Beijing July 31st, 2018, Shiji Group established operations in Sydney, Australia to manage the growth and customer care in the Pacific. With over 8,000 hotels using Shiji products in the region and international offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macau it became evident that to keep with Shiji's tradition of customer service, an office was needed for Australasian customers.
Ovolo Hotels has appointed Christopher James as its General Manager of Sales, Australia managing sales across the Australian hotel portfolio. Hailing from The Langham Hospitality Group where he was Assistant Director of Global Sales (Corporate and Entertainment) and AccorHotels as Business Development Manager, Christopher will lead the Ovolo Australia's sales team focussing on sales for the Australian operation both domestically and internationally.
In the kitchen, Executive Chef Kitak Lee comes to the hotel following a successful stint heading up Melbourne's The Table at Kuro Kisumé. Raised in South Korea and trained in Europe, Lee also brings history in senior roles at many Sydney restaurants including Momofuku Seiobo, Cho Cho San and Bilson's to his new role at The Lobby Bar.
Holding an extensive professional pedigree across both Sydney and London, native Queenslander Ford returns home as the front-of-house face for the new hotel's dining establishments. Ford brings experience at Merivale's Coogee Pavilion and InterContinental Double Bay in Sydney and SoHo House Group's Shoreditch House in the English capital.
The Whitsunday Islands will welcome a new era of luxury in 2019 with the signing of a management agreement that will see IHG take over management of Hayman Island, rebranding it as Hayman Island, by InterContinental.
Rachael Harding has been announced as the newlyappointed General Manager for Club Med Australia and New Zealand.Harding brings award-winning industry experience and expertise to the role, having worked with The Travel Corporation over the past 15 years on brands including Contiki and Trafalgar Travel.
OTA Insight, the cloud-based data intelligence platform for the hospitality industry, has announced a series of key partnerships in the Australia-New Zealand-Pacific region, as it continues to be a target growth market for the company. With recent signings including Staywell Hospitality, Punthill Apartment Hotels, Ovolo Hotels, Doma Hotels and Reflections Holiday Parks. OTA Insight's focus on the region will allow even more hotel partners to directly benefit from its suite of revenue intelligence solutions. To accommodate the region's growing demand for OTA Insight's services, the company has invested in expanding its staffing and support efforts. This exciting growth announcement precedes OTA Insight's invitation to speak at the NoVacancy Accommodation Business Expo in Sydney, Australia from July 17 - 18.
After a long 14 years in retail and an aversion to full-time work in a new city, I decided I would give hospitality another go.
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).
Léa Seguier has been appointed as the Sales Ambassador to the Asia Pacific for the exclusive La Réserve hotels and Myconian Hotel Collection. She will be responsible for representing all facets of the brands and be based in Sydney.Hailing from France, Léa graduated in International Hospitality Management from Surrey University, UK. She began her career with an internship at the Belmond's Hotel de la Cité in Carcassonne (formerly Orient Express) but graduated quickly to receptionist and finally Sales Manager.
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:
Leading accommodation provider Oaks Hotels & Resorts, a division of Minor Hotels, has set its sights on Queensland's Fraser Coast, today announcing its imminent entry to the seaside town of Hervey Bay.
Marriott International Inc. today announced it has signed an agreement with Melbourne-based property development company Capital Alliance to introduce the AC Hotels by Marriott®, brand to Australia.
Angie Hospitality, developer of the world's first enterprise-class, cloud-managed interactive guest room assistant, built specifically for the hospitality environment, announces that its Head of Global Sales, Michael Vargosko, will participate in a "Tech Panel" educational session at the NoVacancy Accommodation Expo, taking place July 17th and 18th at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre in Australia.
Christopher Chaffe has been appointed General Manager, Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel. Christopher has an extensive Food & Beverage background working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Cairns International Hotel, Pullman Sea Temple Resort & Spa and Rydges Esplanade. In 2010, Christopher moved into Business Development roles with Fosters/Treasury Wine Estates and Diageo before returning back to AccorHotels in 2016 as Director of Food & Beverage at Pullman Reef Hotel Casino.
Scott Eger has been appointed General Manager, Novotel Sydney Darling Square. With an extensive Food & Beverage background, Scott has held many management positions at hotels including Hayman Island and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Dubai, before joining AccorHotels in 2012 as Director of Food & Beverage at Pullman Reef Hotel Casino. In 2016, Scott moved to Sofitel Sydney Wentworth as Director of Food & Beverage where he was then promoted into his recent role as Hotel Manager.
Stephen Wellsteed has been appointed General Manager, Novotel Twin Waters. Starting his hospitality career as a Head Porter at Daydream Island Resort, Stephen has held numerous Front Office management positions. His most recent position was General Manager at Mercure Townsville.
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.