Accom Management Guide - Spring 2014

refurbishmentCase Study: InterContinental Wellington completes major refurbishment

technologyHospitality Televisions: Delight your guests with increased in-room viewing options

marketingGoogle: One simple strategy to boost your bookings

www.accomnews.co.nzIssue 26 | Spring 2014NZD $16.50 (Inc GST)

hotels • motels • resorts • apartments • time share • holiday parks • budget • retirement

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EDITORIAL Brent Leslie [email protected]

PRODUCTION Richard McGill [email protected]

ADVERTISING Stewart Shimmin 03 974 1036 [email protected]

Tim Svenson 03 929 0633 [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

Michael Baines, Sally Attfield, Moira Penman, Larry Mogelonsky, Ning Zhang, Mark Sweeney, Margaret Ady, Graham Wrigley, Kelvyn Coffey, Melissa Abraham-Smith, Joey Egan, Joshua Uebergang, Roberta Nedry, Mandy Clarke, Graham Vercoe and Brent Leslie.

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ISSN: 1178-8941

Spring 2014

04 ACCOM MANAGEMENT GUIDE

industry05 TIA Report: Summery outlook in view for

hotel sector

06 AA Report: Targeted approach needed to reach out to potential travellers

07 MANZ Report: More support needed for under-pressure SMEs

management08 Service: Cultural inspiration on service

09 Sales: How to mitigate dependence on OTAs

09 Business Travel: Using travel reviews to understand business travellers

property12 Tips for Purchasing: Points to ponder

when contemplating a property purchase

refurbishment15 Case Study – Bolton Hotel, Wellington:

Cutting edge technology at the Bolton

18 Case Study – Amora Hotel, Auckland: New beds make the difference at Auckland’s Amora

20 Case Study – InterContinental, Wellington: Luxury Wellington hotel completes major refurbishment

27 Case Study – Kinross Cottages, Otago: Authentic Otago at Queenstown’s Kinross Cottages

technology 30 Guest Select: Guest Select pays off in

competitive motel business

32 Hospitality Televisions: Delight your guests with increased viewing options

36 Guest Facilities: The future is now

marketing38 Property Management Software: Choosing

a property management system that best suits your business

42 Google: Getting the best out of Google

43 Digital Marketing: Three ways a channel manager will change your life!

44 Google: One simple strategy to boost your direct bookings with Google

45 Branding: Do brands really matter?

48 Promotional Products: Promotional branded giveaways that will keep working for you

food & beverage50 Portion control: Quality important in

portion-control beverages

54 Healthy Eating: Kiosks go healthy for on-the-go meals

housekeeping56 Bedding: Bedspread, duvet covers and

bedcap trends

58 Mats: Floor mats that make life easier and look great

60 Wet & Dry Systems: Effective carpet cleaning – do you choose wet or dry?

62 Keeping House: Technology equals efficiency

energy & resources64 LED lighting v halogen – is it worth making

the change?

69 Sustainability: From sustainability to profit

guest facilities71 Vending Machines: How a vending

machine can add value to your business

human resources72 First Aid: Accessing the most appropriate

first aid training

safety & security74 Guest Security: Hotel terrorism

– is it possible here?

preferred suppliers75 The Preferred Supplier Directory

Cover photo: Amora Hotel, Auckland

iindustry

05SPRING 2014

TIA Report:

Summery outlook in view for hotel sector

THERE’S A LOT OF GOOD NEWS AROUND THE NEW ZEALAND HOTEL SECTOR JUST NOW.

The majority of regions have been able to hold occupancy and rates over the winter months through a mixture of sporting events (IRB Junior Rugby World Cup, English rugby tests, Premier League football matches), conference or ski activity. With the exception of Christchurch, RevPar is up – nationally at the highest level since 1997.

The impact of the improving revenue rates is being seen with an influx of new capacity into the Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown markets over the next 18 months.

New capacity is continuing to open up in Christchurch as the rebuild continues, with an additional 500 rooms forecast to be available for winter 2015, bringing total stock to approximately 1500 hotel rooms.

And the forecasts for summer 2014-15 are promising, with the Cricket World Cup set to further boost business through February and March.

TIA has welcomed the recent announcement from immigration officials that cricket fans and other visitors to Australia and New Zealand during CWC will need to apply for only one visa under a new Trans-Tasman Visa Arrangement.

From 26 January to 5 April 2015, New Zealand will grant a three month visitor visa on arrival to those who already hold an acceptable Australian visa. This will make it easier for cricket fans to follow their team in both countries, and encourage those who may not have planned to visit New Zealand, to do so.

TIA – along with our counterpart in Australia, the Tourism and Transport Forum – strongly lobbied both the Australian and New Zealand governments on the benefits of a single visa for the event, and we are delighted at this outcome.

If this 10-week trial is successful, we will be in a good position to push for continuing this two countries-one visa arrangement.

Improving visa processes is one of the key actions TIA highlighted as a priority for the incoming government in our 2014 Tourism Election manifesto www.tourism2025.org.nz/election-manifesto

Making it easier for people to travel to and around New Zealand is a key to unlocking visitor growth from target markets in Asia and the Pacific Rim, including India, Indonesia and China.

We will be highlighting this and the other manifesto priorities to the new National-led government and encouraging them to continue the support they have shown for tourism in the last six years.

It’s great to see prime minister John Key retaining the tourism portfolio. It can't be underestimated how important a signal that has sent over the last six years, helping raise the status of tourism as an important sector.

There's a level of understanding on the ninth floor of the Beehive of tourism issues that hasn’t previously been there.

We don't have our hand out for more money – what we want is a government that is responsive to issues impacting on one of New Zealand’s biggest export sectors.

2014 TIA Summit and Awards

I hope to see many of you at the 2014 TIA Summit in Wellington on 4 November. The event will focus on what has been done to put the industry’s Tourism 2025 growth framework into action since its launch seven months ago. Fourteen industry and government bosses will be put in the hot seat,

asked to highlight what they are doing to help the tourism industry almost double annual revenue to $41 billion by 2025.

There will be plenty of time for delegates to put the hard questions to these industry leaders, as well as lots of networking opportunities. For more details and registration, take a look at the TIA website www.tianz.org.nz/main/2014_TIA_Summit

The day will culminate with the Wellington Airport summit dinner and the announcement of the winners of three Tourism Industry Awards:

• the Crowe Horwath Sir Jack Newman Award

• the PATA NZ Trust Young Tourism Leader Award and

• the ServiceIQ Visitor Experience Award

This will be a great opportunity to celebrate excellence across the tourism industry. Thanks to our summit partners Westpac, ServiceIQ, Smartpay, Maori Tourism and Wellington Airport, and our Tourism Industry Awards partners Crowe Horwath International, PATA New Zealand Trust and ServiceIQ.

By Sally Attfield, Sector Manager - Hotels, TIA

Sally Attfield

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www.asurestay.com

i industry


AA Report:

Targeted approach needed to reach out to potential travellers

I’M LUCKY IN THE SENSE THAT I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE MANY SIDES OF OUR INDUSTRY.

I speak regularly with some major decision makers in the sector, but most importantly I’m also in contact with people at the coalface of domestic tourism in New Zealand – the managers and owners of motels, hotels and holiday parks.

It doesn’t take long to realise there are big differences in terms of the approaches to business, customer relations and marketing.

As a generalisation, Kiwis are often both self-deprecating and unwilling to put their heads above the parapet. It’s how we live. We’re not showy or particularly demonstrative with emotion – we don’t wear our hearts on our sleeves.

This is an endearing trait. Instead of blowing our own trumpets, we allow those around us to do it for us.

In our business, this is called word-of-mouth and it is one of the most powerful marketing tools available, but it works both ways – when we get it 100 per cent right and when we get it wrong.

The proliferation of new marketing platforms has changed how much we rely on word-of-mouth to assist our businesses both by providing new opportunities to showcase what we offer and also enabling our customers to tell everyone what they think about it.

And these new opportunities are globally pervasive. Online travel agents, or OTAs, have become one of the most popular means of booking agents for domestic and international arrivals. Customers like them because they provide easy access to secure beds and allow for comparison. Consumer feedback is usually a feature as well and often contributing to the decision making process.

However, bookings from OTAs come at a cost to the industry. If too many bookings come through OTAs, the commission paid erodes margins and impacts the viability of the business.

Given that the large offshore-based OTAs capture tens of millions of dollars in commissions from Kiwi operators and spend a large portion

of that on marketing their services to consumers, their popularity is likely to continue.

This supports some of what I said in my previous column about finding new ways to grow the tourism pie – particularly domestic tourism – so we can actually grow our businesses and improve overall yield. Operators need to optimise profitability which in some cases may mean lower occupancy but with higher yields.

AA Traveller is in the publishing business, which is really about creating opportunities for many small, medium and large businesses throughout New Zealand involved in tourism.

While we sell space in our guides and maps, we also put in a lot of effort to encourage Kiwis to get out and travel around their home country. AA Traveller runs regular campaigns, creates competitions, showcases regions and regional activity and reaches hundreds of thousands of people with emails and AA Directions magazine promoting an active visitor lifestyle.

What we want to do more of is help to build a more co-ordinated approach to maximising the benefits of travelling during New Zealand’s wonderful balmy shoulder season – this is where we believe we can have the most impact in helping to grow the collective bottom line of the tourism sector.

If you agree the OTAs have a place to put heads on pillows in our rooms, so does a more targeted approach to reach out to potential travellers as opposed to those we know are already travelling.

To be more self-reliant, we need to be clever in our approach working to maximise the full profitability of our facilities for as long as possible during the year.

A lot of co-ordinated work already happens. Your regional tourism organisations work on promoting each patch tirelessly, but there’s still plenty more work that can be done.

By Moira Penman, General Manager, AA Tourism

Moira Penman

iindustry

07SPRING 2014

MANZ Report:

More support needed for under-pressure SMEs

I BELIEVE A LOT MORE THOUGHT NEEDS TO GO INTO THE WAY THAT GOVERNMENT INTERACTS WITH THE SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS SECTOR.

They are by far the hardest to deal with but the return is worth the effort. The bulk of the employment and economic activity occurs in the SME sector. Currently there is pressure on the prices they charge because of the constraints of infl ation but there seems to be no such constraints on the operating expenses.

We continue to see an unabated total lack of empathy or understanding of the role of the SME in local communities. If I were a cynical man I would suggest that local authority staff are jealous of SME owners and are going out of their way to make life diffi cult and expensive for them.

I know that this couldn’t possibly be the truth but there does seem to be an awful lot of those that love black hats, white coats and whistles amongst council staff ranks!

We need to celebrate and support the SME sector. We should be looking to remove barriers to SME profi tability – not erecting them. We need to understand that when SMEs do well, so does the community and the country. Motels are subject matter experts on their area, they are the face of their region to visitors and they live, employ and reinvest in their

community. They should be seen as community heroes, not as cash cows for local authority fl ights of fancy.

Reports from the regions suggest that after a sluggish run up to the election (it always happens) that ‘forward bookings’ are looking good. This is a very good omen for the season.

Last year we had a great summer and it lingered on into May. The elections always make a difference to trade – it slows down; people are reticent to make decisions when there is uncertainty and there was a bit in the lead up to this election.

We have returned the incumbents and have given them a huge boost in support so I suspect all uncertainty has disappeared and I expect a return to where we were before quite rapidly.

Daylight saving has arrived. The spare ribs are sitting there waiting for the fi rst opportunity to BBQ. It is the countdown to Christmas and it is coming towards us at a rate of knots.

Have a great and profi table season and keep those room prices as high as you can, remember no profi t no business!

By Michael Baines, CEO, MANZ

Michael Baines

0800 77 333 7 speedqueen.co.nz

m management


Service:

Cultural inspiration on service

ALOHA! KIA ORA! HEY Y'ALL! BIEN VENIDOS! BIENVENUE! SAWASDEE KRAP! WELCOME! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE WORDS OF GREETING FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES ARE UTTERED?

What do we associate with those greetings and the people in those states or countries who say them? How do they impact us emotionally and do they change the way we perceive and receive our experience in that place?

Cultures around the world have many insightful and practical traditions and styles that can benefi t a service mindset and in turn enhance service delivery. Let's take a look at certain cultural traits and their potential impact in today's hospitality world and guest experience management.

Consider how hospitality and business leaders and their teams may adapt some of these cultural traits and examples to benefi t their own teams in guest and customer interactions. Note how these examples may serve as inspiration and motivation for a stronger service culture and more engaging guest experiences.

The spirit of Aloha

I had the opportunity to live in Hawaii as a young girl. While there, I studied and performed Hawaiian dancing which required me to be completely immersed in and part of the Hawaiian culture and in turn the aloha spirit. My teacher showed me how to tell stories through my hands, my eyes and body language in each dance that she taught. I learned fi rst hand how aloha is a way of life, an attitude and an authentic style of communicating from the heart.

Thinking back to those moments and talking to those who experience Hawaii today, there are strong applications for that aloha spirit in today's service environment. This Hawaiian way of thinking offers unique insight into a way of interacting with others that touches emotions and leaves lasting memories. Aloha is a word that means so many different things in the Hawaiian culture including hello, welcome, good bye and even love, compassion and friendship.

According to Aloha International in an article by Curby Rule, within the root words that make up Aloha the following meanings are:

1. "alo" -meaning sharing and in the present2. "oha"- meaning joyous affection, joy3. "ha" meaning life energy, life, breath

Mr Rule notes that using Hawaiian language grammatical rules this translates to "the joyful sharing of life energy in the present" or simply "joyfully sharing life". What a wonderful approach to training people in hospitality or any service delivery environment! When guests or customers come to a new destination, a new property, a new restaurant or a new attraction, they want to share life in a way different than the place they just left which is why they came. They want to make a connection. They want to feel the energy of the place they have chosen. They want to have joy or other positive emotions as their reward for choosing that location.

Taking this line of thinking even further, in 1973, Serge Kahili King conceived The Aloha Project as a way to join people together in a spirit of aloha based on the wisdom found in Hawaiian philosophy and culture and focusing on physical, emotional, environmental, mental harmony.

Again, great application for any hospitality environment as creating experiences that yield physical, emotional, environmental and mental rewards are the ultimate goal to engage and delight guests.

The key is understanding how to trigger these applications and this spirit in employees. Employees need to "feel it" too and have that same joyful energy in sharing life experiences in the places they work along with the people they serve.

Many islanders witness mainlanders coming to the islands with hectic and overworked demeanors. Hawaiian locals call it "mainland attitude". Once exposed to the Hawaiian lifestyle, slowing down and opening up to that spirit of Aloha, the transition happens and they don't want to leave. Even the simple gesture of a Hawaiian lei, a handmade ring of fl owers, usually plumerias, makes locals and visitors alike feel so welcome and so happy. Imagine how hospitality leaders and their teams could apply the aloha spirit to inspire a similar transition in guests so they don't want to leave either, may stay longer, spend more and can't wait to come back. Say aloha to a service culture that starts from the fi rst point of arrival through every moment until departure. Welcome a powerful guest experience management strategy.

Kia ora. New Zealand style

When I landed in Queenstown last year, something felt different, even in the airport. Students from the Queenstown Resort College were there to greet me and other attendees and delegates for the 60th International Congress of Les Clefs d'Or Concierges. They welcomed us with kia ora which I soon learned was a Maori language greeting meaning, "be well and healthy" and serves as an informal "hi". It is also used as a farewell and a thank you, similar to aloha. It was that feeling of "informality", that "hi", tinged with an authentic interest in my well being that introduced me to the New Zealand style of hospitality from the fi rst moment.

Even with an unfortunate mishap with lost luggage, that spirit of caring beyond the procedural issues of locating my baggage was evident with the Air New Zealand baggage team. They refl ected genuine interest in my arrival, not just the logistics of my lost items.

Jonathan McNay of Limousine Line Queenstown provided my transportation from the airport to the hotel and showed tremendous pride in being the fi rst person to introduce me to the beauty of Queenstown. He shared little anecdotes that he thought might more strongly connect me to the New Zealand experience. Jonathan showed that informality combined with authentic interest for me to be well during my stay.

Checking in to the Crowne Plaza Queenstown, the friendly greetings continued with the front desk team, the early and late bar staff and a personal greeting and welcome from general manager Reinier Eulink and chef concierge Fiona Lawson. Each of these touchpoints continually reinforced that kia ora spirit and a feeling that each of the people in these different roles cared. It was so consistent.

Mayor of Queenstown, Vanessa Van Uden, told me that they had spent a lot of time uniting the Queenstown hospitality and retail community in that caring feeling. When locals see visitors or guests taking photos,

Roberta Nedry

mmanagement

09SPRING 2014

locals are encouraged to ask if they can take the photo so the entire guest party can be together. Little proactive gestures like that reinforce that the whole culture cares and that it's not just about tourist or hotel dollars, it's about a feeling of welcome and that each individual experience matters.

That spirit of caring about the experience and informal friendliness continued on a visit to the neighbouring village of Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town. First a purchase of longhair cow boots at Woolpress Arrowtown on Buckingham St, allowed me to meet owner Bruce Gibbs, who carefully explained the store's environmental commitment to the area along with where my boots were made.

A visit to Betty's Liquorstore to purchase Zumwohl, a New Zealand made German-style schnapps, resulted in meeting Brendan who promised to research ways for best enjoyment and followed up almost immediately with an email of recipes. That extra effort, the extra interest, that extra bit of caring about my experience continued in each shop I visited.

Even when I was leaving and worried about some extra baggage, Jochen Wauters, event manager from Sole Events, jumped in to help me and called airlines to ensure I would have an easy journey back to the United States. He even followed up by phone to make sure I was comfortable. I left Queenstown and New Zealand feeling so emotionally rewarded by a culture that seemed to care about me being "well" every step of the way!

Each hospitality and business environment can apply a kia ora approach when orienting, training and inspiring employees in a service excellence philosophy and in turn, culture. Service does not have to be formal; it can be as simple as "hi". And, when everyone in the experience is oriented to that culture, whether it be "kia ora" style or something else, the consistent reinforcement of that culture yields amazing positive results and reactions.

Service cultures start with caring which then leads to making a commitment to certain types of behaviours. Those behaviours lead to making a connection and those connections lead to engagement. Engaging guests is what will lead to the emotional rewards that lead to the business and bottom line rewards of guest loyalty, positive reviews and referrals. Committing to that mindset and then training employees and teams to deliver the behaviours to support that mindset are essential for that cultural impact.

In Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, he introduces the cultural impact of the paesani culture of southern Italy, which was transplanted to the hills of eastern Pennsylvania in the town of Roseto. Gladwell introduces the study done by physician Stewart Wolf and sociologist John Bruhn, on the Rosetans, originally from Roseto Valfortore southeast of Rome and how they defied all odds in their health and social structure.

The Rosetans had virtually no or minimal heart disease and attacks, lower death rates, no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction and very little crime. Their fascinating findings stunned the medical establishment by causing them to think about health in terms of "community" and the impact beyond the individual on others-the culture of which they were part- instead of genes, eating and exercise habits.

Their concluding statement was that we now need to "appreciate the idea that the values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are".

Wow! Proof that identifying, establishing and inspiring a unifying culture,

reinforced by a supportive environment, really works and can lead to amazing results.

On the other hand, without that reinforcement and unified culture, sporadic good moments lose their impact and leave both employee and guest without the positive experience both desire. At a ski resort in North America, celebrations were in place for a historic anniversary. On the day of the anniversary, many events were planned and skiers, dignitaries, guests and employees showed up for the festivities. Resort representatives were positioned all over the area to be resources and celebrants with guests.

Guests continually asked various employees about the schedule of events throughout the day and were often met with the response, "we don't know exactly, they didn't tell us the details of the whole day". Amazing. So much work leading up to the celebration and all the events and yet the people on the line were not completely informed or inspired by what was taking place. They did not share the same values of the organisers or feel as connected as they could have been to this important event. These employees were frustrated and left out and then did the same for the guests asking the questions. The culture was not defined or in place which yielded a less than desirable result.

Whether guests and employees hear

"Hey y'all" in the South of the United States (southern hospitality), "Bien venidos" in Mexico (festive, lighthearted and genuine), "Bienvenue" in France or Canada (appreciation for the details, elegance and savored moments), "Sawasdee krap" in Thailand (gracious and genuine hospitality), a feeling of welcome, a unique style and a passion from that culture will come across and reveals wonderful examples and applications of how an experience can be defined by a single word or phrase, explained in a way that is meaningful and that reflects an overall philosophy for how to make people feel.

Words and feelings that come from a culture, not from a dictionary, developed over centuries, can cause entire populations to change the way they think and behave. This can be a shortcut to craft touch-points and guest experiences that you want in your hotel and organisation and can provide creative opportunities to adapt elements of that culture to create unique hospitality cultures within an organisation.

Think about what you want your front desk to convey, how you want your food and beverage team to interact with guests, how each department works with each other and what effect the whole organisation can have on each employee delivering the experience. Create great excuses to inspire and move employees to deliver unforgettable experiences and to connect to the emotional elements of their role and what it means to others. Make it meaningful to those employees as well.

Take your employees on an emotional journey and travel to new places in guest experience management through some of these cultural inspirations. Inspire your own culture and commitment from top to bottom and inside and out.

Feel the passion from shared beliefs and values and pack your bags for success!

Roberta Nedry is president of Hospitality Excellence, Inc, leaders in guest experience management. Ms Nedry has developed a unique 3D Service methodology to take guest service to the next level. Her firm focuses on guest, customer and client service, the concierge profession and service excellence training for management and frontline employees.

m management


Sales:

Business Travel:

How to mitigate dependence on OTAs

Using travel reviews to understand business travellers

ON THE CONSULTING SIDE OF MY BUSINESS, I WORK WITH MANY DELIGHTFUL AND HARDWORKING ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS.

True, we get into numerous discussions on issues such as rate and amenities. Ultimately, these individuals are committed to the crux of hospitality: They truly care about their guests. Nary a day goes by where our meetings are interrupted by a guest request. Seemingly trivial in the grand scheme of things but important at that moment, discourse and intervention are required. A check-in of a VIP guest? No problem; someone from senior management will be there.

But what of the guests who booked from online travel agencies?

They arrive on our doorstep through a third party. Unlike a traditional travel agent referral, we know next to nothing about them - there are no data guideposts to assist the accommodation provider in pre-arrangement. Room style? Well, maybe two bed versus the king bed but we cannot know for certain whether they are satisfi ed with this decision. Special needs? Beyond handicap requests, we're left in the dark. We often don't even know their fl ight arrival, thereby creating a further challenge in planning housekeeping necessities.

All the accommodation provider knows on pre-arrival is this: Mr and Mrs X are arriving sometime on Day Y, requesting a room style of Z. And, as is often the case with an OTA, they have booked the cheapest room on the books. Making matters more frustrating, the net yield to the hotel after commissions for the arriving OTA guest makes them the lowest paying customer. It's a guest service challenge with limited rewards.

So, what does the hotelier do? I have read numerous articles and heard many arguments that go along these lines: "We will give the OTA guest such a terrifi c and superior experience that next time they will book directly with us."

Think about this for a moment. Is there a difference between the OTA guest

and a directly booked guest in your property? Aren't all guests to be treated equally? As well, if that guest is indeed given all of these "extras" even though they booked through the OTA, what incentive are you giving them to book with you directly? The sorry fact is that this customer is not your customer. You are merely a provider of a guestroom for that OTA.

This reality might come as a bit frightening. The OTA booking experience is superior to that of accommodation providers as it allows the traveller to shop for airlines, accommodation and car rentals simultaneously through one single guest profi le. It simplifi es the travel buying process and does it very well. The cost of building this type of massive interface was borne partially by you the hotelier and is continuously paid out through a high commission rate.

The plain and dire truth is that the OTAs have out-marketed the hotels. Give them credit for provocative advertising dished up at high media levels. Give them credit for a better web experience. And, recognise their evangelical approach to our industry. Scan every hotel conference agenda. It is diffi cult to fi nd one that does not have a speaker from one of the OTAs preaching their gospel. Looking at it from a long-term perspective, it is perhaps the most revolutionary change to our industry since the invention of the credit card.

Some considerations to build loyalty

How can the hotelier combat the OTAs? I might add that if you are an owner or manager of a limited-service property, some of my recommendations are not entirely feasible. For those of you who want to sell more than just a quick night's rest, here are some thoughts:

LET’S SAY IN ONE ROOM YOU HAVE A BUSINESS TRAVELLER WHO FLEW ALL NIGHT, MANAGED A FULL DAY OF MEETINGS, RETURNED TO THE HOTEL TO CATCH UP ON EMAILS AND EAT.

He or she then needs to squeeze in a very solid eight hours of shut eye to get up and do it all again. In the next room, you have a vacationer who wants to sleep in, take a long bath, eat a leisurely in-room breakfast, post yesterday’s photos on Facebook and then head out for a day of exploring.

It’s clear that while they have similar needs, their priorities are different.

We analysed a sample of 1.57 million verifi ed reviews to better understand how business travellers differ from leisure travellers. Overall about 20 per cent of business travellers’ reviews are negative compared with 17 per cent for leisure travellers. They aren’t as satisfi ed as they could be and, given that business travellers are a lucrative group that can bring repeat business when given proper service and amenities, here are some ideas for keeping them happy based on the analysis.

Comfortable, up-to-date furniture

A business traveller’s home away from home needs to be a cozy place to fi nish up last-minute meeting preparations and rehearsals. But not all business travellers are feeling comfortable. This segment mentions the furniture in their hotel room 17 per cent more than leisure travellers and they tend to give it 5 per cent lower scores than their leisure counterparts. Hotels looking to impress business travellers should ensure that their furniture is well-maintained and comfortable.

Large, well-equipped bathrooms

Business travellers need to show up dressed for success. This starts in the bathroom with a nice shower, good lighting and a little space to blow dry their hair, apply makeup, shave, etc. Business travellers mention the

Larry Mogelonsky

Margaret Ady

mmanagement

11SPRING 2014

1. Make your own website experience fantastic. Sell your property and its virtues. If, per chance, a potential guest visits your site while also checking availabilities on his or her favorite OTA (not uncommon with new browser tabs, new browser windows or dual computer monitors), make sure you clearly identify a "best rate guarantee". As well, I have seen several accommodation providers offer unique non-monetary inducements to direct-shopping customers, such as breakfast or as-available room upgrades.

2. Never lose a customer through your reservation centre. Sometimes a guest will phone instead of utilising your website. Make sure you expertly handle phone reservations 24/7. When your reservation centre closes for the night/weekend, rather than diverting calls to the front desk or an answering machine, hire a professional firm to take over so that customers will always have the opportunity to hear a reassuring, human voice on the other end. The voice channel typically represents 6 per cent to 10 per cent of business. Make it work for you.

3. Remember the traditional travel agent. This once critical segment now accounts for a much smaller slice of your business. However, they know their customers, who typically are booking better rooms and suites. They work hard for their 10 per cent commission. Give them respect and help them with their unique customer requests, and this will be repaid with tremendous loyalty. And remember to pay those commissions promptly.

4. Retain your loyal, direct-booked customers. Flag guest dossiers with a marker as to how they booked. At check-in, thank them for booking directly and reinforce this with a small gift of some sort. Communicate with them through an e-newsletter. One of my clients thanks each property.com and phone-in booking with a $50 food-and-beverage or spa credit immediately upon check-in. While this might be a token amount in light of a $300-plus average daily rate and two-and-a-half nights average stay, their guest comments have improved measurably since implementation and overall revenue per occupied room hasn't fallen.

5. Analyse your business segments based upon net contribution, not just ADR. Your revenue manager has the toolset. By focusing on rates net of commissions, you might alter your approach to the use of OTAs. The goal is profitable occupancy, not just occupancy at all costs.

6. Consider eliminating OTA availability during anticipated sell-out dates. When are you full year after year? You have historical trended data. Run the numbers. It might be more profitable to operate the house at 80 per cent with a 20 per cent higher net rate than at 90 per cent with a large OTA contingent.

7. Create demand through advertising. Start with a targeted Google AdWords campaign to generate base-level volume. Limit your costs to a percentage that matches traditional travel agents, which could be as much as 20 points less than the OTAs. Next, look at Facebook advertising. I am not outright recommending this approach for all properties but it is an option. Lastly, merge your promotional activity with targeted traditional advertising, such as radio, print or television. Advertising has generated demand for the past 100-plus years.

8. Consider an incentive to OTA guests but only if they book directly next time.

While we have tested this, the results have been inconclusive. You might think that an incredible $100 bounce back coupon (that's the technical term) will generate solid demand. However, the frequency of visits to most hotels is measured in months or years. It is difficult for people to remember they have a coupon, let alone cash it.

The challenge of the OTA is not going to be solved simply by building a better mousetrap - that is, a website. If you want to reduce the OTA component of your business, you had better develop an infrastructure that replaces this segment. Easier said than done, I know. But remember, you ultimately manage the amount of inventory you give to any segment. You are in control. Have your revenue manager jointly sign the cheques you send to the OTAs. Set the goal of lowering the dollar amount of that cheque while also increasing occupancy.

See what happens when you tie the revenue manager's performance package to those two often conflicting goals.

Larry Mogelonsky is the president and founder of LMA Communications Inc, an award-winning, full service communications agency focused on the hospitality industry (est 1991). Larry is also the developer of Inn at a Glance hospitality software. As a recognised expert in marketing services, his experience encompasses Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Preferred Hotels & Resorts, as well as numerous independent properties throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Larry is a registered professional engineer and received his MBA from McMaster University

bathroom more than leisure travellers (14 per cent more than, say, those who travel with their families) and they tend to give the bathroom 3 per cent lower scores than their leisure counterparts when it is lacking the aforementioned amenities. To keep business travellers happy, hotels should ensure that their bathrooms are properly equipped to handle this segment.

Fully-stocked mini bar

For many business travellers, unwinding at the end of a long workday includes a cocktail and a snack. Interestingly, the mini bar is the second lowest rated amenity with business travellers, with a sentiment score of 38 per cent (compared to 46 per cent among leisure travellers). Hotels looking to keep business travellers content should ensure that the mini bar is properly stocked. Want to go a step further? Take a cue from Kimpton Hotels that offers a free Raid the Bar voucher to its Reward Program members.

Proper air conditioning

A proper room temperature is key to a good night’s sleep. It is, therefore, no surprise that business travellers demand decent air conditioning. Unfortunately, they aren’t always getting it. Air conditioning is the lowest rated amenity with business travellers, with a sentiment score of just 29 per cent (compared to 35 per cent among leisure travellers). To ensure that business travellers are comfortable, hotels should ensure that their cooling system is working and adjustable in the room.

Connectivity

It’s not news that business travellers must stay connected while on the road, yet current hotel Internet/wifi offerings are not meeting their demands.

Business travellers give hotel Internet/wifi lower scores than leisure travellers and they mention this amenity more than twice as often as other leisure traveller segments (couples, those traveling with friends, those traveling alone).

Hotels must give business travellers a way to stay connected while traveling. The upside for hotels who cater to the needs of business travellers is that all of these improvements are likely to also benefit leisure travellers, ultimately improving scores across the board.

Note: All statistics mentioned in this article are based on an analysis of a sample of 1.57 million verified reviews from TrustYou’s database.

Margaret Ady serves as vice president, marketing at TrustYou, a big data and online reputation management company specialising in the hospitality industry. She graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in economics and psychology, and where she was awarded the Annenberg Communications Pathway Grant for her research in new technology and its impact on healthcare decision-making. Previously, Margaret served in leadership positions at The Walt Disney Company and The Oprah Winfrey Network and has provided research, branding and consulting services to 20th Television (Fox), Nielsen and many other companies in FMCG/Entertainment/IT industries.

p property


Tips for Purchasing:

Points to ponder when contemplating a property purchase

A NUMBER OF EARLIER ARTICLES HAVE ADDRESSED THE TOPIC OF PREPARATION FOR SALE OF AN ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS, WHEREAS THIS ONE IS INTENDED TO HIGHLIGHT POINTS TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN PURCHASING.

It is possible though that a potential seller could glean some ideas as to what an informed purchaser may be looking for. Sometimes getting the right answers is a matter of asking the right questions. Usually a business that is for sale will be presented with documentation in support of the seller’s expectations, however it may be helpful to look beyond that initial information into some other important factors.

• Profi t & loss: When for sale, accounts are usually presented on a ‘normalised’ basis. This means to remove the infl uence of management style so that similar businesses can be compared. In accounting terms, the profi t used for sale purposes is sometimes referred to as EBITDA.

This means Earnings Before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation (and Drawings) and Amortisation (a form of depreciation on the lease).

The end profi t for selling purposes has a direct relationship to price. This is fair enough as long as you are comparing apples with apples.

The main things to look out for here are:

• Wages: Sellers usually add back to the bottom line any excess wages above the norm, for example if one partner has another job, or if they have taken a lot of extra holidays and employed more minders than usual. What to look out for is where the wages may be lower than average, which would effectively bolster the profi t.

Do you want to pay more for a business simply because the seller is working harder than most? An industry average for motels of a medium size is around 10 per cent of revenue for cleaner’s wages. This will vary a lot and depends on the size of the operation, so this is just a guideline.

• Domestic establishment: Some accountants deal with the taxable portion of the benefi t of ‘free living’ in the motel by declaring

a certain amount of income as ‘cost of domestic establishment’ or some other term for the effective benefi t. The amount varies and this is not actually cash income and therefore should be removed from the equation for calculating a profi t for sale purposes.

• Rent: There are many ‘rules of thumb’ for assessing rental based on either a percentage of revenue or an average amount per unit per annum. The rent review is a separate subject in itself, so suffi ce to say here that it is important to establish where the actual rental is relative to what the market rental should be.

If the rental is below market, it may bolster the profi t and possibly the asking price. The chance of the rent rising (at a rent review) must be greater than if it were already at a fair market level.

However if purchasing a business where the rental is a bit on the high side and, the business is still priced according to the current profi tability after paying the rent, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

This is because if the rent is already on the high side then it would seem easier to defend a proposed rent increase relative to future increases in revenue.

• GST returns: These are good to confi rm total revenue and also seasonal trends throughout the year. GST returns are not much help in examining running costs because they do not include wages and may include capital expenses. It is always important to have the latest fi nancial accounts for the last fi nancial year, however if halfway through the current year, GST returns for equivalent comparable periods would establish the direction in which the turnover is heading.

• Occupancy rates: This is a commonly sought information and understandably so. Some would comment that you can’t bank occupancy and that one can easily fi ll every room if sold too cheaply.

Kelvyn Coffey

Management Rights – Substantial Resort ComplexThis large, modern and well established resort is producing very good returns to the operator and comes with exciting growth opportunities from the robust increase in tourism now being seen in the South Island.

The offering includes the spacious managers apartment, on-site restaurant and bar, conference facility and sole rights to operate the accommodation apartments. A secure management rights contract completes the picture.

$2,250,000(Includes business & real estate)

Ref # 1053

Positioned For SuccessWell positioned to the main centre of Invercargill on the inbound tourist route.

The Bella Vista Group has given this motel the complete makeover and are now offering a unique opportunity for someone to purchase and grow this 18 unit motel into a pro� table business.

With a brand new 35 year lease, units refurbished and redecorated, along with competitive vendor � nance, this would be a “golden” opportunity to join one of NZ’s most successful and respected accommodation brands.

New Lease $475,000Ref # 6966

www.coffeys.co.nzFreephone: 0800 263 339

Telephone: +64 3 366 9040 Facsimile: +64 3 366 9051E-mail: [email protected]

Industry Specialists Since 1984

New Zealand WideINTRODUCING MASTERTON

INVERCARGILL HAMILTON

METHVEN ASHBURTON

Donald PannettP: 03 974 7563

M: 027 526 1215E: [email protected]

Alan IronsideP: 03 550 0465


Inky StoveP: 03 550 0471


Colin JakewayCoffeys are pleased to welcome Colin back to our industry.

Colin has owned and operated a number of motels over the years and also has past experience as a motel and hotel broker.

So whether seeking advice on buying, selling or operating in the industry, he has it covered.

To discuss motels or other accommodation properties in the South Island please contact:

Colin JakewayP: 03 550 0678 M: 027 484 4460E: [email protected]

Motivation - Urgency - ActionThis motor lodge and restaurant complex is on the market to sell, our vendors want action and will respond to all offers. Included in the package are 21 superb units, all in exceptional condition. The licenced restaurant/conference centre adds lots of options for new owners to maximise their income streams. Spacious grounds with a pool and ample off road parking. The residence has three bedrooms. Grab the opportunity and catch the Christmas trade, our vendors are highly motivated.

Lease Offers Sought by 12 November 2014

Ref # 7294

28 Unit Complex That DeliversThis purpose-built modern complex ticks all the boxes.

An annual recipient of Trip Advisor’s Award of Excellence, this 4-Star Plus Qualmark rated motel with conference facility enjoys excellent guest reviews and has a solid corporate client base.

Vendor wishes to retire and is selling the property as a freehold going concern. The sale of the land & buildings with the sale of the business in tandem would be considered. Inspection won’t disappoint.Call now!

FHGC $4,600,000 Ref # 9465

Superb Motel in Prosperous TownThis 12 unit motel with the bonus of a standalone 2 bedroom house (for guests) is situated in a beautiful garden setting including outdoor swimming pool, children’s play area and barbeque area.

Every part of this property is presented to the highest standard. Chattels and � ttings are of the highest order and constant refurbishing ensures the retention of the 4 Star Qualmark rating.

Ashburton is a progressive service town and is a great place to have an accommodation business.

New Lease $795,000Ref # 1932

Peter McGrathP: 06 929 7681


Chris WongP: 09 551 0154


p property


Tips for Purchasing:

Whilst this is true, having the details of occupancy along with turnover enables one to establish an average room yield.

There is a correlation between occupancy and room rates insofar as if annual occupancy is above say 75 per cent to 80 per cent it may mean that there is potential to increase room rates.

On the other hand, if a proud operator refuses to meet the market on room rates and as a result has a high average room rate on units sold, but a low occupancy, there could be some potential to improve matters there.

• Building condition & maintenance requirements: Many leases these days have a maintenance fund. There are various ways that these are set up, a common one is for a percentage of the current annual rental to be paid into the fund. The fund is generally available for the lessee to meet the obligations for building maintenance, rather than for purchasing chattels. It is good to know if there is any money in the fund at the time of sale, as this would usually pass with the sale.

• Painting & maintenance schedule: Many leases provide for a certain number of units to be redecorated on an annual basis, the idea being that the entire complex will be redecorated over a period of usually fi ve to seven years. The exterior of the building

may require painting every fi ve to seven years also, so it would be good to know when it is next due.

It is also worth bearing in mind that if a high level of maintenance has been carried out prior to the business going up for sale, it is fair for the seller to suggest an adjustment to the maintenance expenditure in terms of the bottom line profi t for sale purposes.

Bear in mind though, that just because a lot of maintenance has been carried out recently, it is never fi nished and there will always be more coming up, albeit to a lesser extent in some cases.

• Length of lease: Basically the longer the lease the better. The issue of length of lease, extension and purchasing of years and the like is once again a separate subject in itself. Suffi ce to say that future resale value is the key and a good long lease is very important there. Other articles are available on this for interested parties.

It is diffi cult to present a concise précis on this subject in a short article such as this. A short book could be written on this topic, so if these notes raise awareness of issues to look out for, then hopefully this commentary will have served its purpose. Any questions or comments would be most welcome.

By Kelvyn Coffey, Coffey Tourism Brokers

www.coffeys.co.nz

Freephone: 0800 263 339

Telephone: +64 3 366 9040 Facsimile: +64 3 366 9051

E-mail: [email protected]

Industry Specialists Since 1984

New Zealand Wide

QUEENSTOWNHANMER SPRINGS

HAMILTON

HASTINGS

FOX GLACIER

NELSONChris Wong

P: 09 551 0154 M: 021 106 6188

E: [email protected]

Peter McGrath

P: 06 929 7681 M: 027 449 1608


Donald Pannett

P: 03 974 7563 M: 027 526 1215


Inky Stove

P: 03 550 0471 M: 021 182 6940


Kelvyn Coffey

P: 03 550 0459 M: 027 432 0565


Inky Stove

P: 03 550 0471 M: 021 182 6940


Beautiful Luxury Lodge

A prestigious freehold lodge for

sale on a large parcel of land

offering many income options.

Situated within 10 minutes

from both the Arrowtown and

Queenstown main centres,

this business continues to

show increasing revenue and

pro� tability.

Positioned to take advantage

of the growing top end

accommodation market in one

of New Zealand’s most dynamic

regions.

FHGC $2,750,000

Ref # 4055

Entry Level Hospitality Opportunity

New listing for an entry level

motel in Hanmer Springs.

With tourism on the upward

trend, tourist hotspots like

Hanmer will be one of the

� rst to bene� t from that extra

custom.

This 11 unit refurbished and

well established property set in

a beautiful garden setting with

in-ground swimming pool and

close to the Thermal Hot Pools

is priced to sell.

Lease $320,000

Ref # 1345

Freehold Motel Investment

With exceptional guest reviews

and an excellent operator in

place, your investment is secure

with this solid performer. Just

seven years old, this 15 unit

motel offers a respectable

return. Located on Hamilton’s

motel mile this property is set

to enjoy the continued growth

of Hamilton, now ranked as

New Zealand’s third fastest

growing urban area. Grab this

opportunity while you can.

Land & Buildings

$1,875,000

Ref # 9432

Motor Lodge With The “WOW” Factor

Great location in sunny

Hawkes Bay on the main road

to Napier, this motor lodge

has 25 luxury, quiet and very

spacious apartments in excellent

condition. The complex boasts a

top ranking on Trip Advisor and

also offers guests a conference

facility and swimming pool. The

owner’s residence includes three

bedrooms and a double garage.

Bring your marketing skills and

grow this affordably priced

business.

Lease $450,000

Ref # 8606

30 Room Backpackers

Recently refurbished on a prime

2,502m2 site in the heart of the

Village. Run under management

– owners wants sold! Revenue

is climbing sharply and showing

good pro� tability. Substantial

food and beverage operation.

Good owner’s and staff

accommodation. An opportunity

to purchase a freehold going

concern at a very favourable

price, below rateable value on

land and buildings.

FHGC $1,200,000

(Negotiable)

Ref # 3553

A City On The Move

A change of name and strong

activity in the Nelson market

has worked wonders for this

revitalised property. The 2014

� gures for the motel show a

marked improvement and the

future looks bright for this well

positioned 12 unit property.

Total refurbishment of this 4

Star Plus property ensures that

� rst impressions from clients

are very positive and repeat

business is on the rise.

Don’t miss this chance.

Lease $425,000

Ref # 2452

Market your property listing direct to over 4500 owners and prospective buyers.

AMG and AccomNews are proudly published by Multimedia Publishing.

Bringing industry professionals together since 1995.Ph: (03) 365 5575 Fax: (03) 365 1655 Postal: PO Box 5104, Christchurch, 8542

To � nd out more contact: Stewart Shimmin on (03) 974 1036 or email [email protected]

2014 MEMBER

ACC

O

MMODATION

•INDUSTRY•

management rights • hotels • motels • resorts • holiday parks • time share • hosted

The Accom Management Guide Property Section is the perfect place to market your property. In addition to the broad base of prospective purchasers reading every issue of AMG, our experienced industry readers can see past short-term economic effects on values when assessing your property, and are more likely to meet stringent � nance requirements.

Make sure you’re not missing out on this vital buying market.

– Only $1725 Inc GST for a Full Page Listing

QUEENSTOWNHANMER SPRINGS

Inky Stove

P: 03 550 0471 M: 021 182 6940


Beautiful Luxury Lodge

show increasing revenue and



custom.

This 11 unit refurbished and

well established property set in

a beautiful garden setting with

in-ground swimming pool and

close to the Thermal Hot Pools

New Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGS


QUEENSTOWN

Beautiful Luxury LodgeEntry Level Hospitality Opportunity


With tourism on the upward

trend, tourist hotspots like

Hanmer will be one of the


New Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGS


QUEENSTOWN

New Zealand Wide


New listing for an entry level



New Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGSHANMER SPRINGS


New Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGSNew Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGSNew Zealand WideNew Zealand WideNew Zealand WideNew Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGSHANMER SPRINGSNew Zealand Wide

New Zealand Wide

HANMER SPRINGSHANMER SPRINGSNew Zealand Wide

• management rights • hotels • motels • resorts • holid

ay p

arks

• ti

me

shar

e • hosted

rrefurbishment

15SPRING 2014

Case Study – Bolton Hotel, Wellington:

Cutting edge technology at the Bolton

NEW TECHNOLOGY IS TAKING OVER IN HOTELS ACROSS WORLD BUT FEW WOULD BE MORE ADVANCED IN THAT REGARD THAN THE BOLTON HOTEL, WELLINGTON – AND IT MAY WELL BE THE MOST ADVANCED IN NEW ZEALAND. TWO YEARS ON, THE TECHNICAL ONRUSH SHOWS NO SIGN OF SLOWING.

It all began when technology consultant, Daniel Angus, became involved with the hotel where his uncle is managing director. Mr Angus was unimpressed with the quality of the TV reception and service, and the hotel management made the decision to improve it.

The first step was to purchase 247 of the latest Samsung Spec HT televisions through dtr Leaseplus.

“As well as much improved viewing quality, the new TVs enabled us to put in our own backend hardware which will assist with future developments we’re now working on. This means we can have a high level of control of our TV service ourselves and be much less dependent on an outside provider,” said Mr Angus.

“Now we have a nice, fresh TV channel list – all the sports channels are in HD and the whole service is certainly a lot, lot better than what we were offering before. It also allowed us to completely refresh the look of the guest rooms. Modernising them with new TVs has made a massive difference.

“Because they are smart TVs, we’ll be able later on to incorporate some more smart functions that tie back to the internal systems that we’re currently developing with our in-house app system. It’s been designed as per our own specifications through the design team that I’m leading to achieve exactly what we want.”

Multifunctional iPads

The next step in the technology improvement process was not long in coming and it was all to do with iPads. Apart from the large cost, executives were very conscious of the enormous waste of paper and were looking for an option that provided their guests with more up to date news.

“We decided we could offer a broader scope of services to the hotel guests and make a significant saving by removing newspapers altogether. That’s how the iPads came about,” Mr Angus said.

“I suggested that we could put a device in the rooms that could offer the latest news locally and around the world by installing different apps. We decided to go with Apple for various future development reasons. All of sudden the hotel got very excited about because we realised that whatever we imagined, we could do.

“For instance, we had alarm clocks in all the guest rooms. Twice a year when daylight saving changed, the cleaners would have to go around and adjust all the clocks. It seems a simple little thing but with 139 rooms, that can be quite a mission.

“I suggested that we also use the iPad as an alarm clock. Now we have a very simple but aesthetically pleasing alarm application that runs on the iPad. The time updates automatically from the central server so the clock is always correct. Daylight saving is no longer an issue. The iPad also shows the guest the weather forecast for the day."

Atlthough there are 139 guest rooms, the Bolton purchased 247 iPads. Several are available for use in the restaurant or on display at the front desk, while there are two in the two-bedroom and presidential suites, with a number of others as spares.

Said Mr Angus: “It just went on and on – what else can we do, what else can we save? Then we started looking at all the paper we were having printed to include in the hotel rooms – the compendium, the mini bar list, restaurant menus, fire escape details… and so the app was born. Now we were able to head to the next level and start developing our own kind of hotel information suite.

“We currently have a very simple, stage one application in the hotel rooms which is called the Bolton app and is pretty much an information app that we can update at any time with any information we like. We can keep that up to date and fresh all the time with all the handy information the guests may want to know. There are no limits to what we can create. What we can do is endless.”

Tailored interactive

However, the team at the Bolton has not finished there.

“What we’re developing at the moment takes this whole idea a lot further – an inter-active app. Guests will be welcomed when they come into the room, they’ll be able to see a fully inter-active room service and restaurant menu, book a table in the restaurant, order an extra pillow, order a taxi, check out – and that’s just a few of the possibilities.

“We hope the guests will really latch on to what we’re trying to do and enjoy being able to explore the hotel and everything it has to offer from the comfort of their room. It’s a technology we can continue to develop for ourselves, fully tailored to the hotel. Development’s going very well and we hope to be releasing that app very soon.

So where does all this place the Bolton Hotel in relation to others both here and overseas?

“We know there are other hotels internationally that have iPads in the room and other specific applications, but I’ve yet to read anything about anybody creating their own tailored inter-active system for their hotel. As far as I know we are the only one in New Zealand with this type of system. There may well be others but I know whatever happens, what we are doing will be unique to us,” Mr Angus said.

The full interactive app will be released at a still to be announced date before the end of the year.

r refurbishment


Case Study – Bolton Hotel, Wellington:

Cognil apps crucial to Bolton success

FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TECHNICAL UPGRADE AT THE BOLTON HOTEL HAS BEEN THE SOPHISTICATED APPS DEVELOPED BY WELLINGTON-BASED COMPANY, COGNIL SYSTEMS LTD, MANAGED BY ANDREW BATE AND ANTHONY RADICH.

“In July 2013 we developed a cost effective compendium management system, Compendium Plus, that allows hotels and motels to reduce their carbon footprint by moving away from paper-based information delivery in favour of delivery to mobile devices in-room,” said Mr Bate.

“Compendium Plus was followed by an enhanced Software-as-a-service (SaaS), offering Compendium HQ, which also includes announcements, feedback forms, Facebook and Twitter integration, plus providing statistics on what compendium pages guests read.

“Some of the benefi ts of using Compendium HQ are: reduction of carbon footprint; elimination of the cost of printing compendiums, menus and printed guest materials; instant changes to compendiums across all rooms; centralised management of guest feedback and distribution of announcements; improved social marketing via the use of Facebook and Twitter posts; and no upfront capital outlay by utilising software as a service with a low monthly subscription,” he said.

“In October 2013 we started a project in collaboration with our very good friends and strategic partner, the Bolton Hotel. This was aimed at developing an integrated hotel service that includes all of the services currently available in Compendium HQ but enhanced to include a powerful in-room application that guest use to request services, a website that provides the facility to book rooms and allows hotel staff to maintain their own content and a request services application that is used by hotel staff to ensure service performance measures are maintained.

“This means that guests are able to generate requests for restaurant booking, room service, housekeeping, concierge and room maintenance services.

Long-term television relationship THE COMMERCIAL MANAGER OF DTR LEASEPLUS, RICHARD SEXTONE, SAYS THE BOLTON HOTEL IS A “LONG TERM AND MUCH-VALUED CUSTOMER.

“Our association has now reached 10 years. We fi rst became involved with the Bolton and the in-room televisions back in 2004 when the hotel fi rst opened.

“A mix of Philips Commercial CRT TVs and new to the market 17-inch LCDs were installed. Most of those original sets were replaced around 2011 with commercial LG panels.

“Initial discussions with managing director Warwick Angus, and then Daniel Angus around the technology upgrade began mid last year. All options were explored regarding sizes and brands along with bracket confi gurations,” Mr Sextone said.

“The team at The Bolton decided to go with the 2014 smart range from Samsung on a full service operating lease; these sets have integrated well with the Bolton’s new television infrastructure and have produced a great guest viewing experience, taking full advantage of the televisions’ inbuilt digital tuner and offering a HD experience.

“The team at dtr wishes The Bolton management and staff all the best for the future and we look forward another 10 years of our relationship, where we will be sure to see a vast range of technology enhancements.”

But what of those guests who prefer service being provided to them in the traditional way?

“Guests who still want newspapers or personal service will continue to be catered for. Those systems will still be in place. But we feel the majority of our guests will join in and take part because a high proportion of them are corporate clients who use most of these devices on a daily basis anyway. We hope they’ll also give us good feedback so we can continue to develop and make our technology the best we can for both the client and the hotel.”

The Bolton team is also developing an interactive system with a variety of capabilities, for hotel staff, for instance providing information on required maintenance and letting front of house staff know which rooms still need servicing and which are available if guests want to check in early.

“It will assist the hotel to be once step ahead of what our clients requires and offer service to them much, much more effi ciently. It’s going to be very exciting for the hotel staff, as well as the guests,” Mr Angus concluded.

By Brent Leslie, Staff Reporter

rrefurbishment

17SPRING 2014

In addition the system provides: hotel W-Fi password delivery; local news and events; weather forecasts; self service checkout and bill payment; automatically generated room refresh requests on guest checkout

“Supported by the Bolton’s Hotel experience, we believe the benefits of the leveraging Hotel Integration Suite are: leverage of technology to provide always available guest services right in room; management and tracking of guests’ service delivery by staff to minimise service fulfilment costs; improved service responsiveness which promotes and improves guest relationships with their hotel – increasing satisfaction, net promoter scores and generating repeat patronage. Centralisation

and electronic delivery of guest materials right to the room, eliminates

the cost of printing, reduces the hotel’s carbon footprint and promotes

the hotel’s environmental responsibility.

“Hotel Integration Suit (HIS) integrates with existing hotel or motel

systems, delivers a managed guest-centric, always available facility to

improve guest experience, reduces cost of fulfilment and differentiates

a hotel or motel in the marketplace,” said Mr Bate.

“Cognil and the Bolton believe this is the next evolution in providing

guest service in a hotel or motel and believe it will quickly become the

standard norm.”

r refurbishment


Case Study – Amora Hotel, Auckland:

New beds make the difference at Auckland’s Amora

AMORA HOTEL AUCKLAND IS A 4-STAR QUALMARK RATED HOTEL THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON GIVING EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY. FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DUXTON HOTEL AUCKLAND, IT WAS REBRANDED AS THE AMORA IN FEBRUARY 2011.

Looking out over the green foliage of Myers

Park, near the upper end of the business

district, the hotel is only a few minutes’ walk

from the city centre. Throughout the week, its

clientele tends to be mainly corporate, in Auckland for conference or other

business reasons, although the busiest period of all is the weekends when

the leisure market takes over.

Homyar Desai was recently appointed as the hotel manager, having

previously worked for the Amora Hotel Wellington. His brief was to take a

closer look at necessary upgrades in an effort to improve the product.

“We have a healthy mix of rooms here, ranging from standard deluxe, to our

spa rooms with bi-fold windows that open up to the bedroom. We also have

executive suites and the luxurious penthouse suites on level 10,” he said.

“We’re currently working on a number of different projects at the property, and one of the first projects was the replacement of the beds, most of which had been in place for quite some time. Lead-in rooms tend to be used more often than the others because of their price and value proposition. We decided to replace all the 172 beds with a superior product manufactured by a well-known and trusted brand,” Mr Desai said.

“Price was important but it wasn’t the only factor we looked at. You need to balance price with quality and service. It has to be the entire package. For economic reasons, you

want a good length of life from your beds. Eight to 10 years is how long we expect our new beds to last.”

“Sealy NZ pitched for the business along with several other manufacturers. Each one was given a set of parameters that we wanted to see in their proposal with regard to their product and service, along with a plan to implement the replacement programme.

“We went with the Sealy NZ’s Hotel Classic Euro Top bed sets. Sealy customised the product specifically for our property. These beds were locally made at their manufacturing facility in Auckland.”

“We swapped all the beds around in August and we’ve had quite strong, positive feedback since."

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19SPRING 2014

“We swapped all the beds around in August and we’ve had quite strong, positive feedback since. We’ve had a good mix of corporate and leisure guests who’ve since returned and noticed that the beds had been changed. They’re definitely a step up on what was there before.

“I found Sealy’s commercial sales executive, Alex Reid, easy to deal with. He was someone I could relate to. He was very understanding of Amora’s requirements. He was appreciative of the fact that I had a few challenges of my own to have this project signed off,” Mr Desai said.

From his point of view, Sealy’s Alex Reid says that he “thoroughly enjoyed working with Homyar and his professional team. This enabled a seamless transition for the replacement of the new beds, and the removal of the existing ones.”

Homyar Desai certainly has no regrets. “I believe we made a wise decision after thinking about all the various proposals on the table. It wasn’t the cheapest because I wasn’t looking for the cheapest. We’re all about providing value within our 4-star market.

“We have a robust leisure domestic and international clientele that stay with us and, given that they have to pay for their own rooms instead of charging them to a company, the positive response we’ve received from them is very encouraging indeed”.


Sealy New Zealand are proud to have worked in partnership with

Amora Hotel Auckland to provide them with “Hotel Classic Euro Top”

mattresses for their entire hotel.

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Case Study – InterContinental, Wellington:

Luxury Wellington hotel completes major refurbishment

IT HAS BEEN A LONG HAUL BUT THE RENOVATION OF WELLINGTON’S PRESTIGIOUS INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL IS NEARLY COMPLETE.

The capital’s only international five-star hotel, InterContinental Wellington is putting the finishing touches on its multi-million dollar refresh with the third phase of The Lobby Lounge, Chameleon Restaurant and reception now open for guests.

Renovation of InterContinental Wellington began in early October 2013, starting with the accommodation rooms and Club InterContinental lounge.

Extensive upgrading was undertaken across all levels of the accommodation and Club Lounge with the luxurious result being opened to guests earlier this year. Completion of the latest phase means guests now enjoy a new sense of arrival within the redesigned reception.

The 232 guest-room InterContinental has long been the only internationally-branded 5-star hotel in the capital. Its central role in the city began 24 years ago when it opened. The first general manager was part of the initial tourism body which eventually became Positively Wellington Tourism.

Subsequently the hotel has partnered with the community on major city-wide events and been a great supporter of charity organisations. It also offers connection for New Zealand hospitality employees to the global IHG group of 4700 hotels.

The first stage of the multi-million

dollar refurbishment opened

just before Christmas with the

completion of the first full floor of

Deluxe Guestrooms.

A newly defined accommodation

level for the hotel, Deluxe

Guestrooms, features several

enhancements which deliver

additional guest comfort via tailoring

to individual requirements: multi-

device high-speed wireless internet

connection, digital audio hub, 46

inch widescreen TV with multi-

channel options, digital lighting

controls, USB connectivity ports

and fully customisable air-conditioning/heating options.

The completely new bathroom fit-outs include walk-in showers

with both hand held and rain-shower heads, the addition of internal

windows to allow more natural light, and Agraria bathroom amenities

A total refurbishment of The Lobby Lounge, Chameleon Restaurant

and meeting rooms followed, and finally a redesigned reception area.

Adjacent to reception, The Lobby Lounge is now a stylish and

intimate space in which to enjoy a light meal or drink with friends and

colleagues. The elegant cocktail lounge boasts a significant beverage

list including some 144 different brands and types of spirits, served by

passionate and knowledgeable mixologists.

Why the refurbishment?

The major refurbishment was designed to deliver even further on its

promise of authentic luxury in the heart of New Zealand’s capital city.

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A transformed Club InterContinental lounge with spectacular views of

Wellington, a new deluxe category of accommodation, and state of the art

electronic enhancements, all wrapped in sophisticated design were the

intended result.

Bill Edwards, InterContinental Hotel Group's director of operations for

Australasia, said: "Wellington is a key city destination and an important

part of our global network of InterContinental Hotels and Resorts.

"The scale of this refurbishment is indicative of our commitment both to

Wellington and the InterContinental brand values.

“We're delighted our partner, Columna Capital Holdings, chose to

refurbish as this will ensure InterContinental Wellington remains one of the

top hotels in New Zealand."

A design team from Chada, a world leading specialist in hospitality design

with extensive international hotel project experience, was appointed to

deliver a contemporary and sleek look with a warm yet sophisticated

ambiance.

The fi t-out was undertaken by Watts and Hughes Construction, a New

Zealand business with extensive experience in both the construction

and property development sectors, and known for its commitment to

exceptional quality of design and construction.

Delivering excellence

InterContinental Wellington general manager Scott Hamilton says the layers of detail and design in the refurbishment are in response to catering for travellers with discerning taste.

“Our guests appreciate memorable experiences and a sense of occasion – it’s our job to continue to deliver excellence so both our business and leisure guests benefi t from our global expertise.”He said InterContinental Hotels & Resorts aims to connect guests with the local environment through enriching experiences.

“One of the special features of Wellington is the harbour and its interaction with the landscape and people.

“Our refurbished Club InterContinental Lounge, offering personalised service to guests staying in our exclusive Club InterContinental Guestrooms, now spans the total width of the hotel, overlooking the whole harbour, and provides truly stunning views, day and night,” said Mr Hamilton.

“The 64 Club InterContinental Guestrooms and Suites has been totally recreated, featuring state of the art electronic room controls which include the curtains (operated by the touch of a button while still in bed), digital lighting, air conditioning/heating and frosting of the glass in the shower windows.

[email protected] ■ www.brantasinternational.com

Comfort in the Guestroom…Visibility in the Control Room…

Energy Savings in the bottom line

rrefurbishment

23SPRING 2014

Sleepyhead is New Zealand’s largest and most trusted bedding brand.

The Sleepyhead Commercial range features leading innovative technology, designed for optimum comfort and durability.

Phone 09 276 9300 Fax 09 270 6006Free Phone 0800 753 377 Email [email protected]

COMMERCIAL

Proud to be preferred suppliers of beds to

The newly defi ned 84 Deluxe Guestrooms again involve a total conversion of three levels of the hotel. Deluxe Guestroom enhancements include new king-sized beds, digital audio units and reconfi gured bathrooms. Mr Hamilton said a new sense of arrival has been created within a redesigned reception supported by the concierge team’s wealth of local insights.

The hotel’s signature restaurant, the fi ve-star service Chameleon, has long been a fi ne-dining drawcard in the capital. The restaurant’s fresh decor provides an attractive backdrop for the chef’s new style of menu which encourages diners to indulge in the many superb choices offered.

Positive reaction

The hotel’s sales and marketing manager, Geoff Naumann says the refurbishment team has been “very pleased with guest reactions” since

the work was completed, with social media and guest feedback using words such as “awesome, wonderful, most comfortable bed ever slept in, the rooms have been renovated to an excellent standard, the new layout in the entrance foyer with the fi replace looks fantastic, new rooms are great and the refurbished lobby is a vast improvement”– and more, he said.

The fi nal phase – refurbishing the meeting rooms – will be completed January 2015.


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Laying new carpet brings a challenge

NEW CARPET AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL WAS LAID BY MASTER KELWIN FLOORS, THE LARGEST COMMERCIAL FLOORING BUSINESS IN AUSTRALASIA.

Specialising in all types of flooring for the commercial sector, Master Kelwin has been in business for more than 40 years and is part of the Auckland-based, Flooring Brands Group.

“We provide a ‘one stop shop’ for all commercial floor coverings and deliver added value to our clients from our capability in end-to-end commercial project solutions – from design consultancy to installation, after sales service and maintenance,” said the head of Master Kelwin Floors in New Zealand, Drew Nimmo.

“The hospitality sector is one in which we’ve developed particular expertise and understanding of the hotel operational environment. We’ve delivered major projects in a number of iconic properties including Crowne Plaza Auckland and Novotel Rotorua (part of the same group as InterContinental Wellington.

“The project we delivered for the InterContinental Wellington required a patterned Axminster carpet throughout the rooms and corridors on a staged programme that allowed the hotel to remain open,” said Mr Nimmo.

“Consequently, there was a significant challenge in working to a shift pattern (during normal hours and overnight) over an eight-month period which saw us prepare and lay over 2000 lineal metres of carpet (about 5300 square metres).

“We are delighted to have participated in this important project for the InterContinental and to support a valued customer organisation.”

Ensuring that guests have a good night’s sleep

SLEEPYHEAD MANUFACTURING WON THE CONTRACT TO PROVIDE NEW BEDS AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL AND THE COMPANY’S COMMERCIAL DIVISION MANAGER, DAMIEN HEGARTY, SAYS “SLEEPYHEAD HAS BEEN VERY PLEASED TO WORK WITH THE HOTEL TO ENSURE THEIR GUESTS ENJOY A GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP.

“Today the hotel industry recognises that the bed is the most important part of the room. Most international chains are investing in the latest bed technology to ensure their guests return because they enjoyed their sleep experience.

“Intercontinental chose beds from our top line Elegance range and also ensured it gave guests plenty of sleep space. Superking size is the standard and this ties in with an industry-wide move to larger beds,” Mr Hegarty said.

“Superking and California King are replacing Queens as the standard size in most middle and top end properties. The Elegance range offers guests deep, luxurious comfort layers and no partner disturbance. It features Dream Foam, which is the first completely environmentally friendly foam, manufactured in New Zealand or Australia.

“The range is 100 per cent New Zealand made. Sleepyhead is able to offer its products nationally from its modern state-of- the-art bed manufacturing plants in Auckland and Christchurch,” he said.

“Sleepyhead welcomes the opportunity to work with individual hotels to ensure the best outcomes for their guests. The company has been manufacturing beds in New Zealand since 1935 and has unrivalled expertise in providing top quality products, incorporating the latest available bed technology available worldwide. It has expanded its operations into Australia and is the largest bed manufacturer across both countries.”

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25SPRING 2014

Sophisticated lounge lighting

ECC PROVIDED THE LIGHTING DESIGN FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL CLUB LOUNGE, RESPONDING TO THE OWNER’S BRIEF, WHICH WAS TO CREATE A SOPHISTICATED, LIGHT AND AIRY, WELCOMING SPACE WITH A ‘WOW FACTOR’ SAID DEBBIE QUY, CLIENT MANAGER FOR THE LIGHTING COMPANY.

“The owner wanted to make the most of the incredible views from the lounge and be able to change the mood of the space from daytime to night. LED was a prerequisite for energy effi ciency.”

Mrs Quy said the project had a number of limitations that needed to be taken into consideration within the design:

• A low ceiling, so pendants were not suitable

• Panoramic views of Wellington City and Harbour, so lighting was not to distract from these.

• Bulkheads with service units running across inside of ceiling

“ECC came up with a lighting concept based on fully integrating the lighting into the architectural space, primarily using Flos Soft Architecture. These shapes and cove lighting moulds are plastered into ceilings and walls so that they become a seamless part of the space.

“In the original design we specifi ed Soft Architecture Circles in three sizes for the ceilings and Soft Architecture Spun Lamps as featured wall lights to add ambience and softness to the space.

“Because of the restrictions we had with service ducting in the ceiling in particular over the serving and dining areas of the room, we added Flos recessed Easy Kap downlights because they mimicked the shape of the large Soft Architecture circles, but because of their size could be easily confi gured in groups of three or in linear lines. The linear confi guration was used to defi ne servery area and tripod confi guration placed over the dining tables.

“To create the ‘wow’ factor for the client we suggested placing one of the largest Soft Architecture circles above the fi re fl ue. The result was a truly spectacular centrepiece in the room that looked like the light fi tting and the fl ue were made for each other.

“A visually attractive, energy effi cient space was achieved on budget, which exceeded our client’s expectations,” she said. Proud to support the

InterContinental Wellington

SIN

CE

190

9

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INNCOM system plays a key role

A KEY COMPONENT OF THE SOPHISTICATED NEW TECHNOLOGY AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL INSTALLED AS PART OF THE RECENTLY COMPLETED REFURBISHMENT IS THE GUESTROOM ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTION, INNCOM BY HONEYWELL, INSTALLED BY BRANTAS INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY.

Brantas director Jan Strijker says INNCOM systems are installed in more than 600,000 guest rooms worldwide and clients range from the most prestigious 5-star hotels to specialty limited-service properties.

“INNCOM technology can be directly applied in several related markets including universities and health care facilities.”

In a hotel setting, INNCOM fulfi ls the core purposes of upgrading the thermostat to a fully automated guestroom energy management system with a strong ROI.

However, it can be extended to be more than that. INNCOM INNtouch™ is a convenient, easy way for guests to display their privacy and service needs.

INNtouch™ eliminates unsightly, awkward doorknob tags and provides a pleasing doorbell chime to announce staff and other guests. At the touch of a button, Do-Not-Disturb or Make-Up-Room can be displayed immediately on the corridor wallplate,” Mr Strijker said.

“With the addition of a small motion sensor inside the guestroom, INNtouch™ allows staff to determine the occupancy of a room without knocking or yelling through the door. This reduces embarrassing intrusions on guest privacy.

“INNtouch™ operates on a standalone basis or seamlessly integrates with the INNcontrol™ centrally controlled guestroom energy management system to remotely display guestroom status to housekeeping and other hotel departments.

The INNCOM guest interface can run on tablets installed in the guest room, allowing guests to manage the room HVAC System, drape controls, DND and make up room requests, Room Service ordering,

Housekeeping and other department’s service requests from the comfort of their beds.

“The INNCOM range of thermostats can replace virtually any existing thermostat currently in use. They have the unique ability to directly control almost any HVAC fan coil unit, packaged terminal air conditioner, or other unit types ranging from 24V to 277V, without additional relays or transformers,” Mr Strijker said.

“With the addition of a passive infrared motion sensor and door switch, the INNCOM thermostat becomes the brain of a highly effi cient standalone energy management system. Without compromising guest comfort, guestroom energy costs can typically be reduced by 30 per cent or more. And, when integrated guest status controls are added to the system even greater guest convenience and staff effi ciencies are achieved.

“By connecting to INNCOM's INNcontrol network, the true energy and cost-effectiveness of the INNCOM solution is realised. With an INNCOM thermostat networked to a centrally controlled system, the hotel gains the highest level of energy savings with a feature-rich energy management system for both local and remote control of guestroom HVAC equipment and devices.”

The INNCOM devices come in various fi nishes including glass touch screen and can be fully customised to match the room design.

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27SPRING 2014

Case Study – Kinross Cottages, Otago:

Authentic Otago at Queenstown’s Kinross Cottages

IT’S A STUNNING LOCATION TO STAY IN AND WHEN CHRISTINE ERKKILA AND HUSBAND JOHN WERE PLANNING THE 14 GUEST COTTAGES THEY INTENDING TO OPEN, THEY WANTED SOMETHING SPECIAL.

Newly opened Kinross Cottages is located halfway between Queenstown and Cromwell, set amongst the vineyards of central Otago’s majestic Gibbston Valley. Guests can soak up the pioneering history of the original Kinross station, plus enjoy the romance of a working vineyard.

Pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and gewurtztraminer varieties are all growing in profusion around these unique cottages. To accompany their enjoyment of the area’s wine, guests can obtain local artisan produce at the onsite general store and wine merchant.

From the very beginning, Christine and John had a vision for the spacious, self-catering family and studio cottages they planned to build.

Said Christine: “We had a picture in our minds of how we wanted it to be – little central Otago shed-shaped cottages in keeping with the area, each with a gabled roof and lean-to shape on the back.

“We’d owned other small accommodation places before and we knew we wanted duplexes and the type of floor plan. We had all that drawn up by Paddy Baxter who’s a landscape designer of some repute in Queenstown. Paddy was able to breathe life to our concept and we used that to communicate to the builder, who drafted up the final plan.

“We didn’t use an architect, we went straight to a builder, John Mansfield of Fowler Homes Southern Lakes, who’s been excellent to work with. We’ve been able to work with him to incorporate all the great

ideas we have had along the way – which weren’t part of the original plan. He’s been really flexible and taken a problem-solving approach.”

But while the cottages’ construction was well underway, the crucial element of interior design had still to be achieved. Christine knew what the cottages needed to feel like to fit the product she wanted to market. “But I really needed some help to bring that to fruition.

“I wanted them to be a quirky, classy mix of rustic and colonial, yet with modern, easy to use facilities. The reason Kinross Cottages is the name, is that the land we bought is quite a big chunk of the original Kinross Station. Thomas Kinross came to the area in the late 1860s and became very well respected in the Gibbston community.

r refurbishment


Case Study – Kinross Cottages, Otago:

He and his wife Helen had 11 children and they ran the local trading post on the property, buying gold and provisioning locals and travellers.

“We felt there was a rich history in our property, so we contacted his descendants who were delighted for us to use the family name.

“They have given us access to a lot of photos and other memorabilia, so I wanted to bring that in as the theme of the rooms, without it all becoming kistch colonial. So really early on in the piece we went to Grace.”

The Grace is Grace Nattrass, lead designer for the project at SH Interiors in Auckland, and Mrs Erkkila is very satisfied with how the vision has been brought to life.

“I had the picture in my head but I would’ve found that really difficult to turn into reality without Grace being able to translate it and source everything we needed. A significant advantage of SH Interiors is that Grace is a one-stop-shop – both she and her offsider, Debbie Carr, were fantastic to work with.

“After the months of planning with them, we had a container arrive here on-site that had everything we needed – from the beds, to the furniture, to teaspoons, toilet brushes, drapes and the pots – everything came from Southern Hospitality – Grace and Debbie arranged everything.

“We’re very happy with how it’s all turned out. The rooms are better than I could’ve imagined. Grace put that vision in and made it work superbly. She held our hands a little bit in terms of interior lighting

Skilled construction brings praiseFOWLER HOMES IS BASED IN QUEENSTOWN AND JOHN MANSFIELD AND HIS PARTNER HAVE BEEN BUILDING THERE AND IN THE WIDER WAKATIPU BASIN SINCE 2007.

“With Kinross Cottages, our initial brief was a design that Christine Erkkila had commissioned from local designer, Paddy Baxter,” said Mr Mansfield. “I sat down with John and Christine, and we made a few minor changes to make it a little more practical with what they wanted to do, while staying within the budget.

“Our main objective was to create buildings that were in keeping with the area. John and Christine wanted to encapsulate the character of the Gibbston Valley and the history of what had been there in the past, so the cottages are very rustic. We used untreated, regionally grown macrocapa weatherboards and kept with an old, traditional gable design.

“Each cottage looks much like a small, farm cottage that fits in amongst the existing grape vines and other surroundings, and is pleasing to the eye. We worked with Christine and Grace Nattrass in finishing off the interior design – making a few internal changes to get everything exactly right.

“We hadn’t done anything like this before and having a really wet winter

didn’t help but everybody worked well together. It was a really good process,” said Mr Mansfield.

“We’re extremely pleased with the finished product and we’ve had fantastic feedback from various parties over both the practicality and appearance. It’s all been very rewarding.

“All credit to John and Christine for having the vision and fortitude to get this development up and running in such a respectful way to the surrounding environment.”

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29SPRING 2014

design, electrical plans and that sort of thing because we’d never done anything quite as big as this before. She was interested in everything that we needed her to do.” Kinross Cottages opened in late September. So what reaction has there been from its fi rst guests and the nearby community?

Said Christine: “The feedback we’re getting now is that the local people in the industry heard that this was coming and when they’ve arrived on-site for a look, they’ve just been blown away.

“The rooms really make a statement and communicate the standard of the product we have here. We’ve got a great location and with Grace’s help, we’ve really pulled off something special.”

By Brent Leslie, Staff Reporterwww.southernhospitality.co.nz

A division of Southern Hospitality Ltd 09 300 3044Grace [email protected] 021 241 1299

Debbie [email protected] 021 779 767

Tracy [email protected] 021 784 010

79 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell, Auckland

A Hotel, Lodge or Motel? No matter what the project, we can provide a full service

from the intial design to a total FF&E �tout.

BUILDING,DEVELOPING OR REFURBISHING?

SH Interiors are proud to have developed the spatial and interior design, as well as the FF&E �tout for Kinross Cottages.

Christine, John & all the team at Kinross!

Fowler Homes (Southern Lakes) Ltd51 Industrial Place, Queenstown 9348Phone: 03 441 1036 / 021 977 440 [email protected]

All the best for the future.

Congratulations

t technology


Guest Select:

Guest Select pays off in competitive motel business

FOR THOSE ON BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR, STAYING IN A HOTEL OR MOTEL CAN BE A LONELY EXPERIENCE, AND EVEN FOR COUPLES AND FAMILIES AWAY FROM THE DIVERSIONS AND DISTRACTIONS OF HOME LIFE, TIME CAN HANG HEAVY IF THERE IS NOTHING MUCH ON THE TELLY TO TAKE THEIR INTEREST.

More and more motels are finding the wide range made possible by Guest Select is an investment that has paid off handsomely.

Cornwall Motor Lodge

Among them is the Cornwall Motor Lodge, Palmerston North, owned by Esther and Tom Seymour.

“We went for Guest Select as a service for our guests,” said Mrs Seymour. “As more and more people now have SKY at home, there’s a definite desire for them to be able to watch SKY when they’re away. It’s just a guest service really.”

While guests were not actually asking for the service before the couple took it on, now, “it’s mentioned often,” she said. “We find that guests aren’t terribly keen to tell you what they want – it’s a matter of guessing really, most of the time.

“They’ve been saying that they’re really happy with the selection, such as the movies, but sport really is the main one. Most people who like SKY seem to be really focused on the sports channels – and the racing.

“Most of our guests are business travellers but the ladies really like the UK TV and the Living Channel. They’re as keen to watch those as the guys are to watch sport, I guess. But the guys are usually more vocal when it comes to talking about the sports channels.”

Asked if she and husband were happy with their decision to take on Guest

Select, she was very definite in her response: “Yes, very much so. It’s been

great.”

And the service from SKY – “Yes, they’re great. Really friendly – a really

supportive service actually.”

Chelsea Park Motor Lodge

It’s a similar feeling at Chelsea Park Motor

Lodge, Nelson, where Barry and Lee Sinclair

took over in May 2012 and almost immediately

decided they needed Guest Select.

Said Barry: “One of the reasons we took on

Guest Select was for a point of difference, and

also to offer our clients something that was

more than they were being offered around the

Nelson area.

“We think it’s worked out fine. We’ve certainly

got bookings from having Guest Select here.”

He gave a recent example of a couple who

had booked in that weekend to watch the

motor racing at Bathurst. “It was on SKY Sport

4 and we needed Guest Select to be able

to offer that. We’ve also had guests come in

who wanted to watch the Tour de France or

something similar.

“We also have corporates who come here

for the Guest Select as well because they want to watch the sport or

something else. These are corporate people who come from all around

New Zealand to do their business in Nelson. They stay the night here and

they want a variety of programmes to watch on TV.”

He says the Sinclairs believe in the value of promoting the SKY service.

“We’ve a sign outside, underneath our main sign, which is lit up at night

and shows ‘SKY Guest Select’. We also advertise it on our website as

well, plus the other websites we get bookings through such as Booking.

com, What-If, Expedia – it’s all in our profile.

Cornwall Motor Lodge Chelsea Park Motor Lodge

ttechnology

31SPRING 2014

“And certainly our international guests appreciate being able to watch the international channels, such as CNN, so they can catch up with what’s been happening at home.”

Asked if the motel had gained custom through Guest Select, his answer was emphatic: “Most defi nitely, yes.”

Lake Point Motel

At Lake Point Motel, Hamilton – Russell Watson and partner, Connie Ball, had Guest Select put on about eight months ago after purchasing the motel in late November last year.

A distinctive feature about their clientele is that often they are cancer patients being treated at Waikato Hospital – with or without their partners. Though most of them stay at a special lodge, when there are not enough beds available, some will stay at the motel.

Said Russell: “When we fi rst came here, we had quite a few from the Cancer Lodge who stayed here and we felt it would be nice to put SKY TV on for them so they could have more choice of programmes. Some stay here for several weeks when there are not enough beds in the lodge and they were starting to ask us about more sports channels and other SKY services.”

He has no doubt that taking on Guest Select has been a sound business decision.

“Oh yes defi nitely. A lot like their sport, and when their wives are having treatment, the men can watch their sport.”

He gave the example of a man who wanted to watch a certain boxing fi ght, which Mr Watson organised for him – prepaid. “They pay us and we pay the bill.”

He believes his Guest Select sign has helped bring in new business. “People come in off the street when they see that. There are four motels in Thackeray St and we’re the only one that has Guest Select.”

Cedar Court Motel

The feeling about the service is just as optimistic at Cedar Court Motel, Napier where Jo and Ken Walker are the lease owners. They upgraded their SKY television service in February.

“We’ve only been in this motel since August last year and we decided it was going to be our winter initiative,” said Jo. “We’re on the west shore and we wanted something different from what was already being catered for around here, and the only people who had Guest Select were larger motels. We’re a smaller motel, and that was something to make us different.

“It’s worked out well for us. We’ll have someone in and they’ll go, ‘Oh is the rugby on – have you got the rugby’ and we’ll say: ‘Yep, not a problem.’

“It’s mainly the sport they want, but we’ve found in the school holidays, the extra family channel also works out well.

“The only two motels in this area that had Guest Select were larger motels and some people like to stay in smaller motels. We cater for those people because we only have 15 units. Having Guest Select has worked out really well because of the extra channels.”

Mrs Walker said a signifi cant part of their clientele is corporate: “Although we already had their business before we got the Guest Select, they’ll say:

‘Oh, look it’s really good now you’ve got the extra.’ So we’ve enhanced their expectations and benefi ts, and they’ve loved it.”

Asked if she considered that Guest Select had brought in new business, she was an unequivocal as the three other moteliers that AMG spoke to: “Absolutely. Defi nitely, we don’t regret it – at all.”


SKY Business would like to welcome some of the new sites in recent months

to our Guest Select service!

• BK’s Counties Motor Inn, Pukekohe• Raglan Sunset Motel, Raglan• Viking Lodge Motel, Dannevirke• Adcroft Motel, Ashburton• 58 on Cron, Franz Josef• Eichardts Private Hotel, Queenstown• Chardonnay Motor Lodge,

Christchurch• Casa Bella Motel, Paihia• Blue Peaks Apartments, Queenstown• Deans Bush Motel, Christchurch

WELCOME

Call us today on 0800 759 333 to find out how Guest Select can work for your property. Check out the 400-plus sites that are enjoying the benefits of Guest Select. www.guestselect.co.nz

• Esplanade Motels and Apartments, Dunedin

• 166 Majestic Court Motel, Christchurch• Peppers on the Point, Rotorua• Totara Lodge, Upper Hutt• Olive Motel, Coromandel• Accent on Taupo Motel, Taupo• Parkview Motel, Dargaville• Flamingo Motel, New Plymouth• Acapulco Motel, Taupo• Azena Motel, Christchurch

Cedar Court Motel

t technology


Hospitality Televisions:

Delight your guests with increased viewing options

BROADCASTERS ARE NO LONGER IN CHARGE OF GLOBAL VIEWING HABITS AND IF YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED THAT THE WORLDWIDE HOME ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED THEN YOU MUST LIVE IN A TECH-FREE BUBBLE!

2014 has seen a massive increase in the availability of home entertainment choice and access via the Internet. Consequently consumers are now able to absorb an enormous amount of film and TV content through online DVD rental, downloading, instant streaming and IPTV.

There is a convergence of multimedia supply and many hospitality industry guests will already have this thriving technology at home. smart TVs are outselling normal TVs in the consumer market, they are quite simply TVs with Internet access that permit Internet browsing just like a computer.

A smart TV offers a number of Internet connected activities that normal TVs do not have such as, apps, media streaming and games and they have become more affordable as their popularity grows. They allow users to customise their TV entertainment experience by using apps and social media and they can work with their PCs, mobile phones and notebooks. smart TVs can also be coupled with other advanced features like high definition (HD) or even have 3D capabilities.

Some also offer Skype and come equipped as an IPTV (Internet protocol television) which is a type of Internet video that allows a continuous stream of video via the Internet to the TV. In addition, some smart TVs use a system called DLNA (digital, living, network, alliance) this allows the streaming of media from a personal computer or phone through the smart TV without the use of a USB. This begs the question that if the domestic TV market has changed beyond recognition, does it mean that the accommodation industry needs to be part of this revolution? It certainly does sound like it.

So when guests arrive with a mountainous in-room entertainment expectation do you really want to let them down? I suggest not. So the accommodation industry needs to puts its guests at the centre of the entertainment experience and offer great HD content, support streaming applications and assist the guest to utilise their own content.

It is tremendously important for the industry to embrace a progressive attitude, particularly if businesses want to appeal to the Gen X and Gen Y traveller. This 18-34 age bracket forms the loyal industry guest of the future and it is a very tech savvy generation that expects a wider choice of in-room entertainment technology. It is only natural that all guests follow the trends that

are set in their everyday life and accommodation providers need to meet their guest’s expectations head on.

To do this they need to purchase industry specific technology of the highest quality only and it is highly recommended that they choose from the leading brands of smart TV such as LG, Philips and Samsung so they are guaranteed the best advice, the most up-to-date industry specific technology, reliability and longevity.

Follow this advice and accommodation providers will have a platform and solution that will serve them well, now and into the future, allowing them to add features and functionality as required. This is a smart long-term strategy that will keep the industry on-trend and ahead of the crowd to ensure guest satisfaction.

When it comes to purchasing, the price should never be a deterrent. The advice is to purchase the best and most up-to-date system that can be afforded and considering the reasonable price of smart TVs now, with options to buy, lease or rent, this may be the time to consider an upgrade.

Jamie Hind is the managing director for the digital media solutions provider, Tripleplay Australasia and he says: “Pleasing as many guests as possible without spending a huge amount of money has always been a challenge.

Jamie Hind

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But now with the technology and the advent of the smart TV things are changing for the better for guests, hoteliers and vendors alike.”

Hind explains that Internet enabled smart TV has been a “game changer in guest entertainment”. That it has opened up the possibility to wirelessly connect personal devices and content to any television screen. This should be seen as a huge opportunity for the accommodation industry to provide that “something extra”.

He says: “It has also given traditional hotel TV system providers something to think about and has given us in digital media a challenge to create a stable platform to provide all of the features hotels have become accustomed to.”

This includes hospitality services such as: information channels, room billing, flight information, branded user interface, room service ordering, personal video recording and video on demand content. This is in addition to allowing the user to connect personal devices and to smart apps for Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. He adds: “Tripleplay was actually the first hospitality TV provider to produce and implement a stable guest portal for smart TVs in a live environment with over 30 sites worldwide using the technology.

The integration of apps onto a smart TV or hospitality TV portal opens up the possibility for guests to log into their social media accounts or visit other on-demand web services, providing a broader spectrum of content for viewing. Hind says: “I guess, the key for any hotel is to provide options, every guest is different with different expectations, technical abilities and demands, catering for all can be tough, but there are platforms out there that can enable all of the above in a pain free manner.”

In addition to Tripleplay’s own solutions and options they also work alongside a number of hospitality industry global leaders such as Intelity ICE and iRis. This allows food ordering, turn down, taxis, check out, room bill, amenities and all the back of house statistics to be done via the TV. The lesson here is choice and Hind says: “The ability to deliver a truly tailored, cost effective solution is the key.”

Internet protocol television is transmitting audio and video over a computer network instead of air-waves with an aerial. It first appeared in 1994, the ABC's World News Now was the first television show to be broadcast over the Internet, using the CU-SeeMe video conferencing software and the term IPTV first appeared in 1995. It is digital television delivered via a high speed internet (broadband) connection, channels are encoded in IP format and delivered to the TV through a set top box.

IPTV service also includes video on demand, which is similar to watching video CDs/DVDs using a VCD/DVD player. IPTV covers both live TV (multicasting) as well as stored video (video on demand, or VOD). The

playback of IPTV requires either a personal computer or a set-top box connected to a TV.

The advantages of IPTV are that the quality of digital video and audio is much better compared to traditional analogue TV and the additional features means that it can be interactive. Viewers can also record complete TV series on demand and can browse an online movie catalogue to watch movies instantly.

IPTV can deliver a good variety of television channels for guests and it is incredibly well suited to the hotel environment. It enables an accommodation provider to choose a package of channels from multiple content providers and put together a bespoke TV line up for their guests. There is a drawback, however; IPTV is based on internet protocol and this means that it is sensitive to glitches and delays if the IPTV connection is not fast enough.

With regards to connectivity, according to Hind there is movement towards mobility. “BYOD allows a guest to bring a device into the hotel and access hotel content wherever they are.” This will allow guests to share their own content with their in-room TV using the hotel Wi-Fi and a smart TV or TV connected to a set top box.

Companies like QuickFlix in Australia and very soon Netflix, are providing media and entertainment options that consumers can access through their laptop or smart device for a very small fee. They can also access free content from Catch Up TV. Therefore the ability to easily hook-up their personal device to the in-house TV means that guests would never have to miss out on their favourite show. This will greatly enhance guests' in-room entertainment experience.

The demand for sharing device content wirelessly is growing at such a rate that it is quickly becoming the norm. Today it’s all about allowing guests and conference delegates to have the ability to simply and securely connect their devices to watch their own content or to present business presentations. Hind says: “Providers need to get it right and the options are endless, so my advice would be, to tailor it for what you know your guests want.”

It is up to those in the hospitality industry to drive forward change and choice. They need to do this Mr Hind suggests by “demanding a ‘better-than-home-from-home’ experience and challenging us, the technology developers, to make it possible”.

This is not easy he explains, but the advantages for the guest experience are unfathomable and in turn this is more beneficial to your business. It is hugely important that you have a choice and are able to build the right, most cost effective, solution for your guest demographic and this should be a major factor when considering “new” technology solutions.

By Mandy Clarke, Staff Reporter

…Pleasing as many guests as possible without spending a huge amount of money has always been a challenge. But now with the technology and the advent of the Smart TV things are changing for the better for guests, hoteliers

and vendors alike...

Harvey Norman Commercial, the commercial arm of

the Harvey Norman company, supplies products across a range of industry sectors in New Zealand, with the accommodation and hospitality industry being an integral part of its business.

It is a self-operating division with unique suppliers and trading agreements.

“We offer a nationwide procurement service to our accommodation industry clients, sourcing products from all our key suppliers on a trade-only basis,” Harvey Norman’s South Island Commercial Proprietor Mark Sneddon says.

“Not only do we supply the products, we also have a skill base of staff, who are able to assess what the right products are for particular sets of circumstances. We advise our clients according to their requirements and budget, because getting the right product at the right price for them at the fi rst opportunity is really important to us. We value the relationships we have with our clients and see those relationships as both long term and personal.”

The company has specifi c trading relationships with key suppliers of

leading appliance and electronic brands including Panasonic, Samsung, LG, most of the major cooking appliance brands and specialists in heating products.

“We can also advise on the right type or brand of product for the size of the area concerned, such as for heating products or TVs,” Mr Sneddon says, “and we can organise installation as well.”

Accommodation operators can also purchase all their small kitchen appliances, and computer and communication products through Harvey Norman Commercial.

“Equipping accommodation facilities with everything guests need to enjoy a comfortable stay doesn’t necessarily require a large, up-front investment,” Mr Sneddon says.

“A convenient option we offer our clients is Flexirent. This is a leasing tool that lets business operators lease rather than purchase all the electrical, entertainment and communication equipment they need to fi t out their facilities.

“So instead of paying out large amounts of cash, say $20,000, for equipment, they can set up a lease agreement to cover a two or three-year period, or longer,

and retain their funds to invest in other important aspects of their business such as marketing and maintenance.

“With Flexirent* they have a manageable amount to pay each month and it just becomes part of the cost of running the business. We suggest a three-year lease is a good timeframe and if, as an example, they lease $8000 worth of goods, the monthly cost is $295 plus GST.”

All leased items are covered by the supplier warranty, with Harvey Norman Commercial providing an additional warranty called Product Care. This warranty is for the length of the leasing contract and covers servicing and replacement, Mr Sneddon says.

Harvey Norman Commercial supplies product to accommodation facilities from top-end hotels and resorts through to self-service units.

“We have people on the road who travel around the country calling on clients to assess their requirements. Once an order is placed we deliver the products directly to our clients and, as mentioned, if installation is required we can organise that too.”

Products include commercial-only type items particularly suited to the accommodation industry, such as panel TVs.

“We can also supply software that enables multi-tasked service. So, for example, the television can also be used as an advertising medium for the facility, and provide guest information on the services it provides.”

One of the company’s most recent clients was the new boutique Hotel Montreal, in Christchurch. Others include the Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort in Pauanui on the Coromandel Peninsula, which is part of the Accor brand. Harvey Norman Commercial supplies all Accor hotels throughout New Zealand.

Harvey Norman Commercial also services the building and construction industries, the joinery sector and the education industry. Harvey Norman services all areas in the North and South Islands, with consultants spread throughout New Zealand.

* Based on a 36-month rental agreement, payable monthly including GST. Subject to credit approval. Rates current as at July 2014, subject to change.

Appliances and electronics supplied on trade-only basis

HARVEY NORMAN COMMERCIAL

supplier profi le

2854

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CE_R

AUCKLAND 09 440 6501WELLINGTON 04 230 6162

CHRISTCHURCH 03 363 5910www.harveynormancommercial.co.nz

COMMERCIALSUPPLIERS OF

KITCHEN & LAUNDRY APPLIANCES, SMALL APPLIANCES,FURNITURE, BEDDING & LINEN, AUDIO VISUAL & HEATING

TO HOTELS, MOTELS, RESORTS, DEPARTMENT FITOUTS& HOSPITALITY CENTRES

Harvey NormanCommercial New Zealand

offers the accommodation sector theopportunity to purchase at trade pricing

in the following categories:Cookware, Refrigeration, Laundry, Heating,Small Appliances, Audio Visual, Computers,

Technology, Furniture and Bedding.All the brands represented in our retail stores are available

and we have a team dedicated to lookingafter your trade requirements throughout New Zealand.

COMMERCIAL WELLINGTONPh 04 230 6162

[email protected]

COMMERCIAL CHRISTCHURCHPh 03 363 5910 Fax 03 353 [email protected]

COMMERCIAL AUCKLANDPh 09 440 6501

[email protected]

TRADE PRICESAND EXCLUSIVE

MODELSAVAILABLE!

Leasing Options Available*

CONTACTUS NOW!

*Terms, conditions and lending criteria apply, see in-store for details.

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[email protected]



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MODELSAVAILABLE!


CONTACTUS NOW!


2854

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[email protected]



[email protected]


MODELSAVAILABLE!


CONTACTUS NOW!


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Guest Facilities:

The future is now

A ROBOT CONCIERGE WAITING POLITELY TO TAKE A GUEST'S LUGGAGE. PERSONALISED MOOD-LIGHTING AT THE SWIPE OF AN IPAD. LARGE TOUCH SCREENS OFFERING ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION ON LOCAL ATTRACTIONS, WEATHER AND FLIGHT INFORMATION. SEND A VIRTUAL POSTCARD AT THE TAP OF A BUTTON.

This is not the future of hi-tech hotels - these are happening now.

At the Yotel in New York self-service kiosks greet guests while an automated robot, known to the staff as amicable Yobot, will help with their luggage and stow away their valuables in a safe deposit.

Bedrooms come equipped with techno walls that have the ability to stream audio, super strength wifi and air conditioning activated by motion sensors.

At the Eccleston Square in London, rooms are equipped with touch sensitive keypads to control music and lighting, an in-room iPad that doubles as a personal concierge, shower walls that turn from clear to frosted at the touch of a button and flat screen televisions concealed within bathroom mirrors.

An enormous interactive digital art installation captures guests' minds as they enter the Blow Up Hall 5050 in Poznan, Poland, and then projects the image back in a series of stylised surveillance shots. Instead of room keys guests are handed iPhones upon check-in that use digital recognition to navigate users to the correct room and unlock the door.

Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, 180km north of Madrid, is the first hotel in Europe to offer Google Glass – free – to guests. If you haven’t come across it yet, Google Glass is a spectacles frame without lenses but with a clear plastic, rectangular prism mounted on the right-hand side. This prism forms a virtual screen on which you can access the Internet, just like on a smartphone or tablet, only with a roll of your eye rather than the stroke of a fingertip.

Housed in a 12th century abbey, Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine offers guided tours using Google Glass with guests getting a voice over commentary as well as being able to command the spectacles to photograph or video what they are looking at. The hotel plans to develop more material, using the GuidiGo and Field Trip apps, so that guests can use Glass as they walk or cycle around the estate, getting information on birds, flowers, trees and the vineyard – and, of course, the superb Abadía Retuerta wines.

In some hotels the glasses enable guests to speed through check-in, open the door to their room and order room service at the flick of an eyelash!

Sleeping in Seattle has got a lot more pleasant with the Hotel 1000 operating a fully converged IP infrastructure that allows guests to choose their own room temperature, artwork and music. Built-in infrared detectors alert housekeeping staff as to when a room is occupied, thus avoiding any unwanted post-shower encounters for a room clean.

Kids are to the fore at The Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo with children who stay at the luxury property offered a digitally-interactive Pokemon treasure hunt, brought to life by augmented reality. Guests at The Peninsula have access to an electronics service department if they run into difficulties with gadgets that include a nail polish dryer, unlimited Internet radio with over 3000 stations, a mood lighting pad and wireless phones with Skype capability.

Increasingly hotels around the world are moving to electronic and Thon Hotel Brussels' automated kiosk check in

Yotel New York check in

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37SPRING 2014

kiosk check-in systems. Widespread adoption of kiosks and electronic

check-in services (by which you receive a numeric door code in an

e-mail) are making check-ins far faster. Machines don't get paid by

the hour, get distracted, nor impatient with guests (though users

sometimes get frustrated with them). Like it or not, they are the future.

In the longer term, the broader use of technology will differentiate

hotels. Budget and mid-range ones will likely rely on electronic check-in

systems (much like airlines), whereas fancier establishments will offer a

wider range of options and a more personalised service. For example,

staff with iPads are already in place at some hotels, ready to personally

greet guests as they walk through the door.

Check-in is automated at Amsterdam's Citizen M, with everything done

through a self-serve computer. Each of the rooms comes equipped

with its own Mood Pad allowing guests to navigate the lighting, temperature, curtains and television to create the perfect ambiance.

Another New York hotel has a lobby with a giant kinetic touch-screen map that reveals the best places to eat and sightsee in the city, tables that morph from work stations to coffee tables to presentation stations with embedded video screens, and a communal area with a charging mat that reveals who else is there and where they’ve travelled recently — turning the entire lobby into a giant opportunity for social networking.

Mama Shelter in Paris is fitted with an iMac entertainment system that allows guests to watch television, free movies on demand, listen to the radio, connect to the Internet and use Airplay and Skype.

Guests who check into Trump SoHo can rent a limited number of Kindle Touch e-readers pre-loaded with particular magazines and books.

One Fine Stay in Brickell-Downtown gives each guest an iPhone for the duration of their stay to make free local calls. In addition, the phone is pre-loaded with One Fine Stay’s app that gives information about exploring the surrounding area. The app also can be used as a hotel phone so that guests can call housekeeping or other services with the touch of a button.

A recent HRS Hotel of the Future survey revealed that smartphones, tablets and corresponding apps are becoming increasingly important when planning a holiday. The findings showed that 42 per cent of guests would rather operate their hotel room’s lighting, air conditioning and television via a display instead of using a separate remote control or switch.

All of these facilities are in operation now. What lies just around the corner is anybody's guess but the hospitality industry will be deeply involved.

Interactive digital art installation at the Blow Up Hall 5050 in Poznan

Yobot will help with their luggage and stow away their valuables in a safe deposit

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Property Management Software:

Choosing a property management system that best suits your business

WITH THE SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING GROWTH IN ONLINE BOOKINGS FROM ONLINE TRAVEL AGENTS, AND THE POPULARITY OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS SMARTPHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES TO REGULARLY REVIEW THEIR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND CHANNEL MANAGER SYSTEMS THAT THEY USE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE KEEPING PACE WITH INDUSTRY TRENDS.

There is no need to put up with slow, complicated and ineffective legacy systems; modern systems are much easier to setup and use, and can potentially give you considerable savings in terms of time, money and effort. So now is the time to look at your current systems and ask yourself:

• Are they easy to use?

• Can your staff jump on and use them with minimal training?

• Are everyday simple tasks like checking guests in and out quick and easy to do?

• Can you easily configure your channel manager to support the way that you want to run your business?

• Do you receive a good level of support from your vendor(s)?

• How much are you actually paying each year for your PMS, channel management and online booking, and is this competitive?

• Does your software do everything you need it to? (and the things that you should be doing like email and social media marketing )

Everyone’s talking about cloud-based

There is a lot of hype in the industry about using Internet (or Cloud) based services to run your accommodation business. Whilst Cloud based services can be quicker to setup and can be used from any computer connected to the Internet, they have a number of key disadvantages.

First, as they are totally reliant on your Internet connection, whenever your Internet is slow or down, you can’t use your system. If you have an office full of guests wishing to check-in or out then this can be disastrous! The reality is, that New Zealand’s Internet is fairly slow and unreliable, especially in smaller towns and rural areas, and it will likely be quite a few years before we see any real improvements.

There are also security concerns to consider. Having all of your data (including confidential customer information) floating around the Internet on some remote server can be quite a liability. What if the server gets hacked? What if your vendor goes broke? Will you still be able to run your business?

Our advice is simple; cloud based systems really are not suitable for anything other than small B&Bs. Far better to use a system such as Strait.Reservations that sits securely on your own desktop and can be accessible at any time, irrelevant to the quality of your Internet connection.

How does you current system compare?

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39SPRING 2014

Do you feel supported?

When committing to a new system it’s also important that you know and trust the company, as this should be a long-term commitment. The benefit of having an all-in-one solution, through a company like Strait.Reservations that can provide PMS, channel management and online booking, ensures that you have one main contact person for all three services, saving you time and hassle. Strait.Reservations has over 14 years’ experience in the New Zealand Tourism industry and over that period of time we have acquired considerable expertise in all aspects of property and reservation management, channel management and online booking.

Affordability in the long run

When comparing systems, it is important to look at the total cost of ownership (TCO) and factor-in costs such as license fees, support, setup and training. Some companies charge a hefty license fee for the software whereas Strait.Reservations works on an affordable subscription plan with no additional set up fees or initial outlay required. Plus, as it’s an all-in-one solution the overall cost for a property management, channel manager and online booking system is considerably lower than what the combination of what most companies charge to provide these services individually.

Utilise a new system and reap the rewards

Changing systems does not have to be a difficult task and it’s actually a great opportunity to dedicate some time to cleaning up your database and setting up your rooms, rates and special offers etc exactly how you want them to be. Perhaps you inherited a system from the previous owners and you’ve always had an idea of how you thought it should be arranged? Setting up a new system allows you an opportunity to comprehensively learn about the functionality and begin to utilise it to its highest extent.

Email marketing, financial reports, occupancy rates and so forth, your property management system should be a source of valuable information that allows you to review previous data and use it to set goals and forecasts. Do you know what your occupancy rates must be each week to break-even? Are these reviewed regularly to see what targets you must reach and set strategies in place for how to exceed these? Have you set up a newsletter template that you can send out to all the guests who stayed over the previous month, thanking them for their stay and requesting that they like your Facebook page to stay in touch or review your property on Trip Advisor.

Maximising your profit

Your goal in business is to maximise your profits. Whilst many accommodation businesses use seasonal rates, many operators do not vary rates on a day to day basis according to demand as their software makes it too difficult.

Strait.Reservations makes this easy by allowing you to override rates and minimum stays directly onto your booking sheet. In addition we give you lots of flexibility about how you setup your rates so you can for instance setup weekly rates, special offers and advanced purchase rates for which you can attach special terms and conditions. A few minutes every day fine-tuning your rates using our yield management tools can translate to a much healthier profit at the end of the month.

The other crucial factor is controlling the way that OTAs sell your rooms online. With Strait.Reservations you can on a day to day basis, set the maximum commission that you are prepared to pay and the software will automatically adjust your inventory on websites accordingly. This means that you are not paying commission during busier periods when you will likely fill all of your rooms with direct bookings.

Online marketing

Another key factor in maximising your profits is to encourage as many of your customers as possible to book direct with you via your own website, rather than a high commission website. This means making your own website as attractive as possible, ensuring it is well ranked for your keywords in search engines such as Google and using an easy to use, feature-rich online booking service.

Many customers now use their smartphones to make bookings so your website and booking service must offer this feature otherwise you may be throwing away business. Likewise, building your business via social media websites such as Facebook is becoming increasingly important. Again, Strait.Reservations can help you get up and running not only with the tools but also with the right strategies to employ.

In conclusion

Take some time over the next few days to assess your current systems and think about whether or not it really is working for you.

Don’t be deterred by the prospect of changing systems, we are here to guide and support you through this; it is certainly as not as scary as you might think!

By Melissa Abraham-Smith, Strait Solutions

For both the fresh-faced and experienced alike, the daily management of a property is a time consuming task. Whether just learning to

balance the books, or attempting to co-ordinate the booking of multiple rooms across multiple fl oors, the complexity of Property Management is a challenge.

In recent years the advancements in modern technology have increased the demand for Managers to provide seamless delivery of service. Time is of the essence and a greater priority is placed on factors such as speed of check-in, co-ordination of arrival, the ability to engage with a property before and after arrival, and the integration of modern technology.

For the average Property Manager, this daily juggle can be overwhelming.

Enter HiRUM Front Desk.

At HiRUM, we see software as an invaluable asset for Property Managers. Over the last two decades, HiRUM has been providing real solutions to real people. The response has been overwhelming.

We understand that Property Managers are looking for a holistic solution that brings together all functions and duties of Property Management into one place, providing a clear and simple workfl ow from start to fi nish.

HiRUM’s Property Management Software Solution is now installed in over 1100 properties around the world, managing more than 130,000 accommodation rooms

HiRUM’s newly re-imagined HiSuite works together to provide seamless connectivity to leading Channel Managers, including our own HiSite. Integrated, secure and affordable, HiRUM’s complete Property Management System and Channel Manager solution handles everything from your fi rst contact with the guest, to trust accounting, marketing and online inventory distribution.

We understand that the complexities of daily operation come with a unique set of challenges.

HiSuite provides end-to-end solutions. With a heritage of building software for properties of all sizes, HiRUM Front Desk is the most comprehensive PMS product available.

Being either mouse or keyboard shortcut driven, the software easily adapts to the individual skills of the operator. Intuitive search functions and the ability to create user specifi c screens, allows the software to be instantly adapted to the preferences of the operator.

Staff security is again tailored to suit either individuals or departments and can be further restricted to allow determined access within each area.

The advanced marketing capabilities of the software allow 8 tier reporting to identify the most profi table source of business.

Being solely date driven, eliminates the need for those cumbersome daily roll overs allowing for continuous operation whilst any inter department balancing issues are resolved.

Our most recent feature addition is the ability to view your latest on line deal from within the Front Desk booking screen.

This allows best rate conversion for all direct to property requests without the need to log on line to view any recent rate changes. It’s apparent that HiRUM Front Desk has been fully designed around the end user.

In turn HiSuite continues to provide enhanced productivity by combining one of the leading Channel Managers, Responsive Booking Form, as well as an optional Marketing Service to drive greater direct bookings.

This combines with comprehensive training and support, included with all HiSuite products, as well as optional monthly accounting services to ensure that end-of-month is simple and stress free.

The commitment to a strong suite of products is part of HiRUM’s new, software focused direction, with a purposeful approach to building strong products with a range of growing features. We are streamlining product updates as well as committing to a strong release schedule of new features, products, and services.

The Leading Hospitality Software Just Got Better.

HiRUM. Know Better Software.

Better Together.

HIRUM AUSTRALASIA

supplier profi le HiRUM has reinvented simple

the change is comingHiRUM Software Solutions have been providing the accommodation industry with a simple and effective reservations management system for over 21 years.

At HiRUM, we have been working hard behind the scenes creating a product suite which we believe is the best on the market and will revolutionise the accommodation industry.

Visit www.hirum.com.au for the unveiling of our new product suite and participate in the change to come.

2014 MEMBER

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•INDUSTRY•

How HiRUM and the new Front Desk can Future Proof your business

HiSuite’s new motto “Better Together” shows

the numerous advantages of uniting all areas of Property

Management into one simple, cost-effective solution.

HiSuite

Front DeskHiRUM

HiSITE

DirectHiRUM

HiConnectHiSITE

Channel Manager

HiRUM Mobile

ManagerHiRUM

Marketing

HiRUM has reinvented simple




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HiRUM has reinvented simple




2014 MEMBER

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Google:

Getting the best out of Google

GOOGLE IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE FOR ONLINE SEARCH AND RESEARCH UNDERLINED BY HAVING A MARKET SHARE OF ABOUT 91.2 PER CENT. THE MICROSOFT COMPETITOR BING COMES IN SECOND PLACE, FAR BEHIND THOUGH WITH ONLY 3.4 PER CENT MARKET SHARE. THUS, IT IS NO SURPRISE NEARLY EVERYONE THINKS OF GOOGLE WHEN TALKING ABOUT SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION.

Recently, Google came up with a White Paper for accommodation providers that emphasised that Google was much more than a search bar. There is a variety of Google tools which take part in our daily life - think of Gmail, Google Maps or Android, which is the operating system for 80 per cent of all mobile devices. In addition, Google became a key factor in the field of marketing. Two out of three advertisings take place on Google. It is impossible to imagine online marketing without Google AdWords. Even small and medium-sized companies hold budgets for AdWords campaigns.

Google's almighty position, its increasing diversification and the disappearance of its competitors are often considered and judged very critically. Nevertheless, there are a lot of tools that can take a lot of weight off the accommodation providers' shoulders regarding daily workload. The social network Google+ has exceeded the number of 500 million user profiles by now, which builds up a huge audience for Google Reviews or Google Hotel Finder - a new metasearch. Numerous Google tools are important in the whole course of travel preparations: Flight Search, Maps, Google+ Local (formerly Google Places), Hotel Finder and so on.

This White Paper is designed to present Google tools that are related to tourism and accommodation business and to explain them briefly one after another.

Talking about Google in general means talking about classical Google search engine. Searching via Google has become a very influential factor throughout our lives. The search and research for information is one of the first steps inthe process of booking a hotel/resort room. Therefore, SEO is and will be a key factor. However, rules and practices have shifted. Many changes regarding its algorithm have been taking place throughout the past years making Google more intelligent. SEO-rules that used to be valid the past decade do not provide with the desired effect anymore. Not only does Google use signals from social networks to customise search results depending on the user, but it also regularly cleans up key words linked to websites.

That is why it became extremely hard for privately managed small or medium-sized accommodation providers to remain within the first Google results displayed. Most of the times, online travel agencies occupy the first positions - with, of course, the omni present "competitor" Google.

There is an important question, often asked by accommodation providers: "Is it worth to use Google Ad Words"? The answer is: "yes... and no"! The most prominent and contested keywords, such as "hotel + [city]" are in large part occupied by booking and rating sites. Large OTAs have sufficient resources to pay sky-high prices per click, therefore, claiming the first places for themselves. Con-sequently, it became impossible for small and medium-sized hotels to compete with them on this field.

However, anyone that has carved out a niche and devotes himself to the use of the so-called longtail-keywords has a chance to catch good positions even with a small budget. A general advice for hoteliers would be: "Do not get yourself into the Google AdWords jungle without previous knowledge". A better call would be to consult an agency that is competent and experienced in this field. Otherwise, it's likely that you will just throw money out of the window.

Images are considered to be the most important content throughout the Internet. Thus, it is no surprise that Google has been creating tools focusing on pictures such as Panoramio, Picasa (web), Google+ and Google images search.

Anyone creating interesting and relevant content from his city or region including individual photos should take a look on Panoramic. This service works as source displayed on Google Maps. If you then share great photos and link them into Panoramio, chances are severely increased to be found on Google Maps later on. Potential guests doing researches on their vacation area could eventually come across you and your hotel when finding your pictures.

Google provides some interesting tools to help you organise your data. From Youtube to Google Calendar, Google Drive, FeedBurner, Wallet, Play and Keep.

Hotel videos play an increasingly important role for online marketing. Your videos should not be anymore only available on your website. By creating your own channel on Youtube, you will be able to reach far more users since your videos will appear in the search results. In addition, if you link those videos to your Google+, they will also be displayed on your Google+ profile.

For small accommodation groups, Google calendar, doodle and Google Drive might also be interesting. By using those tools, you can make and keep appointments in common, work on files together and exchange them easily - without being delayed by email chaos.

In 2014, accommodation providers would be well advised to take a deeper look into Google+ and as similate this network into their online marketing strategy. However, you should not mistake it as a "copy of facebook'' and use it accordingly.

By being present on Google+, a hotel is able to forward its content to the search results of its followers and - if those share their content - to their followers.

For Google+, keywords are far more important than they are for facebook and hotels cannot avoid expanding their own network. If you are active on Google+ now, you stand a great chance to soon obtain a competitive advantage.

One of the most important Google tools concerning "information" can be found in Googe+ Local (formerly Google Places), which was started in 2005.

An individual Google+ Local entry is a basic in online marketing. Most accommodation providers are already present on Google+ Local; however their entry is often not verified.

In addition, Google+ Local entries are associated with the Google Hotel Finder, which also makes possible to book a room right away.

On the one hand via the connection to large OTAs, on the other hand - if appropriately connected to your own IBE - via a direct channel.

Yet, it is not as easy as it sounds.

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43SPRING 2014

Digital Marketing:

Three ways a channel manager will change your life!

As much as hotel business rails against commissions, an accommodation provider can be laid-back concerning the provision model. Administrative costs do not have to be paid before the partner generates revenue. This is arranged differently for the connection to a meta search like Google Hotel Finder. The service is recognised for providing users with a web site. In this way, the accommodation provider pays per click and has to take enforce bookings on his own - by accordingly optimised landing pages.

Trying to "hide" is pointless since meta searches are on the rise and the CPC-model is increasingly used. Accommodation providers definitely need to be more and more engaged in analysing and optimising their websites.

If you consider connecting to Google Hotel Finder, you should at first do some detailed research about the keywords used in your field and analyse the content of your web site.

Encourage continuous reviews and make the appropriate adjustments - other wise there might be a risk here as well to throw a lot of money down the drain. Since 2007, companies can be rated on Google Maps / Google Places / Google+ Local. It is very surprising a lot of accommodation providers do not know about this option and never checked if their Google + was correct.

Reviews on Google+ Local are a significant factor as they wi ll be integrated quite prominently into Google search results. When searching for "hotel + city'', you will get up to seven "local results" from Google+ Local, they all include details about the quantity and quality of their Google reviews. With the distance between the hotel and the user destination, reviews play a major role in the ranking of the results displayed.

Hotels with good ratings are more likely to get clicked on and eventually booked.

DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DOUBLE BOOKING ROOMS? OR PERHAPS YOU SPEND TIME TIRELESSLY UPDATING YOUR RATES AND AVAILABILITY ACROSS BOOKING SITES.

If either (or both!) of these situations resonate with you, read on.

There is almost nothing more frustrating than having to manually update information across booking sites when there are more pressing issues at your property to deal with – like that wall that needs repainting or urgent guest requests.

The good news is technology exists to manage all of this for you, so you can focus on running your property and increasing your occupancy rate. In fact, due to increased usage in technology, particularly mobile technology, you will probably find that most of your bookings are now coming from online booking sites or your own website, so it is vital you have the right technology in place to capitalise on this growing phenomenon.

The technology is commonly known as a channel manager. Today, this technology comes standard as part of all-in-one cloud-based systems that provide small hoteliers with a holistic booking management solution.

Three ways a channel manager can change your life

1. A channel manager will give you your hours back

A channel manager maintains your property’s rates and availability across numerous channels, including your own website, simultaneously and seamlessly. It allows you to manage your bookings with ease, change your rates and inventory, and effortlessly update inclusions for all sites, from one single point of entry. You might be thinking that technology like this has to come with a hefty price tag – but on the contrary, it is completely affordable. The days of spending hours supervising calendars on multiple booking sites should be long gone for small properties.

With a channel manager, there is no need to log into all of the booking sites you use, and fret about ensuring you have distributed your room availability correctly or avoiding duplication. You can have complete ease of mind as bookings occur on your various distribution avenues, as your availability is automatically adjusted on all your sites, in real-time, with a channel manager.

2. A channel manager will attract global guests for you

Giving your guests multiple ways to book your property is an essential

part of increasing your occupancy. Utilising booking sites, such as

Booking.com, for example, opens the doors to global travel customers.

In fact, the ‘billboard effect’ stipulates that if you list on booking sites

you have a higher chance of getting booked directly on your website. To

support this, a recent study revealed that hotels had between a 7.5 per

cent and 26 per cent uplift in direct bookings when listing on online travel

agency websites [1].

Because channel managers automatically update your availability, you

can distribute your entire inventory on each of your preferred OTAs,

thereby maximising your chance of selling all your rooms online without

having to worry about double bookings.

3. A channel manager manages your rates and availability

alongside your booking engine

Facilitating the ability to book your rooms in real-time, and have

confidence in instant updates of your property’s availability, is also an

essential part of increasing your occupancy.

Booking engines, which are commonly known as ‘book now’ or

‘booking buttons’, are another vital aspect of amplifying your online

presence. They consolidate and convert your direct web traffic into actual

bookings. When researching which all-in-one reservation management

solution best suits your business needs, ensure it includes a commission-

free booking engine that is able to be customised to your website and

brand. The capability to add a booking engine to Facebook and other

social media sites is a standard feature that will provide another direct

booking avenue for your business, so make sure it is on your list.

The channel manager component will be able to manage your rates and

availability over your booking engine, alongside the other channels you

use.

[1] Source, The Billboard Effect: Online Travel Agent Impact on Non-OTA

Reservation Volume

By Bronwyn Karaoglu, Little Hotelier, Marketing and Distribution

Specialist, Siteminder.

m marketing


Google:

One simple strategy to boost your direct bookings with Google

GOOGLE IN THEIR 2014 TRAVEL STUDY ANNOUNCED THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE USE SEARCH ENGINES FIRST TO PLAN A TRIP. WHEN YOU ALSO CONSIDER IN 2013 GOOGLE HAD 2.1 TRILLION SEARCHES, YOU’RE LETTING YOUR MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY FALL THROUGH IF YOU DON’T HAVE A CLEAR SEARCH MARKETING STRATEGY.

You have a variety of options through Google to access people who want to book with you. I execute search marketing campaigns to get more direct bookings for Australian accommodation providers every day and see three effective sources:

1) A business listing which most accommodation providers have and is now known as Google+

2) A quality SEO program to drive visitors for no advertising cost through organic search results. An SEO program takes 6-12 months for significant ranking changes

3) Google AdWords. Only takes 24 hours to drive more visitors to your site. When done wrong, it can be an infinite expense with no return

In this article I’ll further explain why you need to be on Google AdWords to drive direct bookings and provide you strategies to do it right. If you’re doing AdWords, you can check these principles against your account to stop losing money.

Do a Google search for “[a city you service] accommodation”. Between 20-40 per cent of these people will click-through to the ads at the top and right-side.

These ads are from AdWords making it a guaranteed way to attract people – not only when they to start plan their trip, but more so down the research process when people have narrowed their options and further likely to open their wallet.

You may argue you don’t have the budget to do AdWords, or you’ve tried it and failed.

AdWords should stand on its own bringing in a significant return when done right – and a good marketer can exactly tell you this. Most accommodation clients I work with achieve 700per cent-2000 per cent return on ad spend. That gives you an idea of what to aim for.

My first point for doing AdWords right is to track key conversions. Micro and macro conversions matter because not everyone books direct online. Track phone calls, contact form enquiries, and the ultimate conversion of a booking so you know exactly the affect your digital marketing has on KPIs. The right AdWords setup will do all that.

My second point every accommodation provider needs to execute in their AdWords is split-testing ads.

An ad with a 4 per cent click-through rate compared to one with 2 per cent, costs you half as much.

The AdWords system rewards good advertising and works to weed out ones of low-quality.

This has an enormous effect in letting you siphon your budget to drive extra clicks for further bookings.

While 100s of additional factors exist to optimize your AdWords (networks, targeting, keywords, match types, ad extensions…) that effect ad performance, I lastly emphasize the importance of a quality website. How many visitors does it take on your site until someone books? I’ve seen hotel conversion rates as low as 0.06 per cent. Not good.

A good ad campaign drives the right people to your site, but if the site poorly sells your accommodation, visitors will not book. Boosting your website’s conversion rate by 100 per cent whether through better imagery, mobile compatibility, or usability, lets you thrive while your competitors struggle.

A Google certified company with a proven portfolio of designs and ad campaigns can get all this right for you.

By Joshua Uebergang, Fastrack Group

Joshua Uebergang is head of search marketing at Fastrack Group an Australian agency that specializes in digital marketing and websites for accommodation providers.

mmarketing

45SPRING 2014

Branding:

Do brands really matter?

IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT THERE ARE SOME ADVANTAGES TO BEING AN INDEPENDENT HOTEL OWNER. INDEPENDENCE CAN AFFORD SOME FLEXIBILITY, MANAGERS CAN REACT ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY TO EVENTS BY HAVING THE POWER OF SOLE DECISION MAKING ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS AND CHANGING SCHEDULES FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT. THE INDEPENDENT OWNER CAN FIX PRICES AND A SET PRICING POLICY COULD ENSURE A CONSTANT STREAM OF REVENUE.

Some travellers are undoubtedly attracted to having a unique holiday experience, whether it be in a homely bed and breakfast or a quirky themed boutique. It’s not just down to the architecture and design but also to the special services provided. Independent accommodations are also incomparable to others and so they have the advantage of having less or no competition.

The independent accommodation provider does not necessarily have financial pressures that may occur from a chain group that requires a certain performance and many independent hotels can do well without the marketing clout of a chain. Well managed independent accommodations can be supremely successful but being “well managed” is the key and that is not an easy task when going it alone!

Managing an independent accommodation in this modern technological and social media age is certainly not for the faint hearted. It takes a lot of hard work, experience, a broad range of skills and knowledge, and an ability to motivate oneself and one's team.

Skills are also required to cleverly market the accommodation in this social media age and to compete within a very competitive and ever evolving industry.

Adding to the overall stress may be the lone financial pressure, especially relevant since the GFC and/or responsibilities to the family or business partners.

It is a sad fact then that when independent hotels fail it is mainly because they don't know how to market themselves, or they can't invest in their business to keep up with the required standards, expected technology and this ever-changing and evolving industry.

Brands on the other hand are able to engage with both national and international companies and according to Doug Robinson from Asure Accommodation NZ, “Have marketing opportunities which would be impossible as an independent property operator.”

New Zealand is internationally seen as a top holiday destination, and is regularly named the best overseas holiday destination by travellers; it topped the UK’s Daily Telegraph poll 2007 among others. Tourism is essential to the stability of New Zealand’s economy and directly contributes 7.3 billion (or 3.7 per cent) of the country's GDP in 2013.

m marketing


Branding:

The forecast for the future of the NZ tourism industry is very positive and shows growth but there have been peaks and troughs over the last few years, whether due to the world fi nancial crisis or natural disasters - as in Christchurch. The fact is many accommodations can and do struggle; a sudden economic downturn can be catastrophic and occur in any location.

In the interesting study: “Do brands matter? A comparison of branded and independent hotel’s performance during a full economic cycle.” By John W. O'Neill, director school of hospitality management the Pennsylvania State University shows that brand named hotels fare better than independently operated properties in economic downturns.

Professor O’Neill states, “We've found that branded hotels perform better during

economic downturns than non-branded ones. Notably, both branded and independent hotels generate comparable levels of profi tability during economic expansions, but branded hotels are signifi cantly more profi table during economic recessions. The income of branded hotels

seems more durable during economic downturns.”

Independent hotels do outperform branded hotels in the revenue per available room the study suggests,

this is perhaps because they can charge higher prices for their rooms due to the perceived uniqueness and exclusivity of independent hotels by the guests.

During declining or uncertain economic periods brands outperform independent hotels largely because they are able to undertake large global marketing campaigns and promote guest loyalty programs.

In addition during times of economic uncertainty brands offer a dependable service and experience and it has been shown that people tend to return to the security of a brand that they know and trust, rather than take a chance on an unknown independent quantity.

Many accommodations across the industry are reporting an upward turn in visitor numbers but this study is very notable as it may offer much security to those who have already chosen a brand or those who may be considering one.

So what do trusted brands offer those independent owners? Doug Robinson is the managing director of Asure Accommodation Group, one of New Zealand’s most successful accommodation brands, founded in 2007.

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47SPRING 2014

He believes that independent owners face many challenges and says, “It isn’t easy for a standalone property. They have to do all the marketing themselves, which is expensive.”

A brand, he explains is more cost effective because it gives a property access to a vibrant referral network that all member properties enjoy, so with a brand like Asure “you immediately receive direct referrals from all 50 Asure properties nationwide.”

Owners want what they want though and some owners will emphatically want to do everything themselves. Some owners will only need a structured support network while others need access to the entire set up of a brand.The key then is to discover what the owner desires and needs and then build a relationship and offer flexibility.

The relationship between a brand and an owner needs work; like any relationship trust and open communication has to be fostered

Robinson clarifies that Asure is not a franchise or a chain but a marketing referral group where marketing fees go back into advertising. He says, “We generally only have one property in each region meaning members are willing to share ideas and experiences.

‘We are New Zealand owned and operated unlike most of the franchise groups around. A very efficiently run accommodation group run by its members and fellow operators.”

The main advantages that owners would hope to find when joining any brand is the huge infrastructure that can be accessed. Just consider the many years of hospitality, finance, business, marketing, PR and technological experience that would be suddenly freely available. As a sole owner you would not have to go it alone anymore, there would always be someone to talk to and advise you.

With Asure Accommodation each property is individually owned and operated but the Asure brand is the unique identity that links all of the accommodations. Why are brands such as Asure Accommodation so successful? Robinson says, “It’s because we understand the industry and all have accommodation businesses of our own, we’re focused on pursuing practical ideas that will help grow and maintain our businesses.”

Aligning oneself to the security of a recognised and worthy brand could be very attractive to independent owners, especially those who have struggled. Robinson says, “Being part of a recognised brand is the most cost effective way to grow your business and Asure has successfully achieved this.”

A good name, a recognised logo and the loyal customers that a brand would bring, not to mention a world class booking manager and call centre should definitely appeal. Robinson agrees, “The Asure brand and

logo is easily recognised by guests and all guests are offered Asure’s

well-structured loyalty programme.”

Hopefully, owners would only consider a company that is not only

focused on the here and now but one that is proactive and plans for

the future; a company that is growing and evolving with this incredible

industry and one that can retain your individuality and like Robinson says,

“has members’ best interests at heart”.

By Mandy Clarke, Staff Reporter

Do you want to be part of New Zealand’s foremost accommodation network?

Belong to a group that values its members Our brand promises and values are equally applicable to our guests and our properties Property to Property vibrant referral network Access to ASURE’s own online booking sites ASURE – totally New Zealand owned and operated

We welcome your enquiry regarding membership of ASURE Accommodation Group, opportunities still available in some areas. Contact one of our directors NOW to take your business to the next level! We also invite you to contact any of our ASURE members for endorsement.

Head Of�ceEmail: of�[email protected] Telephone: 03 578 2055

ASURE Sundowner Motel, Blenheim ASURE Colonial Lodge Motel, NapierTelephone: 03 578 2055 Telephone: 06 844 7788Managing Director: Doug Robinson Managing Director: Mark Johnson

ASURE Queenstown Gateway ApartmentsTelephone: 03 442 3599Managing Director: Colin Chittock

NEW ZEALAND

www.asurestay.com

Whether you are wanting a couple of high end corporate gifts or a large quantity of lower priced giveaway products, we can come up

with the right product for you.

And today, we are also able to supply fully customised products in much smaller quantities than ever before.

For example, we can fully customise caps inside and out by embroidering or printing on the outer cap on any panel, print on the inside seam, produce a fully customised label, emboss metal buckles and more for a minimum quantity of 100 units.

We can also supply 35ml sunscreen with a full colour custom label with your details on the label for as little 20 units. Another fun product that is a great marketing tool is playing cards; we can produce 100 packs with full colour custom printed cards in 2-3 weeks.

Branded apparel is another very important part of any business – front desk staff, restaurant or cleaning staff all need to look the part and represent your business and brand the best way possible - a smart embroidered polo shirt, vest, jacket, merino or apron and staff name badges can be a great way to have all staff looking tidy and easily identifi able to guests and visitors.

At special times of the year like Easter or Christmas it can be nice to give your guests a small token gift to say thank you for choosing to stay with you – like a small pack of branded sweets or a cool fl ag pen or keyring are all items that are under $1 but will be remembered for a long time.

Gilmac can provide branded product to suit any budget

GILMAC NEW ZEALAND

supplier profi le

OFFICE, SHOWROOM & WAREHOUSE10 LAERY ST, LOWER HUTT | P 0508 888 834 | E [email protected]

SPECIALISTS IN BRANDED PRODUCT

Room & Corporate Gifts Hotel Pens UmbrellasLanyards Staff Uniforms Name Badges Slippers

Custom Amenities Robes Coasters NotepadsPocket Tissues Coffee Mugs Confectionery

m marketing


Promotional Products:

Promotional branded giveaways that will keep working for you AS EVERYONE KNOWS, MARKETING THE JOYS AND ADVANTAGES OF STAYING AT YOUR PROPERTY DO NOT GENERALLY COME CHEAP, SO GUESTS WHO RETURN AND – POSSIBLY EVEN BETTER, RECOMMEND YOUR ESTABLISHMENT TO OTHERS WHO COME TO STAY – ARE MUCH MORE THAN A BONUS TO BE TREASURED – THEY ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE COMPETITIVE ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS.

Hopefully, happy guest memories will do much of that work for you but there is a fairly accepted method of stimulating that memory – providing economic but interesting promotional products that guests will want to take with them when they leave and will serve as a reminder of their stay for weeks, months or even years.

For instance, most people like to have some good pens in their house, and who isn’t often looking for a note pad to jot down today’s grocery shopping list or a few instructions for a family member? Both of these simple products can have excellent long term value.

However, there are numerous other possibilities. When guests – particularly international tourists – are travelling, they are very likely to want to send interesting postcards to those back at home. Having some on hand that feature your property can do a good deal of very valuable promotional work for you.

Branded bathroom amenities are usually treasured by guests, though may be used up fairly quickly when taken home. However, people may save them for another travelling occasion when they don’t want to be lumbered with a large product from the supermarket – particularly in these days of tight restrictions on liquids when it comes to airline travel.

And there are always possibilities for property managers who are prepared to think a little outside the usual square. Small branded tissue boxes are one example that has been used. When guests open the box, the torn pieces might act as an offer for a guest service, or something special for a guest if they come back to stay again.

Gilmac New Zealand Ltd specialises in products for the accommodation

and hospitality industry and director, Lisa Nelson, says “Branding and how your brand is used is important to every business. From printed pens to smartly branded staff uniforms to embroidered robes in your rooms – how your logo or brand is represented can tell customers a lot about your business. And in today’s complex and competitive marketplace, it has become more challenging than ever to create strong brand recognition and customer loyalty.

“One of the most effective ways to bring awareness to your brand and business is through effective promotional marketing. Gilmac has successfully worked with customers in the design and implementation of customised promotional products that produce measurable

results,” said Mrs Nelson.

“We have over 20 years of branding experience and have access to a large network of experienced embroiderers, printers and engravers which means Gilmac can provide quality product and branding with a quick turnaround and we have a huge product offering at competitive prices. Customisation of product is second nature for us, we can suggest product that gives you maximum impact and provide concept options before goods are produced.

“We’ve been importing customised product for 20 years and also providing fully customised New Zealand made products for 40 years. Any product can be customised including slippers, guest amenities, coasters, uniforms – anything and everything. We can offer you a great range of products to suit all budgets and requirements. See our website for some examples of what we have produced for our customers,” she said.

“Branding product with your own logo and corporate colours verses using generic branded product can provide your business with its own unique identity. Personalised products are also a great marketing tool with longevity, giving a customer something to take away with them like a branded pen, note pad, pocket tissues or even a fully custom printed sunglasses cloth that they use while they are travelling are products that don’t cost a lot but can provide a feel-good factor, be useful and also leave a lasting impression and that will be used multiple times. Don’t under estimate the power of branding”.


Whether you are wanting a couple of high end corporate gifts or a large quantity of lower priced giveaway products, we can come up

with the right product for you.

And today, we are also able to supply fully customised products in much smaller quantities than ever before.

For example, we can fully customise caps inside and out by embroidering or printing on the outer cap on any panel, print on the inside seam, produce a fully customised label, emboss metal buckles and more for a minimum quantity of 100 units.

We can also supply 35ml sunscreen with a full colour custom label with your details on the label for as little 20 units. Another fun product that is a great marketing tool is playing cards; we can produce 100 packs with full colour custom printed cards in 2-3 weeks.

Branded apparel is another very important part of any business – front desk staff, restaurant or cleaning staff all need to look the part and represent your business and brand the best way possible - a smart embroidered polo shirt, vest, jacket, merino or apron and staff name badges can be a great way to have all staff looking tidy and easily identifi able to guests and visitors.

At special times of the year like Easter or Christmas it can be nice to give your guests a small token gift to say thank you for choosing to stay with you – like a small pack of branded sweets or a cool fl ag pen or keyring are all items that are under $1 but will be remembered for a long time.

Gilmac can provide branded product to suit any budget

GILMAC NEW ZEALAND

supplier profi le

OFFICE, SHOWROOM & WAREHOUSE10 LAERY ST, LOWER HUTT | P 0508 888 834 | E [email protected]

SPECIALISTS IN BRANDED PRODUCT

Room & Corporate Gifts Hotel Pens UmbrellasLanyards Staff Uniforms Name Badges Slippers

Custom Amenities Robes Coasters NotepadsPocket Tissues Coffee Mugs Confectionery

mmarketing

49SPRING 2014

fb food & beverage


Portion control:

Quality important in portion-control beverages

YOUR STAFF MIGHT BE THE FRIENDLIEST ON RECORD, THE ROOMS THE ULTIMATE IN ATTRACTIVE DESIGN AND YOUR HOTEL OR MOTEL MAY BOAST THE MOST UP TO DATE IN-ROOM TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING YOUR GUESTS FEEL AT HOME, LITTLE CAN COMPETE WITH THE BEVERAGE THEY ARE VERY LIKELY TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF SHORTLY AFTER PUTTING THEIR BAGS DOWN AND SLUMPING INTO A CHAIR.

Travelling can be stressful and their fi rst encounter with your room may come at the end of a long and tiring day – whether it is business or holiday, so that fi rst encounter with the beverage options you have offered them may well set the tone for the satisfaction or otherwise they will judge your establishment on.

And that is just the parents. If small, crotchety children are involved, what is available on your kitchen or kitchenette bench, shelf or minibar can be enormously magnifi ed in importance. Until the children are happy, the parents certainly won’t be.

While some accommodation managers might regard providing beverages as an unwanted cost, that is generally regarded as an extremely short-sighted attitude. Far wiser to regard it as an essential service that it is very wise to give due thought to and can be a useful attribute in guest satisfaction.

So, what to provide? Perhaps the very fi rst thing to look at is not what to provide but how to display it. Presentation is extremely important. An unsightly clutter will not only detract from the look of your room but make a poor impression.

A well-designed and crafted box or small piece of cabinetry, very likely constructed of wood rather than cheaper materials, will be well worth the cost. But before putting that task out to contract, you’ll need to decide what will go in it.

Good quality needed

The word that must guide your decision here is ‘quality’. Whether your guests are New Zealanders, Australians or from more far-fl ung corners of the world, offering them anything inferior to what they are used to will be certain to lead to some disillusionment with your establishment. Those who can afford to travel are very likely to be used to an interesting and fl avourful product.

An insipid, tasteless brew from your selection is not going to go down well. You have little choice but to provide the best available. And that can be a real challenge, even with the humble cup of tea.

Tea is by far the most widely consumed beverage in the world, its consumption equalling all other manufactured drinks in the world – including coffee, chocolate, soft drinks and alcohol – combined.

Most accommodation providers here are still likely to have or been infl uenced by a British heritage where a sit-down for a nice cup of hearty black tea with milk is always welcome. But in many of the world’s cultures it means much more than that, often coming in many different styles and brewing methods, and being part of elaborate rituals and ceremonies.

Even to more traditional tastes, often too little consideration is given to quality. A few packets of tea bags in their room is not necessarily going to cut it for discerning guests. Until fairly recent times, it was generally accepted that tea bags provided an inferior taste to a pot of leaf tea.

However, in recent years, tea companies have responded to the demand from people who want better quality teas but prefer bags for convenience. They set out to provide an increasing range of designer bags with a good selection of quality teas – well presented in caddies. There is now a wide choice to draw on. But while most guests will be happy with Earl Grey or English breakfast, some will also enjoy a selection of herbal varieties.

FREE*Order Chanui now &recieve free leather display trays! *Conditions apply.

fb food & beverage


Portion control:

Growing coffee culture

While tea drinkers have gradually become more quality conscious, the growth in coffee appreciation in recent years has been quite astounding, aided by advancements in electronic domestic coffee makers at a reasonable price from appliance stores. For many, even the plunger is no longer good enough and fresh, machine-brewed coffee is now the norm. They may find what they are offered in a portion-control packet to be less satisfying than what they are used to making in their own kitchen.

But these appliances come in many different types and what guests are used to at home could be baffling for another guest only there for a short stay who just wants to make an enjoyable hot drink quickly and easily. All the more reason to supply the best quality available in sachets.

Children may be less demanding, provided their favourite drink is available in a packet, but a good range of choices is still needed and health factors should also be considered. Parents might not be happy if over-sugary treats are supplied. And that still leaves milk – not the easiest product in the world to provide in small sachets. The long-life variety does not appeal to everyone.

Advances in packaging

Manufacturing such products is a job for a specialist and one of the largest in Australasia is Health Pak, which provides a huge range of portion-control items to hotels, motels, cafes, restaurants and airlines in several parts of the world.

General manager sales and marketing, James Kennedy-Grant says

presentation of a beverage offering is extremely important. “However, ultimately you have to provide your guests with a really top quality product or you’re wasting your time.

“We package all of our teas and coffees right here in our own factory so we can control the quality of the packaging and contents and ensure that your guests are enjoying the best possible product every time,” he said.

“We’ve been at the forefront of packaging development (degradable sugar sachets, sticks and enveloped tea bags) as well as developing completely new products like our Squash cold drink sachets, the first portion control cold drink sachet developed specifically for the hotel motel market. Squash was the first cold beverage product specifically designed to cater for the large number of adults who don’t drink warm beverages, as well as the legions of children who finally have something other than water to drink.”

fbfood & beverage

53SPRING 2014

Another specialist in these products is Astro where Reuben Beatson has noticed a desire for quality and open presentation. “Feedback we get from customers is that they like a good tasting coffee, hot chocolate and a range of teas. It is very important, how good the coffee, tea or hot chocolate is. Depending on what it is the guest enjoys the most is a factor on whether they will return.”

And he says they like to see the products displayed in open trays and not hidden away in drawers.”

James Kennedy-Grant says Health Pak beverage products “have also become very popular in Australia over the last few years as they offer a great looking and tasting alternative to the same old teas and coffees that have always been available.”

Mr Kennedy-Grant says that as well as developing new products and packaging, Health Pak was the first supplier to produce a full range of portion control Fairtrade certified beverage sachets, teas, coffees, sugars and drinking chocolate. “Our One Fairtrade brand continues

to enjoy huge growth on the back of guest demand for certified Fairtrade beverages.

“Naturally we work with our customers to ensure that they have access to presentation boxes and trays to best present their beverage selection.”

At Astro, Reuben Beatson, says Bloom Hot Chocolate is fast becoming the most popular hot chocolate along with

the Chanui tea range. “The fact that Chanui is selling more product into the supermarkets now than a lot of the other well-known brands says how much guests appreciate having this treat in their rooms. at their accommodation provider.”

Asked for his perspective on the growth of POD and plunger coffee in accommodation establishments, he said: “It’s a very new initiative and I don’t see it being the norm for quite some time as the cost per coffee is very high. But I definitely think it will be the expectation for executive suites and 5-star properties.”


Café de Sol; small on size, big on taste.

For free samples and pricing please contact your local Health Pak distributor, or contact us directly on 09 579 6268 or [email protected]

…It is very important, how good the coffee, tea or hot chocolate is. Depending on what it is the guest

enjoys the most is a factor on whether they will return....

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Healthy Eating:

Kiosks go healthy for on-the-go meals

MARRIOTT HOTELS HAS LAUNCHED ITS FIRST TRAVELLER-INSPIRED INNOVATION – A HEALTHY VENDING MACHINE, FEATURING HANDCRAFTED SALADS, SANDWICHES AND SNACKS MADE FRESH EVERYDAY USING LOCAL INGREDIENTS.

The working prototype debuts in the lobby of the Chicago Marriott O’Hare, offering travelers healthy food options available all day and night during their stay. The innovation was inspired by Anjana Kallarackal, a 21-year old college student, who answered the call to join Marriott Hotels in co-creating the future of travel as part of its Travel Brilliantly campaign.

In looking to bring Anjana’s idea to life, Marriott Hotels reached out to Chicago start-up Farmer’s Fridge, which has taken an innovative approach to making healthy, delicious food easier to access. The company’s kiosk, one of 12 in Chicago area, will be located in the Chicago Marriott O’Hare for the next fi ve months for testing with guests. Items curated and prepared daily by Farmer’s Fridge will be offered for sale in distinctive packaging, ranging in price from $3 to $12 dollars and include:

• The Detox Salad (also known as the Junk Food Eraser) made with organic kale and quinoa with fennel, fruits and beans served in white balsamic vinaigrette.

• Greek yogurt and berries (also known as Breakfast of the Gods) made with low-fat Greek yogurt, berries and locally sourced honey.

• Lemon pepper chicken made with chicken breast from chickens that have been humanely raised without antibiotics, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper.

“Listening and responding to customer needs is a hallmark for Marriott Hotels. We are committed to introducing the most innovative ideas our guests and infl uencers have been submitting to TravelBrilliantly.com as part of the brand’s journey to co-create the future of travel,” said Michael Dail, vice president, Marriott Hotels Marketing. “Anjana’s idea inspired us, and thanks to Farmer’s Fridge, guests can now begin enjoying healthy food whenever they want it. Coming soon, Marriott Hotels will launch even more co-created travel ideas submitted to TravelBrilliantly.com by guests.”

"It is an honour for Farmer's Fridge to partner with a company as innovative as Marriott Hotels that recognises the need for healthy meal options among travellers,” said Luke Saunders, founder of Farmer's Fridge. “I founded Farmer's Fridge because I used to spend 75 per cent of my time on-the-road for work and was personally frustrated by the lack of convenient, healthy food available. Now it has come full circle, with this new partnership giving travellers access to fresh, nutritious food on-the-go through our revolutionary kiosks.”

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fbfood & beverage

55SPRING 2014

In little more a year, nearly 2500 ideas have been submitted to

TravelBrilliantly.com.

This month, the brand is asking consumers for their best ideas in

taking loyalty programs to next level. In October, the brand wants

ideas for how it can support guests as they try to stay healthy and

balanced on the road and in November, the brand will solicit ideas for

its Greatroom lobbies.

Recently, Marriott Hotels evolved TravelBrilliantly.com by asking guests

to help Marriott Hotels shape innovative ideas and concepts that are

closer to being rolled out. The brand is working on offering a mix of

amenities in a box that guests could purchase at check-in. Visitors

to TravelBrilliantly.com can vote for their favourite amenities from a

list under consideration or suggest their own ideas for the perfect

amenities.

In addition to guests, Marriott Hotels is also co-creating with

unexpected partners like the MIT Mobile Experience Lab. Marriott and

MIT students – future travellers – co-created Six Degrees to reinvent

the hotel lobby as a social hub, using a mobile app to connect people

with similar backgrounds and interests. The idea is now in development

in Marriott’s innovation pipeline.

Porters Premium and Specialty Teas. Proudly packaged in New Zealand.With a full range of teas all carefully blended for the local palate, Porters has a tea for

relax, Porters has it all. Loved and trusted by guests throughout the world. Your guests

For free samples and pricing please contact your local Health Pak distributor, or contact us directly on 09 579 6268 or [email protected]

...Thanks to Farmer’s Fridge, guests can now begin enjoying healthy food

whenever they want it...

h housekeeping


Bedding:

Bedspread, duvet covers and bedcap trends

AN ATTRACTIVE LOOKING BED IS ESSENTIAL TO ANY GUEST ROOM. SKILLED USE OF COLOUR AND DESIGN WILL IMMEDIATELY DRAW THE EYE. A GUEST MAY DECIDE THERE AND THEN IF THEY LIKE THE LOOK OF THE ROOM THEY ARE TO STAY IN, SO IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A PROPERTY TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE LOOK THAT SUITS ITS OVERALL IMAGE – AND BUDGET.

A long way away from the trends of Europe and the US, New Zealand styles may be a little more relaxed than some other parts of the world, but the essentials remain the same. In general, experts agree that the bedspread, duvet cover and bedcap are the three crucial elements in designing an attractive bed.

So what trends are we seeing in our hotels and motels in 2014? Someone who is up with the play in this regard is Desiree Henry, national sales manager at Texco International Ltd. Ms Henry says the short top, short side quilted bedspread is becoming a stand-out style in motels, although 4-star plus properties are moving towards the white-top-of-bed look which normally incorporates white duvets or top sheets. This look can be accessorised with cushions, runners, comforters or bedcaps.

Bedspreads preferred option

She says various properties all over the country prefer bedspreads to other available options due to their functionality, low maintenance and ability to be customised if needed.

“Bedspreads come in a variety of makes and styles to suit diverse budgets. The prices start from as little as $60.00 for a retail type product and go up to $400.00 for a tailor-made top-end bedspread.

“While choices are somewhat limited within already made products, tailor-made bedspreads offer an endless possibility of styles, colours and fabrics. One of the main appeals is low maintenance in terms of cost and time. While it takes a greater initial investment than a top sheet or a duvet, the bedspread can last up to fi ve years. Most properties will do a refresh of their rooms every fi ve to six years which fi ts in well with the life of a bedspread..

“The bedspread is a more preferable from a housekeeping point of view. It takes considerably less time to make the bed, especially if the bedspread is equipped with boxed corners that easily slide over the bed.

This offers extra effi ciency to larger properties where housekeeping is allocated only a certain time per room.”

Ms Henry says boxed corners bedspreads are also advised for smaller rooms as the alternative rounded corners can sacrifi ce the space and make the room visually smaller.

Smart looking duvet covers

When it comes to duvet covers, she sees printed and white duvets as the most cost effective option – traditionally preferred by hostels and backpackers.

“However, for motels the right cover can make a property look very smart, although the look is less corporate and more casual. It gives a room a homely feel that might be just what a small cosy motel is after. This look is also popular with B&Bs.

“Duvets are not limited to lower budget accommodation. Some top-end properties have been spotted purchasing white duvets with 50/50 polyester/cotton, 100 per cent cotton or sateen stripe outer. These are usually used with no cover and look fabulous accessorised with bed runners, cushions or blankets. The drawback of this option is that the inners need frequent laundering and it is much easier and cost effective to launder a top sheet or duvet cover.”

Valances and bed caps

Desiree Henry says that while, strictly speaking valances are not the top-of-the-bed, they do complete the look and deserve a special mention.

“Just like bedspreads, these can be tailor made or purchased off the shelf. They are usually synchronised with the overall room design and offer a nice fi nal touch.

“Valances, or covered bed bases, are essential with either top sheet, duvets or short sided bedspreads. The cost can vary depending on quality.

“Valances are not associated with any particular type of accommodation as they serve a specifi c purpose – covering the base of the bed. Hence they can be seen in motor homes as well as luxury lodges.

Ms Henry says bed caps are a cover which fi t over the end of a bed but only partly cover it.

“Similar to a bed runner, it gives protection from feet and suit cases. This look is relatively new to New Zealand,” she concluded.


Bedcaps are a relatively new trend. Skilled top-of-bed design immediately draws the eye.

Our range combines elegance, durability and a cost-effective bedroom solutionthat will WOW! your guests...

Contact Us Now

Refresh with Spring in the Air

h housekeeping


Mats:

Floor mats that make life easier and look great

MATS! SO IMPORTANT BUT OFTEN OVERLOOKED.

A simple enough product they might appear to be but they can make a signifi cant difference to a business’s bottom line in a number of ways.

The most obvious one is helping prevent dust and dirt being brought inside, meaning less time cleaning up, assisting presentation and reducing the risks of slips and falls.

Another one is connecting with clients. A welcome or other message mat can start creating an impression and communicating as soon as a visitor can see them. For instance, a cleverly designed logo can make a big impression. Doormat humour can be a very useful sales tool.

Indoors, non-slip mats can play a big part in preventing injuries to both staff and visitors. Injuries can take a terrible toll time-recovery and medical costs, or even incur legal penalties.

Another often-overlooked use is in preventing fatigue. For staff members who spend a long time on their feet, especially designed mats can considerably reduce weariness that can adversely affect production and may be a factor in unnecessary absenteeism.

Good quality mats will stay looking good for longer, be more effective in reducing the risk of slips and falls, and undoubtedly save you time and money. By reducing dust, dirt and moisture entering the building they will increase the life of your fl ooring. Your cleaning and maintenance time and costs will also reduce. Experts say a 85x150cm mat can stop 80 per cent of dirt entering a building and can hold 6kg of dirt and 3 litres of moisture. It is certainly a lot better to capture all this before it makes its way throughout your premises. Apart from the practical aspects of having well placed mats, those who buy them will want them to look good as well. First impressions defi nitely count.

Perhaps the world’s major mat supplier is the US company, Milliken. Their products are supplied in New Zealand by Britannia Textiles. The company’s sales and customer service representative Lorri Gibbins says Britannia’s Milliken range consists of “hard working scrapers, dust stops, anti-fatigue, welcomes and logo mats.

“Scraper mats are the heavy duty answer to remove excessive dirt and moisture. They have a nitrile rubber backing and solution dyed nylon top. They are UV resistant and extremely durable.

“Cero is a combination of the heavy duty scraper and the Forever dust stops. The successive rows of polyamide fi bres act as tough scrapers to knock off the dirt and the alternating rows of yarn absorb the dirt and moisture,” she said.

“If you have staff who are on their feet for most of their day, you should consider an anti-fatigue mat. These are specially designed for safety, comfort and protection in areas where people stand for long periods and can ultimately increase productivity.

We also have a range with drainage holes and anti-microbial properties – ideal for kitchens, behind the bar, swimming pool and spa areas. They have unique suction discs which greatly increases stability on smooth hard surfaces.

“Forever dust stops are available in colours that stay vibrant and come with a fl exible rubber backing. They’re made to stand the test of time and can be subjected to all sorts of abuse. It’s little wonder that these mats have been a best seller for many years. Britannia Textiles have these in red, grey, black and blue,” Ms Gibbins said.

“We also have a range of welcome mats. Colour combinations include black on a red background, red on black, red on navy, cream on green, yellow on green and even black mats with either Kia Ora or a silver fern. Use inside your front door, at reception or anywhere where you want to say ‘Hello.’

“If you really want to stand out from the crowd, your logo and/or a personal message is a real attention grabber and a great way to increase your profi le. Milliken’s technology allows for high defi nition images – including photos to create an impact never before seen on a mat.

“These mats have the dye injected deep into the pile of the mat – unlike some which are screen or transfer printed which only dye the tips of the carpet. But as you’d expect from Milliken, these mats aren’t just about the look – they’re hard working and absorb dust and moisture too,” she said.

“Of course, mats have to be kept clean and all of ours are fully launderable. There’s nothing to stop you from cleaning them yourself but you might like to consider taking advantage a commercial laundry’s expertise. A hassle free way to do this would be to hire. They’ll come and collect your dirty mats and swap them for a nice clean ones.”


Whatever you need and wherever you need it, we have a mat to protect your floors, reduce dust and dirt and create a lasting impression.

CALL 0800 800 366Call us today or visit our website and find out how we can help you

www.britannia.co.nzWe are New Zealand’s leading importer and manufacturer of quality linen and mats.

Specialist laundry, restaurant, motel, hotel and health sector suppliers

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h housekeeping


Wet & Dry Systems:

Effective carpet cleaning – do you choose wet or dry?

THERE CAN BE FEWER POOR IMPRESSIONS FOR THOSE ENTERING A RECEPTION AREA OR GUEST ROOM IN AN ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENT THAN SEEING DIRTY CARPET IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES OR MARKS ON THE UPHOLSTERY. THEIR JUDGEMENT OF THAT PREMISE COULD BE DECIDED THERE AND THEN.

Carpet and upholstery care should rank as one of the top priorities of any accommodation establishment’s regular housekeeping maintenance program. Carpet can actually act as a magnet of all kinds of pollutants, contaminants, bacteria and odours, along with the possibility of unwanted nasties such as fl eas, cockroach eggs, and dust mites.

Housekeeping departments should place considerable attention on having the right equipment available and by providing their cleaning personnel with the proper training for identifying the stains and using the right product. Effi cient and regular maintenance is of paramount importance in achieving a healthy, and clean environment.

But using the most appropriate kind of equipment is essential. These systems are intended to carry out different tasks and each one has its own strong and weak points. In many cases a good, dry vacuuming will achieve the desired result but when more than removing loose dust or dirt is involved, it might be inadequate for the job.

When wet wins over dry

When carpet or upholstery is beyond simple vacuum cleaning, a more specialised type of cleaning is necessary – using water. That can involve steam or hot water extraction.

The term carpet cleaner or shampooer used to relate to types of carpet cleaning appliances which did not have a water tank and cleaned using a cleaner in conjunction with brush action. The cleaning fl uid actually stayed in the carpet to protect the fi bres and was not removed, nor was any water applied.

Today, the term generally means any appliance that is used to clean a carpet and carpet cleaners have changed considerably in the last few years.

These days, most carpet cleaners are actually steamers. Along with

a liquid cleaning solution, hot water or steam is applied to the carpet. Brushes either rotate or agitate, an agitating brush will lift the carpet fi bres. The water and solution is then extracted into a waste water reservoir that must be emptied. This allows carpets to be deep-cleaned and the water is then extracted by the same machine, allowing it to dry rather quickly.

Before steaming your carpet, always do a thorough cleaning with a vacuum to ensure pieces of debris are removed. After the steaming process and once the carpet has dried completely, it is considered a good idea to re-vacuum the area to lift fi bres.

When it comes to rating different models of carpet cleaners, consumer reviews tend to be rather mixed. There are many reasons for this. It often depends on what cleaning results are expected from steaming carpets.

It cannot be expected to achieve miracles in returning something worn and stained to its original pristine condition.

For free samples and pricing contact your local Health Pak distributor or www.healthpak.co.nz [email protected] Phone 09 579 6268

“We appreciate Health Pak’s efforts to care for holidaymakers and travellers in a way that’s kind to nature”

Forest & Bird General Manager, Hone McGregor.

For every Forest & Bird product you purchase, Health Pak will donate a percentage to Forest & Bird to support their magical work in protecting our native flora & fauna.

hhousekeeping

61SPRING 2014

Other factors will be at play. Once stains are allowed to dry, it is likely that nothing will remove them.

All stains must be attacked as they happen, and when the perpetrator is likely to be a guest who is likely not to bother or make a half-hearted attempt at best, that is likely to be a problem. And even with steam cleaning, carpet or upholstery should always be thoroughly vacuumed fi rst.

This will remove large and small dirt particles, as well as loosen deep, ingrained dirt. While vacuuming, a cleaner may also notice small items that could impair a carpet cleaner if allowed to be picked up during the steaming process. Steam cleaning a carpet regularly, and especially after new stains, should also improve results.

Choosing the best product

In New Zealand, several companies specialise in steam or water cleaners. One of them is Rug Doctor. The company proudly claims that for more than 30 years Rug Doctor NZ has “led the way in design with the most compact, convenient, hot water extraction carpet cleaning machines available today.”

Sales manager, Sally Giller, says many carpet manufacturers recommend professional hot water extraction as the preferred and most effective carpet cleaning method.

“This means to deep clean the carpet by hot water extraction method with a professional carpet cleaning machine that sprays hot water (not steam) on the carpet while simultaneously sucking up the sprayed water, along with any dislodged and dissolved dirt.

“The advantage of the hot water extraction cleaning method is the effectiveness of using hot water along with the correct diluted cleaning product; this avoids the problems associated with any detergent residues that can remain in the carpet with other types of cleaning methods. These other methods can cause residue that in a shorter time period attracts dirt back to the carpet from the soles of shoes as people walk on the carpet, causing the carpet to look worse than before. It is always recommended that you vacuum fi rst to help remove dry soiling.”

Mrs Giller says both the company’s Mighty Pro and Wide Track cleaning machines with an upholstery tool attachment have the same professional cleaning power and method. “The uniquely designed vibrating brush action agitates the dirt, reducing its hold on carpet fi bres, while the unit’s powerful vacuum extracts the dirt away.”

Rug Doctor equipment uses fi ve New Zealand made cleaning products: carpet cleaner, upholstery cleaner, odour remover, stain remover and spot remover.


h housekeeping


Keeping House:

Technology equals effi ciency

IN THE RECENT PAST, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HAS SEEN A TSUNAMI OF CHANGE. ONE SUCH AREA THAT HAS SEEN RAPID IMPROVEMENTS BROUGHT ON BY THE GROWING USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS HOUSEKEEPING.

The long neglected department of housekeeping has been steadily adopting technology to increase effi ciency, provide guests with a seamless experience and add to customer satisfaction. The largest costs in an accommodation provider's balance sheet is manpower and some 40 per cent of these manpower expenses are directly linked to housekeeping. Accommodation providers are demanding technology based solutions that can enable them to reduce these costs and optimise manpower through innovative means.

Some of the technology leveraged by the housekeeping department has been iPads and smart phones with specifi c housekeeping applications, kiosk based stations and text message modules to address guests requests and grievances rapidly. Numerous housekeeping functions such as room cleaning, lost and found, supplies and inventory, accessing mini bar using telephones and other mundane functions have been automated using smart housekeeping applications. Complaints from guests can be addressed faster through text messages, rather than through staff stationed at a desk. The constant endeavour is to provide guests with personalised service in the least possible time.

For example, a housekeeper will go through a typical routine in a guestroom and if he or she notices a problem, like a broken tap, blown light bulb or a malfunctioning television, the housekeeper will use their iPad and follow through a protocol to identify that specifi c problem. The report immediately alerts the maintenance person via their iPad or wireless phone. If the maintenance person can't get there within a reasonable time they should call for some help.

If a maintenance person takes too long to address the reported problem, an alarm will sound and alternate action can be taken. Systems such as this speed up and clear up communication with the back of the house that makes each worker more effi cient. Another area where technology comes into its own is when a guest puts a room-service tray outside of the door, housekeeping is alerted from a triangle sensor on the tray that triggers another sensor in the doorway. Even more fundamental is where housecleaning staff are alerted when a room is available for cleaning. Guests leaving a room set off a sensor, to indicate they are gone and the room can be cleaned.

Working in conjunction with the hotel's property-management system, housekeeping staff will use iPod touch technology or similar to keep up to speed with the property's housekeeping needs at all times. The iPod will show each housekeeper his or her list of rooms for that day.

It’s a rapidly changing world in the accommodation industry.

0800 77 333 7 speedqueen.co.nz

Among the things you don’t want your guests experiencing when they walk into your establishment is stale or musty air – or even worse – the

smells of harsh cleansers or exotic cooking.

When it comes to the latter, motels will be more at risk, but those undesirable odours might not necessarily emanate from inside at all – it is quite feasible it could be something that has been going on outside. Either way, it is near impossible to keep accommodation properties smelling sweet all the time.

On the contrary, an attractive aroma can evoke pleasant thoughts and memories, and be part of that array of intangibles that might bring guests back again or lead them to recommend your place to others. Taking a proactive approach with air fresheners can pay off.

There are companies that specialise in such a service and have every chance of providing the exact scent you want. One of these is Ecomist which is able to supply a wide range of aromas to suit different requirements. It has proven its worth to many accommodation properties, such as Quest Terrace, Wellington, where 14 Ecomist neutralisers are in operation.

“We received a phone call from the manager who was there at the time to install odour neutralisers,” said Karryn McKenna of Ecomist Lower North Island. “He’d heard about of us from another property where we carried out similar work. We installed the dispensers in December 2013 – 14 odour neutralisers for the hallways and one for reception.

“We receive many requests for odour control, making the hallways odour free as it entices new tenants. Cooking smells do not,” she said.

And enthusiastic recommendation comes from Grace and Bob Neall at the 13-unit Avenue Motel in Palmerston North. Said Grace:

“We have Ecomist in all the units, plus our house, and we use the deoderiser, which is fantastic if we ever have a lingering smell after a guest has left. It makes the room really inviting for the new people coming in to have a nice, pleasant smell. We’ve tried different fragrances and we find them all very good. They all seem to just cut that smell right out and we’re very, very happy with that.”

But the Nealls have also found Ecomist very useful in another way.

“We use Ecomist insect killer in all our rooms,” said Mrs Neall. “When we first came here two years ago we had a real problem with ants. Straightaway we had Ecomist put in all the rooms and we haven’t had a problem since. It’s brilliant. We’d thoroughly recommend Ecomist to anyone – and we’ve had very good service from our local rep.”

Another recommendation comes from the owner of Wellington’s Quest Terraces, Alpesh Patel, who says the neutralisers have made a big difference at the 13 floor apartments hotel where cooking smells had been causing annoyance.

“They’re good, it’s a good smell, people like it,” he said. “We started with one of them and liked it, so we put them on all 13 floors. Each floor has a different flavour.”

ECOMIST

supplier profile

hhousekeeping

63SPRING 2014

Pleasant odours – pleasant memories

www.ecomist.co.nz0800 75 75 78

CALL TO ARRANGE A FREE TRIAL

Have Ecomist automatic dispensers installed - serviced monthly or DIY.

Don’t let unwanted pests surprise your guests.

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er energy & resources


Lighting:

LED lighting v halogen – is it worth making the change?

LED LIGHTING HAS EMERGED AS A VERSATILE TECHNOLOGY FOR ACCOMMODATION AND HOSPITALITY APPLICATIONS, ABLE TO SHOWCASE AMBIENCE IN ITS TRUE LIGHT WHILE DELIVERING SIGNIFICANT ENERGY SAVINGS.

Today’s LED technology offers far higher levels of brightness and energy efficiency than seemed possible just a few years ago, leading to a wealth of options to choose from.

While still more expensive than halogen initially, LED lighting can enable a hotel to make significant cuts in energy use and create a dynamic atmosphere to adapt to the different needs of guests. But using LED lighting in areas of a hotel or motel where lights are switched on most of the time, some estimates say energy savings of up to 85 per cent can be made.

Considerable savings can also be made in the cost of the lamps themselves. LED lamps can last 30,000 hours or more, or between 20 to 35 years, depending on their length of usage. This can mean a return on the initial investment after only a few months.

There are also advantages in environmental sustainability. As the lifecycle of LED is far longer, there are far fewer lamps going into landfill. Overseas, at the end of its life, an LED lamp is recyclable, although the market for that in New Zealand is yet to develop. Yet, in spite of these apparent advantages, some still say there are advantages with halogen.

What is LED lighting?LED stands for a light-emitting diode – a two-lead semiconductor light source. It is a basic pn-junction diode, which emits light when activated. When a fitting voltage is applied to the leads, electrons are able to

recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence, and the colour of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy band gap of the semiconductor.

An LED is often small in area (less than 1 mm2) and integrated optical components may be used to shape its radiation pattern.

Appearing as practical electronic components in 1962, the earliest LEDs emitted low-intensity infrared light. Infrared LEDs are still frequently used as transmitting elements in remote-control circuits, such as those in remote controls for a wide variety of consumer electronics. The first visible-light LEDs were also of low intensity, and limited to red. Modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths, with very high brightness.

Early LEDs were often used as indicator lamps for electronic devices, replacing small incandescent bulbs. They were soon packaged into numeric readouts in the form of seven-segment displays, and were commonly seen in digital clocks.

Recent developments in LEDs permit them to be used in environmental and task lighting. LEDs have many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved physical robustness, smaller size, and faster switching.

Light-emitting diodes are now used in applications as diverse as aviation lighting, automotive headlamps, advertising, general lighting, traffic signals, and camera flashes. However, LEDs powerful enough for room lighting are still relatively expensive, and it is generally considered that they require more precise current and heat management than compact fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.

THE GLOBAL MARK OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY



Lighting:

Why debate LED versus halogen?The decision to invest in a new or different lighting technology is of huge importance to accommodation providers and designers.

Aesthetics, colour, intensity, beam angle and light distribution must all be considered. With the ever-wider variety of LED options becoming available, selecting the best source is not getting any easier. Compared to conventional halogen lamps, there is no noticeable difference in light intensity and colour accuracy provided by LEDs. Indeed, the smart use of LED lamps, fi xtures and dimming controls can mean they perform better.

While LED lighting has improved markedly in terms of brightness over the past few years, that is not necessarily what an accommodation environment is looking for, particularly when it comes to creating a mood or a theme. LED lamps allow designers to select a CCT level that best matches each mood.

Simple changes, like adapting CCT from 2700K to 3000K, made blue tones more vivid, if that is desired to create a mood or enhance a theme. Bringing out that ‘true colour’ depends upon both the chromaticity of the source and its colour rendering index. A key benefi t of good LED is that it delivers only visible light, cutting out the damaging ultraviolet and infrared elements. Another perceived advantage is that for a given beam angle, LED lighting tends to offer a greater intensity in the centre of the beam profi le. And while the combination of a small fi lament and precise optics in halogen lamps means that they are good for very tight spotlight distribution, LEDs featuring a wider beam angle can also be advantageous.

LED lighting can enable a hotel or motel to make signifi cant cuts in energy use and create a dynamic atmosphere to adapt to the different needs of before guests, but it pays to shop around for proven brands. They will usually deliver better performance and superior cost-effectiveness.

Expert New Zealand opinions AMG sought the opinions of three lighting experts: Matthew Still, National Business Development manager at Ideal Electrical Suppliers; Gerard Woods, managing director of Switch Lighting; and the general manager of Hugo Lighting, Mark Ralston.

There was only one area where they thought halogen almost certainly retained some vestige of superiority – colour quality. “I think halogen does have a better colour rendering index than LED at present,” said Mr Ralston. He says with LED, 86 CRI is “pretty common, but halogen’s at 100, so it does make you feel a lot warmer.”

Said Gerard Woods: “There are two colour issues to consider – colour rendering and CCT – the Correlated Colour Temperature. “When it comes to colour rendering in a hotel, that’s how well colours are represented and refl ected and it is still where halogen cannot be beaten at present. Halogen has 100 per cent colour rendering, i.e. all the colours of the spectrum.”

This means objects may appear slightly warmer in colour hue – the colours will be represented accurately. “That would be the one and only advantage that halogen has over other lighting technologies at the moment,” Mr Woods said.

But Ideal’s Matthew Still sees an advantage for LED here as well. “It’s not restricted to producing light in the typical 3000 Kelvin white light we are used to. LED opens up a whole new fl exibility with colour.

“While halogen has always been available with coloured fi lters, colour changing was restricted to stage shows. Now you can light your garden or home in any colour you choose for a special occasion, and with the fl ick of a button return it to the light you typically use. You are only limited to your imagination,” he said.

“For hospitality, this means a different feel for breakfast and lunch, then into

yellows and orange for cocktail hours, then blues and reds as the night wears on and patrons continue to party.”

Size and fl exibilityWhile the men still see some colour superiority for halogen, that is almost where the advantages end. One of the big plusses for LED is the size of the lamps and the fl exibility this gives. Said Gerard Woods from Switch Lighting: “When it comes to size you cannot go beyond LED. The smallest product we make is a one watt LED, which in a hotel we could put into a bathroom to create an effect in the shower.” That makes LED excellent for such uses as pathways, gardens and feature lighting, he said. “You could have three luminaires of them in there – three watts in total. And the OD (outside diameter) of the product is 20mm. That’s tiny – just a little bit bigger than a 10 cent piece. You can’t do that with other lighting. That’s one of the advantages of LED, you can put it in shelving or similar confi ned spaces.”

Ideal’s Matthew Still agrees: “LED can be incorporated into areas and things that were not conceivable before with traditional light sources. This means they can be used as features under kitchen benches and kick boards, or in gardens without intruding on the landscape. LED can be placed in fi ttings, fl exible strips and a number of other such places, allowing all kinds of creativity to create ambiance.”

He says with LED, there is a signifi cant reduction in the heat generated from the light source. “With the cool running temperatures of LED, the product can be used down halls and in stairwells to guide people to where they need to go, without a lot of overhead light, while fi ttings this low down are still safe around children. This kind of light greatly increases orientation in an emergency situation as a supplement to the standard emergency lighting system.”

Said Hugo Lighting’s Mark Ralston: “We do a lot of marker lights and also wall lights so it’s great for that because you don’t need ceiling lights going and you’ll still have plenty of light. You can run on one watt and you’ll be fi ne. That’s enough to give people plenty of guidance to get from A to B.”

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Lighting:

Hospitality advantages All three see major LED advantages for those involved in the hospitality business.

Mark Ralston: “LED is defi nitely cheaper to run, so you save money on power – the life of an LED is almost 10 times as long as halogen. And you don’t have to replace the lamps so often so your maintenance is a lot lower.

“You’d be changing halogen lamps probably every 3-5000 hours. For an LED, it would be a minimum of 30,000-50,000. By that time you could be due to update the motel and you’d probably just throw the lamp away – perhaps by then able to replace a nine watt with a one watt.”

Gerard Woods also sees advantages in the economy of LED: “With exterior security lighting, a one watt LED is enough illumination for exterior lighting so you could have it on all night, every night, and it’s very cost effi cient to run. To put that in context, a one watt LED running 10 hours per night every night of the year, uses less than one dollar’s worth of energy. You don’t have to worry about the cost.”

Matthew Still: “In real terms, for a house using lighting fi ve hours a day on average means taking the lamp change from one or two years to 16 years and up, effectively eliminating maintenance. By upgrading to LED, you’re also upgrading your old assets to something new that will see a long maintenance free period.” And with the economy and fl exibility advantages

of LED, he says accommodation establishments should be questioning the way they are portraying their brands to customers. “Is it a dull sign that disappears at night, or is it back-lit using LED and creating a ‘wow’ factor. Use it to boost revenue.”

Taking the LED plungeWhile the initial costs of LED lighting might be still be higher, all three men say the gap is closing rapidly.

Mark Ralston: “The price gap closing up all the time, driven by the market. If I was building a hotel or motel, I wouldn’t go with anything except LED because of the savings. Some LED wall lights are now fi ve watt and are putting out just as much light as a halogen used to do.

Gerard Woods: “In a commercial environment we’re looking at a two year payback. The costs are coming down to a point where the replacement product is now less than double the conventional product. It used to be three or four times the price. The payback period can now be quite short.

“LED is revolutionising the lighting industry. There are new products coming out all the time such as built-in sensors, smart automation, app controlled etc – the potential is untapped. The change in lighting over the next 10 years is going to be quite phenomenal.”


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erenergy & resources

69SPRING 2014

Sustainability:

From sustainability to profit

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FRESH DIALOGUES, THE FORMER CEO OF GENERAL ELECTRIC, JACK WELCH MADE A NUMBER OF COMMENTS ABOUT GOING GREEN, “IF I’M RUNNING A BUSINESS, I WANT TO BE SURE I’M AS GREEN AS CAN BE. DESIGN PRODUCTS WITH A SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT; ENGAGE YOUR EMPLOYEES IN GREEN ACTIVITIES … MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL YOU’RE IN. THERE’S NO PERCENTAGE IN BEING AGAINST IT”.

Many executives agree with Jack Welch that it is a requirement for modern companies to make the businesses sustainable. However businesses all over the world are judged on profitability by their investors and shareholders, and the jobs of their employees depend on that profitability. Therefore, how can we make sustainability profitable and how can we turn it into a competitive advantage?

Do sustainable businesses perform better financially?

According to an article appearing in The Guardian on Tuesday 23rd of September 2014 the answer is YES. This article comments on the link between sustainable practices and financial performance. Referring to a new report by the non-profit organization CDP, it concludes that there is evidence of a link between business leadership on climate change and a company’s profitability.

The release of the CDP report coincides with the climate talks in New York. The study found that Standard & Poor’s 500 companies that build sustainability into their core strategies are outperforming those that fail to show leadership in this area.

What also makes interesting reading in this article are the numbers. For instance it states that corporations that are actively managing and planning for climate change secure an 18 per cent higher return on investment (ROI) than companies that aren’t. Plus it states that the corporations that are actively managing and planning for climate change are achieving a 67 per cent higher return than companies who refuse to disclose their emissions.

Why are carbon emissions important in sustainable management?

At Greenfield, we believe that the carbon management is at the heart of sustainable management. This is because climate change or carbon itself is naturally linked to social development, environmental

protection and economic growth. All of these factors together builds the foundations of sustainability.

If we address the social development aspect of sustainability we will see that according to the international standard on social management, ISO 26000:2010 – Guidance on social responsibility, there are the following core social topics: human rights, labour practices, the environment, community involvement and development, fair operating practices, and consumer issues. All of these subjects are linked to climate change, because global warming impacts on the environment of everyone living on this planet.

There has already been some good advances when it comes to businesses social responsibility, for example the business may only provide fair-trade certified coffee to guests. The effect of the better trading conditions this creates will improve the living conditions of

coffee producers in developing countries. This is good, but should not be seen as good enough. This is

because when selling the fair-trade coffee to guests, air-conditioning systems and

kitchen refrigeration units in your facility could be releasing refrigerant

chemicals into the air.

These fugitive emissions will stay in the atmosphere for over a hundred years and will add to the greenhouse effect. This results in warmer temperatures in coffee production areas that could lead to decreased production. This could then lead to coffee plantation workers being out

of work, creating downstream adverse effects which could

lead to poor health and social unrest.

This example demonstrates that carbon emissions control

and management ties into your social responsibility management.

By focusing on carbon management, you can better manage your social impacts, whatever the impacts on the local community, your guests and suppliers.

Most environmental aspects of sustainability are also linked to carbon emissions. For example, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pointed out that climate change and air pollution are closely coupled. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected “declining air quality in cities” into the future as a direct result of climate change. We’ve identified the minimum carbon-related environmental issues that influence the hotel and accommodation operations (see the chart for details).

It is difficult to really care about the air pollution in Asia when the sky above our heads is blue and clean. The pollution at the other side of the planet is just television news.



Sustainability:

Even we wanted to do something to help save the environment there, it seems that most of people think that the government or some large corporation will take the lead and develop sustainable projects.

It is an expectation that these large behemoths to do all of the work for us, but we forget the things controlled by us can change the world as well.

The simplest effort that we can do now is to remind guests to keep the room temperature more reasonable. This then saves electricity which releases large amounts of greenhouse gas during generation. This action will reduce the energy bill as well.

How do we achieve sustainable profitability?

It seems that we may have missed something. Where is the “economic growth” or “financial profit”? Some experts would tell you that the by-product of sustainable management is the savings on bills as mentioned above, the energy bill, and sometime the bills for your employee’s health.

However, these savings alone may not be large enough to drive change. At Greenfield, we found that the real missing part is connecting to your customers and suppliers. They are the major sources of income and savings.

Sustainable management is not simply environmental projects or social movement within local communities, but the innovation to engage your stakeholders to be part of your sustainability programme.

Sustainable reporting is a good practice, but from our point of view, with limited effect.

The question is who will read a hotel’s sustainability report in full, sometimes hundreds of pages, just because he or she is going to stay one or two nights? We need a new method to attract more guests by showing them how sustainable the business is, and get them to pay more for its sustainable contributions.

Greenfield developed a Sustainable Business Certificate for the hotel and accommodation industry with five levels: Green (committed), Bronze (Standard), Silver (Credit), Gold (Outstanding) and Platinum (Excellent). The criteria for the certificate is actually the guidance for sustainable management step by step following our unique MAGIC principle (for more details, please visit our website). Having a Sustainable Business Certificate is fundamental for our smartphone application which is designed for individual customers. Additionally certified businesses are stored in Greenfield’s online sustainable

supplier database where a business that is looking for sustainable facilities and services can easily find a sustainable practitioner.

How to start a sustainability program? As mentioned we start by measuring your carbon footprint and the result will then be quantified in the unit of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This, like the US dollar in the monetary system is becoming the common unit in sustainable management. We further translate this scientific language into an easily understood one: how many miles can you travel in a common passenger car. For example, if your carbon footprint is 8 kg CO2e per guest night that is equivelant to driving for 106 kilometres in your passenger car.

In summary, when we start with sustainable management the first course of action is to measure your carbon footprint, which is linked to most of your social and environmental issues. This process is the same as the need to understand your financial position when you first start your financial management plan. Furthermore, climate change is “in” as Jack Welch said and it is definitely a new attraction for your goods and services, especially to the young generation and business travellers. More importantly, to overseas tourists from countries where social and environmental issues are of major concern, such as China and India. They come here because of our environment, shouldn’t we be leading by example?

By Ning Zhang, Managing Director, Greenfield and Mark Sweeney, Business Manager, Greenfield

gfguest facilities

71SPRING 2014

Vending Machines:

How a vending machine can add value to your businessVENDING MACHINES ARE NOW COMMON IN PUBLIC AREAS, WAITING ROOMS AND MANY OTHER LOCATIONS. MODERN EQUIPMENT CAN BE STYLISH, RELIABLE AND EFFECTIVE AT PROVIDING PRODUCTS THAT MEET CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS AND WANTS, PARTICULARLY WHERE SHOP OPENING HOURS ARE RESTRICTED OR STAFF AND/OR FACILITIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

This article is a guide to help you decide whether installing a vending machine in your establishment will work for you.

Any one or more of the following may or may not apply to your establishment. You need to have a clear idea of those that do apply so your expectations are met.

Hospitality

Are my customers waiting in an area for periods of say, more than fi ve minutes? Will providing vended products save my customers time, help them relax and/or enhance their experience in my establishment?

Convenience

Am I often asked where the nearest convenience store is? Are there no outlets nearby that meet my customers’ needs and wants?

Competition

My competitors either do or do not provide for customer’s needs and wants. Should I match my competitors or steal a march by providing a service customers don’t get elsewhere?

Profi t

Provided you have no doubt that there is ample demand for vended products in your location, why not use it as a revenue stream?

Cost of ownership

Purchase costs vary depending on type, size, country of origin and whether equipment is new or used. As with most businesses, there are plenty of suppliers offering cheap deals on fl ashy plastic equipment. Although an offer may seem attractive, when it comes to service or back-up, such suppliers are often nowhere to be found or the equipment is “discontinued” or “uneconomic to repair”.

Some suppliers may offer equipment at “no cost” provided you use their proprietary consumables forever. In other words, high margins on consumables are used to offset the cost of the equipment.

Installation costs should not be overlooked.

• Will you need to have plumbing and/or electrical work performed prior to installation?

• Will you need stands, tables or cupboards to store products?

Running costs

Apart from electricity, there are three main running costs to consider.

1. The cost of consumables - related to the turnover and shelf life of products (if applicable).

2. The cost of staff time to restock and perform basic maintenance and cleaning

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hr human resources


First Aid:

Accessing the most appropriate fi rst aid training

NOT ALL FIRST AID CERTIFICATES ARE CREATED EQUAL. WHILST FIRST AID COURSES MUST ACHIEVE PRESCRIBED NEW ZEALAND QUALIFICATION AUTHORITY (NZQA) STANDARDS TO BE CERTIFIED, NOT ALL TRAINING PROVIDERS DELIVER THE SAME COURSE.

There can be big differences in fi rst aid courses between a range of training providers. Some courses range from teaching only the basic NZQA specifi ed content and nothing else, to providing detailed and comprehensive content designed to familiarise participants to a wide range of likely emergencies. Providers offering shortened courses or courses not meeting NZQA Training Requirements are now in the spotlight.

NZQA and the Department of Labour have published a fact sheet to outline requirements for providers, learners and employers for fi rst aid training based on currently registered NZQA unit standards. Below are a summary of what we think you should know.

Course differences

Training providers can market their courses under a wide range of names such as ‘Essential First Aid’, ‘Workplace First Aid’ or

‘Comprehensive First Aid’ and many other eye catching titles. The term ‘workplace’ can vary from a small offi ce to a large factory where the risks and potential injuries are just as wide.

Employers should be cautious in thinking that a one day workplace fi rst aid course will meet their needs in industries such as construction, engineering, forestry and industrial. More advanced learning is important to meet the proper workplace assessments and meet health and safety obligations.

The content of courses can also vary. Employers should check to see the fi rst aid course is relevant to their particular industry risks. If there are risks of falling, or medium to high injury, then take care in the shortened courses as these subjects may not be covered.

It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that employees attend courses appropriate to their industry risks.

Unit standard-based fi rst aid training

These are the minimum requirements for both the initial and refresher training.

The minimum duration of fi rst aid training and assessment will be, for training based on:

3. The cost of technical service and out-of-warranty repairs.

It would be wise to ask potential suppliers to provide these details in writing.

Return on investment Depending on the rationale for installing equipment, return on investment may result in a profi t, break even or loss.

Since actual turnover can only be speculated prior to installation, operators are advised to prepare a spreadsheet model that calculates income from sales versus expenditure on capital and operating costs.

Adjusting the number of sales in such a spreadsheet model should give a reasonable idea of the break- even point.

Experienced suppliers should be able to provide you with details such as average cost of dispense for their particular machine types.

Other considerationsHealth & safety – For vending machines that dispense food and/or drink products, keeping the equipment clean is essential to avoid potential adverse health effects on consumers.

Also, in the author’s experience, maintenance and repair costs can be minimised by operators who follow supplier’s instructions. A few minutes each day keeping equipment clean can save expensive repair bills later. If you allocate staff to carry out these duties, make sure they are managed and that provision is made if the staff leaves or goes on holiday.

Consumable supply – In populated areas there are companies who can be contracted to restock the machine for you. In more remote sites, other arrangements will have to be made. Often this means doing it yourself, requiring you to store items for restocking. Some items may need to be kept in a refrigerator and used before their expiry date.

Security – In some situations, equipment fi tted with coin mechanisms or change-givers can be a security risk, particularly if out of sight of staff or security cameras.

Your supplier may be able to provide vandal-proof enclosures or alternatively, equipment may be able to be fi tted with card readers for credit-card and/or EFTPOS transactions.

Selecting a supplier – This aspect is important since well-designed machinery will provide you with many years of service.

Apart from inconvenience to customers, if the equipment is a revenue stream, downtime means loss of income.

Key considerations include:

• A physical address• Years in business• Responds to communication in a timely manner• Extent of service network (local, regional or nationwide)• Availability of spare parts• Sale, upgrade and fi nancing options• Written warranties on equipment and service

By Lindsay Upjohn, General Vending

hrhuman resources

73SPRING 2014

• Unit Standards 6400, 6401 (or 26552) and 6402 (or 26551) a minimum of 12 hours training and assessment

• Unit Standards 6401 (or 26551) and 6402 (or 26552) a minimum of eight hours training and assessment

• For refresher training, where the learner’s certifi cate is no older than two years and three months from date of issue, a minimum of 6 hours training and assessment.

First aid training must cover the outcomes of the NZQA fi rst aid unit standards being assessed and any additional modules identifi ed by the employer through the workplace risk assessment process as outlined in Department of Labour guidelines.

Only fi rst aid training providers accredited by NZQA can award the credits and issue a fi rst aid certifi cate. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the provider is actually registered with NZQA for this purpose.

NZQA conduct regular external evaluative reviews on all training providers. New Zealand Red Cross is proud to hold a double highly confi dent accreditation in both educational performance and capability in self-assessment. This means that NZ Red Cross is a category one training provider.

First Aid Refresher Training

Refresher training is required every two years to maintain the certifi cates. This is a requirement and not something for the provider to decide. The requirement allow for a three-month period of grace, so the cut off period is two years and three months which should allow suffi cient time to enrol onto a suitable course.

The refresher training should ensure the certifi cate holder is current in fi rst aid practice appropriate to their individual workplace requirements.

If a certifi cate is not renewed for more than three calendar months from the second anniversary date of issue, it will be necessary for the certifi cate holder to complete full fi rst aid training to maintain currency.

For the purposes of workplace fi rst aid emergency management, employers will need to ensure that their fi rst aid personnel maintain competency at all times.

Contact New Zealand Red Cross to discuss your training requirements or visit our website www.redcross.org.nz. Download our free life saving App as additional help to ensure that knowledge and help is always at your fi ngertips.

By Graham Wrigley, NZ Red Cross

ss safety & security


Guest Security:

Hotel terrorism – is it possible here?

GUEST AND STAFF SECURITY TOP THE ACCOMMODATION MANAGER'S STRESS LIST BUT FEW HAVE CONSIDERED TERRORISM A SIGNIFICANT THREAT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Until very recently, anyway. But in October the government raised the risk of an act of terrorism here from ‘Very Low’ to ‘Low’. It is still looked upon as very minor but no longer virtually discounted. And with New Zealand’s likely involvement in military action against Islamic militants abroad, New Zealand could feasibly be a target. While we are a long way from the world’s trouble spots and are not usually looked upon as a major player in military events, we could also be looked upon as more vulnerable than other countries

At the time of writing, in mid-October, prime minster John Key was quoted as saying: “If anyone believes there is absolutely no risk of a form of domestic terrorism here, then they’re actually deluded.”

It is the rapid rise of the Islamic State (Isis) that has suddenly made the previously unthinkable at least possible. About 3000 Isis fighters in Syria and Iraq have western passports – a few of them New Zealanders. The fear is that they will return home radicalised and with military training.

For the average guest, intruder invasion, property larceny and ID theft are still much more of a worry than any politically-motivated bomber. But terrorists are increasingly targeting hotels because of the worldwide attention such attacks receive. It is the fear of accommodation providers worldwide and, in particular, where major events are underway.

And New Zealand cannot ignore the fact that a significantly higher risk is just across the Tasman where Australia seems to face a much higher risk. Events such as the G20 – to be held in Brisbane in mid-November, will see 4000 delegates arrive in, including world leaders such as Britain's PM David Cameron, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping, plus 3000 international media people.

Brisbane has $23.5 million in room bookings locked down for the event that will see the CBD resemble a virtual fortress as more than 5000 police provide security and deal with expected protests. And it’s not that far from New Zealand. Associated terrorism here should at least be considered.

Marketing potential

Accommodation security is not simply a necessary financial and time engulfing burden that must be paid for but, if used properly, security is a powerful marketing tool that can bring people to one's accommodation complex, location, attraction or community.

Security in accommodation complexes is multi-faceted. First you have the guest security as paramount - entry, public areas (especially car parks), front desk (ID) and guest rooms need ultra protection. Secondly, accommodation managers need to ensure staff and other visitors are adequately protected. Thirdly, there is the security of the premises and administrative functions that need to be secured.

How the achieving of security in an accommodation complex is managed depends on the size of the property, the avenues available for a crime to be perpetrated and the amount of risk due to locality, history and criminal activity potential.

So, do you handle it yourself (hoping the police will arrive in good time), employ security staff or outsource to security professionals?

The former should be a no brainer – no! But even employed staff will not have received adequate training.

Accommodation security is just so multi-faceted: different people, different cultures, different languages, different understandings... and worse, different circumstances.

In some quarters there is a belief that security personnel should be neither seen nor heard, yet today's savvy guests appreciate the need for such obvious protection and are generally grateful for their presence. Indeed, it can be quite a marketing tool if applied subtlety.

Vulnerable targets

The reality is that guests are more likely to be subjected to acts of petty crime, personal violation and violence in an accommodation complex than from terrorist acts. Accommodation providers must be aware that tourists are lucrative targets – they are on vacation, relaxed, focused on enjoyment and could be carrying large sums of cash, credit cards and other valuables. They are in unfamiliar territory and might present themselves as ideal targets for crime.

Security should be the responsibility of professionals who are well trained, who understand the importance of customer service and how to differentiate between the security for individual guests and for visitors attending functions, conventions and events.

But management and staff play a huge role in guest security. Housekeepers should be trained to keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour. This also applies to front office staff who may notice a bag left unattended for an unusual length of time.

Anticipating risk in the accommodation security field is an imprecise art – one that’s grown increasingly difficult with the introduction of new technologies, regulations and global threats. No matter how big your complex is, seek professional assistance.


...Brisbane has $23.5 million in room bookings locked down for the event that will see the

CBD resemble a virtual fortress as more than 5000 police provide security and deal with

expected protests...

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75SPRING 2014

Today more than 50% of NZ households choose SKY. So it’s no surprise that your guests will be looking for the same level of entertainment when they stay at your Motel.

How Guest Select (a decoder in every room) could benefit your business:· Show the channels your guests are watching at home· Increase guest satisfaction· Create a competitive advantage· Generate repeat business and improve occupancy levels Call us today on 0800 759 333 or visit guestselect.co.nz and let your guests enjoy a fantastic mix of Sports, Movies, News and Entertainment channels, and you might find yourself using the ‘No Vacancy’ sign a bit more.

your guests with the ticket they really wantENTERTAIN

Documents

Accom Management Guide - Spring 2014