Roger's blog

2011 by the numbers

2012-01-17T10:37:00.005+10:00

At the start of each year, I sit down and work out our sales productions for hotels for the calendar year just gone to find out which cities are the biggest and which hotels get most of our bookings.

Here is a list of the capital cities that were most productive for us and how they compared to 2010:

1. Darwin (up 32%)
2. Brisbane (up 130%)
3. Perth (up 240%)
4. Sydney (down 14%)
5. Melbourne (down 55%)
6. Canberra (down 65%)
7. Adelaide (down 84%)

Comparing the cities to their ranks last year, Melbourne moved up the ladder mainly thanks to Tiger Woods and the President's Cup in November while Adelaide received the wooden spoon having fallen from 5th to 7th. The bottom three cities were very, very quiet for us and were not even close to Sydney in 4th, I hope this will change in 2012.

The positives were the great production in Perth and Brisbane which came as no surprise as they kept us very busy last year. I've nicknamed Perth "boomtown USA" because it fills almost every week (midweek) due to the mining boom, there aren't enough hotels to cope with the demand and the prices are through the roof. Brisbane is benefitting from the mining industry as well and really narrowed the gap between it and Darwin this year (which was miles ahead in 2010). Darwin continued to be our # 1 city purely due to a large contract we were helping with. Unfortunately this work is basically over now so it will take a huge drop next year.

Here is the list of the 10 hotels around Australia that we make the most bookings with:

1. Mantra Pandanas (Darwin)
2. M on Mary (Brisbane)
3. Perth Ambassador (Perth)
4. Mantra on the Esplanade (Darwin)
5. Chifley at Lennons (Brisbane)
6. All Suites Perth (Perth)
7. Macarthur Chambers (Brisbane)
8. Hotel Grand Chancellor (Brisbane)
9. Mantra on Murray (Perth)
10. Hotel Ibis (Perth)

One of the goals I set Adam at the start of last year was to help us book more rooms with less hotels rather than some rooms with lots of hotels. The best example of this in action is that the total sales for our top 10 hotels increased by 90% from their counterparts in 2010.

Back in the office

2012-01-09T15:58:00.003+10:00

Today marks our first day back in the office for 2012.

January is a very quiet time for the corporate travel market so while our hours are officially 8:30 - 5 (Brisbane time), there may be times over the next week or two when the phone is diverted during these hours. We might be out catching up with some of our hotel contacts or sometimes if its quiet we're just taking an early mark. If you do call and get the voicemail during normal business hours please just leave a message and we'll get back to you shortly.

February is one of the busiest months of the year for us so things will quickly return to madness around here!

I hope you have a fantastic 2012 and we look forward to talking with you soon.

Where's my Christmas card??

2011-12-21T15:01:00.003+10:00

Thank you for all the cards and well wishes we've received. If you're wondering why you haven't received a Christmas card from us, we've chosen instead (like the last few years) to make a donation to the Starlight Foundation.

This year we are fortunate enough to be able to shut down the office and take some well-earned time off. The office will officially be closed from Friday, December 16 through until Monday, January 9. If you need anything during this time please send me an e-mail or leave a voice-mail message on the phone.

I wish you and your families a very enjoyable and relaxing festive season and we look forward to looking after you again in 2012.

Festival of food

2011-12-13T12:11:00.003+10:00

Many people know that the way to my heart is through food ... so not surprisingly when peak corporate travel season finishes its a great time to catch up with sales & reservations managers over lunch.

Last Wednesday we had a nice long lunch with Zana and Brad from The Point Hotel. We did a lot of work with the hotel in November so it was a good time to discuss possibilities for 2012 as well as have a look at their new tower of rooms (that opened in October). The rooms look fantastic and I'm lucky enough to be staying in one this Saturday night which I'm looking forward to.

Wednesday night I had dinner with friends at the Sofitel. Since lunch (which was excellent) at The Point finished around 2:30 or so I wasn't sure how good an effort I was going to be able to put in to the buffet but somehow I managed to do ok!

Thursday lunch was spent with Nicole at the Brisbane Marriott checking out their new restaurant, Motion Bar & Grill. Nicole is one of our best contacts and has been for a while so it was good to catch up with her after she had been so helpful during November. Motion is a nice change from the normal 5 star hotel buffet (not that there's anything wrong with a buffet!) and the refurbishment of the restaurant decor looks great.

Thursday night was dinner at The Surf Club (celebrity chef Ben O'Donoghue) and then Saturday night was my mum's birthday so we had dinner at the Hundred Acre Bar & Restaurant at St Lucia.

Thankfully I've been working out almost every day so despite all the dining out I'm not as big as a house!!

Day at the cricket

2011-12-13T11:41:00.004+10:00

We've done a LOT of work with Mantra Pandanas in Darwin over the last 18 months and this (mainly) led to an invite for me to a corporate box at the cricket on the second day of the first test between Australia and New Zealand.

I'm not a huge cricket fan but a day out of the office after the madness of peak season was something to look forward to. Plus, corporate box, food & drink, etc ... unlikely I'm going to turn that down! As you can see from the picture below, the weather wasn't great but that was a good thing for us (and no doubt the players) as it wasn't too hot.

The action on the field was a little slow but the company was great and the food and drinks flowed. Thanks so much to Edith, our sales manager from Mantra for the invite and her generous hospitality, it was a fantastic way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Busiest week of the year?

2011-11-17T15:18:00.004+10:00

The end of year peak corporate travel season in Australia essentially runs from the end of September school holidays until early December. We have been flat out every day since Melbourne Cup (Nov 1) and this week was the ultimate for Australian hotels.

Here is what happened:

* Adelaide - filled last night
* Brisbane - filled Tuesday, Wednesday and almost Thursday
* Canberra - filled Tuesday, Wednesday
* Melbourne - filled Wednesday, Thursday
* Perth - filled Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
* Sydney - filled Tuesday, Wednesday and almost Thursday

It got so busy, the cities so full and we ran out of our allotments so early (especially for Perth) that we had to give up on this week enquiries on Tuesday and focus on the week after.

There looks to be another 2 or 3 weeks left before things quieten down so if you have any travel to do in that time and need to book accommodation, make sure you organise your hotel before you book your flights!

The Tiger Woods effect

2011-11-17T14:48:00.007+10:00

He may not be the # 1 golfer in the world anymore but that doesn't lessen the pulling power of Tigers Woods playing tournaments in Australia. This then flows through to the hotels in the city that he's playing in.

Last week Tiger was in Sydney playing in the Australian Open and virtually every CBD hotel was fully booked Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This week he joined the USA's President's Cup team in Melbourne and all the hotels in and around the CBD have filled for at least Wednesday and Thursday nights.

I think I've explained this concept before, but when a sporting event happens in a city, strangely its not the nights of the event that actually fill, its only the nights that overlap with corporate travel. For instance, the golf got underway today in Melbourne but the worst nights for accommodation were actually last night and tonight with there still being availability over the weekend (while the tournament is still running).

I know he's become a controversial figure after his off-course antics that have come to light but as a golf fan and a business owner that benefits from him coming to Australia, I for one hope he comes back every year!

Gold Coast 600 in style!

2011-10-26T09:33:00.004+10:00

I get some pretty cool invites and this ranks right up there. Last Friday I was lucky enough to be invited by Palazzo Versace to their trackside corporate suite for the Gold Coast 600 (formerly Indy).

Now, I'm not a petrol head by any stretch but when the invite is for a sporting event and there's a corporate suite involved, I'm there!

I went to the Indy many years ago for my brother's buck's day but Friday was definitely more about doing it in style! Good food, great view (see below), wait-staff bringing you drinks all day and some celebrities as well. In the suite we had Tom Williams (briefly), Haley Bateup (iron woman ... so fit!) as well as Travis Cloke and Cameron Wood from Collingwood. There were also a few of the drivers wives and girlfriends.

A massive thank you to Andrew who is the DOSM at Palazzo Versace for the invite and his generous hospitality.

Perth and October don't mix

2011-10-14T12:34:00.003+10:00

Perth is NOT the place to be in October if you can help it!

Everyone knows about CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) and the visit of the Queen but its now every week in October that the Perth hotels are full.

October started a little slowly for Perth due to the school holidays in QLD, VIC and NSW. Not as many corporates travelling so for once the city didn't actually fill midweek. Every other week has been nuts and next week is one of the worst. The reason? Well, its the week before CHOGM so everyone that doesn't want to pay $500/night for a 4 star hotel is coming next week and now every hotel is sold out on Tuesday, Wednesday and many on Thursday as well.

Normally for Perth, I suggest booking two weeks in advance to ensure you can get availability at a decent price, this month I just recommend postponing your travel until November.

Diamant Hotel Brisbane

2011-09-16T11:50:00.002+10:00

What's in a name?

What is now the Diamant Hotel Brisbane has been The Portal Hotel, the Best Western Portal Hotel, back to The Portal Hotel and now the Diamant!

I visited the hotel back in the Best Western stage and reviewing that post I notice I compared it to the Kirketon Hotel in Sydney. Well, the reason its now called the Diamant Hotel is that its been taken over by the 8 Hotels Group which in fact manage the Kirketon!

With the change in name and ownership came new management and since we do a bit of work with the hotel Adam and I received an invite to have a look around and meet the team. I had seen the rooms before but it was good for Adam so he knew exactly what he was talking about when describing the hotel to clients.

After having a look around we sat down with Branka (the GM) and Tamara (reservations) in the restaurant and enjoyed a glass of wine and an array of finger food. Its always great to actually meet people that you talk to so often so it was a very enjoyable afternoon.

To celebrate the new name (and new management) the hotel is currently running a weekend promotion where you receive a celebratory bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne when you stay on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night ("neighbour rates" package).

Sydney conference

2011-09-16T11:09:00.004+10:00

I've been lucky enough to be able to do a bit of travel this year and that continued last week when I went down to a three day conference in Sydney.

The conference was being held at the Masonic Centre which is at the south end of the CBD and since I was with a couple of friends the best option was a 2 bedroom apartment at Meriton Kent Street. I've stayed at the hotel previously so I knew what to expect and since we were there for a couple of days I upgraded to a sky view apartment (higher floors). The weather was terrible on the first day but thankfully it cleared up over the next few days so we could actually admire the view (see pictures below).

Thankfully we booked a couple of weeks early as two bedroom apartments sell out virtually every weekend in Sydney. That didn't stop us having to pay top dollar for the apartment on Saturday night ... which hurts as I'm obviously used to being "looked after" by hotels when I travel!

Perth trip

2011-08-08T14:33:00.006+10:00

Considering the amount of bookings we make in Perth it was a little embarassing to admit that I hadn't been there in 30 years and certainly hadn't seen any of the hotels (other than online).

Thankfully I remedied this in the last week of July when I spent two days looking through hotels, introducing myself to sales managers and thanking a number of reservations staff that have been so helpful for us.

I stayed at the Mantra on Murray and was pleasantly surprised to find out when I checked in that I had been upgraded to an executive studio suite (pictured below), had a welcome note from the GM and a bottle of wine.

Here is the list of hotels I visited in Perth:

Aarons All Suites
Mantra on Hay
Mantra on Murray
Citigate Perth
Perth Ambassador

It was interesting to hear that despite the WA economy smashing it on the back of the mining boom, it was a case of the haves (the mining industry) and the have nots (anyone not linked to the mining industry). From our perspective, the Perth hotel market has been doing extremely well this year but after speaking to the sales managers you find out that they sell out every Tuesday and Wednesday night, sometimes Thursdays but the rest of the week is pretty quiet. I also learnt that regional WA Tourism (and course retail) is struggling at the moment like the rest of the country.

Lessons from Disney

2011-08-04T11:05:00.007+10:00

Disney has always been renowned for their excellence in customer service. Thanks to his twitter feed, I came across a good story by legendary entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki and what he learned from a recent trip to Disneyland.

What I Learned From A Mouse With Big Ears

Guy Kawasaki Co-Founder, Alltop

According to Bruce Kimbrell, a facilitator for the West Coast operations of the Disney Institute, people come back to Disneyland for three reasons: cleanliness, friendliness and safety. A few weeks ago Bruce took me on a behind-the-scenes tour of Disneyland to show me how Disneyland employees make the enchantment happen.

This is what I learned:

1. Focus on the right stuff and the money will come

The top three priorities of Disneyland management is leadership excellence, cast excellence and guest satisfaction. The fourth priority is financial results. My interpretation is that if you do the first three things right, money is a natural outcome.

2. Take care of your employees (cast members)

Disneyland has “team centers” to serve the needs of its employees. These centers provide insurance, discounts, tickets, transportation services and payroll services. The message I picked up was “be good to your employees, and they’ll be good to your customers.”

3. Everybody should do the “dirty jobs”

How many people are there in the park sweeping up trash? Take a guess. The right answer is an astoundingly low number: eight. (I guessed 250 when Bruce asked me.) This is possible because every employee is supposed to keep the park clean, not just the janitors.

4. Everybody is customer service.

Here’s another question for you: How long do you think the training is for the people with brooms sweeping up the trash? The right answer is an astoundingly high number: six weeks. This is necessary because guests ask janitors questions, so the folks with brooms must be experts about the park. By the way, the training for parking lot attendants can be as long as eight weeks.

5. Pay attention to the details

Bruce told me that Walt Disney himself specified the type of trash can for the park. These cans are currently swapped out every two years and Disney repaints them every four months. Steve Jobs was a perfectionist about the Macintosh trash can icon—the similarity between Steve Jobs and Walt Disney is not a coincidence.

6. Pay attention to even more details

A hairdresser in the wig department told me that it takes 30-45 minutes to wash and set the wig for Ariel. Then it takes 90-120 minutes to dry it. Finally, there’s another 30 minutes to comb it out. This is for a wig. Most entrepreneurs don’t spend this much time practicing their pitch for venture capitalists.

7. Make your customers feel close and important

The buildings on Main Street are 5/8th scale. This is to make people feel like they are closer to the action and important. Most companies erect edifices to make their customers feel small, and their bosses feel big. Disneyland does the opposite. Walt Disney used to crouch down to see Disneyland from a child’s perspective.

8. Know the facts

Here’s yet-another question for you: What is the ratio of adults to kids at any given moment in the park? Believe it or not, there are four adults for every kid. I would have never guessed that. This has big ramifications: Disneyland can’t just be a place for kids since kids are only 20 percent of the customers.

9. Green is good

The floats are all battery-powered. The fireworks are launched with compressed air, not explosive charges. The trains are bio-diesel and burn the oil from the park’s restaurants. Currently, 80 percent of the 1.3 pounds of trash that each guest produces per day is recycled.

10. Keep customers coming back

The Star Wars inspired ride called Star Tours has six different destinations, two beginning scenes and three holograms. This means that there are 54 different combinations. If you’re very lucky, you can see all the combinations in three rides—or, much more likely, you’ll have to keep coming back for more.

You should check out the Disney Institute for its seminar offerings. The institute covers topics such as leadership, brand loyalty, creativity and service quality. Many programs include behind-the-scenes tours like the one I went on. And the next time you schedule an event, consider a Disney meeting facility because of the blend of inspiration, education and entertainment that’s offered. There are few institutions that can put theories into practice like Disney can.

Corporate suite - Lions vs Power

2011-07-05T14:37:00.005+10:00

I was lucky enough to get an invite from Mirvac Hotels & Resorts to their corporate suite for the Brisbane Lions AFL game against the Port Adelaide Power. I'm a die-hard Bombers fan so while I don't follow the Lions it was the first AFL invite I've received for a while and I jumped at the chance!

The suite was hosted by the GM from Quay West Suites Brisbane (Anthony Carter) and Mirvac's Regional BDM for conference & events (Rachael Hopkins). I actually used to work with Rachael many years ago at the Sheraton Brisbane so it was great to catch up.

Mirvac went all out with the suite, PLENTY of food throughout the game, a steady flow of drinks and obviously a great spot to watch the game itself. They even managed to organise a rare win by the Brisbane Lions!

State of Origin 3 accommodation

2011-06-27T13:56:00.003+10:00

If you're after Brisbane accommodation for State of Origin 3 now is the time to be booking. With this in mind, here's an update of availability from our allotment:

* One night stays, 4.5 star hotel $399
(Last minute websites have rates starting from $450)

* We have a 5 star hotel with a rate of $399 for a two night minimum stay

* We have plenty of one bedroom apartments up our sleeve, for a 3 night stay rates start from $241/night (on average)

There is also a large conference at the convention centre as the same time as Origin so expect it to be a VERY busy week for Brisbane hotels.

And of course ... go Queensland!!

Ash Tuesday

2011-06-21T18:10:00.001+10:00

With over 200 flights around the country cancelled today, our phones rang off the hook with people needing last minute accommodation. The bulk of our calls were for Brisbane which isn't directly affected by the ash cloud but with so many other airports closed, most people were re-routed here or unable to fly out.

Unfortunately, Brisbane hotels were already very heavily booked for tonight so it was a frustrating day where we were had to say no to a lot of requests but a BIG thank you to our great hotel contacts who called us throughout the day when they had cancellations.

Ash cloud disrupts flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Tasmania | The Australian

MORE than 100,000 passengers' journeys have been disrupted by the latest volcanic ash cloud, with delays expected to continue tomorrow.

Qantas has cancelled flights to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne for tomorrow, and will continue to monitor the flight path between Perth and Melbourne.

Airlines cancelled flights to Adelaide last night and today added Sydney, Canberra and, in some cases, Melbourne. Qantas also brought forward departure times for some international flights from Sydney this afternoon to avoid the ash.

Brisbane and the Gold Coast are unlikely to be affected.

The head of the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, Dr Andrew Tupper, said the ash had wrapped around a low-pressure system building over south-eastern Australia and had crossed the South Australian coast early this morning.

It is expected to remain over Sydney overnight but move south tomorrow and expectations are that it will clear Australia tomorrow night.

2011 Salary Survey: Travel Weekly

2011-06-17T11:42:00.001+10:00

I came across the survey below that may be of interest to my colleagues in the travel industry. Click on the title below to read the full article.

2011 Salary Survey: Wages and trends Travel Weekly
By Louise Wallace

As the Beatles once suggested, money can't buy you love. Sure, the message may have been at the heart of a catchy tune back in the 1960s, but even now, maybe more than ever, money is a touchy topic. Some argue it brings security and reinforces self-worth, while others are adamant money can't buy happiness.

Whatever the verdict, the Travel Weekly 2011 Salary Survey showed most travel industry employees might be better off whistling the Beatles tune, with 63% of respondents reporting they're unhappy with their pay packet. In fact, almost 20% strongly disagreed that their salary is fair, compared with just 6% who were very satisfied with their annual income.

A BIT OF CONTEXT

According to website MyCareer.com, retail workers bring in an annual salary of around $58,000; about half an engineer's income and a fraction of that of miners, who rake in an average of $146,000 per year. Meanwhile, employees in the wider travel industry are likely to bring home a humble $48,071 per annum, or $924 per week before tax and other deductions.
That being said, $48,000 should not be sneezed at.

This year's Travel Weekly survey revealed that travel consultants averaged $37,984 per year and owners took home approximately $61,000. Meanwhile, senior consultants are likely to scribble approximately $45,000 on their annual tax estimate, and agency managers about $60,000. But whatever their caper, only 37% of survey respondents felt their income was fair.
But it's not all doom and gloom, and no, the industry is not run by disgruntled employees plotting how to get back at their bosses in the tea room. The figures are actually an improvement on last year when 68% of respondents were dissatisfied with their pay packet and one-fifth strongly disagreed that their pay adequately reflected their skills.

Thank you Mr Rieu!

2011-05-19T14:08:00.004+10:00

I mentioned back in October that Andre Rieu's planned tour for November had been postponed and the upside was that it would give us more time to prepare. Well his concerts in Brisbane were this week and as always Mr Rieu did not disappoint. No, I'm not talking about his actual on-stage performance, but for the 3rd consecutive trip to Brisbane he created havoc by filling every hotel on Tuesday and Wednesday night and almost tonight (Thursday).

We were prepared with a large allotment and although pick-up as usual for Brisbane was late, we judged things pretty well running out of rooms on Tuesday afternoon. Yes, our business is very much a juggling act between expected demand and how large an allotment we carry in to such an event. Thankfully tho, Andre Rieu continues to be automatic in Brisbane and can be relied upon to fill the city.

He started his tour in Adelaide which we did ok out of (not great tho, Adelaide has been a struggle this year) but it would have been great if his Sydney dates were midweek rather than on the weekend. I can't complain tho and hopefully Andre will grace us with his presence again in the near future.

Lunch at the Sofitel

2011-04-21T11:19:00.004+10:00

With the Easter looooong weekend about to begin, business has been very slow for the last week or so. It happens every year, Easter, school holidays, long weekends ... it all adds up to very little corporate travel and events are scheduled at other times to avoid these dates.

We've done our best to take advantage of the down-time. Last Friday it was Sushi Station for lunch, yesterday it was the buffet/interactive dining experience at Sofitel Brisbane Central. They have an Italian theme this month so there is a Maserati and a Vesper in the lobby of the hotel.

The sales team from the Sofitel obviously had similar ideas to us as we saw Jago (recently switched over from the Brisbane Marriott) entertaining a client as well as Georgina who came over and chatted to us.

As always, the food was sensational and there was no need for dinner last night!

Adam drooling over the Maserati

Easter Chocolate Buffet

2011-04-05T13:59:00.003+10:00

I stumbled across this today ... having missed it over the last 2 years, this time I cannot wait!

Easter Chocolate Buffet The Sebel & Citigate King George Square Brisbane

Easter Chocolate Buffet is back by popular demand this Easter....

Chocoholics unite at Bistro Allure to celebrate Easter, from Monday 18th April to Monday 2nd May 2011.

Get your tastebuds in training as you indulge in a chocolate sensation of cakes, gateaux’s, slices, tarts, cheesecakes, puddings, complementing, mouth-watering sauces and more!

Treat your family or get a group of friends or work colleagues together to join the Chocolate Parade, while lapping up the ambience of Brisbane's centrally-located hotel overlooking King George Square.

Bistro Allure Easter Chocolate Buffet from Monday 18th April to Monday 2nd May 2011.

Available for Lunch and Dinner - $20.00 per person

Lunch 11.30am to 3.00pm

Dinner 5.30pm to 9.30pm

Bookings essential.

Call Bistro Allure on (07) 3222 1128

So much chocolate, so little time...

Easter has never looked so good!

Royal on the Park breakfast

2011-04-05T13:41:00.004+10:00

Last week Adam and I were lucky enough to be invited in to Royal on the Park for breakfast with their new GM, sales manager and the team in reservations.

We've had a close working relationship with the hotel for many years now but they've had some personnel changes over the last year and we hadn't seen their recently refurbished rooms. It was great to meet the new team as well as catch up with a few familiar faces. And well, food is the way to my heart, so the breakfast invite was always going to be well received.

I was impressed with the look of the new rooms (pictured below), they were always one of the larger rooms in the city, but the new colour scheme seems to brighten the room and the new desks and TV's certainly make them feel more modern.

February Travels - Part 2

2011-03-24T11:38:00.006+10:00

My other trip in February was at the end of the month and I headed up to Townsville for the weekend.

I'm a member of Accor's Advantage Plus program so I stayed at the new(ish) Grand Mercure Townsville using a free night I had up my sleeve and a member's discounted rate on the other. I also decided to upgrade to a one bedroom apartment rather than a studio.

The hotel is in a great location in Townsville, right in the middle of Palmer Street which is a strip of restaurants and cafe's. The apartment itself was a good size, separate bedroom from the lounge room (pictured below) and perfect for a couple of nights stay.

For the foodies, the culinary highlight of the weekend was dinner on Saturday night at The Saltcellar. I can't remember the cut of beef (eye fillet or angus fillet) but it was quality!

February travels - part 1

2011-03-08T19:20:00.005+10:00

Despite it being one of the busier months of the year for us, I managed to get away a couple of times during February. First off was a long weekend in the Hunter Valley with some friends. We flew down early Saturday morning and came back on Monday evening, thankfully Adam was able to look after things while I was away.

My friends had actually already organised the accommodation but with my experience I was able to find a slightly better deal, saving us $100 per apartment over the two nights. We stayed at Grand Mercure The Vintage which is part of the Greg Norman designed golf course. It was perfect for our group and we shared 2 two bedroom apartments.

Last time I went to the Hunter was about 6 years ago for a friend's wedding and the challenge then was finding something suitable for more than 2 people. The Grand Mercure certainly solves that problem. The townhouses (pictured below) are essentially a 2 bedroom apartment on the ground floor and another 2 bedroom apartment above, perfect for the 7 of us. The bedrooms were a good size, the bathrooms were great (separate shower and large bath tub) and the living area was spacious.

From a wine tour perspective, the highlight of the weekend was tasting the Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz and from a food perspective lunch at Margan Restaurant. The triple-cooked pork cheek with scallops was one of the best meals I've had in a long time!

Capital Reservations' theme song!

2011-02-24T17:30:00.006+10:00

If you've ever listened to the music playing in the background of our office, you'll know we listen to Triple J (Renee would be proud). In between the hundreds of phone calls this week, Adam brought to my attention the song below and after hearing it for myself, I'm now naming it our theme song!

Why "Jump in to the fog" by The Wombats? The opening line is:
"What a great achievement it was to get a hotel room this late"
Which is pretty much what we do all day every day!

How to watch the big game

2011-02-04T11:32:00.003+10:00

With the Super Bowl just a couple of days away now, I came across this article about the ultimate hotel package if you can't make it to the game itself.

$42,650 Super Bowl Hotel Suite - AOL Travel News

Super Bowl fever can take many forms, but for those with a taste for luxury, watching the big game in a suite priced at $42,650 at the Mandarin Oriental New York might just be the ticket.

The over-the-top package includes a night in the Presidential suite, a three-course catered meal for 15 during the game and a very rare bottle of 50-year-old Scotch.

The hotel's Director of Communications Tammy Peters confirmed to AOL Travel News that as of Wednesday the Presidential suite was still available.

'We've done it [a special Super Bowl package] a few years in a row,' says Peters. 'Sometimes it sells and sometimes it doesn't.'

Whether you are rooting for the Pittsburg Steelers or the Green Bay Packers, you'll be watching on a 65-inch plasma screen television with eight surround speakers and noshing on mini Kobe beef burgers and Ahi tuna tacos.

The bulk of the cost of the room comes from the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old. The hotel has one of only five bottles available in North America.

Just how much is it worth? One recently sold at auction for $38,000.

For more details on the hotel, click here.

Welcome back Adam!

2011-01-25T15:47:00.006+10:00

When the GFC hit, Adam (our office manager) went to work for a friend of mine's company that wasn't affected by the economic slowdown. Is it was a secondment type arrangement in that the idea was always for him to return to Capital Reservations as things got back to normal for us. I'm pleased to say that after a good 2010, especially the end of it, Adam is back in the office (after a little over 18 months away) and ready for a big 2011.

A number of the agents who have been using us for a while will remember working with him, for those that haven't, please be patient as he might just take a little time to find his feet again.

2010 by the numbers

2011-01-24T15:30:00.004+10:00

At the start of each year, I sit down and work out our sales productions for hotels for the calendar year just gone. I didn't do it in 2009 because, well the numbers took such a dive from 2008 and 2007 due to the GFC/economic slowdown that it just didn't seem worthwhile. So back in 2008 I compared production to 2007 for each city but since I've skipped a year, I won't worry about doing that this time. This year (2011) it will certainly be interesting to compare against the 2010 numbers.

Anyway, here is a list of the capital cities and which were the most productive for us (from best to worst):

1. Darwin
2. Brisbane
3. Perth
4. Sydney
5. Adelaide
6. Canberra
7. Melbourne

Apologies to our friends in Tasmania, but we did hardly any room nights in Hobart so I don't have them on the list. 2010 was the first year that our home town of Brisbane wasn't our biggest city. Thanks to a very large client that we look after, Darwin was the big mover on the list and sales were substantially ahead of Brisbane in second. Melbourne has really dropped off for us over the last few years and has now fallen to the bottom.

Thanks to the aformentioned large client, our top 2 hotels in the country are in Darwin. Here is the list of the 10 hotels around Australia that we make the most bookings with:

1. Mantra Pandanas (Darwin)
2. Mantra on the Esplanade (Darwin)
3. Mantra on Hay (Perth)
4. Oaks Charlotte Towers (Brisbane)
5. Mantra on Northbourne (Canberra)
6. Chifley at Lennons (Brisbane)
7. M on Mary (Brisbane)
8. Aarons All-Suites (Perth)
9. Citigate & Sebel King George Square (Brisbane)
10. The Portal Hotel (Brisbane)

Mantra Pandanas exterior

Brisbane hotel flood update

2011-01-18T12:37:00.004+10:00

More on the Queensland flood situation next time, but quickly here are the main Brisbane hotels that have been affected:

Stamford Plaza - closed until further notice, they're hoping February some time (I heard yesterday they were out for at least 6 weeks)

Rydges South Bank - no power, running off a generator. Hoping to have power back on in the next few days

Quay West Suites - no power, operating on limited services. No new arrivals until January 20.

The Sebel Suites - closed until February 7

Oaks 212 Margaret - no power, not accommodating guests until January 22

Oaks Festival Towers - limited lifts in service

Central West End Apartments - no power, unlikely to be operating for at least 4 weeks.

Night at the Novotel

2010-12-24T09:44:00.006+10:00

Last Saturday I stayed at the Novotel Brisbane to check out their newly refurbished rooms. (note to self: I really should do this more often)

I had a meeting with one of their sales managers a few months back and saw images of their new lobby (pictured below) which was done first but they're gradually refurbishing all their hotel rooms. I was a little surprised to hear this considering their rooms aren't tired or dated. They've instead chosen to be proactive and have gone for a stylish makeover.

I actually paid for the room myself (rather than talking to sales contacts), mainly due to the fact that we hadn't done that much business with the hotel over the last year or two. I did however ring the reservations manager the day before to see if he could organise a refurbished room for me. When I checked in I was pleasantly surprised to see I had been upgraded all the way from a standard room to a deluxe balcony room. That's not just an upgrade of one level, but three!!

The new refurbishments look great, they've gone with dark brown and red tones in the room, very modern and stylish for a Novotel which are usually bright or resort-y in their feel. My iphone pictures wouldn't do the rooms justice so I'll post pics when the hotel release theirs in the New Year.

I also had breakfast in the restaurant the next morning which was very good. I love my buffet breakfasts and have been spoiled lately by the best - which is Sofitel Brisbane. Novotel was good, but they were missing eggs benedict and no ice-cream with their pancakes. In their favour however, they were also missing the Sofitel price-tag which is almost double!

Where's my Christmas card??

2010-12-24T09:25:00.003+10:00

If you're wondering why you haven't received a Christmas card from us, we've chosen instead (like the last few years) to make a donation to the Starlight Foundation.

Thank you for all the cards and well wishes we've received.

After a very challenging 2009, this year has been a very good one here at Capital Reservations. The normal peak/event dates side of the business is steadily returning to normal but we've been lucky enough to pick up a very, very large client that has taken us to a new level.

Due to the ongoing needs of the client mentioned above, our office hasn't really shut down over the festive season. Its just me looking after things during the holidays and I have had some running around to do over the last week, so you might get the voice-mail occasionally but you can leave me a message or just send me an e-mail.

I wish you and your families a very enjoyable and relaxing festive season and we look forward to looking after you again in 2011.

U2, Jay-Z and the Queensland Premier

2010-12-16T20:38:00.005+10:00

I've had some pretty awesome invites in my time but last week was definitely one of the best. As you can tell by the title, I got an invite from the Premier's Department to join Anna Bligh in a corporate suite for the U2 and Jay-Z concert. To say I was blown away when I got the call would be an understatement! Apparently the Premier's Department were wanting some fresh faces in the corporate suite and a list of generation X'ers from business, sport and the arts had been put together.

It was a fantastic night and I even had the honour to chat to Anna Bligh over dinner. It was the night after Oprah arrived in the country so we talked about Anna being there to greet her in Hamilton Island. We also discussed her "walk a day in my shoes" initiative and we were joined at the table by the orderly who worked with her at the P.A. Hospital.

The concert itself was great, even tho I'm more of a fan of Jay-Z than U2. The highlights of the night for me were "Big Pimpin" and "Encore" by Jay-Z and "Where the streets have no name" and "With or without you" by U2.

Below is a pic of myself and my friend Meagan who was my date for the evening and our view of the U2 360 stage.

The Oprah House

2010-12-14T21:41:00.004+10:00

You would have to be living under a rock not to realise that Australia is experiencing Oprah fever. For the last week, TV news bulletins have been led by where Oprah and her audience have been that day and what they've been up to.

While there is plenty of criticism (mostly on social media) from people that don't understand the fuss or why her visit is news-worthy, ask anyone in the tourism industry and they'll explain it to you. Ever since the infamous "where the bloody hell are you" campaign, Australia has been trying to find the right way to promote the country and attract international visitors. Like her or not, Oprah's visit is the perfect way to promote Australia to the rest of the world. No matter how much it cost Tourism Australia to make the trip happen, it will be worth every cent in the long-run.

I'm not ashamed to say I'm an Oprah fan. Not so much for her TV show (although I do find myself watching it during lunch), but for where she has come from and the empire she has created over the last decade or so. She's now the most powerful woman in the world and does so much good for so many people in this world. Its impressive and inspiring.

Here's a news clip from the filming of her show today at the Opera House (nicknamed The Oprah House during her trip):

You know you're busy when ...

2010-12-13T13:52:00.003+10:00

You know you're busy when your dad is in the office helping to answer the phones!!

Its peak corporate travel season and I've had to call in the cavalry to help cope with all the incoming calls we've been getting. So if you've been speaking to an older, Scottish gentleman named Eric, yes that's my dad.

And if you're wondering what's on the paper on the front of the monitor:
"Welcome to Capital Reservations, this is Eric"
(He got a bit flustered last week, so this helps)

Ashes 2010

2010-12-05T19:31:00.004+10:00

One of the best month's of business we've ever had was back in 2006 when the Ashes was last in Australia. So not surprisingly all the talk in the Brisbane hotel market for the last few months has been how the GFC and the strong Australian dollar would effect the first test this year.

For us, the challenge was balancing expected demand verses the high prices hotels were charging over this likely to be peak time for the city. We had an allotment but it was nowhere near the size of what we had back in 2006 ... yes I was being cautious.

The week leading up to it played out pretty much how I expected. Rather than the city filling for the nights of the cricket, it was the night before and the first night of the cricket that were the biggest and most popular. It was the Wednesday and Thursday where the cricket overlapped with the normal corporate demand that were the ones that sold out. So while I didn't have enough rooms ready to go for those two nights, what we did well with was getting longer stays (at least a week) by having apartments at good rates through this period.

So while sales for November weren't what they were back in 2006, it was still the biggest month we've had in 3 years. And as mentioned, there were plenty of longer-stay bookings that will count as sales for December and January.

Brisbane is the hotel market that benefits the most from the Ashes due to the timing and the overlap with corporate demand. The other city that does well due to the cricket is Adelaide who has the second test and also virtually filled for numerous nights this week (and at very high rates). Perth, Sydney and Melbourne do benefit from the cricket, but not to the same levels as Brisbane and Adelaide because corporate travel has already died down.

Unfortunately for the Australian cricket team, they're not currently enjoying the Ashes anywhere near as much as we are right now.

Perth - peak season

2010-11-23T16:12:00.004+10:00

Its peak season for corporate travel around the country at the moment but the city that's the busiest would definitely be Perth.

I remember pre-GFC, the mining boom in WA was in full effect and Perth used to sell out week after week. There were plenty of reports in the media about it being impossible to get rooms in Perth and while they were slightly exaggerated, we're not far off that situation again. Essentially, if you don't book your accommodation a week before you travel, you may as well not go.

To give you an idea of how busy it is, the Perth hotels have essentially filled for 5 or 6 weeks straight now. Sure, not every night, but the peak nights (Tuesday & Wednesday) have been filling without a great reason. No massive conferences, no sporting events, our only excuse right now as to why its full is that this is just Perth being Perth.

This week has been one of the worst I've seen ... and again, no good reason, its just peak season. I had an allotment of rooms that I grabbed late last Wednesday night ... and there wasn't much left at that time. Most of the rooms were sold on Thursday and we were completely out by Friday morning. Its been frustrating ever since having to turn away the hundreds of enquiries we've had.

I've loaded up for next week in preparation, so let's see how long they last this time!

Morale of the story: If you're going to Perth in October or November, book your accommodation early ... and before you book your flights.

Long weekend at Hyatt Coolum

2010-11-21T14:19:00.004+10:00

Its been a while since I've blogged. Its due mostly because we're in peak season at the moment and we're flat out but also partly due to the fact that I've been doing a bit of travel of late. The first time was the end of October for a friend's 40th birthday.

She's an ex-Brisbane girl now living in Sydney and they love to holiday at Hyatt Coolum, so to celebrate her 40th birthday they invited myself and some other friends to join them for a long weekend at the Hyatt. There were 7 of us sharing a three bedroom Ambassador's Residence and two couples with babies in a two bedroom villa nearby.

The Hyatt is a great resort and the facilities are excellent. The only disappointment from my professional perspective was that the Residence that we were in was in serious need of refurbishment. I believe our friend's villa had been refurbed and looking at the Hyatt's website, I see most of the rooms and villas have been.

The Residence we were in was in a great spot in the resort tho. It was next to the 18th tea so looked straight down towards the clubhouse and was and also just a 20m walk to the Residence lounge (for breakfast each morning and drinks & canapes each evening).

We spent the days relaxing, getting a bit of sun, swimming and reading. The nights were basically spent eating, drinking and catching up on old times.

Worlds Largest Thai Dinner

2010-10-27T16:39:00.003+10:00

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to get an invite to an event the Brisbane Marriott was hosting, titled "The Worlds Largest Thai Dinner". In conjunction with their client appreciation week, Marriott's around the world were all hosting a Thai dinner, with the same format and menu for the evening in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

I took Adam along with me as he loves his food but as we had been rather busy of late, I hadn't done much research in to the evening and was surprised to find out that it was an intimate sit down dinner, rather than the normal hotel function (ballroom, stand-up drinks & canapes, etc).

We spent most of the evening talking to Nicole the Revenue Manager at the hotel that we have a great working relationship with. Thanks to Jago, the Director of Sales & Marketing for putting us on the invite list and for hosting the dinner. It was an excellent night and the food was sensational ... and yes, the Marriott spoil me.

Here's the menu from the evening.

Appetiser:
thod man pla
(savory fish cakes with kaffir lime leaves, thai sweet chilli sace and cucumber)
and laab gai
(minced chicken salad with shallots, mint leaves and roasted rice powder)

Soup:
tom yam goong
(traditional thai hot & sour prawn soup)

Main course:
phad thai
(stir-fried noodles with river prawns)
and pla chu chi
(steamed fish in yellow curry)

Dessert:
kluey buad shee
(braised banana in coconut milk syrup)

Andre Rieu reschedules Australian tour

2010-10-04T14:04:00.002+10:00

Over the last two years, one of the busiest events on the calendar each year has been the Australian tour of Andre Rieu. He was scheduled to be back again this year, so I was disappointed when Kelli text me one morning to advise that his tour had been cancelled due to illness.

Thankfully he's rescheduled and will be back here in May 2011 ... which gives us plenty of time to prepare.

Rieu reschedules Australian tour - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Violinist, conductor and composer Andre Rieu will return to Australia in May after postponing his concert dates in October due to illness.

Rieu is recovering from a viral infection of the vestibular nerve at his home in Maastricht in the Netherlands.

He says he is confident he will be well enough to perform in early 2011.

'I am so thrilled and excited to be able to come back to Australia and New Zealand in May,' he said in a statement.

'Thank you all for your support and love.

"It has been the best medicine for my recovery."

Rieu is set to visit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle, as well as Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand.

Fans who bought tickets to the 2010 sell-out shows will be automatically transferred to the new dates in May.

Darwin trip

2010-09-14T16:46:00.005+10:00

I'm sure most of my friends are tired of me talking about Darwin when they ask how business is going ... but what can I say, its been a LARGE part of things over the last few months. While I "patiently" wait for the main part of our business to return to normal (that is helping the travel management companies during peak dates), we've been making hay while the sun shines by booking plenty of long-stay accommodation in Darwin.

So a much needed trip to Darwin took place last week. I had been keeping an eye on the Virgin Blue happy hour specials and it paid off as I picked up flights for basically half the normal price and began planning the visit. Almost all of the accommodation we've been booking in Darwin has been at Mantra Pandanas and Mantra on the Esplanade so they were my first point of call when it came to organising a room for myself. Thanks to Angie in sales, I was given a one bedroom water view apartment (pictured below) at Pandanas which was very nice. I was lucky enough to be on the top floor so had great views, the apartment was a good size and of course fully self-contained.

Virgin Blue has only one flight from Brisbane in to Darwin and one flight out each day and they're not pretty. Land at 12:45 am and fly out at 1:40am ... ouch! I didn't mind too much as it was a really quick trip to see the two Mantra properties, say hi and thanks to the reservations staff that have been looking after us and also check out the newly refurbished Holiday Inn. It was a good trip and great to put faces to names that we've been working with so closely.

And yes it was of course pretty warm up there and it took me a few days to catch up on lost sleep ...

Lunch at the South Bank Surf Club

2010-09-06T16:41:00.003+10:00

Its been a while since I've caught up with the sales team from Mantra Hotels here in Brisbane so on Friday I was lucky enough to get taken out to lunch by Kate and Jessica (our new sales contact).

We've had a fairly strong last 9 months or so with a number of their hotels around the country (Mantra Pandanas, Mantra on the Esplanade, Mantra on Kent, Mantra Hindmarsh Square and Mantra on Hay), so it was good to get the update on our numbers and everything happening within the Mantra Group.

As mentioned in the title, we had lunch at the Surf Club in the middle of South Bank which is the new restaurant for celebrity chef, Ben O'Donoghue. Its set-up similarly to a surf club but the menu of course is a little bit more fancy and still good value.

The food was great, Brisbane turned on some beautiful weather and I could've stayed there a lot longer than we did!

40 days and 40 nights of chocolate

2010-09-01T12:58:00.003+10:00

The chocolate festival at Sebel Citigate King George Square is back! I'm going in 3 weeks time, mmmmmm ... chocolate

Indulge in Bistro Allure's 40 Days and 40 Nights of Chocolate, from Wednesday 1 September 2010.

Back by popular demand, 40 Days and 40 Nights of Chocolate boasts a 'Chocolate Buffet' overflowing with decadent delights to satisfy the sweetest of sweet tooths.

This marks the seventh annual chocolate event which has attracted thousands of chocolate lovers. Tantalise your tastebuds in a chocolate sensation of cakes, gateaux's, slices, tarts, cheesecakes, puddings, ice-creams and complementing mouth-watering sauces.

And if thats not enough, delight in our chocolate fountain offering marshmallows and seasonal fruits.

Bistro Allure Chocolate Buffet -

$25.00 per person

Available for Lunch and Dinner

Lunch 11.30am to 3.00pm
Dinner 5.30pm to 10.00pm

Bookings essential. Call Bistro Allure on (07) 3222 1128 or email

So much chocolate and so much time....Bistro Allure's 40 Days and 40 Nights of Chocolate.

For more information, click here.

Marriott luncheon at Sirromet

2010-08-27T10:50:00.004+10:00

Earlier in the month I was lucky enough to get an invite from the Brisbane Marriott (thanks Nicole!) to attend their luncheon at Sirromet Winery. They had the same event 3 years ago so I was looking forward to it ever since I received the invitation.

The day started with coffee & juice in the lobby at the Marriott where I got to talk shop with Jago, the hotel's Director of Sales & Marketing, who I haven't seen for a few years. We then boarded the buses for the trip to Sirromet where we had bubbles on the balcony before sitting down to lunch in Restaurant Lurleen's (voted Australia's ‘Best Restaurant in a Winery').

The best thing about Sirromet is the restaurant and their food. The wine was better than I remembered it from a few years ago ... I stuck with the sauvignon blanc and the bubbles. For lunch, my date for the day enjoyed the duck sausage entree, then beef wrapped in bacon with roasted mushroom and creamy potato and then an individual lemon meringue pie. I had a prawn and avocado entree, salmon main and a chocolate pudding dessert.

It was a beautiful day finished with drinks at the cellar door (pictured below) before jumping on the bus back to the Marriott. Thanks to the team at the Marriott for the invite and for looking after us during the day.

U2 confirm tour of Australia & NZ

2010-08-23T10:57:00.001+10:00

Great news over the weekend that U2 have confirmed that they're bringing their 360 world tour to Australia and New Zealand.

Great news, not because I'm a U2 fan (sure, I like their earlier stuff but they lost the plot with Achtung Baby & Zooropa) but its sure to be fantastic for business! Last time they were here (touring with Robbie Williams) was back in 2006 and it again coincided with the Ashes and was one of the busiest times we've seen. I'm of course hoping this upcoming tour will be along the same lines.

Dates confirmed so far are:

Auckland Nov 25
Melbourne Dec 1
Brisbane Dec 8
Sydney Dec 13
Perth Dec 18

U2 doing 360 of Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Rock juggernauts U2 have announced they will be bringing their 360 world tour to Australia at the end of the year.

The band last toured here in 2006 and the latest tour dates have been announced after U2 were forced to cancel the north American leg of their show when Bono underwent back surgery.

Their 2006 tour here had to be rescheduled because of an illness in a band member's family.

They will play in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in December.

"U2 has always been at their best when surrounded by their audience, and this extraordinary production makes that happen in stadiums, said U2's manager Paul McGuinness in a statement.

"It was important to the band that we were able to bring the whole 360 production to Australia and New Zealand so fans could experience the latest of U2's legendary productions."

U2 are renowned for their stage shows and the latest tour was called 360 because fans surround a giant circular platform complete with LED panels, a 150-foot steel structure and rotating bridges.

It was predicted to become the highest-grossing tour in history.

Tickets go on sale September 3.

Bledisloe Cup - Sydney

2010-08-12T15:19:00.003+10:00

There's not a great deal of events happening in August, which is a little strange because its usually a very busy month around the country. So with not much to prepare for this month, earlier in the week I started looking at September.

There are conferences, there are sporting events and the first big one will be the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney. There are a number of factors that will make this a big night for the city. Firstly, its on a Saturday night and they're always busy in Sydney. Secondly, its the Bledisloe Cup ... and despite the Kiwis already having wrapped it up, plenty of people will have already bought tickets and any contest between the two countries will always be a spectacle. Third and finally tho is the cross-over event that not everyone knows about ... the Reed Gift Fair also starts in Sydney on the night of the 11th.

A gift fair may not sound like much of an event but if you saw the demand and the damage that the Reed Gift Fair did to the Melbourne market two weeks ago you'll know this one is different. Combine that with the other two factors I mentioned above and September 11 is a night to beware of for Sydney hotels.

So here's the summary of how things look. With a month to go a number of hotels are already fully booked and a number of other hotels are already charging through the roof! There are however a few hotels that are still well-priced so last week I had Tara grab a few allotments to make sure we don't miss out.

If you need accommodation for the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney, I know its still a month away but now is the time to get in. As mentioned, we have a few of the best deals up our sleeve (one bedroom apartments for around $200/night, 4.5 star hotels for under $250/night) so call or e-mail us and we'll let you know what we can do.

And of course ... go Wallabies!

Great Entrepreneurs Have Vision, Not Just Ideas

2010-08-11T10:36:00.001+10:00

Thanks to Robert Kiyosaki on Twitter for pointing out the article attached below.

It raises a good point that great entrepreneurs aren't just "ideas men". To create successful businesses, its less about the great idea and more about putting a plan together and assembling a team that can turn the vision in to reality.

(Click on the title below to read the full story)

Marty Zwilling: Great Entrepreneurs Have Vision, Not Just Ideas

A popular approach for aspiring entrepreneurs these days seems to be to corner anyone who will listen with a dialogue on their current hot 'idea.' The initial outburst usually ends with the question 'How much money do you think this is worth?' In my humble opinion, ideas are a commodity, and are really not worth anything, outside the context of a vision and plan.

Over the past couple of decades, experts have perfected the art of brainstorming and other idea-generation techniques. Executives and investors are now increasingly exposed to a wealth of ideas. The result is that ideas are no longer in short supply, and no longer a differentiator in competition.

Visionary leaders, on the other hand, are not so common. A visionary is someone who can make sense out of the wealth of ideas, and weave together a plan for implementation that will make a difference in the world. Steve Jobs, for example, probably gets millions of ideas from his friends, but he seems able to focus a few of these into initiatives that show real innovation.

Palazzo Versace - August Special

2010-08-10T10:40:00.003+10:00

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW
IT'S WHO YOU KNOW

For August only, book our very exclusive Family & Friends rate and receive a complimentary upgrade!
For personal assistance please call
07 5509 8000 and QUOTE 'Family & Friends'.

Accommodation FROM $300

For more information, check out the hotel's website.

Night at Sheraton Noosa

2010-07-21T15:02:00.005+10:00

I spent the night at Sheraton Noosa on Saturday night as some friends and I went to a 30th birthday party in Tewantin.

I shared a twin room with a couple of friends and another couple had the interconnecting room next door. Due to "connections", we got an extremely good rate and somehow we got upgraded to a pool view room.

I haven't been to Sheraton Noosa for a number of years so it was interesting to note the refurbishing they've done since. The lobby has been done up and they have redone the bedding package in all the rooms.

What struck me most about the rooms is their size ... they are huge (especially compared to many city/corporate hotels)! The first thing I noticed that they haven't worked on since I was last there is the bathrooms. They really don't need that much work done to them, they are still in good condition, but the tiles look quite dated and overall it could use some TLC or freshening up. Bathrooms are usually the most expensive part of a room to refurbish so its no great surprise that these are yet to be done.

We had a discount to the hotel restaurant but since a few of my friends were feeling the effects from the night before, we decided a buffet might not be the best idea. We instead had breakfast at Bistro C on the beach. Despite being busy, the service was good and all the meals were excellent. One of the girls even went as far as to call it "the best breakfast experience she's had".

Bastille Day at the Sofitel Brisbane

2010-07-16T16:10:00.003+10:00

I was lucky enough to score an invite to Sofitel Brisbane's Bastille Day function on Wednesday night. As Accor is based in France, the Sofitel doesn't do a Christmas party for their clients, they instead have the Bastille Day function.

Having been to the re-opening of their restaurant which was fantastic, I was really looking forward to this night. The function was held on the 30th floor which is usually their club lounge and as soon as we walked in we were greeted by the General Manager and given a chilled glass of Rose.

The hotel had gone all out, there was a cocktail bar, several wine bars, an oyster bar, ice-cream bar a buffet of cheeses, pate's and even macaroons. And if that wasn't enough ... the hotel day spa had set up a lounge and were doing head, hand or shoulder massages!

It was great to see a number of familiar faces there and as expected it was an excellent night.

The Portal Hotel

2010-07-13T12:08:00.004+10:00

Kelli and I started making bookings at The Portal Hotel in Brisbane a few months back and after a few good comments from clients, it was well and truly time I paid them a visit to have a look around.

We get along really well with the staff at the hotel so they invited me to have lunch with them after the hotel inspection. It was an offer too good to refuse so I gladly accepted.

The Portal is a boutique 4 star hotel with 85 rooms located on Astor Terrace, Spring Hill ... just behind the Novotel Brisbane. As you walk through the French iron gates to the front desk and hear the chatter from the bar and restaurant, you immediately get the feel of a boutique hotel (like The Kirketon in Sydney).

The rooms aren't what you would describe as large or spacious but they are really nicely fitted out (and I hear the beds are awesome) and they've taken care of all the little details that you need.

The hotel is only a year old and hasn't had its official opening yet as its been a work in progress up until now. As they find their place in the market, the rates are extremely good value compared to hotels of similar standard, perfect for a corporate stay midweek or as a base for a weekend on the town.

I thoroughly enjoyed my salt & pepper squid lunch which the girls described jealously as the dish of the day (it looked great and was).

I believe they're working on a new improved website but in the meantime, click here to find out more details about The Portal. Don't be put off by the Best Western affiliation, I was at first too, but after looking through the hotel its not at all what I expected and will be recommending it from now on.

Why we should train kids to be entrepreneurs

2010-06-24T16:09:00.002+10:00

Its not accommodation or hotel related but its about business and is well worth watching when you have a moment. I came across it thanks to Guy Kawasaki's Twitter account.

Its funny, I always tell people I'm not the sort of person who grew up wanting to own their own business but its funny how many of the things he mentions he did as a kid that I did too (collecting cans, caddying, mowing lawns, etc). I guess entrepreneurship was always there for me ... it just took longer to fully come to the surface.

Zero Star Hotel?

2010-06-16T11:21:00.001+10:00

Interesting story I read this morning in one of the industry newsletters about a new no-frills hotel concept from Switzerland. Zero star? Not quite what we specialise in, but certainly a different spin on things.

Swiss zero star hotel makes big break to commercial world. - swissinfo

Switzerland may be the land of luxury, but one unique no-frills hotel concept plans to occupy the niche budget sector with eye-catching venues and a butler service.

The Zero Star Hotel started off life in a disused nuclear bunker as an art project making a statement against making a fast buck. But it enjoyed such success that it will soon relaunch as a commercial venture.

The original location in Teufen, canton Appenzell Outer Rhodes, closed down a year after opening but has transformed into a museum commemorating the original hotel. The new site is shrouded in secrecy but promises to be unusual and in a city.

The idea was born when twin brothers Frank and Patrik Riklin, both artists, were asked by the local council to convert the nuclear bunker into affordable accommodation. They claim they created the world’s first zero-star hotel under the caption: “The only star is you”.

But the 14-bed low-budget hotel, charging SFr10-30 ($8.75-$26) a night, proved such a big hit that the twins and their partner, hospitality expert Daniel Charbonnier, co-founded the concept as a commercial brand.

“We had to walk before we could run, so the first hotel acted as a prototype,” Charbonnier told swissinfo.ch. “Our market research showed that 80 per cent of guests would come back, but they told us they would prefer it to be in a city.”

Butler service

Charbonnier, who runs hospitality consultancy Minds in Motion, would not reveal how many guests had stayed at the hotel, but said they came from 29 countries, from all walks of life and had an age range of seven to 77.

“Many of our guests told us they would normally stay in a three- or four-star hotel,” he said. “We managed to attract customers who wanted a good quality of service but who had recently tightened their budgets.”

The austere windowless surrounding and shared bathrooms were brightened by a butler who brought tea or coffee in the morning and acted as a concierge for guests. Aside from the unique location, the unique selling point will remain the personalised butler service for guests travelling on a shoestring.

A butler may seem at first glance to be at odds with an artistic statement against greed, but Charbonnier insisted that the concept works.

“A butler has many negative connotations with luxury, but a person who spends less on their accommodation also deserves first-class service,” he said. “Our message is that making money involves hard work and that there are no sustainable short cuts.”

Expensive image

The management group even turned down an offer of financial backing from a Russian investor because they felt he did not understand the concept and that the brand’s integrity would be lost.

Urs Eberhard, a vice-director at the Swiss tourist board, was enthusiastic about the hotel turning commercial.

“Anything that differentiates itself and provides a unique experience has a chance of success,” he told swissinfo.ch. “Maybe this will change people’s perception that Switzerland is an expensive place to visit.”

“There is a current trend for people to downgrade hotels or even to go camping. People are now much more willing to experience different offerings, staying in a youth hostel while hiking and then spoiling themselves in a wellness centre by a lake.”

Much of the success of the Zero Star Hotel has been put down to wide media coverage providing free publicity. The hotel has not spent a single franc on advertising.

But Christian Laesser, a professor of tourism and service management at St Gallen University, has doubts about what would happen when the media coverage runs dry.

Location, location, location

“It would then have to seek unconventional means of getting noticed on the market or rely on word of mouth so it can continue to generate revenues,” he told swissinfo.ch.

In fact, Zero Star Hotel has already taken great strides to getting noticed, having been listed in the Lonely Planet travel guide for a year.

Lukas Brunner from the research institute for leisure and tourism at Bern University believes the hotel is making the right move to an urban centre because cities, particularly Zurich and Geneva, are the current prime locations for attracting guests.

But he cautioned that the hotel would need to find a location as unique as the Appenzell nuclear bunker to keep its appeal.

“This will not be easy in a city such as Zurich because real estate prices are much higher,” he told swissinfo.ch. “The location is very important, but I believe the concept could be profitable.”

Charbonnier said several sites were being investigated but could not give a time scale on when the new hotel would open. But he was optimistic that the brand could expand further to include other locations, even beyond Switzerland.

The return of Tiger Woods

2010-06-10T16:37:00.004+10:00

The great news yesterday was the official announcement that Tiger Woods will return to Melbourne later this year to defend his Australian Masters title.

His visit to Melbourne last year coincided with corporate travel bouncing back after the economic slowdown. Thanks to Tiger (and a Britney Spears concert), it was a massive week for Melbourne hotels and great for business around here as well.

While looking for one of the news reports about the announcement, I came across the news article below that 2011 will be even better! Click on the title to read the full story. Great news for golf fans, great news for us and Melbourne hotels.

Woods also set for 2011

MARTIN BLAKE
June 10, 2010

TIGER Woods' decision to defend his Australian Masters title has guaranteed another bumper edition of the tournament that was in danger of dying two years ago. But if 2009 was big and 2010 is just as big, then 2011 should be a monster.

That's because the Presidents Cup, the biennial teams event between the United States and an International team, is to be played at Royal Melbourne in the same month, November 14-20. By piggy-backing on to that tournament, the Masters should have not only Woods playing, but a host of other big-name golfers looking for some tournament play on the sandbelt.

The Masters is likely to be held at Kingston Heath from November 10-13, the week before the Presidents Cup. Possibly the Australian Open will jump on, too, by scheduling to play in Sydney the following week, for three weeks of top-level play. It is the kind of window of access that Australian tournament golf has craved since the halcyon days of Greg Norman's fame.

Hotel upgrades

2010-05-18T12:21:00.002+10:00

Here's a decent article I came across today about getting free upgrades.

The best piece of advice from the article is also what I tend to tell our clients:

The greatest piece of overall advice is simple: Be nice. Leave the diva act to the actual divas. They can get away with it because they can leave paths of $100 bills in their wake. To win the favor of desk clerks and ticketing agents, always be polite, friendly and honest. Flight attendants can smell a fake honeymoon couple a mile away, but if you're a likable person with a specific, reasonable request, doors will be opened for you … and maybe even a curtain.

Click on the title below to read the full story.

HowStuffWorks "How to Get Hotel Upgrades"

Not all hotel upgrades are created equal. Some people only want the luxury suite, while others just want a bigger bed, a better view, wireless Internet access or the farthest room from the cacophonous ice machine [source: Mueller Shulte]. Simple as it may sound, the best tip for getting exactly the kind of upgrade you want is to ask for it. If you're friendly, polite and personable, the desk clerk might just play ball.

Of course, there are several things you can do to increase your upgrade odds. For one thing, if you're swinging for the suite, don't book the cheapest room in the hotel [source: Mueller Shulte]. The staff is much more likely to bump you up from a second-tier room to a top-level suite than to pull off a miracle upgrade from the $53 Web-only special.

Which brings us to another tip: Don't book your reservations online. A phone reservation gives you the opportunity to make a personal connection with the hotel staff [source: Klein]. This presents an excellent opportunity to mention any special circumstances that could lead to a courtesy upgrade: first time in the city, anniversary, birthday or romantic vacation. If staff members can match a human being with the name on the reservation, they'll be more likely to help.

Continue to make personal connections during your stay at the hotel, particularly with the general manager. Ask to see the manager and mention a few things you really like about the hotel. Give the person your business card and tell him or her that you hope to stay at the hotel again. Next time you plan to stay at the hotel, call the general manager directly to make your reservation, and you might end up getting VIP treatment [source: Mueller Shulte].

If you want guaranteed VIP status, you must first prove your loyalty. Sign up for the frequent stay card. Get everyone at your company to patronize the same chain of hotels. Mention your company's policy when you're making your reservations and when you check in. Hotels love frequent business travelers (and their expense accounts), so they'll be much more willing to fulfill any special requests.

If all else fails, try these proven strategies:

Stay on slow days (usually Sundays and Mondays)
Check in late in the day
Make a last-minute reservation at a busy convention hotel (all of the cheaper rooms will already be booked, but they might upgrade you to keep your business) [sources: Detwiler, Klein and Mueller Shulte]

Now let's look at some tips for nailing that elusive first-class upgrade.

March ... the month that was

2010-04-21T09:47:00.003+10:00

After the madness that was February, with phones ringing off the hook and not being able to keep up with demand, it was time to call in the reinforcements. The quiet times of 2009 seemed to have past and there was a number of events coming up in March that had potential to do good things. So with that in mind, one of my friends Kelli, came on-board to man the phones and help with the rebuilding process.

March started with the end of the AC/DC tour as they hit Adelaide and Perth. Adelaide was in the middle of festival season plus the Clipsal 500 was on. Perth had a number of large conferences that thankfully I knew about in advance. Melbourne had the Grand Prix ... but while busy, it failed to deliver the demand that it did a few years ago.

Like Sydney in February, the main demand in March was for Canberra. There were a number of weeks when parliament was sitting but one of the major reasons the city was so popular was because of the Masterpieces From Paris art exhibition. Due to this exhibition, all the hotels were full every weekend which is very unusual for Canberra. Then, there was the planned visit of US President Barack Obama ... but thankfully they was postponed.

Canberra has never had as big a month as they did in March ... so much so that our joke in the office was that "Canberra is the new Sydney".

February ... the month that was

2010-04-21T09:19:00.005+10:00

Sure, its somewhat belated, but here's a quick review of the month that was February.

End of December, start of January is always a very quiet time around here as there is very little corporate travel happening to the Christmas/New Years' break. February tho, everything changed and the month was all about two things ... the city of Sydney and the AC/DC tour.

Sydney has NEVER seen a month like it. It began with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, then there was Top Gear Live and the Chinese New Year, AC/DC concerts, conferences, the gay & lesbian mardi gras and a large gift fair. Every week the city was virtually fully booked and every single weekend was a complete write-off. Rooms were almost impossible to find and rates sky-rocketed. It was painful how many phone calls I had for dates when the city was already full.

As mentioned, other than just calls for Sydney, February was dominated by the AC/DC tour. I got wind of it being something big when I actually got calls for rooms in New Zealand when the concerts were on. AC/DC filling cities in New Zealand is one thing ... but when they're touring Australia and doing multiple concerts in each city, no one would have imagined how big they were going to be. By the time they had filled Sydney for 4 or 5 straight nights I could at least be prepared for when they hit Adelaide and Brisbane ... even then tho, demand far out-weighed my supply.

What's included in the room rate?

2010-04-15T15:13:00.004+10:00

Here's an interesting article from an industry newsletter I read.

The honest guest’s guide to free hotel amenities

Where’s the line?

When you’re staying at a hotel, is it OK to pocket the bottles of shampoo and lotion? How about the magazines? Bathrobes? Furniture?

It depends on the traveler. A recent Travelocity survey found 86 percent of hotel guests admitted to taking toiletries, like oatmeal soap and lavender body gel. About three percent said they swiped a bathrobe or slippers, and one percent said they stole dishes, silverware, electronics and — I’m not making this up — Bibles.

Not to get all theological, but for anyone who filched God’s Holy Word from their room (at least the ones that weren’t meant to be taken), I would advise you to return it at your earliest convenience. I don’t even want to think about the punishment that awaits you now — or in the hereafter.

The point is, we can all agree that there is a line. We can’t necessarily agree where the line is.

“There are gray areas,” admits Dominique Marty, the general manager of the Millennium Bostonian, a 201-room upscale property with its fair share of swipe-able amenities, including soaps, gels, lotions, bathrobes and … TVs.

“Yes,” he sighs. “It was a smaller, flat-screen TV. One day it was there, the next day it was gone.”

In case you were wondering what happens next, Marty’s staff contacted the guest who had occupied the room during the disappearance and asked about the whereabouts of the hotel’s TV. They were polite. They were persistent. “But you can only push so far,” he says. In the end, the hotel took the loss.

I don’t know exactly where the line is, either, but I can tell you that taking TVs — and Bibles — crosses the line. I asked frequent hotel guests where they thought it was. Here are their thoughts:

If there’s a price tag on it, it’s off limits.
Seems pretty obvious, right? Hang on. The bathrobes in your room may have a price tag, but they’re also there to be used during your stay. Off goes the tag. And from there, it’s not much of a leap to your unpacked bag. Brenda Rivera, a finance systems specialist from Cedar Park, Texas, says she thinks twice before folding away a hotel bathrobe. “When you know you are going to get charged $125,” she says, “you leave it.” But she wonders about the amenities that don’t have price tags, like towels. It’s a gray area, since some hotels have given away towels as a promotion in the past.

If you can consume it, it’s yours.
“I take all toiletries every time I go to a hotel,” says Lori Brawner, an airline sales supervisor in Lutz, Fla. “This includes the shower caps and the shoe-shine cloths, too. There is no sign on them that indicates there is a fee or charge to me if I take them and something about the little basket in the bathroom brings out the hoarder in me.” My hotel sources tell me it’s fine to take something that can be used only once, like a shower cap, or that can’t be recycled once it’s opened, like a bottle of lotion. One manager even said it was OK to take the slippers. But there are a few notable exceptions. The bottled water in your room can be consumed, but unless you’re staying on the concierge floor, you’ll probably be charged for it. Ditto for anything in the minibar. So consume with caution.

Don’t take more than you’re supposed to.
In other words, hands off those carts stocked with soaps and lotions. Those are meant for someone else’s room. “I know someone obsessed with hotel shampoo and soap, and he even stalks the housekeeping carts to steal handfuls,” says Marianne Cushing, a vice president for an ad agency in Fort Myers, Fla. “I told him I think he has a problem and needs to seek professional help.” I agree with her — raiding the cart crosses the line. There’s a reason why each hotel room gets just one set of toiletries, as opposed to a bucket full of soap containers.

Card keys are OK.
Magnetic card keys may be recyclable, but no one is going to think twice if you don’t return yours. (I’ve tried, and the hotel clerk is never impressed by my honesty.) “That’s one thing I take consistently — the room keys,” says Scott Friedman, a sales manager for a pet accessory company in Muscatine, Iowa. “I have this fantasy of making a collage all out of hotel room keys. It will be huge — maybe 4 feet by 6 feet long. I envision selling it to an art gallery in Soho.” Friedman is serious. He’s even got the color of the sky selected (“Hampton Inn blue”). Friedman and others who have a key card collection are in the clear. Unless they grab a handful of card keys from behind the desk, the hotel won’t mind.

Hotels aren’t charities (despite their low rates).
Some hotel guests — not you, I’m sure — justify taking generous handfuls of soaps and lotions off the cart with the idea that at some point, they’ll donate it to a homeless shelter or some other charity. This, too, is problematic. Catherine Banks, a vice president for a travel agency in Plano, Texas, used to collect toiletries from the hotels she visited, which, as I’ve already noted, is completely acceptable. “I donated them to a women’s shelter,” she told me. However, raiding the housekeeping cart, even if it’s for a good cause, is questionable.

There are exceptions to every rule. Mark Bolster, a photographer and avid soap collector from Pittsburgh, Pa., admits to swiping “one or two” soaps from the cart for his project. Although he’s modest about it, he may have one of the most impressive hotel and airline soap collections anywhere (yes, airlines used to have little bars of soap before they switched to the liquid — I think I still have a few with the Eastern Airlines logo in my attic). His bars include extinct airlines like Pan Am, obscure ones, like Air Afrique, and hotels from Motel 6 to Ritz-Carlton.

But he always does it with permission from a housekeeper. After years of collecting, he adds, “no one has had a problem with it.”

So where’s the line? It’s there — not always clearly visible — but look hard and you might see it.

Please let me know when you do.

Barack Obama Australian visit

2010-03-16T16:22:00.004+10:00

From The Australian:

Obama to stay 24 hours in Canberra at end of Asia-Pacific visit

BARACK Obama will spend barely 24 hours in Australia as part of his rushed Asia-Pacific visit next week.

The White House today released details of the President's itinerary for a one-night stopover in Canberra that will include dinner and bilateral talks with Kevin Rudd and an address to a special joint sitting of Parliament.

A special media briefing today by the White House on the President's proposed visit to Guam, Indonesia and Australia indicates Mr Obama's departure will go ahead as rescheduled on Sunday, Washington time, after difficulties in passing health reform in the US congress forced a three-day delay.

It remains unclear, however, what the President will do if the health legislation that he rates as his number one domestic priority is not passed by the time he is due to depart.

One possibility is a further delay in the trip. A senior Washington insider told The Australian today that if Mr Obama left Washington for his Asia-Pacific trip without passage of a healthcare bill it would mean the reform agenda he values so highly was dead.

Mr Obama will visit Australia at the tail-end of a shortened Asia-Pacific trip that begins with Guam and then Indonesia. He was originally meant to bring his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia and Sasha, but now the President is to travel without his family. A proposed visit to Sydney during what was to be a longer stay has been cancelled.

The President will arrive in Guam on Monday to address the military personnel and local community living at the US base on the Pacific island.

On Tuesday he is to arrive in Jakarta for bilateral talks and a state dinner with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Mr Obama will formalise a new co-operation agreement between the US and Indonesia on Wednesday. He will also deliver a speech rated by the White House as a follow-up to the President's Cairo address last June that affirmed a US desire to re-engage with the Muslim world in the Middle East. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world.

On Thursday next week Mr Obama will travel to Bali for a Civil Society event - an initiative of Mr Yudhoyono - that reaffirms Indonesia's commitment to democracy and human rights.

He will arrive in Canberra late on Thursday for a private dinner with Mr Rudd. On Friday, Mr Obama will fit a packed schedule into his day in Canberra before leaving for Washington in the evening.

He will meet Governor-General Quentin Bryce, hold bilateral talks with Mr Rudd, hold a joint press conference with the Prime Minister, address a joint session of Parliament, attend a ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of official US ties with Australia and then depart from Canberra Airport aboard Air Force One.

The Obama administration's deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, Ben Rhodes, said Australia was a longstanding ally and had a model alliance with the US.

“Australia ... is an increasingly important ally in both the region and the world,” Mr Rhodes said.

“In many ways, it's a model alliance for the United States. We have very robust cooperation with the Australians on security issues, economic issues, environmental issues.”

Sydney - Edinburgh Military Tattoo

2010-02-02T21:34:00.003+10:00

Sure, the Australian Open Tennis kicks off the year as far as big events for the Australian hotel market but it was nothing compared to this week in Sydney.

This week sees the Edinburgh Military Tattoo come to Sydney, an annual event that is growing by the year. Its at the SCG this year which is just on the outskirts of the CBD and the hotels are feeling the full effect of its presence.

It started making waves about 2 weeks back but by the time I returned from Melbourne and after the Australia Day public holiday, the main night February 6 was essentially sold out. It seemed to be a weekend event which usually does mean much for us because we work closest with the corporate market. Near the end of last week tho the effect of the Tattoo were spreading in to the midweek dates. Friday was a very day for us and this week has started the same way. The city of Sydney is now close to full on not just Saturday but Wednesday, Thursday as well. There are some rooms available here and there but trying to find a hotel that can do two nights in a row is extremely difficult.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is yet another event that people would not imagine could fill a city, especially Sydney, but it certainly has.

Australia Day (non) long weekend

2010-01-22T17:16:00.003+10:00

I'm in Melbourne from tomorrow morning (Saturday) and not flying back until Monday evening. The office will be closed on Monday and with the Australia Day public holiday on Tuesday we will return on Wednesday January 27. Sure, its officially a long weekend but we're taking this opportunity to make it one! It would un-Austraaaaalian not to ...

Golf hotels

2010-01-20T11:29:00.001+10:00

I found this article in one of the industry newsletters I read and thought it was worth sharing. Its for all the golf fans out there (like myself) but its also about unique hotels.

Click on the title below to read the full story and check out the slideshow to see some great pics. One of the photos is of the Old Course Hotel at St Andrews which I'm lucky enough to have stayed at.

Bunker down in a crazy golf hotel - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Golf is a game which lends itself to luxury stays in swanky resorts, so not unnaturally the accommodation offered in its hotels and clubhouses is often of the highest standard with cutting edge architecture and design to the fore with no expense spared.

But there is also room for the quirky and downright odd so Living Golf has trawled the world to come up with some examples of the best on offer and the most unusual.

We have discovered there is something for everyone from the classic Old Course Hotel at St. Andrews to a planned five-star underground complex as well as a run-of-the-mill motel which can satisfy the needs of both petrol heads and golf lovers.

There are falcons rising out of the desert and lodges that can put golfers truly in tune with the wilds of Africa because everywhere golf is played, architects and entrepreneurs are pushing the boundaries to attract customers to their complexes.

The spectacular entrance to the clubhouse at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Movember follow-up

2010-01-20T11:20:00.003+10:00

Back in November, I posted about my friend Dirk who had taken up the Movember challenge. I mentioned I would show an "after" pic to let you know how he got on ... so here it is:

The challenge given to Dirk was to grow a Freddie Mercury (on the left) and as you can see he did a pretty good job given he had just one month.

Dirk raised over $400 for The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue. He's already set loftier goals for himself in 2010 ... but great work Dirk!

Christmas and New Year's break

2009-12-23T11:40:00.006+10:00

We are now closed for the Christmas and New Year's break and the office will re-open again from 9am on January 4, 2010. If you need urgent assistance during this time please leave a message on the voice-mail or e-mail me.

As we have done over the last two years, instead of sending out Christmas cards, we have made a donation to the Starlight Foundation.

Thank you so much for your support through a challenging year and we look forward to bigger and better things next year. We hope you have a very merry Christmas and look forward to working with you in 2010.

Dalai Lama fills Sydney

2009-12-03T21:55:00.004+10:00

Last month it was Britney Spears and Pearl Jam that filled Sydney hotels, but they weren't as big a drawcard as the Dalai Lama.

I noticed a week or two back that Sydney was filling quickly this week and did some research to find out why. It was then that I found out the Dalai Lama was going to be in Sydney from the 1st to the 4th. Combine this with the end of corporate travel season and I knew it would be a busy week for the hotels.

With this in mind, I loaded up on rooms for this week and thought I had judged the demand fairly well but when I completely ran out of rooms on Monday afternoon I knew it was trouble. Sydney was close to filling on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. From Tuesday onwards, each morning I managed to find only a handful of "affordable" rooms. If you hadn't got in early and needed last minute accommodation, you had to pay over $500 for a hotel.

Its getting busy again on Wednesday and Thursday next week in Sydney but I'm sure it won't be anywhere near as crazy for the hotels as it was this week when the Dalai Lama came to town.

November - Peak Corporate Travel Season

2009-11-24T20:37:00.004+10:00

November tends to be one of the busiest corporate travel months of the year as everyone tries to get business done before everything shuts down over the Christmas holidays.

Obviously this year has been a rough one for corporate travel so exactly how busy November would be was anyone's guess. Corporate demand keeps cities busy at this time of year, but its the events and other things happening that fills the hotels and brings our service in to demand.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the month got off to a great start thanks to Tiger Woods playing in the Australian Masters in Melbourne. I didn't give Britney Spears much credit for just how busy it was but it seems I may have been mistaken as the weak after when she was in Sydney, along with Pearl Jam, demand was through the roof. The same week there was a large rail conference in Adelaide that made it crazy busy.

The only frustration with both events was that I knew they were coming, I just didn't imagine the demand for rooms would be to the level it was. The phones rang off the hook and while I had some rooms ready to go, it was nowhere near enough and it was disappointing have to tell so many people that a city was full.

This week, Britney Spears and Pearl Jam came to Brisbane, in the same week that Hulk Hogan was in town and the first cricket test match of the summer is at the Gabba on Thursday. Thankfully I was prepared, grabbed plenty of rooms but they still didn't last too long. Tomorrow (Wednesday the 25th) is the absolute worst of it and so many people have needed that one night. I ran completely out of rooms this afternoon so my fingers are crossed that there are some cancellations overnight and I can find availability in the morning.

Movember - Changing the face of men's health

2009-11-13T13:48:00.005+10:00

One of my friends is taking part in Movember and has been challenged to grow a Freddy Mercury-esque mo. I might post some progress pics if he doesn't mind ... but I made a donation to this worthy cause today and if you don't know anything about Movember, see below.

I just made a donation to Movember - the men's health charity raising awareness and funds for prostate cancer and depression in men.

What many people don't appreciate is that close to 3,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in Australia and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime - many of whom don't seek help. This is a really important cause that has long been neglected and I ask that you join me by making a small donation at: http://au.movember.com/mospace/199559/

The funds raised go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue: the national depression initiative.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia will use the money raised by Movember to fund research into the causes, detection, diagnosis and improved treatment of prostate cancer.

beyondblue will use the money raised by Movember to fund the beyondblue info line and to increase community awareness about depression and reduce the stigma associated with the illness.

For more information on the outcomes of Movember go to: http://au.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs/

Tiger lands in Melbourne

2009-11-10T19:41:00.005+10:00

Tiger Woods may have only arrived in Australia yesterday and had his first practice round today but his legend definitely preceded him.

We started getting calls last week and had an extremely busy afternoon on Friday doing nothing but bookings for Melbourne hotels. Sure, its not just Tiger in town that has the city full, Britney Spears also has concerts this week ... but we all know who the real draw-card is.

The demand for Melbourne continued on Monday but unfortunately by mid-afternoon the city was essentially full. I only found a few more rooms this morning but they didn't last long and unfortunately nothing really changed throughout the day. There's nothing I hate more than saying we can no longer find rooms but that's what happened today.

Being a golf fan, I'm a huge fan of Tiger Woods. Anyone still needing accommodation in Melbourne this week may not feel the same right now.

Dynamic Pricing Across the Accommodation Industry

2009-11-04T15:49:00.002+10:00

I came across an interesting article about the Australian accommodation market and what will happen after the GFC (Global Financial Crisis).

Its a good read for those in the hotel industry and there are a few key points brought up by Quest Chairman Paul Constantinou that I couldn't agree with more:

"Four to five years before the GFC hit, the industry had been under-supplied. The strong demand for accommodation caused bigger players to get greedy and introduce dynamic pricing to the market.
"It's about looking after your customer, driving loyalty, and not treating them like they're a commodity. There's no use giving a customer a loyalty card if you have no loyalty."
The clear lesson for accommodation providers is to focus on the long-term and build genuine relationships with its corporate customers, through thick and thin.

Click on the title below to read the full story.

Dynamic Pricing Across the Accommodation Industry | ehotelier.com News Archives

For the last 12 months the GFC has forced travel operators to offer more competitive pricing, but in the wake of a recovering economy, one leading industry player says consumers should brace themselves for price hikes once more.

Dynamic (or variable) pricing was in full swing just 18 months ago, with large accommodation providers charging the corporate world up to three times more for its rooms during peak periods.

The GFC reversed this dynamic, causing average room rates and occupancy rates to decline dramatically.

Will the accommodation industry continue to suffer, or will the much maligned dynamic pricing model re-surface some time soon with the improvement of business confidence?

Brisbane's most luxurious hotel rooms

2009-10-27T21:09:00.005+10:00

I came across a good article about some of the best rooms that Brisbane hotels have to offer. While I've visited all of the hotels mentioned, I'm yet to stay in any of the suites listed. Will have to work on that!

Oh what a night: Brisbane's most luxurious hotel rooms
KATHERINE FEENEY

Looking for a night at the height of Australian hotel luxury without the hassle of chartering the private jet?

Don't fret. Brisbane has you covered but don't think you'll save much coin. A night in the city's best room is comparative to the top suites in the country.

With rates starting from $4000 per night, the Stamford Suite at the Stamford Plaza Hotel is Brisbane's most expensive space and shares price parity with the Royal Suites at Sydney's Sheraton On The Park and the Sofitel Melbourne.

Not bad for a city less than half the size of its southern cousins, though even this premium pales in comparison to one night spent in the "invitation only" Georgian Manor Villa at Melbourne's Crown Towers, which comes in at a cool $27,500 a night.

But how far does four grand go when it comes to luxury living?

Well, it gives you a room literally fit for a queen, with Queen Elizabeth II famously shunning traditional lodgings at Government House for a stay at the Stamford suite during her visit to Brisbane in the 1970s.

Featuring a private foyer, butler's quarters and grand piano the top floor suite has sweeping river views and opulent furnishings updated through the Stamford's recent $10 million makeover.

Of course if this suite offers little more luxury than you'd bargained for the Presidential Suite at the Marriott offers high style at just over half the price.

Here around $2500 buys you 131 square metres of turndown service, marble bathroom, separate lounge and dining areas, king-sized bedding and access to complimentary canapes and drinks served in the executive lounge.

Or there are the two levels and spiral staircase of the Opera Suite at the recently refurbished Sofitel available from $885 per night, where guests have ample space in which to entertain the envious.

However, price is not always indicative of quality and a number of relatively new boutique hotels amply answer the burgeoning demand for premium accommodation without the lofty fee.

Brisbane's Emporium Hotel, which opened in June 2007, was announced Best Boutique Hotel at the Queensland Hotels Association (QHA) Awards for Excellence recently, beating fellow finalist Peppers Spicers Peak Lodge.

Touted as the first true luxury boutique hotel in town, the best rooms at the glitzy hotel are the new Corner Suites which, from $495, come with separate sleeping and living areas, kitchenette, king-sized bedroom and furnishings drenched in rock star sex appeal.

And competition among the boutique market is set to heat up as more players come online with the newest contender, the Urban Hotel, housed on the former Terraces on Wickham site and offering $10 million worth of refurbished rooms.

The Urban joins the Portal Hotel, opened in March, and the celebrated Limes Hotel which, since its June 2008 launch, has became the city's first member of the exclusive, international Design Hotels group.

Queensland praised on Oprah

2009-10-26T15:51:00.005+10:00

After my earlier post about the Best Job in the World contest, its great to see that a tourism campaign has gone so well (considering the "Where the bloody hell are you" mess).

Here's the latest update about Ben being interviewed on the Oprah show:

Best Job winner sings Queensland's praises on Oprah

Tourism Queensland's Best Job Island caretaker Ben Southall has hit the big time, with a guest appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Queensland's popularity as a world-renowned holiday destination is sure to skyrocket following Ben’s interview with the Winfrey.

"Ben recently spoke to Oprah by satellite from Hamilton Island and I know he has been singing the praises of our beautiful state," said Premier Anna Bligh.

Bligh sees Ben’s Oprah appearance as a major tourism coup, which will directly promote Queensland to more than seven million US TV viewers and 145 countries around the world.

"Oprah has been the number one US talk show for 23 seasons and Ben's appearance will deliver an unprecedented level of publicity for Queensland.

"This is another major coup for Tourism Queensland during what has been a very challenging time for operators."

The Premier said Ben was more than half-way through his six-month stint as Caretaker for the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

"He is doing a great job and everyone's primary focus now is on harnessing the excitement he has generated to motivate viewers to act on their desire to visit Queensland," he said.

Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said that as part of the Best Job promotion, an audience member of the Oprah Winfrey show will win a trip to Queensland.

"During Ben's five minute chat with Oprah he was able to give a first-hand account of what it's like to have the Best Job in the World and enjoy a range of fantastic Queensland experiences, such as snorkelling, diving and bushwalking," he said.

Tourism Queensland acting CEO Steve McRoberts said Ben was the perfect tourism ambassador for Queensland.

"Since arriving as the Island Caretaker on July 1, Ben has continued to fuel the buzz surrounding the Best Job in the World and sustain interest in Queensland," Mr McRoberts said.

"In addition to his guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, since arriving in Queensland Ben has fielded more than 150 media interviews from prominent outlets around the world such as the BBC, Le Parisien, CCN, Shanghai Morning Post, The UK's Daily Telegraph, CBC, Sky News, Germany's RTL and Israel's Yedoith.

"He has also hosted documentary crews and celebrities from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Hong Kong around his 'office' - the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

"More than 8.4 million visitors have logged on to www.islandreefjob.com since the Best Job in the World campaign was launched in January and Ben has approximately 3500 followers on twitter."

Mr McRoberts said the Best Job in the World promotion has delivered an unprecedented level of exposure for Queensland and it has also helped convert awareness into tangible sales for Queensland tourism operators.

"German travel wholesaler FTI recently commented that while overall bookings to Australia were slow compared with this time last year travel to Queensland out of Germany was still up by nearly three percent," he said.

"Austravel and Travelmood in the UK also reported that Queensland had maintained a healthy share of Austravel's overall room nights, helping to secure more of the company's passengers than any other state in Australia.

"A recent comment on Ben's blog from a Kansas family also proves that Ben's experiences are converting into more visitors to Queensland - Our family began following your blog several months ago, long story short we booked a 10 day holiday cruising the Whitsundays so, if anyone is wandering if the marketing efforts are playing off let them know a family from Kansas, USA are the newest fans of Australia and the Islands."

Ben's guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey show aired in the US on Thursday 22 October, an Australian air date is yet to be confirmed.

Hotel Urban sale

2009-10-23T17:49:00.004+10:00

I came across this really good special/sale today:

Urban Hotel Group Throws One-Week Summer Sale

With the first days of summer only one month away, designer hotel group Urban is throwing a seven-day sale with its luxury hotel rooms available for just $99 per night.

Starting this Sunday 25 October, and running for one week until Saturday 21 October, travellers can book rooms at any of the three Urban Hotel locations during the period of 18 December - 18 January 2010 (at the Sydney and Melbourne properties) and 18 December - 14 February 2010 (at the Brisbane property) for the half price rate of $99 per room per night (average full price room is $199).

Urban Hotels are the contemporary choice for the country's leisure and business travellers elegant locations, chic interiors, independent gourmet restaurants, unique little touches, and some serious customer service together create a trio of hotels that are the perfect place to lay your head away from home.

Urban Brisbane's art deco exterior features a Manhattan-style pool terrace and the team have just added the finishing touches to a top floor penthouse suite for intimate functions. Urban St Leonards lies on Sydney's North Shore, a favourite with business travellers thanks to the soothing surroundings, on-site putting green, and organic restaurant. And Urban St Kilda is a funky haven in the heart of Acland Street, complete with the popular 'round bedroom' and Suger cocktail bar.

The Urban Summer Sale applies to king, queen or twin rooms and is subject to availability. Visit www.hotelurban.com.au for more details.

Andre Rieu is back!

2009-10-23T15:50:00.003+10:00

After wreaking havoc on the accommodation market when he was here at the end of 2008, I had been counting down to his concert tour this year. No, not because I wanted to go, but I really hoped he would have the same effect on the demand for city hotels.

Adam and I discussed it last year and because he wasn't bringing the same level of show that he put on last year and was performing at Boondall rather than Suncorp Stadium, our expectations were lowered. Thankfully tho, I was pleasantly surprised at what ended up happening.

As well as Rieu in town there was also a large science conference at the convention centre and this was what first drew my attention. I then remembered the concerts were on at the same time so I knew it had to be a busy few nights for the Brisbane hotels and prepared accordingly. I was disappointed at how late the actual demand came but when it happened it delivered!

I was at the Sofitel Brisbane Central for a breakfast meeting on Wednesday and as I was leaving I actually saw Andre Rieu in the lobby. (For me, the highlight of the morning was definitely the breakfast buffet tho!) When I got back to the office there were a LOT of messages on the voicemail and the enquiries didn't stop for the next day and a half. The well of available rooms eventually ran out yesterday at 4pm and unfortunately I was unable to assist the last couple of enquiries.

I haven't seen the Brisbane accommodation market that full for a long, long time. So once again, thank you Andre!

Sir Richard Branson interview

2009-10-22T21:57:00.003+10:00

I came across this interview earlier in the week with Sir Richard Branson. Most people know that I'm a big fan of Sir Richard so I thought it was worth sharing. Surprisingly, he tells a couple of stories I hadn't actually heard before. Not surprisingly, he doesn't miss a chance to mention his rivalry and "getting one up" on British Airways.

Chateau Royale Maroochydore

2009-10-16T15:26:00.005+10:00

I spent last weekend with friends up the coast at Maroochydore. Not surprisingly the accommodation was given to me to arrange at late notice. Availability was limited and we needed a three bedroom apartment to cater for our group (5 of us).

For our corporate clients we tend to use Sebel Maroochydore and the Horton Apartments but neither had suitable bedding so I came across Chateau Royale. It was available and without pushing for an industry discount (because we needed 2 nights on a weekend) we paid just $40/person/night which is a steal for a three bedroom ocean view apartment.

Its not as modern a place as I'd normally book but the price and the location were right. Chateau Royale is in Cotton Tree just 20 metres from the beach. Our apartment didn't have aircon (which is normally a must for me) and having only seen the property online I talked it down to my friends before we arrived to make sure expectations were managed. Thankfully tho I was pleasantly surprised as the apartment was in good condition, had a large kitchen & lounge room, a wrap around balcony and great views.

I had hoped to spend a bit of time on the beach because I'm so white but due to the weather that didn't happen. It was blowing a gale when we arrived on Saturday afternoon and Sunday was raining and overcast. However, Monday when we left was perfect ... surprise, surprise. So instead, we spent the weekend playing cards (not poker believe it or not), eating and drinking.

The property is undergoing renovations at the moment but it didn't affect us as the work was being done midweek.

Mantra on Queen refurbishments

2009-10-16T15:12:00.004+10:00

I ducked out of the office yesterday afternoon to have a look at the recently refurbished Mantra on Queen. Pre-GFC (global financial crisis) we used to make a lot of bookings at this hotel but it had been a while since I've actually seen the rooms.

Mantra on Queen has always been good value and great for longer stays but some of the furnishings were starting to date and I'm glad to see they've done a nice job of updating them. The main changes in the apartments are the TV's, beds, bedspreads, bedheads, paintings and some of the furniture.

Rooftop movie at Limes Hotel

2009-10-09T13:08:00.004+10:00

Susan had been a couple of times when it first started but I was yet to experience a rooftop movie at the Limes Hotel until this week. When the hotel first opened Adam and I met with the owner, had a look around and on other occasions I've had a few drinks in their bar.

On Tuesday, Limes had a giveaway of tickets to Slumdog Millionaire which I loved the first time I saw it so jumped at the chance to enjoy it in their rooftop cinema.

After picking up my date for the evening we got stuck in some serious traffic on the way to the hotel but thankfully the movie didn't start on time so we had a chance to grab a glass of wine and order some food.

It was a great night, the outdoor movie experience was excellent and the highlights of the food we ordered were the grilled haloumi cheese and the home-style chips.

We finished the night by running into Lime's owner Damian who had obviously been working too hard and was grabbing a late dinner at the bar.

Tickets for the rooftop cinema are normally $12 and can be purchased through their website which also has the schedule for upcoming movies.

Travel funnies

2009-10-05T13:51:00.004+10:00

I've been a bit slack in reading industry newsletters of late, but I found some funny travel stories in one of them today. The first appeals to me because I spend so much time online and the second is funny because one, I used to work for Starwood and two, the crooks had to be drunk or stoned when they first thought of the idea.

1. Whoever devised the acronym for the Wisconsin Tourism Federation clearly isn’t a twitterer and doesn’t frequent Internet chat rooms. Not unreasonably, the Wisconsin Tourism Federation called itself WTF. But anyone who is au fait with pop culture will probably know that WTF isn’t generally translated as Wisconsin Tourism Federation but a more robust phrase, “What the f***”, in case anyone didn’t know.

2. Colin Bennett, former gm for Starwood Hotel Group, recounted the most brazen theft he had ever seen. “I walked into the lobby of one hotel and immediately realised something was missing. It transpired that three people had strolled into reception, dressed in overalls, and had wheeled the grand piano out of the hotel...never to be seen again.

What hotels guests want ...

2009-09-30T12:02:00.003+10:00

Media Release – September 28, 2009

Hotel Guests Want Value and Quality, Not Just a Room: Survey

Hotels take note: a majority of guests say exorbitant mark-ups on mini-bar items are the most annoying aspect of a hotel stay, followed by sub-standard room amenities and inferior service and expensive food in hotel restaurants, according to a survey by Melbourne’s Hotel Windsor.

The survey, conducted online and through questionnaire forms in guest rooms in June, July and August this year, attracted 1,411 responses.

Asked to select the three most annoying aspects of staying in a hotel:
• More than 55 per cent of respondents selected the cost of mini-bar items;
• Over 26 per cent said sub-standard amenities, such as shampoo, tea and coffee, and towels and bathrobes; and
• 25.6 per cent selected poor service and expensive food in hotel restaurants.

Other annoying or disappointing aspects included: cost of in-room movies (22 per cent); cost or in-room dining (21 per cent); impersonal service (more than 19 per cent) and the cost of internet services (18 per cent).

But in some good news for the sector, 34 per cent of survey respondents said they intended to spend the same amount in the coming 12 months as in previous years on travel and holidays, despite the economic environment.

And, reinforcing the overall survey findings that travelers expect quality and value for money, more than 28 per cent said they would be planning to up-grade to a better standard of room or hotel given that many hotels have lowered room rates in response to economic conditions and 11 per cent said they would increase their travel spend as prices drop.

Hotel Windsor CEO and general manager David Perry said the survey showed consumers expected far more from a hotel than simply a room.

“Obviously, hotel guests look very closely at the full range of services and facilities that combine to make a hotel stay memorable and that deliver real value,” he said. “They are strongly disappointed when their stay is undermined by second-rate, highly-priced room amenities and hotel food. Every hotel general manager knows many of their guests walk out of the hotel and around the corner to a convenience store to pick up chocolate, a can of soft drink or beer, rather than pay hotel prices. We have to ask if we want to continue to encourage this behaviour rather than provide incentives for guests to fully enjoy everything a hotel can offer.”

The Hotel Windsor has acted quickly on the survey feedback. From 1 October 2009 it will substantially lower the price of all mini-bar items to align them as closely as possible with retail prices and will review the success of this move at the end of the year. It has also introduced a new range of quality teas, Madame Flavour, to its suites and deluxe rooms.

According to Mr Perry, The Hotel Windsor is already ahead on a number of other fronts. It recently partnered with Primus Telecom to install a dedicated high-speed fibre-optic connection to ensure guests enjoy the best-value and best-performing internet in town. As well, feedback forms from diners at the hotel’s signature 111 Spring Street Restaurant in August show 83 per cent rated their meal as very good or outstanding.

“The survey results show hotels need to look closely at all areas of operation and constantly identify areas for improvement and innovation in order to deliver a quality hospitality experience,” Mr Perry said.

The 180-room Hotel Windsor was built in 1883, pre-dating some of the world’s leading grand hotels including the Savoy in London, which was built in 1889, the Waldorf Astoria in New York which dates back to 1893, and the Ritz Paris which opened in 1898.

Grace Hotel Sydney - technical difficulties

2009-09-23T10:02:00.003+10:00

Here I was earlier in the month complaining about the technical difficulties that Telstra inflicted upon us. Well, that has been put in perspective now by one of the hotels in Sydney.

Last week I was trying to contact the Grace Hotel in Sydney to check availability. I tried their 1800 number, I tried their land line, I tried getting on their website ... nothing. I then rang the mobile number of the sales manager from the hotel ... it was the middle of the day but it sounded like I woke him up. I found out shortly after that he was travelling in Europe on business and it was about 3am in the morning, woops. I asked him if the hotel was still open and he hadn't heard anything about the technical difficulties yet.

I received this e-mail from them yesterday ... a whole week without telephone, e-mail or internet, OUCH!

Grace Hotel Sydney Telephone and Internet Service Outage

Please do not respond to this email.

Dear Business Partner,

You may have heard on the news recently, a set of fibre-optic and copper cables used for telecommunication have been severed, affecting parts of the Sydney CBD.

The Grace has been without telephone, email and internet service since Wednesday 16^th September. The hotel website and general phone line have been restored and some email addresses are operational.

The general hotel line has recently been diverted and is temporarily available. Please call +61 2 `9272 6888 for any urgent enquiries.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we wait for telecommunication services to be restored. At this stage we have no definite information on when communications will be restored but as soon as this happens we will advise accordingly.

Kind regards
The Grace Hotel

Good signs ahead

2009-09-16T12:33:00.003+10:00

A number of my posts over the last few months have been about the gloomy state of the Australian hotel market due to the economic slowdown. Thankfully, things start to be looking up again. We're not seeing the full flow-on effect as yet and we have a looooong way to go to get back to normality but some positive signs are there.

Events are starting to fill cities again and a number of cities are back to being busy on a regular basis. Canberra has been pretty steady thanks to a number of sittings of parliament. Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth have been slowly picking up again while Darwin is always very busy at this time of year.

One of the biggest frustrations over the last few months has been that we are still getting some really great enquiries (groups, long-stays, etc) but just haven't ended up booking any of them. Whether its just companies "kicking tyres" or they aren't getting the rates approved by their accounts, its disappointing to get the enquiry and not be able to close the deal. The group bookings and the long-stays are the cream for our business as they take the same time to do as a normal reservation but are obviously worth a lot more.

So it was nice last week to finally close a really good booking and one that I didn't expect to. I had one of the travel agent's we look after call me needing help with accommodation in Geelong. Sure, not a capital city and not somewhere we normally look after but for the right enquiry I'll definitely make an exception. Surprisingly, Geelong is extremely busy over the next month or so with a number of events and the agent needed to find 6 rooms for roughly 6 weeks each. Thankfully one of my friends is the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Four Points by Sheraton Geelong and he was able to work his magic, squeeze them in and give me an excellent rate.

I was actually down in Geelong a month or two ago for my birthday weekend and thanks to my friend we stayed at the hotel. Its in a great location overlooking the bay and I had a nice room overlooking the water (pictured below) ... and paid very little including breakfast and drinks. Two months later, a very good booking for them (and us) ... it obviously pays to have me stay at your hotel! :-)

Drinks at Oaks Lexicon

2009-09-04T13:54:00.005+10:00

I got an invite to have drinks & canapes at Oaks Lexicon last night to check out their refurbished apartments. I stayed at the property a few years ago shortly after it opened and wasn't sure it really needed a refurb yet.

When we arrived I ran in to an old friend who now works at the Convention Centre so I caught up with her on the way in. I needn't have worried that I might not know anyone because some regular function attendees were of course there ... Jason (also from the Convention Centre) and of course Saskia from Wotif.

Its the first function I've attended recently but I'm glad I did. A glass or two of bubbles, some excellent canapes and catching up with some industry colleagues. It wasn't all just socialising tho as I did of course have a good look around the apartment. They've done a good job with the refurb and the apartments look great, plus being an Oaks they're also great value. This property has good sized balconies and some excellent views/aspects of the city, despite being right in the middle of town.

Here's the press release about the refurbishment:

Celebrate a brand new look at the Oaks Lexicon!

Spring into the Oaks Lexicon for a fresh new look this season, offering the perfect affordable accommodation close to the CBD, central station, and Fortitude Valley.

Spacious, sophisticated and self contained, Oaks Lexicon is one of the cities most contemporary and stylish buildings. A recent make-over has refined interiors, added a new edge to the modern décor and ignited a sleek ambience that will delight those looking for a classy place to stay at a great price.

The cities most popular restaurants and bars are just a short stroll from Oaks Lexicon, or choose the added convenience of self-catered dining with gleaming gourmet kitchens fitted with quality stainless steel appliances. Generous sized apartments are perfect for an intimate dinner party but cosy enough for a romantic rendezvous too!

Balconies boasting city views, a heated swimming pool and BBQ podium area with a Tuscany feel, gymnasium and undercover parking on site ensure Oaks Lexicon is the savvy choice for discerning travellers who will love the quality, and also delight in Oaks Lexicon’s supreme value.

Technical difficulties

2009-09-03T12:27:00.003+10:00

Moving is never fun and rarely does it go smoothly. We moved out of The Shop last month and other than the normal pains of moving the only real dramas came from the phone lines.

Firstly, the phone lines were set to get switched over on the Monday morning so the week prior I rang to book in the move of the phone system. Much to my horror I was informed that the official Telstra people couldn't do it until the Monday after. Not surprisingly, that wasn't going to work. Thankfully I have another company that has helped me out previously and although I couldn't get in touch with the right person until Monday they were able to squeeze us in on Tuesday afternoon.

Unfortunately, the lines were switched over earlier than expected and we weren't informed so we weren't able to divert calls to my mobile. I rang Telstra to get them to organise a diversion but that didn't happen, so we essentially had two days without phone lines ... not ideal. When the phone system was moved and everything was set up, the diversion kicked in the next morning, great work.

We had a week or so of no problems until I came in to undivert the phone on Monday only to find out that two of the lines weren't working and we were only receiving half of the calls. I tried everything I could to fix it but the next day found out it was an issue with the Telstra network. Wednesday morning they came and fixed it but it was another two days where a number of people couldn't get through to us.

So, if you have been trying to call us over the last few weeks and haven't been able to get through I sincerely apologise. We're still alive and well and hoping this is the last of our phone dramas.

Telstra, you are well and truly not on my Christmas card list this year.

Pink wreaking havoc in Brisbane

2009-08-26T10:21:00.005+10:00

Its nice to be able to blog about particularly busy dates again! After a relatively quiet few months I'm starting to see signs of things picking up again (fingers crossed). Parliament sitting in Canberra is filling the city again, Adelaide surprisingly went nuts over the last couple of days and tonight is close to fully booked in Brisbane.

The reason for it tonight ... sure there is your normal corporate component, but the main reason seems to be the last concert of Pink. She's no Andre Rieu and she's done 150 concerts (ok, not quite that many but it seems like it) so I'm not sure why this particular night is so busy ... but I'm not going to complain.

Chocolate dreams

2009-08-21T15:29:00.004+10:00

I posted on FaceBook yesterday that I'd had a dream about a chocolate buffet the night before. Yes, I have some strange dreams ... and I do love chocolate. Anyway, today I received an e-mail saying that Sebel King George Square is bringing back their "31 days of chocolate". A sign ... I think so!!

I went last year for lunch with some friends and it was great so I'm definitely looking forward to going again soon. For more details about what's included, click here.

Australian travel market

2009-07-22T10:07:00.002+10:00

I found a couple of articles about the state of the Australian travel market this morning. Hopefully the first one is on the money and relief is indeed on the way for Australian hotels.

Click on the titles below to read the full stories.

It's been hard for hotels, but relief is on the way

Carolyn Cummins
July 18, 2009

IT'S been a tough 18 months for the hotel sector with sharp declines in tourism, but the latest figures for the March quarter show businesses have weathered the decline.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the accommodation sector continued to perform steadily, even though hotel occupancy levels eased.

Michael Thomson, the national director for hotels and leisure at Colliers International, said the best performing markets were Perth and Canberra, which showed strong room rate and growth in revenue per available rooms. He said most Australian cities experienced moderate room rate growth in the 12 months to March this year. While the Sydney hotel market was comparatively weak with lower room rates and declining occupancy, the Melbourne market remained resilient with slight improvements in average room rates in a period of weakening demand.

'In the first quarter of 2009, the deterioration in the global economy translated into cutbacks and fewer bookings in the corporate and leisure markets, and this was felt across most accommodation markets,' Mr Thomson said.

Business travellers benefit from bargains

Airfare wars and room-rate promotions are usually aimed at recreational travellers, but airlines and hotels are using similar tactics to entice their traditional cash cow - the business traveller.

Corporate travellers, who pay more to sit in the front cabins of planes or book close to the date of travel, are flying coach more often, or not travelling at all during the recession.

Employers are booking fewer banquet halls and blocks of rooms, leaving many hotels pining for the sizeable and reliable revenue that business meetings used to generate.

Having a Travel Problem? Share It on Twitter

2009-07-09T11:54:00.001+10:00

"Social networking" has been the buzz phrase in marketing circles over the last few years. First there was MySpace, then FaceBook and more recently Twitter. I stood my ground for a while refusing to join the crowd but eventually relented and signed up to Facebook. I do spend a bit of time on there, but I have drawn the line and am not getting involved with Twitter.

Saying that tho, I came across an interesting article (excerpt below) about Twitter in an industry newsletter. Its interesting to see how these social networks are being used in the travel industry and it seems that there is some benefit for travellers. Click on the title below to read the full story.

Practical Traveler - Having a Travel Problem? Share It on Twitter - NYTimes.com

As hotels, airlines and other travel companies line up on Twitter to promote their brands, customers who voice their grievances in the form of tweets are getting surprisingly fast responses for everything from bad airplane seats to poor room service.

Take Tony Wagner, 34, a new-media director for an academic group in Washington. When he found out he wasn’t seated next to his wife and 2-year-old daughter on a JetBlue flight to San Francisco over the Memorial Day weekend, he first called up customer service. But the agent told him to take it up at the gate. So Mr. Wagner indirectly sent JetBlue a message, by posting a plea for help on his Twitter account: “@jetblue Advice to get both parents and 2 yr old seated next to each other on flight later today? Right now only one parent. Full flight.”

Exactly 19 minutes later, JetBlue tweeted back, suggesting they correspond privately, using Twitter’s “direct message” feature: “@tonywagner Please follow us so we may DM!” After a brief exchange, JetBlue flagged his tickets as a priority concern.

8th birthday

2009-07-02T13:44:00.004+10:00

Yesterday, Capital Reservations officially turned 8 years old!

During these tough economic times, there was no champagne, no cake, no celebrating until the corporate accommodation market starts to pick up again.

We celebrated 5 years in style and enjoyed a slightly less formal 7th birthday last year, so going on that record we should celebrate again next year.

In the meantime, my sincere thanks to all of the staff I've had over the years, thank you to all our customers, supporters and suppliers. Your support is truly appreciated.

Emporium Hotel - Executive Stays Package

2009-07-01T13:27:00.005+10:00

In these tough economic times, there's nothing more frustrating to me than hotels that don't adjust their rates or packages accordingly (State of Origin anyone?). That's why I was SO pleased to see this latest package from the Emporium Hotel in Brisbane.

24 hour free broadband internet AND a light breakfast for just $15 ... fantastic value!

Here are the details of the package:

Brisbane: Emporium Hotel announces Executive Stays Package for the Corporate Traveller

Brisbane’s stylish and multi-award winning Emporium Hotel has announced a custom-designed package created specifically for the corporate traveller – introducing Executive Stays.

The Executive Stays Package has been specifically designed for the corporate traveller, and includes luxury accommodation in a King Suite, free 24hr broadband access, an Executive Continental Breakfast enjoyed either in the comfort of the suite or packaged up to takeaway on the run, and a complimentary morning newspaper.

General Manager of the Emporium Hotel, Mr Peter Savoff said the needs of corporate travellers were always changing. “Today with tighter budgets, the corporate traveller has to fit even more into what is an already packed meetings schedule. Because of this we have tailored a package which includes exactly what they need – 24 hour internet access, breakfast packaged up on the go if required, newspapers and of course the King Suite so they can rest easily,” he said.

“In addition to the Executive Stays package, guests also receive the very best the Emporium Hotel has to offer – exceptional concierge services, gym and pool facilities, meeting facilities and much more. As a corporate traveller myself, I understand what guests expect, and this is why we have created this package.”

The Executive Stay package is only an additional $15 on a King Suite rate and is available from Sunday to Thursday nights inclusive, valid through until September 30, 2009. It is subject to availability and conditions apply.

State of Origin accommodation

2009-06-30T15:21:00.004+10:00

With just two weeks to go until State of Origin 3 in Brisbane (July 15), I thought I'd give you a quick update on accommodation for that night.

A number of the hotels require pre-payment or have a 7 day cancellation policy in place.

Starting at the top, almost all of the 5 star hotels have availability still, prices start from around $400 for the night of the 15th.

The 4 and 4.5 star hotels, some have availability some are sold out already. The best value accommodation now starts at $350 but is within walking distance of Suncorp Stadium.

There are a number of apartments still available. Of course, the longer you stay the cheaper the per night rate becomes. Based on a two night stay, the night of the State of Origin would be just under $350 and the other night would be under $200.

Even 3.5 star hotels in the CBD are almost $300 and the only one we'd use has a two night stay in place.

If you need State of Origin accommodation in Brisbane, e-mail or call us and we'll let you know what the best available option is.

Michael Jackson's funeral and grave major travel destinations

2009-06-30T13:46:00.003+10:00

I came across this article in an industry newsletter and its an interesting (travel-related) thought regarding the passing of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson's funeral and grave major travel destinations

Macabre though it may seem to talk about it, tourism officials in California are looking at one of the biggest possible potential boosts to the State’s tourism, with millions already travelling to Los Angeles filling hotels and planes while doing so, to pay their respects to Michael Jackson,.

According to examiner.com in the USA, celebrity funerals and graves have always attracted legions of fans who travel from all parts of the globe, with Rudolph Valentino the first, but hardly the last and once the funeral is over, the pilgrimages reallybegin.

Tourists will travel thousands of miles to visit the gravesite of their favourite celebrity, for example, Elvis Presley's grave at Graceland is the biggest example, drawing tens of thousands of fans annually.

Jim Morrison's grave in Paris and Princess Diana's final resting place in Althorp, England, are also other examples of how popular celebrities can be even in death and how far tourists are willing to travel to pay homage.

The gravesite of Michael Jackson, who died suddenly last week at 50, will undoubtedly be the next great destination for celebrity worshipers who have the time and money for a long-distance cemetery trip and while Jackson's funeral plans have not yet been announced he is likely to be buried in California.

So, while some people might consider celebrity grave visits to be a bid macabre, it's actually an intriguing niche in the travel world, with a number of groups around the world specialising in locating and publicising celebrity graves, or arranging visits, with these groups stressing respectfulness, encouraging fans to say goodbye to a favourite star with dignity and a sense of peacefulness.

If you can't actually travel to a celebrity grave, there are Web sites that post photos and provide precise details about noteworthy graves – check some of these out:
http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/celebrity-graves.htm
http://www.findagrave.com/
http://www.gravehunter.net/

Sofitel "$100 reasons why" special

2009-06-10T15:45:00.005+10:00

While reading one of the industry newsletters I get each day I came across the following package announcement from Sofitel. For the quality 5 star hotels that Sofitel are, its a great deal!

Do you think the hotels are a little quieter than normal?

Special offer - $100 reasons why packages with Sofitel Australia

Proving that luxury can still represent great value, Sofitel Luxury Hotels is now offering travellers 100 good reasons to stay at a Sofitel hotel or resort in Australia this winter.

Guests who book to stay on this package at one of Sofitel’s five great destinations in Australia until 31 August 2009 will receive a $100 hotel credit each night of their stay, which can be used within the hotel for a wide range of dining options and services.

Sofitel rates start from just $250 per night* (inclusive of the daily credit).

Sofitel Luxury Hotels offer five brilliant destinations along the east coast of Australia: Sofitel Brisbane Central, Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, Sofitel Melbourne On Collins and the majestic Sofitel Werribee Park Mansion Hotel & Spa just 25 minutes from the heart of the Melbourne CBD.

Stupid inquiry

2009-06-01T12:36:00.000+10:00

While catching up on industry news, I also came across the following story that made me laugh. Its been a while since we've had a really stupid inquiry, although I did have to sort out a bit of a mix-up this morning when a traveller that we booked on behalf one of the Travel Management Companies turned up at the wrong hotel and wondered why they didn't have his booking.

He may be living in New Zealand, but poor Jake Morgan has had to put up with an unfair amount of mind numbing questions during his time in the travel industry. While this one isn’t exactly a stupid inquiry, it is perplexing to wonder who is the more intellectually challenged – the agents who booked the trip, or the customers for not realising. Bless.

From Jake Morgan, PREVU Corporation Ltd, Auckland, NZ:
From my time working on a cruise liner in the Caribbean, and later in Grand Cayman, I was blessed with almost too many stupid inquiries to mention. Here is one of my favourites:

Me: “How are you enjoying your vacation, folks?”
Them: “Lovely, but not what we expected.”
Me: “How so?”
Them: “When we went to the travel agent, we thought we had booked to go to the Grand Canyon.”

Umm, this doesn't look like the Grand Canyon??

Qantas points from Woolworths

2009-06-01T12:33:00.000+10:00

Sure, its not about hotel accommodation but I saw this story in one of the travel industry newsletters I read and thought you might find it interesting. I'm sure both companies will be promoting the news over the upcoming weeks.

Woolworths customers to earn Qantas points while shopping

Australians shopping at Woolworths will soon be able to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points due to a unique loyalty partnership announced by the Australian carrier today.

Customers must link their Everyday Rewards and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts and present their Everyday Rewards card upon purchase of goods.

After doing so, they will earn one point for every $1 spent over $30 in one transaction.
The loyalty program will be available at Woolworths Supermarket and Liquor from 22 June and to BIG W from 16 July.

BWS, Dick Smith and participating Caltex Woolworths co-branded fuel outlets will join the loyalty program later in the year. Dan Murphy’s will not be included.

Purchases over $30 will still grant the four cents per litre fuel discount and customers shopping with a credit card that earns Qantas Frequent Flyer points will still be valid in addition to the $1 points above $30.

Points can be redeemed for flights on Qantas, Jetstar and 23 partner airlines or alternatively, online at the Qantas Frequent Flyer store.

Simon Hickey, Chief Executive Officer of Qantas Frequent Flyer said the partnership was a way for customers to know they were getting value for their money every time they shopped. “Qantas is committed to ensuring the program remains the best way to accumulate points for great value rewards”

Hickey told reporters during a teleconference today that the partnership had not yet revealed what purchasing terms would apply to BWS, Dick Smith and Caltex Woolworths as a part of the loyalty scheme.

Customers can join Everyday Rewards by taking a dedicated card from any Woolworths Supermarket and register at www.everydayrewards.com.au.

Qantas said Everyday Rewards members not members of Qantas Frequent Flyer program would be waived of the $82.50 joining fee if they joined Qantas Frequent Flyer through Woolworths.

Dinner at Thyme2 - Sofitel Brisbane Central

2009-05-25T14:29:00.000+10:00

I took Adam out for dinner last Thursday night to Thyme2, the restaurant at Sofitel Brisbane Central. Adam and I both love our food and the buffet/interactive dining experience gives you plenty of options. Plus I have a discount card that gives me 2 for 1 so its extremely good value.

We virtually always get seated in the same spot, against the window overlooking the clock tower (pictured below) and I had one of the girls (Aurea) I used to work with looking after us, so that was nice.

Food wise I had: oysters, sushi, salads (the best was the crab noodle salad), roast veg (honest I did mum), tandoori chicken, lamb korma, naan bread, dim sims, roast beef. Then it was time for dessert which was cheesecake, strawberry mousse, chocolate tart, chocolate ice-cream, strawberry ice-cream and of course some marshmallows dipped in the (dark) chocolate fountain.

Adam and I both agreed that the lamb korma was the highlight of the experience. Not surprisingly, I was hurting by the end of the meal and didn't eat again until midday the following day!

Australian hotel market ... struggling

2009-05-18T14:05:00.000+10:00

A couple of signs that show you how much the Australian hotel market is struggling right now.

1. Adelaide didn't fill for the Clipsal
Usually this is a can't miss event for Adelaide hotels. They can charge what they like for rooms, they can enforce a 4 night minimum stay and they usually fill with a few weeks to go. This year, with a week to go almost all of the hotels still had plenty of rooms so they dropped their rates and their minimum length stay requirements. But it was too late and the city didn't get close to filling.

2. Melbourne didn't fill for the Grand Prix
Again, this is usually a very good event for us and the Melbourne hotels. They charge full rack rates and have a 3 night minimum stay. Some of the hotels filled this year but in the lead up to the Grand Prix you could've got a one night stay on the Saturday night (usually the biggest/most popular night) for less than $200 at a 4.5 star property.

3. Canberra didn't fill for Budget
This was probably the most surprising. Canberra has a lot less 4, 4.5 and 5 star hotels than most of the other cities and usually fills at the drop of a hat when Parliament is in session or there is any sort of event happening. Budget is usually the busiest night of the year for Canberra hotels yet this year most of the 4 star hotels and above didn't fill.

Its clear that hotels aren't making adjustments to the current state of the economy. Companies are being a lot stricter with their corporate travel and aren't willing to pay the exorbitant prices that hotels have demanded in the past. Adelaide and Canberra not filling for their biggest events is evidence of that. The motels and the cheaper hotels that don't add massive event surcharges are still filling, its the top end of town that isn't and needs to make adjustments accordingly.

The next big event on the calendar is the State of Origin. I hope the hotels don't expect to get the rates they have been able to in previous years and start to price their hotel rooms more realistically. Looking at what's currently being asked, I'm afraid they will realise this way too late again ...

Small business ignored in the Budget

2009-05-18T14:03:00.000+10:00

I got an e-mail last week from Brisbane Business News after the Budget was announced commenting on the article below. I couldn't agree more with Steven's thoughts, the tax breaks and boosts really don't do much for SME's. I mentioned it to friend's before the last Federal Election that if I never again heard the phrase "working families" it would be too soon. The Labor government certainly hasn't done anything to support small and medium businesses.

BRISBANE SME IGNORED BY BUDGET SAYS MINISTER

It should come as good news to Brisbane’s struggling SME sector. But shadow small business minister Steven Ciobo has taken a swing at what he calls a ‘failed budget’ and that access to capital and cash flow are the real barriers facing SME.

“The fact is that the small business Tax Break is a mirage,” he says.

“Only 30 per cent of small business owners expect to make capital investments in their business over the next six months, as stated in the MYOB March 2009 Australian Small Business Survey.

“Labor does not understand (that) small businesses must have a dollar to be able to invest a dollar. That’s why it was important for Labor to assist small business cash flow. Where are small businesses going to get the money to go and buy new equipment and machinery if they are under cash flow stress? This is the problem the Coalition has been trying to highlight to the Rudd Labor Government for months.”

Speaking of which, a few months ago I received an e-mail from a friend talking about Kevin Rudd and the financial crisis. It relates to small business and I thought it was spot on and worth sharing.

A Boss Who Tells It Like It Is

Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2009

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job; however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Subaru Outback outside. You've seen my big home at last year's Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealised thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 2 bedroom flat for 3 years. My entire living area was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of baked beans, stew and soup because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a wonky transmission. I didn't have time to go out with women. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50,000 a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the David Jones for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Subaru, the vacations... you never realise the back story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their pay suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire an accountant to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a cheque to the Australian tax Office for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" cheque was? Zero. Zip. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare cheque? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your pay you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had the government suddenly mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Canberra black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of Australia and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. But the power brokers in Canberra believe the poor of Australia are the essential drivers of the Australian economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your 4WD and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalises the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a politicians that swept through this country changed its financial landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed,

Your boss

British man Ben Southall wins Best Job in the World competition

2009-05-07T12:02:00.000+10:00

Other than the swine flu which I mentioned earlier in the week, the other talk in the travel world (other than the economy) has been the "Best Job in the World" competition.

In conjunction with that, Hamilton Island has just released the "Best Holiday in the World" package. Details are below, and click on the second title to find out more about the competition and the winner of it.

Only 74 hours to buy the ‘Best Holiday in the World’ - etravelblackboard.com
Thursday, 7 May 2009

Hamilton Island released a ‘Best Holiday in the World’ package today which will be only be on sale for 74 hours from now until this Saturday, 9 May at 5pm.

The package costs $965 per person and includes 4 nights accommodation with full daily breakfast, Fantasea Cruise to Reefworld on the Great Barrier Reef, a scenic flight over Whitehaven Beach and a 3-course dinner.

Guests will also have access to catamarans, snorkel gear, paddleskis and windsurfers and receive a massage at the Relaxation Centre.

For flights, Jetstar is currently offering a ‘Take a Friend for Free’ sale which applies to all direct Jetstar destinations including Hamilton Island.

The package is in celebration of the winner of Tourism Queensland’s ‘Best Job in the World’ who is most likely smiling himself to sleep.

British man Ben Southall wins Best Job in the World competition | The Australian

BRITISH charity fundraiser Ben Southall has won the Best Job in the World competition.

Picked from a pool of 34,000 applicants from across the world, 34-year-old Southall was one of 16 finalists for the $150,000, six-month Great Barrier Reef island caretaker job starting on July 1.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced the winner's name at a ceremony on Hamilton Island today.

Southall told the audience at the announcement that the campaign, which has generated about $100 million in tourism publicity, had been an “enormous worldwide success”.

“I hope I can sell the reef as much as everybody is expecting,” he said.

He will start his new role as caretaker of Hamilton Island on July 1, being paid $150,000 to sail, snorkel and scuba dive while promoting the island and the Great Barrier Reef to tourists through an online blog.

Among his perks are a three-bedroom luxury villa and buggy to explore the island.

Ms Bligh said the competition had been the “most successful tourism marketing campaign in history”.

Ben Southall, no wonder he's smiling ...

Swine flu quarantine hotel

2009-05-06T11:41:00.000+10:00

With talk about the "swine flu" at the moment dominating the news, I came across an interesting article this morning about a hotel that has been quarintined because of the virus.

I had a look at the website of the hotel and I can think of worse places to be locked up for a week or so.

Hong Kong's Metropark: the swine flu quarantine hotel
May 5, 2009

Claims of botched business deals and an endless diet of rice -- guests trapped inside the only hotel in the world quarantined because of swine flu are struggling through their seven-day ordeal.

Hong Kong's Metropark hotel has become a bizarre tourist attraction since it was sealed off on Friday following the discovery that a Mexican guest had tested positive for swine flu.

Passers-by grab pictures of the team of health workers coming and going from the four-star hotel in full protective gear -- unusual garb in a district better known for its strip bars.

But behind the police guards and the sealed doors, the monotony of seven days stuck in a hotel room was beginning to wear on some of the 300 guests and staff.

"Once you have had breakfast and washed, it is back to counting the spots and black marks on the wall again ... before twiddling your thumbs," British businessman Leslie Carr told AFP. He was originally due to leave on Saturday.

Carr has filled the time by blogging about his lunch -- "the choice of rice, rice or more rice with a dash of pork, chicken leg" -- and has even posted videos from inside the hotel on video-sharing site YouTube. One shows how he has used an extension cable as a makeshift washing line.

Others showed more signs of frustration.

One Korean businessman, who gave his name as Jimmy, said he was losing out on a huge business contract because of the confinement. "I am signing contract with (business partners). If I cannot go there (on Monday) the whole contract will be cancelled," he told local broadcaster RTHK. "If I tell them I am in here, then they will never ever see me ... I am a businessman. I don't want to die in this lousy hotel."

But despite the frustrations, some guests were enjoying the attention. "Yesterday's routine was to surf the Internet, and take calls from French media for me and Belgian media for the two other occupants of the room," said French businessman Olivier Dolige via email. "The time passes a bit more quickly as a result."

The city authorities have repeatedly thanked the guests for their understanding and said they have tried to make their stay as comfortable as possible. They have also insisted the measure was the best chance of containing the disease after the Mexican stayed there for around seven hours on Thursday night before going to hospital.

The Mexican remains in a stable condition. There have been no other positive cases in the city.
Cleaning services in the hotel has been stepped up and Hong Kong's health secretary has sent each guest a box of chocolates to thank them for their patience, a government spokeswoman said.

As for money, the cost of the room and expenses would be covered by the Hong Kong government. "They would have been hard pushed to get a credit card out of me after this," said Carr.

Canberra "Budget" accommodation

2009-05-05T12:29:00.000+10:00

No, I'm not talking about cheap accommodation, in fact far from it. Its one of the biggest nights of the year for Canberra and not surprisingly the rates and availability reflect that.

With just a week to go until Budget night in Canberra (May 12), I thought it was worth updating you on the accommodation situation for that night. Last minutes websites have hotel rooms starting from around $300, but we still have:

3.5 star hotel rooms for under $200/night
4 star hotel rooms from just over $250/night
4.5 star hotel rooms for under $300/night

Don't waste your time ringing around or checking websites, simply call us on 1300 305 997 and we'll make sure you get the best available options to choose from. Get in quick before they sell out ... and priority will be given to stays of more than one night.

Mantra Sierra Grand

2009-04-09T13:25:00.001+10:00

I was down on the Gold Coast again last weekend for a friend's birthday. The itinerary for the weekend included Dracula's on Friday night and then the casino on Saturday night and of course yours truly was in charge of booking the accommodation.

We wanted to be within walking distance of both so I checked availability at Meriton (where I stayed last time) but came across a fantastic deal at Mantra Sierra Grand. Part of the Stella Group, they had a special "stay 3 pay 2" deal and this even applied to industry rate!! We stayed in a two bedroom and it worked out to be sensational value.

Sierra Grand is a 4.5 star apartment style resort in Broadbeach and it was the perfect location, just a short walk to Dracula's, Conrad Jupiters and Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. The resort even has a theatre room you can book (for free) to watch DVD's or sporting matches!

The weather wasn't great so the only time I saw the beach was from the balcony of our apartment, so my "tan" will continue to stay a whitey shade of grey.

(Hotel) Prices tumble, so live it up

2009-03-03T10:24:00.000+10:00

One of my friends sent me the link to this article (below). He didn't have to tell me tho, with the hotels being hurt by the economic slowdown it means that there are some great hotel specials available at the moment.

Hotels cutting room rates to lure customers

Hotels are cutting room rates to lure customers and beat the credit crunch, writes Paul Edwards.

Australian luxury hotel chiefs broke into a cold sweat when they read that luxury hotels in London had slashed accommodation prices, with room rates for some five-star establishments below those of the budget chain Travelodge.

Five-star prices in Britain are 24 per cent lower than a year ago and there are signs that hotels are locked in a fierce price war.

Could it happen here? Already global giant Accor has cut room rates to $79 in its latest showpiece, the five-star Olympic Park Pullman in Sydney, and there are rooms at Melbourne's venerable Windsor for $150 a night.

Industry insiders say two of Sydney's largest hotels have slashed their rates to lock in major corporate accounts.

Accor spokesman Peter Hook says the top end of the hospitality market is in the hands of company accountants who control corporate travel budgets.

"A firm which last year had good profit figures might have been happy for employees to book into five-star hotels. Now, they can still stay there - but only if the rates are attractive enough," he says.

Accor, which has a raft of brands including Sofitel, Novotel, Grande Mercure and Ibis, recently announced price cuts in more than 100 of its Australian properties from April to the end of July.

"This decision was most definitely influenced by the projected market softness in the first half of the year across Australia and the Asia Pacific region," Hook says.

In Melbourne, David Perry, general manager of the Windsor Hotel, says the outlook is by no means gloomy despite decisions to postpone a planned $45 million refurbishment and to cut room rates, made necessary by the tough economic conditions

"Hotels need to be exceptionally creative and if that means value-adding or tariff-discounting, that's what will happen," he says. "It's certainly happening at the Windsor - as an example we're selling rooms for $150 a night over Easter. That's one-third of the going rate.

"But the future is bright. If there is one place in the world where one can feel confident about five-star hotels, that place is Melbourne.

"Unlike London's grand hotels, which rely on international business, Melbourne's luxury establishments make most of their income from Australians. And with airfares at record lows it makes sense for executives based in other capitals to visit Melbourne to meet their customers. For Sydney visitors the flight could cost less than the taxi to and from the airports."

Megan Magill, the brand manager of online booking agency Wotif, says unlike London, the price-cutting trend here is across the board.

"We've seen that while the five-star hotels are lowering their prices, so too are the three-star places, so they still have the edge on our website," she says. "The credit crunch is seeing cuts in market segments such as corporate, inbound and wholesale. In general, rates have decreased this year but not as drastically as in the UK - there is still differentiation between star-rating categories."

Roger's blog

2011 by the numbers

Back in the office

Where's my Christmas card??

Festival of food

Day at the cricket

Busiest week of the year?

The Tiger Woods effect

Gold Coast 600 in style!

Perth and October don't mix

Diamant Hotel Brisbane

Sydney conference

Perth trip

Lessons from Disney

Corporate suite - Lions vs Power

State of Origin 3 accommodation

Ash Tuesday

2011 Salary Survey: Travel Weekly

Thank you Mr Rieu!

Lunch at the Sofitel

Easter Chocolate Buffet

Royal on the Park breakfast

February Travels - Part 2

February travels - part 1

Capital Reservations' theme song!

How to watch the big game

Welcome back Adam!

2010 by the numbers

Brisbane hotel flood update

Night at the Novotel

Where's my Christmas card??

U2, Jay-Z and the Queensland Premier

The Oprah House

You know you're busy when ...

Ashes 2010

Perth - peak season

Long weekend at Hyatt Coolum

Worlds Largest Thai Dinner

Andre Rieu reschedules Australian tour

Darwin trip

Lunch at the South Bank Surf Club

40 days and 40 nights of chocolate

Indulge in Bistro Allure's 40 Days and 40 Nights of Chocolate, from Wednesday 1 September 2010.

Marriott luncheon at Sirromet

U2 confirm tour of Australia & NZ

Bledisloe Cup - Sydney

Great Entrepreneurs Have Vision, Not Just Ideas

Palazzo Versace - August Special

Night at Sheraton Noosa

Bastille Day at the Sofitel Brisbane

The Portal Hotel

Why we should train kids to be entrepreneurs

Zero Star Hotel?

Butler service

Expensive image

Location, location, location

The return of Tiger Woods

MARTIN BLAKEJune 10, 2010

Hotel upgrades

March ... the month that was

February ... the month that was

What's included in the room rate?

Barack Obama Australian visit

Sydney - Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Australia Day (non) long weekend

Golf hotels

Movember follow-up

Christmas and New Year's break

Dalai Lama fills Sydney

November - Peak Corporate Travel Season

Movember - Changing the face of men's health

Tiger lands in Melbourne

Dynamic Pricing Across the Accommodation Industry

Brisbane's most luxurious hotel rooms

Queensland praised on Oprah

Hotel Urban sale

Andre Rieu is back!

Sir Richard Branson interview

Chateau Royale Maroochydore

Mantra on Queen refurbishments

MARTIN BLAKE
June 10, 2010