Marriott International has appointed a new General Manager to lead the launch of W Melbourne. The appointment comes at a time of great growth for the company, with 10 new hotels set to open in the next two years in Australia alone.
Damon joins the team at W Melbourne from Mauritius where he acted as Area Manager for the Indian Ocean region, managing four operating hotels and three hotels in the pre-opening stage across Mauritius, Seychelles and Madagascar. Damon's lengthy career with Marriott International has seen him hold numerous General Manager roles at various properties including W Hong Kong and W Maldives. Returning to his hometown of Melbourne, Damon's experience working with the W brand will prove invaluable when W Melbourne opens in 2020. The hotel will mark the second W hotel in Australia, following W Brisbane's premier in June 2018 and W Sydney's slated debut in 2020.
STR's preliminary November 2018 data for hotels in Melbourne, Australia, indicates performance declines. Based on daily data from November, Melbourne reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Marking his first hotel manager role at Park Hyatt Melbourne, Shepheard was most recently director of rooms with Park Hyatt Shanghai, with his career spanning over 15 years in hospitality with a strong track record in front office and rooms division.
Representatives of S P Setia, Multiplex, Shangri-La, and the City of Melbourne gathered to break ground on what will become one of Melbourne's most iconic developments, Sapphire By The Gardens located at 308 Exhibition Street, Melbourne yesterday.
IHG has signed its third voco™ in Australia since the brand's global launch in June, partnering with Brady Group to open voco Melbourne Central in July 2020.
One of Melbourne's most anticipated hotel openings, the new 483-room Novotel and ibis Melbourne Central on Little Lonsdale Street, is now taking bookings for stays from 1st December 2018.
STR's preliminary August 2018 data for hotels in Melbourne, Australia, indicates lower occupancy with higher rates. Based on daily data from August, Melbourne reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Marriott International has today announced it will debut its ultra-luxury St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand in Australia via a newbuild hotel set to open in Melbourne in 2022.
Former Quest Apartment Hotels CEO Zed Sanjana has been named as the new Chief Executive of Veriu Hotels and Punthill Hotels, tasked with continuing the expansion of the rapidly growing brand.
Michelle Bradshaw will take charge of two as General Manager of a jointly-branded newbuild property - Ibis / Novotel Little Lonsdale Street in Melbourne upon the complex opening later this year. Beginning with the hotel giant in 2005, Bradshaw completed the Accor Vivier National Management training program in 2008. Since then she has worked for two hotels in Melbourne and Sydney - the Novotel Glen Waverley and Hotel Lindrum MGallery, which together book-end a stint at the Novotel/Ibis Sydney Olympic Park.
The new GM of Ibis Budget Melbourne CBD is Ashan Abeykoon, who returns to Melbourne after a two-year stint as Operations Manager at Novotel Wollongong in NSW. Prior to this, Abeykoon has progressed through the ranks at a number of properties in Melbourne, with a particular history and expertise in F&B roles. He has been with AccorHotels since 2003.
Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Knight as the new Public Relations Manager for Australia and New Z ealand. Having 13 years experience in Marketing and Publicity working with multi-national household names, Sarah brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Residing in Melbourne, Australia Sarah is also an accomplished Travel Writer and Editor of the family-friendly digital resource, By the Sea with Three (which aims to inspire family getaways while reducing the stress of travelling with children in tow).
STR's preliminary June 2018 data for hotels in Melbourne, Australia, indicates strong growth in both supply and demand. Based on daily data from June, Melbourne reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Andrew Dvash has been appointed General Manager of Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens. Andrew joins the Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens team from Ibis Budget Melbourne CBD, where he previously held the position of General Manager, since January 2017.
John Korkou has been appointed General Manager of The Hotel Lindrum, MGallery by Sofitel. John began with AccorHotels in 2008 as a key member of the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins sales team, working across various roles before holding his most recent position of Director of Sales & Marketing at The Como Melbourne, MGallery by Sofitel.
Michael Thomas re-joins AccorHotels as General Manager of Pullman and Mercure Melbourne Albert Park. Michael first joined AccorHotels as the acting General Manager of Novotel Lotus Bangkok and went on to manage Sofitel Shanghai, Sofitel Raja Orchid Thailand, and was the Executive General Manager of Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square and Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Michael was a recipient of the prestigious Accor Bernache award in 2005.
STR's preliminary April 2018 data for hotels in Melbourne, Australia, indicates high room rates. Based on daily data from April, Melbourne reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Little Projects for a Hyatt Centric hotel in Melbourne, Australia. Hyatt Centric Melbourne will boast a prime location on Downie Street, providing a launch pad for guests looking to explore everything Melbourne has to offer. The hotel will also join 20 Hyatt Centric brand hotels worldwide and soon-to-open hotels in Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru.
After posting a 42.2% premium in average daily rate (ADR) during the Formula 1 2017 Australian Grand Prix, hotels in Melbourne are again expected to see a strong performance uplift around this year's event, according to STR.Over Grand Prix weekend last year (18-20 March), Melbourne hotels recorded the following performance figures in comparison with the rest of March 2017: