Out of office - Friday August 15

Important note: The office will be closed from 11:30am today and will re-open as usual at 8:30am on Monday morning.  

During this time please feel free to e-mail me or leave a voicemail message and we'll get back to you first thing on Monday.

I found this story this morning and its great to see from one of the Australian hotel chains. I'm not sure why more hotels have yet to take this step.

Free wifi now at Rydges, QT and Atura hotels

By David Flynn   

All Rydges, QT and Atura hotels throughout Australia are now serving up free Internet for all guests.

It's a welcome step forward towards the day when all hotels will set the WiFi free, with business travellers increasing relying on their smartphones or 4G mobile broadband modems to defeat the often outrageous costs of in-room Internet.

The Rydges group is also undergoing a rebranding which includes a healthy new 'Rise Breakfast' concept, which the hotel chain says "takes a nod from nutritionist recommendations around a healthful breakfast being the most important meal of the day."

While still buffet-style in nature, the Rise Breakfast includes freshly-squeezed juice shots, made to order smoothies & juice blends, super healthy cereals and fresh fruit as well as a great range of hot options including eggs cooked to individual preference.

There's also an expanded wine list showcasing "a broader range of Australian and international varietals will cater to more discerning tastebuds." 

"The Rydges brand served our iconic Australasian hotel chain well for many years, but as we embarked on a project to expand the hotel offering, we felt the brand needed refreshing also to suitably reflect the significantly improved guest experience" explains David Seargeant, Group Managing Director of Rydges parent company Amalgamated Holdings Limited.

Magical Malindi - Montville

Two of my best friends got married at Montville on the weekend and myself and friends stayed at Magical Malindi. The house and the view are spectacular so rather than try and put it in to words, check out some of the photos I took (just using my phone). For more details and better pictures, check out their facebook page. 


Its the first time I've been to the Sunshine Coast hinterland (Montville, Maleny, etc) in many years which is such a shame considering what a great winter getaway spot it is.

Brisbane State of Origin accommodation

If you need accommodation in Brisbane during the week of the first State of Origin (May 28), you've come to the right place!

Looking online or direct with hotels, prices start around the $400 mark. We grabbed an allotment of rooms more than a month ago so we now have by far the best available rates.

Here is what we have up our sleeve:

• 4 star hotel rooms from $250/night
• 4.5 star apartments from $250/night
• 5 star hotel rooms for under $500/night

Priority will be given to requests for multiple night stays (prices are much cheaper either side of the 28th) but we do have rooms available just for the night of the 28th at around $300.

Go the Maroons!

Melbourne's best boutique hotels

My friend Sally from Alluxia has just released her best boutique hotels in Melbourne list. We too LOVE Melbourne but don't know as much about their boutique properties, so here's some of what she had to say.

Melbourne's Best Boutique Hotels

Posted on Monday, 28 April 2014 in Travel Tips

 

Melbourne is the ideal weekend getaway. This vibrant city boasts a wealth of things to see and do and has an unrivalled food scene. Whether you’re seeking high-end shopping, watch a sporting event, attend a foodie festivals or stroll art galleries, Melbourne offers it all.

For the ultimate getaway, we’ve handpicked Melbourne’s best boutique hotels. It’s all about luxury at these top establishments.

To read the whole article and see which hotels made her list, click here. 

A good article I came across this morning about why third-party booking sites are losing some of their luster for regular travellers.I particularly like this quote from Starwood:
A senior representative of Starwood highlighted that Starpoints can be earned on "'eligible' rate plans" for bookings made "directly with the hotels or your preferred travel agency".

We come under their classification of "preferred travel agency" and look after bookings for several of their Platinum SPG members.

Want points for your hotel stay? Avoid third-party booking websites

By Chris Chamberlin
Want to earn your full serve of points with your favourite hotel rewards scheme? Avoid 'third party' booking sites and make your reservation directly with the hotel or its parent company.

Unlike frequent flyer programs – which let you earn points regardless of who you booked your ticket with – many hotel loyalty programs won't provide any per-night points or per-stay credits on bookings made through the likes of Expedia, Wotif and Hotels.com.

To read the rest of the article, click here. 

Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane

Last week Adam and I went and visited the new Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane which opened earlier in March.

My career in the hotel industry started at Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas and then continued at Sheraton Brisbane so I have a soft spot for the Starwood Hotels brand. Since losing the Sheraton (now the Sofitel) a number of years ago, Starwood have been working hard to get back in to the Brisbane hotel market and word on the street is that it won't be long before we have a Westin as well.

The Four Points is on Mary Street, just a couple of blocks from the Queen Street Mall (centre of the CBD) so its a very central location. Not surprisingly, the hotel rooms are very modern and look fresh (see picture below). One side overlooks the city/other buildings but the other has partial views of the Story Bridge and the river which is a nice surprise considering how central it is.

The hotel has some really good opening specials currently available so now is a great time to check it out while it still has that "new car" smell!