IHG's Holiday Inn Express brand is set to expand further in Australia. IHG and partner Pro-invest are planning to open the Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins in 2020—the brand's second hotel in Melbourne.
Chris Naylor has been appointed General Manager, Ibis Styles Alice Springs Oasis. Chris commenced with AccorHotels in May 2003 and worked as Assistant Manager for Hotel Ibis Sydney Airport Hotel and Mercure Gold Coast Resort before leaving the company in October 2006. In July 2016 Chris returned to AccorHotels as Hotel Operations Manager at Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel. Prior to this he was Hotel Manager for Oaks Charlotte Towers Brisbane CBD.
Sam Panetta has been appointed General Manager, Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour. Sam joined AccorHotels in 2007 as Operations Manager for Accor’s Sydney Olympic Park Hotels and was part of the opening team of Australia’s first Pullman Hotel. In 2010, he moved on to Sofitel Sydney Wentworth as Executive Assistant Manager and was promoted to Hotel Manager in 2012. Sam was also awarded the AAA Property Manager of the Year in 2012. He was most recently General Manager of Pullman Magenta Shores resort for 2.5 years since 2014. He has also held positions as Director on the Golf Board for the resort and as a Chairman of Central Coast Tourism Board.
Cleo Seaman has been appointed General Manager, Quay West Suites Sydney. Cleo joined Accor in November 2002 as Food and Beverage Manager at The Como Melbourne before moving to Front Office Manager in June 2005. In June 2006, Cleo commenced at The Sebel Melbourne as Operations Manager. She was appointed as General Manager at the Sebel Launceston in November 2006, before leaving AccorHotels to join The Establishment Hotel Sydney. Cleo returned to AccorHotels in June 2009 as General Manager at the Hotel Lindrum Melbourne and was General Manager at The Como Melbourne in September 2012. Cleo was most recently General Manager, Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour since March 2015.
David McDonald has been appointed General Manager, Pullman Magenta Shores Resort. David started with AccorHotels in December 2009 at Novotel Canberra as Director of Sales and Marketing and National Account Manager. He was then appointed as Director of Corporate Sales in January 2011 and Director of Sales and Marketing in the Hotel Integration team from February 2012. In February 2013, David was appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Accor’s Darling Harbour Hotels, before commencing his first General Manager position for ibis Darling Harbour in July 2014. He was most recently General Manager for Quay West Suites Sydney since January 2015.
W Hotels, part of Marriott International, is pleased to announce the appointment of Haldon Philp as General Manager of the highly anticipated W Brisbane. Slated to open in early 2018, W Brisbane marks the re-entry of W Hotels into Australia, bringing a new interpretation of modern luxury to the city. Haldon is an experienced hotelier, with over 22 years experience working for premium hotels, predominantly with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which merged with Marriott International in 2016. Most recently, Haldon managed the successful opening of Sheraton Melbourne Hotel, leading the team to win various awards, including Australasia’s Leading New Hotel at the 21st Annual World Travel Awards, 2014. Prior to this, Haldon was the Deputy General Manager for The St. Regis Doha, where he led the opening of the 336 room hotel. The property was awarded Middle East Leading New Hotel, Qatar’s Leading New Hotel and the World’s Leading New Hotel at the 2012 World Travel Awards. Haldon joined The St. Regis Doha team from China, where he was Hotel Manager for The St. Regis Shanghai and managed all 350 associates to ensure the smooth operation of the 328 room hotel.
Marriott International has signed an agreement with TRC Australia to debut its Element brand in Melbourne, with the property set to open in 2019.
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, one of New Zealand’s largest hotel franchise groups, today announced the appointment of its new General Manager, Development, Sarah McCully. Ms McCully is the former General Manager of Star Ratings Australia, the internationally recognised accreditor of quality accommodation standards. In her new role, Ms McCully will be responsible for the growth and retention of the Choice Hotels portfolio across the Econo Lodge, Comfort, Quality, and Clarion brands and the Ascend Hotel Collection in Asia-Pac. Ms McCully will utilise her 20 years of management and marketing experience, as well as her solid knowledge of the New Zealand tourism industry, to strengthen Choice Hotels’ property portfolio across the Asia Pacific region.
Skye Hotel Suites in Parramatta is set to open its doors in August 2017. Developed by Sydney-based Crown Group Australia, Skye Hotel Suites will offer unrivaled urban luxury for discerning guests. The hotel brings together the best elements of hospitality: the warmth and personalized service of a boutique hotel; the grandeur and amenities of a luxury hotel; the spaciousness and familiarity of a local apartment; and the relaxing escape of a resort. The hotel is located within V by Crown Group, a distinctive new Sydney landmark designed by Allen Jack + Cottier and Koichi Takada Architects.
LONDON -- STR's preliminary April 2017 data for Melbourne, Australia, indicates performance consistent with significant supply growth. Based on daily data from April, Melbourne reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Melbourne"s iconic and heritage-rich Docklands will be home to Australia"s second Hotel Indigo; providing the neighbourhood inspiration for the hotel"s design and character
Sydney's hotel performance remains at the top of its game in Australia. But what impact is Airbnb having on it? What will effect will new supply have on its growth? Find out in the latest market report form Horwath HTL, written by Stefan Muff of Horwath HTL Australia.
Action Hotels, the leading owner, developer and asset manager of branded three- and four-star hotels in the Middle East and Australia has selected Novotel as the brand partner for its new hotel, Novotel Melbourne South Wharf located at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
International hotel technology provider Travel Tripper today announced their partnership with Meriton Serviced Apartments, an award-winning Australian luxury accommodation brand with 17 properties across Sydney, Brisbane, and Gold Coast. The hotel group has implemented Travel Tripper's RezTrip CRS and Booking Engine across its property websites as part of a key strategy to strengthen its direct distribution channel and increase direct bookings.
Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific is pleased to announce the appointment of Duncan Mars as the new General Manager of Ramada Port Douglas. Duncan comes to Wyndham with fifteen years’ senior management experience in hospitality, including the last five years as a General Manager in Victoria. Ramada Resort Port Douglas, situated in North Queensland on Port Douglas Road, is a mixed-use property available to both hotel guests and timeshare owners in the WorldMark South Pacific Club by Wyndham.
Australia"s newest hotel brand, Tribe Hotel Group, is set to make its debut on May 16 in Perth.
A highly skilled and personable hotelier, Melbourne-born Mr Barnett has taken the reigns from his previous role as Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, marking the third promotion in his six years at the property. Mr Barnett brings more than 25 years’ experience in hospitality to the role, working for top hotel groups in Australia and across the globe including Hilton Hotels and Jumeriah Hotels & Resorts in London and New York.
Ms Radic has joined Four Seasons with an impressive career spanning more than 25 years in Australian hotels, including eight years in her most recent role as Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing at Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel.With a passion for developing and mentoring future leaders in hospitality, Ms Radic has successfully led sales and marketing teams at a number of luxury hotels across Australia, and acted as Hotel Manager at Sir Stamford Circular Quay in 2005.
As a well-established and respected leader in the hospitality industry, the New Zealand born Mr. Rippin brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the international hotel industry. With extensive tenure across the IHG portfolio, Matt rejoins the luxury InterContinental brand following his most recent appointment as General Manager, Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside in 2015 where he spearheaded the hotel’s rebrand and launch of the first Holiday Inn brand to the Cairns market. Mr. Rippin first joined IHG in 2000 as Food & Beverage Manager at Holiday Inn Darwin and has continued in senior positions throughout the Crowne Plaza and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brands. InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort marks an impressive fifth General Manager posting for Matt Rippin, bolstering his extensive experience across the sales, marketing, revenue and operation disciplines. As no stranger to the Gold Coast, Mr. Rippin is armed with an extensive foundation of local expertise following over 13 years spent on the Coast, including senior positions within the iconic Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise.With a passion for developing, building and nurturing talent pipelines, Matt has a deep-rooted philosophy of driving team engagement for exemplar guest service. Matt’s mentality for driving high-performance teams spills into this personal fulfilments as an avid cyclist and golf enthusiast – a hobby that will no doubt be strengthened with Sanctuary Cove’s access to renowned courses!
Mantra Group is celebrating a milestone moment today as the construction of the new-build Mantra Hotel at Sydney Airport exterior is completed.