc grapes by personally blending his 2015 vintage. “Graham is a huge Invivo fan and a shareholder in our winery,” said chief winemaker Rob Cameron. This year the winery decided to put him in the driver’s seat and flew the Invivo wine blending setup all the way from Marlborough, New Zealand to London, so he could blend his own wine from scratch with guidance from Rob Cameron. “As well as all the blending and tasting glassware we had to transport six distinctive samples of Sauvignon Blanc from our six different Marlborough growers and get them there in perfect condition for the blending,” said Rob. l

NZ CRAFT BEER GOES GLOBAL

SEASONAL BEVERAGE PROGRAMME SUCCESS

American brands have seen a huge increase in the development and growth of seasonal beverage programmes. New research carried out by The NPD Group has shown that seasonal beverage limited-time offers can have positive impacts on chain operator’s business. Despite limited-time offers being more of a one off purchase by consumers, seasonal beverage offers can lead to repeat business from existing customers while attracting new customers and lead them away from competitors. A wellknown franchise for example, offered a pumpkin latte as a limited offer last season that proved to be a major success. l

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ANZ research has revealed over a third of New Zealand’s 100 plus brewers gearing up for expansion into offshore markets. Offpremise retail sales of craft beer in NZ have soared 42 percent in a year and the industry is chasing further growth by going global, according to ANZ’s Craft Beer Industry Insights report. ANZ has estimated 25 craft brewers will be pursuing sales overseas, with another 20 considering similar moves in the next two years, all driven by a growing thirst for distinctive, quality brews among consumers, brewers and investors. Sales to Asia have more than doubled in two years. The vast Asian market is seen as holding the most exciting prospects as its fast growing middle classes develop a taste for craft beer. l

liquor/beverage news

WATER ENHANCES DINING EXPERIENCE

New studies have shown that mineral waters should be paired with food to enhance the dining experience. However, according to Michael Mascha it should largely be paired according to texture not with flavour. Mascha believes that 74 percent of the pairing importance should be about the mouthfeel of the water, as measured by the carbonation. “Big loud bodly carbonated waters can overwhelm subtle dishes, but would go well with crispy food, for example,” said Mascha. The following 20 percent is matched with the most dominant food in the dish, rather than the whole dish according to the water’s mineral content. “Highly mineralic water has weight to it, and can be paired with big flavours like grilled beef, lamb and hard cheeses.” The final five percent of pairing is fine-tuning the experience with the water’s pH level. Highly alkaline water can taste slightly bitter as opposed to waters that are slightly alkaline that can be perceived as sweet. This can be applied when matching water with food, however if wine is served, the water needs to be matched to the wine instead. Due to its superior quality, origin, taste and unique characteristics, S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna mineral waters cleanse the palate and prepare it for the following mouthful. l

NZ WINEGROWERS LAUNCHES IN CHINA New Zealand Winegrowers has launched its consumer focused education programme in China. The NZ Wine Intermediate Certificate has launched in Shanghai giving Chinese wine consumers the chance to learn about New Zealand’s diverse wine styles. New Zealand Winegrowers and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise developed the education programme in response to a growing demand for information about New Zealand wine from consumers across China. “This certificate has been several years in the making,” said Chris Yorke, global marketing director at New Zealand Winegrowers. “We are working with New Zealand based master of wine Jane Skilton and her team at the New Zealand School of Wines and Spirits, whose experience will prove invaluable.” Since the signing of

the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement in 2008, New Zealand’s wine exports to China have increased dramatically, from NZ$2.1 million in 2007 to NZ$27.1 million in 2015. l

TROPHY WIN FOR CHURCH ROAD Church Road Winery is celebrating a trophy win for its Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2013 that won the Trophy for Best New World Red Wine at the Japan Wine Challenge 2015. The wine was one of 12 trophy winning wines awarded from the 1400 wines entered from across the world. “We are delighted to be announced as the Trophy winner of Best New World Red Wine in the 18th Japan Wine Challenge,” said senior winemaker Chris Scott. The Japan Wine Challenge 2015 recognises absolute quality and is Asia’s oldest and most prestigious wine competition. Wines from 28 different countries are judged by a panel of over 30 top wine professionals from Japan and internationally. l

AMAZON DELIVERS ON ALCOHOL E-commerce giant Amazon has started to introduce one and two hour delivery of beer, wine and hard liquor with the launch of its Prime Now service. First made available in London, the booze delivery service is now offered in Seattle, USA. Prime Now is Amazon’s new expedited delivery option offered to member’s of the

company’s US$99-a-year Prime shipping membership. Available exclusively through the Prime Now mobile app, it allows members delivery of a smaller catalogue of goods than the main Prime programme. However, eligible products can be delivered within a two-hour window for no delivery charge and in one hour for US$7.99. l

FAMOUS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DEAL The award-winning local spirits brand Famous has signed an exclusive one-year deal with an Asian distribution company that will see Famous stocked throughout Malaysia, Macau and Singapore. The brand currently offers two premium liquors, as well as its signature Pure Vodka, which was awarded a silver medal at the 2014 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco. “We are excited about this,” said co-founder Simon Bruce. “It’s a great way to test the Asian market before embarking on a wider China market strategy. Our products have been well received and we expect to be shipping out Famous this month.” The company will also be the first NZ company to utilise the newest crowd funding platform ‘Liftoff’. Famous began in an inner city apartment where co-founder Simon Bruce distilled the first batches of Famous’ signature marshmallow liquor as a neat party trick for his friends. In 2012, Simon and co-founder Justin Bennet launched Famous Vodka to the public. Famous is currently stocked in over 200 outlets across New Zealand. l

Please visit our new website www.interfridge.co.nz to view the latest product catalogue. To find out how we can help you, call us on 0800 CHILLER (0800 244 553), 027 606 2222

October/November 2015

liquor/beverage news

DANIEL LE BRUN SCORES HAT-TRICK AT WINE SHOW Premium sparkling brand, Daniel Le Brun, scooped three gold medals at this year’s New Zealand International Wine Show. In an exceptional display of consistency, the Daniel Le Brun Brut Non-Vintage, Danile Le Brun Rose and the Daniel Le Brun 2009 Blanc de Blancs were all awarded gold medals from a pool of over 2,000 wine entries worldwide. “Daniel Le Brun represents the best New Zealand methode has to offer,” said winemaker Andrew Petrie. The brand has experienced rapid growth over the past three years and has become a firm favourite with Kiwi sparkling drinkers. l

JR/DUTY FREE EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP Christchurch International Airport and international duty free operator JR/Duty Free have extended their duty free partnership at Christchurch Airport to the middle of 2023. JR has also entered into a sevenyear lease agreement with CIAL

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for a 500sqm warehouse. This facility will be JR’s distribution centre for its New Zealand operations. “Passenger growth has been seven percent in the past financial year and we are excited by Christchurch Airport’s plans

LION NAMED CHAMPION BREWERY Lion has been named champion New Zealand Brewery at the 2015 Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards. A hugely significant award, the awards are the biggest and most prestigious beer awards held in New Zealand. “To be named champion New Zealand Brewery is a massive honour,” said Rory Glass, managing director of Lion. to continue to grow passenger numbers,” said CEO Milton Lasnitzki. “We also look forward to significantly growing passenger spend rates through consistently offering new and exciting

“We couldn’t be prouder that our brewers have been recognised with the top award in such a competitive environment with such great New Zealand beer around.” In total, Lion beers won 28 medals across 10 categories, including Gold in the International Larger and Flavoured Cider categories for Beck’s and Isaac’s Berry Cider respectively. l concepts.” JR/Duty Free began operations at the airport in July 2010 and has stores at Wellington, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin and Perth airports. l

The Minibar Hotel Magazine takes a look at what’s hot in the mini bar category.

H2COCO COCOESPRESSO NEW ZEALAND’S favourite coconut water brand H2Coco has combined its premium coconut water with a full shot of espresso coffee to create CocoEspresso, New Zealand’s first coconut water coffee blend. For more information visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.H2coconut.com WILD BUNCH NZ Natural Juice Company Ltd has introduced Wild Bunch, a selection of natural juices high in fruit pulp and free of preservatives and added sugars. Wild Bunch is now available from Alliance Marketing. See your rep for orders or contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 263 9466 EAST IMPERIAL BURMA TONIC PREMIUM New Zealand beverage maker East Imperial has now added Burma Tonic to its growing collection of traditional mixers. For more information and images contact Emily Brown from Hustle & Bustle emily@ hustleandbustle.co.nz or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 282 4851

TI POINT TI POINT has launched two new releases, a traditional Rose and a White Merlot. For more information or to order email sales@sacredhill.com or contact . . . . . . . . 0800 946 326

HEINEKEN LIGHT HEINEKEN has announced the launch of a world first Heineken Light 2.5 percent ABV. Contact your nearest DB Breweries representative for more information.

CALIWATER CACTUS WATER Made from sustainably sourced 100% natural prickly pear cactus fruit, Caliwater has super-hydrating properties and anti-aging antioxidants. Online shoppers can order Caliwater deliveries throughout New Zealand at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bestbeverage.co.nz

28 BLACK NATURAL ENERGY 28 BLACK contains the extract of at least 28 acai berries of organic origin per litre. For more information contact Paul Elsom paul@bestbeverage.co.nz or . . . . . . . . . . . . 021 595 879

CRANKT PROTEIN BARS CRANKT Protein Bars combine high levels of protein with guarana and ginseng for natural energy and recovery. For more information contact Paul Elsom paul@bestbeverage.co.nz or . . . . . . . . . . . . 021 595 879

To include your product in our minibar contact sarah@reviewmags.com

October/November 2015

winery

Ahead of its game Established in 2008, Yealands Family Wines was always destined to be a story of thinking differently.

In 2001, founder Peter Yealands and his wife, Violet, began buying land in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough, at the north-eastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. With some of the toughest conditions in the region, including steep slopes that many said were impossible for viticulture, strong winds, cool nights and low rainfall, the path to success certainly did not come easy. However, Peter Yealands has always been a man in love with the land and has a proven track-record as an innovative pioneer. Larger than life, his vision was to create Seaview, the world’s first vineyard and winery that would be sustainable at every level. Over the next six years, Peter led the recontouring of the land. By filling ravines, smoothing gullies, terracing hills and planting a diverse range of grapes using GPS alignment, he transformed rugged pastoral countryside into a sustainable vineyard area. Stretching from the foothills of the Kaikoura Ranges to undulating downs overlooking the Cook Strait, Seaview is the single largest privately-owned vineyard in New Zealand. In August 2008, Peter opened the Yealands Estate Winery. A landmark building, guided throughout by the New Zealand Green Building Code, it was the first in the world to be carboNZeroCertTM from inception. All aspects of the winery were designed to maximise their sustainability features, as well as embracing future growth through in-built capability for expansion. Cuttingedge SMART green technology ensured that every stage of the winemaking process would be meticulously monitored and carefully controlled. With its company mantra being ‘Think boldly, tread lightly and never say it can’t be done’, Peter and his team has always found a way to do things and rise to challenges, which has resulted in Yealands Family Wines becoming synonymous with bespoke premium quality, under the expert leadership of chief winemaker, Tamra Kelly-Washington. Within the first six vintages, the team has won more than 900 awards, including the prestigious honour of its

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“New innovations such as recyclable PET bottles, using Babydoll sheep to mow the grass between the vines, burning of baled vine prunings and playing classical music to the vines, all signal this active sense of vision.”

Yealands Estate Single Block S1 2011 Sauvignon Blanc being named the best Sauvignon Blanc In the World at the 2012 London International Wine Challenge and being declared the NZ Wine Producer of the Year at the 2014 London International Wine & Spirit Competition. Singled out for his visionary tenacity and entrepreneurial innovation, Peter’s unswerving passion for the land saw him named as the 2013 Lincoln University South Island Farmer of the Year. Yealands was further endorsed in 2014 as the UK Drinks Business Green Company of the Year and the Supreme World Champion from the International Green Apple Environment Awards in London. Today, Yealands continues to think and act differently. New innovations such as recyclable PET bottles, using Babydoll sheep to mow the grass between the vines, burning of baled vine prunings and playing classical music to the vines, all signal this active sense of vision. Twin aspirational goals of energy self-sufficiency and ‘carbon negative’ status have resulted in one of New Zealand’s largest solar panel installations across the entire northern side of the Yealands Estate Winery. Generating a potent 133,000

kilowatt hours per year, this represents the equivalent power usage of 17 Kiwi households. Initiatives in this industry-leading sustainability journey are openly shared with the annual 10,000+ visitors welcomed to the Cellar Door at the Yealands Estate, complemented by a self-guided White Road Tour winding its way around this uniquely scenic vineyard. And if that isn’t enough, further innovations such as PET (plastic bottles), unique blends (Sauvignon Blanc Rose, Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Gris and Sauvignoir – the world’s first red Sauvignon Blanc) helps it to further stand out in the crowd. Its signature wine, the Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc, which over the past three vintages has been awarded 3 trophies and 14 gold medals, is another point of pride for this family brand. Yealands is the 7th largest manufacturer in wine and still growing vs. the market which is in decline. The Peter Yealands brand is ranked 10th in total wine and is experiencing growth vs MAT YA (Source: Aztec Express Report MAT to 28 June 2015) l

columns

THE CASE FOR HOTEL DEVELOPMENT – OR NOT Sall Attfield, Sector Manager Hotels, Tourism Industry Association New Zealand

We’ve been hearing increasing calls for more hotel development recently. Our rapidly growing arrival numbers – more than 3 million in the last 12 months – are certainly putting pressure on some hotspots at peak times. This coming summer, we expect a number of centres around the country to have the ‘no vacancy’ signs up at times. However, a sensible approach is needed in bringing on more developments to meet the growing demand. We want to meet the expectations of our visitors but avoid the boom and bust repeat cycle that could result from having too much new capacity come on line at the same time. The advocates for more development have cited high occupancy rates and escalating room rates. But they have failed to mention that there are highs and lows within those periods. The peak still covers only a six to eight week period, leaving plenty of

OTA STRATEGIES Roland Leemans, CEO ReserveGroup Consulting

In this second article about OTAs, we will discuss what independent hotels can do to maintain a healthy mix between their direct reservations and their OTAs by formalising an OTA strategy. Tips have been included to help you optimise your distribution. According to Michael Porter, Harvard Business School, the essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. For example, when occupancy is low, should we drop our price on OTAs, and if so by how much? This question is not easy to answer but worse than that is to have no answer at all, hence it is critical to put a strategy together.

WE LIKE TO APPROACH THIS CHALLENGE BY ANSWERING 4 KEY QUESTIONS: WHAT: PRODUCT The first question to answer is “Should we sell everything on the OTAs?” Today many accommodations

do, but this can be giving away more commission than necessary considering the latest research shows 52% of OTA visitors will also check the accommodation website. TIPS: 1. Use OTAs as a lead-in price sales channel. 2. Sell room only rates and package rates on OTAs - OTAs are great for instant market testing of packages. 3. Keep the most successful packages to sell direct only. 4. Some room types can be kept for direct sales, especially when the number of rooms available to sell is low. WHEN: AVAILABILITY “How much of my inventory should I give to my OTAs?” The use of channel managers has made it very easy to sell the last room to the OTAs every single day. However, this is often far from the optimal solution when the lead-in time is long. While the OTAs have the “distribution power”, accommodations have the “stock power”. TIPS: 1. Keep allotments for direct bookings. 2. Keep allotments for direct packages, especially during high season. 3. Release allotments as travel dates approach - you will need to analyse your own data as to understand leadin times more comprehensively and apply alerts for releasing. 4. Some room types can be kept for direct sales, especially when number of rooms available to sell is low. WHERE: CHANNEL PRODUCT PLACEMENT

capacity for the other 44-46 weeks of the year. As with any business, hotel operators need a higher return for a much longer period of time than this. A number of new hotel developments around the country have been flagged and we are also seeing significant refurbishment of properties across the country, reflecting the positive trend in revenue rates. However, in most centres, the sustained returns are still not there for investors and developers to make new builds attractive in the short-term. Like any destination in the world, travellers need to learn to book in advance for the peak season to ensure they get the accommodation they want. And the wider tourism industry definitely has a role to play in supporting the growth of the accommodation sector. Developing the shoulder and low seasons, increasing regional dispersal and growing domestic

tourism will help both existing and new accommodation providers. We need to convince event organisers to talk to the industry when they are planning events to ensure we avoid clashes and ensure events are spread evenly through the year. TIA has identified infrastructure investment as a priority and is working on behalf of the tourism industry to identify opportunities and remove roadblocks. As well as accommodation, investment is needed in airports, transportation, port facilities, convention facilities, local utility services like water and sewerage, and visitor attractions and activities. These issues will be discussed at the TIA National Tourism Summit in Wellington on 19 November. Speakers at the event will look closely at the pressures of growth and how New Zealand’s tourism industry can overcome them. I look forward to seeing many of you there. l

Being on all OTAs is most certainly a waste of resources. With the consolidation of the OTAs, where Priceline and Expedia emerge as market leaders, we see that the large majority of OTA bookings come from those channels. But new disruptive channels appear and you need to leverage those. TIPS: 1. Ensure you are on Priceline and Expedia channels, but also on disruptive channels such as Airbnb and TripAdvisor (which is now most definitely an OTA). 2. Be consistent, accurate, and complete: a. All room types use the exact same name as your own website b. All pictures are high resolution, identical and in the same order for each channel for the property and for each room type c. All text and conditions are identical between the channels, BUT text must be different on your own website to avoid being detrimental to your own SEO. 3. Understand your channels – make a booking for your property on the channel, experience the process, understand what will make your property rank higher in searches, understand how to respond to reviews and do it for all reviews. 4. Create “exclusive packages” per OTA which is only available to one OTA and direct.

OTAs”. While OTAs are fighting for price parity, this is something accommodation should consider carefully. TIPS: 1. Parity between OTAs: We offer two thoughts here a. You give the same rates across all OTAs, but by doing so you should monitor availability carefully. Consider closing the most expensive channels early. b. You consider you want a net rate, and add each OTA commission on top. Your rates will go out of parity between OTAs except if they are using the same commission rate. 2. Parity with direct. a. If when you search for your hotel by name in Google, the OTAs are advertising against your own brand name (pay per click ad): Absolutely no parity. b. If when you search for your hotel by name in Google, the OTAs are not competing against your own website: Parity is fair, but it’s up to you. 3. Offer rate choice. Cancellable versus non cancellable, minimum stay discount, packages. 4. Beware of the cancellable rate. OTAs are really good at constantly reminding travellers to check the latest offers and cancel existing bookings. It is common for travellers to cancel and rebook the same property at a cheaper rate. Ensure your lead-in rate is non cancellable.

HOW: PRICE, CONDITIONS AND PROMOTIONS While rate strategy is a very different conversation, which we will discuss in a later article, your OTA strategy should answer a critical question: “Should we sell at the same rate on OTAs versus direct or even between

In our next article, we will discuss consumer perception and how we can potentially influence consumers to book direct. l

October/November 2015

columns

DELIVERY OF EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE Nick Steele, President Les Clefs d’Or New Zealand

A TRUE STORY Michael Baines, Chief Executive Motel Association of New Zealand

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The Concierge role is supported on a daily basis by our hotels reception desk. The two teams work very closely in ensuring the delivery of exceptional guest service at our respective properties. Les Clefs d’Or New Zealand has a great relationship with AICR New Zealand which represents Front Office Managers and Hotel Managers from many fine hotels throughout New Zealand. The annual AICR Receptionist of the Year award was conducted recently. It was a pleasure to attend the award ceremony where New Zealand’s finest hotel receptionists were nervously awaiting their results. The selection process includes both a regional exam followed by the top candidates competing on a National level for this prestigious award. This year saw 20 applicants vying for the top award of Receptionist of the Year. The exam takes the form of a role play scenario, with two actors representing different situations that hotel receptionists would commonly encounter. These scenarios are difficult and challenging to say the least. The way in which each candidate deals with their scenario’s are observed and marked.

I was asked to speak recently on Integrity in Tourism and how valuable it is. This is such a multifaceted issue. It covers the issue of shopping tours through to do we show culture or share it. What we do know is that everyone that deals with travellers is part of the portrayal of an authentic experience. Most of those that travel through New Zealand are ordinary people, doing mostly ordinary things in an extraordinary environment. They sleep, travel, eat, drink and shop for the most part and they do most of that in the company of ordinary New Zealanders. Personally I think it is those interactions that are the most authentic. It is about people sharing stories and experiences in a convivial environment with basically nice people. It does place an obligation on all of us to treat all out of towners with dignity and courtesy. You will become part of their memories, if you do it right, and that is a very privileged place to be! Those with good memories regardless of whether they return or not become advocates and the more people who tell others how good their experience was the more aspirants to replicate that experience there will be. The trick is how do we personalise the experience? The bigger the organisation the harder

THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS. (FROM LEFT-RIGHT) 2nd runner up - Ashleigh Golden - Peppers Clearwater; 1st runner up - Georgia Watson - Novotel Rotorua; WINNER - Victoria Hillman - Novotel Queenstown Lakeside The National AICR Receptionist of the Year winner represents New Zealand at the next AICR International Congress. Victoria Hillman of Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, this year’s outstanding winner will head to Vienna in January 2016 for the international competition. We all wish her the very best of luck with the competition!! New Zealand has received fantastic results in previous years competing on an international level. Successes include Cheryl Swanston, Crowne Plaza Queenstown who

placed 1st runner up in 2007. Amanda Roberts, Bolton Hotel Wellington who also placed 1st runner up in 2010. In 2008 New Zealand was represented by Eve Stacey from Intercontinental Wellington who placed 1st at the International Competition. New Zealand is well placed to continue its success at the next International Congress. l

Personally I think it is those interactions that are the most authentic. It is about people sharing stories and experiences in a convivial environment with basically nice people. the task but the more valuable it becomes. If we can treat all travellers as individuals that we value, rather than walking credit cards, then it makes for memorable moments. If we treat customers as a product or a function to be fulfilled, then we depersonalise the experience and it becomes a beige experience easily forgotten and sometimes resented. In small organisations it should be easy as the owners are the operators and the face of the organisation. They can be nice to everyone and still offer great service. It should be an ethic we all aspire to. Can we help? We need to get the notion of continual high class service as an ethic. In Costa Rica they used to have posters everywhere saying smile at tourists, the signs became redundant because now everyone just naturally smiles at travellers. A true story! My wife and I hailed a cab in Costa Rica to return

to our hotel. I hadn’t, as is my habit, got the concierge’s business card. The cabby couldn’t speak English and my Spanish was awful. We were at an impasse. Mime didn’t work and for five minutes we tried to communicate. The cabby then called his dispatcher who put an English speaker on the line. I explained where I wanted to go and he told the cabby; we pulled out into the traffic and he then turned on the meter. It was a 30 minute drive and at the end of the trip we both learnt that we were roughly the same age were married to the prettiest women around, I had three daughters and he had three sons. It was made a memorable moment because of his kindness and patience. He got a great tip! I normally don’t remember taxi rides but I surely remember that one! l

ROBERTSON NEW Cognac thin rim vessel washbasins by Art Ceram are now available at Robertson. The design comes in three sizes, has a five year warranty and is made in Italy. For more information contact James von Batenburg on 09 573 0490 ext 705 or email JamesV@robertson.co.nz.

MR BIGGLESWORTHY MR BIGGLESWORTHY’S Orrefors table lamps showcase organic modernism with subtle glass textures and simple forms. Designed by Carl Fagerlund, the lamps feature sleek, elongated glass bases. For more information contact Jacqueline Lim on 021 0227 1207 or email jacqueline@ process.net.nz.

GHD GHD has unveiled a salon professional new generation hair dryer, ghd aura. It combines the power of drying and styling to give effortless styling control with ultimate volume and shine to all hair types. For further information contact Eleisha Balmer on 09 374 5485 or email eleishab@thisismango.co.nz.

HYDROPEPTIDE HYDROPEPTIDE is a leading peptide-based antiaging cosmeceutical line famous for its professional facial and body treatments featuring VLR technology. For more information visit www.hydropeptide.com.

NOURISH HAND CREME LA MAV’S Nourish Hand Crème is a rich, non-greasy moisturising crème specially designed for all skin types. For more information, contact Georgie Buffam on 09 360 0385 or georgie@theprshop.co.nz.

EARTH BOTTLES EARTH Bottles are a faux wood bottle made from the highest quality 18/8 double insulated stainless steel. Their sleek design keeps water cold for 24 hours and liquids warm for 12 hours. For more information contact briody@earthbottles.com.au.

CLASSIC BLUNT UMBRELLAS BLUNT make the world’s strongest street umbrellas and lay claim to creating the only umbrellas on the market with fully tensioned canopies. To purchase the Classic design or view stockists visit bluntumbrellas.com.

1 ABOVE 1ABOVE combines six essential electrolytes to help fast hydration, with six essential B vitamins to help naturally released energy and Pycnogenol, which has been shown to reduce the length and severity of jet lag by more than 53%. For more information contact Nicole Haysom on 021 903 117 or email nicole.haysom@lilyandlouis.com.

TORK XPRESSNAP IMAGE RANGE THE Tork Xpressnap Image Range napkin dispenser features high capacity, loads from the bottom or side and is easy to see when refilling is needed. The dispensers come in two designs; FSC certified walnut veneer or a sleek aluminium finish. For more information contact aeron. rasheed@asaleocare.com.

RUSSELL HOBBS RUSSELL Hobbs has released its new Heritage Kettle available in Black Pearl, White, Royal Purple and Ruby Red, with matching two and four slice toasters also available. For more information contact elysia@ maxtedthomas.co.nz.

October/November 2015

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