New partnership will see Accor rock hard

 

Global hotel giant Accor and Hard Rock International are joining together for global partnership covering loyalty, distribution, and international development.

The partnership is being promoted as enhancing the loyalty programs for both ALL Accor and Unity members, while broadening Hard Rock's distribution network. 

In addition, Ennismore, a fast-growing lifestyle hospitality company, will provide development and operational support, strengthening the growth opportunities for the Hard Rock brand portfolio. 

Guests can already experience the benefits of this partnership at Hard Rock Hotel New York, an iconic destination that reflects the energy and hospitality of the global brand

Hotels within the Hard Rock brand portfolio, including Hard Rock Hotels, Reverb by Hard Rock, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Hard Rock Hotel & Residences, will have the option to join the globally renowned ALL Accor distribution and loyalty platform, gaining access to over 125 million ALL Accor members worldwide. 

Accor will connect participating Hard Rock hotels to its global sales and distribution network, broadening the brand's reach, while Hard Rock continues to operate its own direct marketing and distribution channels.

“Hard Rock has always believed in the power of music, entertainment and hospitality to bring people together, and this partnership carries that spirit to more guests, in more places, than ever before,” said Jim Allen, chief executive officer of Hard Rock International. 

“Together with Accor and Ennismore, we are opening a new chapter for our brand, one that will introduce Hard Rock to exciting new destinations around the world and give Unity by Hard Rock members expanded access, reciprocal benefits and unforgettable new ways to experience our resorts.”

Image: Hard Rock Hotel New York lobby. Supplied

What a Lark: A Christmas present with a difference

Looking for a special Christmas present for the whisky lover in your life? 

How about a bottle of Tasmanian whisky hand autographed by Tasmania’s own “godfather” of whisky, Bill Lark? 

He will offer whisky lovers the chance to add a signature touch to their Christmas gifting, personally signing bottles at the Lark Cellar Door on Friday, December 4. 

Lark and wife Lyn are regarded as the pioneer of Tasmania’s modern whisky movement, having overturned a 150-year-old distilling ban in Tasmania in 1992, going on to establish the state’s original first single malt distillery.

“Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to meet so many people who enjoy our whiskies, and it’s always special to hear the stories behind the bottles after they leave our hands,” said Lark. 

“I’m looking forward to helping people make their Christmas gifts a little more personal this year.”

A highlight of this year’s Lark gifting range is the Personalised Devil’s Story No.183, which invites gift-givers to add their recipient’s name and a personalised message to the label. 

It is aged in first-fill vintage port and sherry casks, and finished in American Oak. 

Lark will be on hand to sign any bottle purchased from the range on the day at 14 Davey Street, Hobart.

The Hobart signing will run from 4pm-7pm. 

Spirit of Australia? Qantas to axe 850 Australian jobs

Qantas calls itself The Spirit of Australia, but the airline appears not to care much for its Australian workers.

Australia's flagship carrier and largest airline, plans to cut 850 workers after signing an outsourcing deal that will involve many of the roles being sent offshore, many to India.

Qantas will get rid of staff, including through mass redundancies, after signing a deal with tech consultants Accenture, staff were told via email today.

The first phase of job losses will affect roles in finance, procurement, human resources and marketing.

The airline said in what is certain to be an unpopular statement: "Qantas Group has signed a strategic partnership with Accenture to modernise its back-end systems, processes and data, as it steps up investment in technology and AI alongside the largest fleet renewal in its history.

"This comes as the airline responds to the pace of change in technology and AI globally, which is rapidly transforming how businesses operate, what customers expect and how people do their jobs.

"Like every airline, Qantas runs on technology built up over decades for a different era, including more than 1,000 legacy applications that were never designed to work together. Modernising these systems and connecting the data across them is the critical next step to remove complexity, unlock innovation and accelerate the Group’s use of AI, with lasting benefits across the business."

And it is always good to give staff bad news via an email.

The airline said: "Around 850 roles at the Qantas Group are expected to be affected over the coming years. Qantas will consult with affected employees and their unions before individual outcomes are determined. The first wave of changes are expected to be in place by mid-2027.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson (above) said the partnership was about building a more modern, competitive organisation and preparing the business for the future.

"The scale and speed of change in this space is unprecedented and unlike anything businesses have seen in generations. Leading organisations around the world are well progressed in using technology and AI to completely transform how they work, and standing still is not an option for us.” Hudson said.

“We know this will be difficult news for some of our people and this decision is not a reflection of their contribution or commitment. We are focused on providing redeployment into other roles across the Group where possible, including new roles we’re creating in Australia, as well as on reskilling, retraining and ongoing support and care.”

Australian Services Union (ASU) members are demanding Qantas honour a commitment it made to workers in August.

When reports of a deal, known internally as Project iQ, first emerged in August, Qantas assured their employees that there was no plan to offshore any Australian jobs.

ASU assistant national secretary Scott Cowen said workers deserved an honest explanation of what had changed since then.

“Earlier this year, Qantas told us directly there was no plan to offshore any jobs. Today, they’ve come out and told hundreds of staff members that their work will now be delivered mostly from people overseas. Qantas staff have the right to an explanation”, said Cowen.

Fun Christmas treats for children aged 5-95

It is not only kids that have a sweet tooth, which is why two new ranges of Kinder products will be popular over the holiday period.

Kinder has collaborated with both Disney PLAYMOBIL and Nintendo's Super Mario to offer families a Kinder moment or two.

Kinder Surprise x Disney and PLAYMOBIL features 18 collectable figures spanning Toy Story, The Incredibles, Aladdin, Peter Pan and Moana, from Genie and Woody to Mr Incredible.

Each figure can be brought to life through augmented reality via the free Applaydu app.

Kinder Joy x Super Mario is a limited-edition range created with tweens in mind, featuring 23 toys including hangable characters, backpack hangers, pencil decorations, highlighters, paper clips and figurines of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi and friends, along with a scan-and-play filter experience.

Both ranges are now available at major grocery and convenience stores nationwide until January 2027.

The toys will be rolling out in two formats, single eggs and three-packs.

I'm a sucker for Kinder Joy eggs, which combine creamy Kinder chocolate with crispy wafer bites on one side, and a Super Mario-themed surprise on the other.

“We’re thrilled to kick off our biggest season of collaborations," says says Azzurra Puricelli, head of marketing and new business at Ferrero.

"Across Kinder Surprise and Kinder Joy, we’re bringing together the stories and characters families already love, from timeless Disney tales and hands-on PLAYMOBIL play, to the trend-led excitement of Super Mario.

"With two iconic eggs offering different ways to discover, play and connect, there’s a Kinder moment for every stage of growing up.”

Find out more at http://www.kinder.com/au/en.

Qantas rings the changes

It is all change on the Kangaroo Route.

From October 2027, QF1 and QF2 will fly Sydney to London non-stop for the first time as part of Project Sunrise, Qantas announced today.

The Kangaroo Route first began flying from Sydney to London in 1947, when the journey took four days and seven stops.

For almost 80 years, generations of Qantas aircraft, from the Lockheed Constellation to the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, have brought Sydney and London closer together.

"Through it all, QF1 and QF2, our most iconic flight number pair, have long been associated with that journey and a key part of Qantas’ history," the airline said.

"In October 2027, that journey becomes non-stop with the launch of Project Sunrise, saving customers up to four hours in travel time compared to the existing service."

Project Sunrise flights will be operated by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, fitted with an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank that enables the aircraft to fly more than 16,000 kilometres, and up to 22 hours non-stop.

Qantas will take delivery of 12 aircraft in total, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins. The first test aircraft is currently in the final stages of its flight test program and the first aircraft is expected to be delivered to Qantas in April next year.

Qantas’ existing Sydney to London via Singapore service will continue to operate with new flight numbers, QF5 and QF6, for customers who prefer a stopover.

The seasonal Qantas Perth-Rome services currently operating as QF5 and QF6 will move to QF105 and QF106.

Tickets for the direct Sydney-London service are scheduled to go on sale from February 2027.

Meet Tasmania’s Mum and Dad pot still distillery

 

Tasmania has some of Australia's highest-profile distilleries: Lark, Hellyers Road, William McHenry, Sullivans Cove, Old Kempton and Callington Mill among them.

But the island state is also home to some idiosyncratic, small-batch distillers who lack the volume, or marketing budget, of the bigger boys.

One such "Mum and Dad" distiller flying under the radar is Irish whiskey-influenced Hunter Island, which is currently made in a "garden shed" in the Hobart suburb of New Town.

Damien and Madeleine Mackey, whose previous brand was known as Mackey Whiskey, have been guided by Bill Lark, the Godfather of Tasmanian whisky, as their journey has taken them from their backyard to Shene outside Pontville, and almost to Macquarie Point before those plans were derailed by the absurd stadium project. 

They are now back at home, doing things artisan style, 

I tasted the Hunter Island range with Damian at the cosy Robbie Brown's bar in Kingston over the weekend, and was impressed by the innovation, and quality of the whiskeys - and an outlier: a delicious clear poitin, also known as poteen or potcheen, a traditional Irish distilled beverage. 

It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still, and the term is a diminutive of the Irish word pota, meaning 'pot'.

Today, the Mackey's Hunter Island whiskies are created mixed mash bill of malted barley, raw barley and oats, triple distilled in a copper pot still and aged in a variety of oak casks, previously used to mature the likes of bourbon, tawny and rum. 

Former surveyor Mackey and his wife established Mackey's Distillery, the forerunner of Hunter Island, in 2007.

Mackey, who loves a chat, grew up in the family pub in Latrobe on Tasmania’s north-west coast. In 1992, he began work as a graduate surveyor for Bill and Lyn Lark. 

He spent a fair bit of time in the Lark’s rumpus room drawing up survey maps, as a copper pot still bubbled away in the corner. He was hooked.

In those days, there were just a handful of Tasmanian distilleries, and none were producing triple distilled whisky.  

In 2018, he and Madeleine sold the Mackey Whisky brand, and commenced the planning for their new venture, this time going ‘full Irish’ after visits to the Emerald Isle helped fuel their enthusiasm.

Single Pot Still Whiskey has always been Ireland’s domain; but Damian believed that Tasmania's rich, oily barley would be its perfect partner. In January 2020, he laid down the first Australian-made casks of pot still whisky in the Irish tradition.

Their whiskeys are now available in various 700ml and 200ml formats.  

# Hunter Island was a tidal island 160 by 40 metres, connected to the Hobart shore by a sandbar. It was the site of Tasmania’s first bond store, and the arrival point for all new settlers and convicts. In 1804, a jetty was erected; later a causeway. Hunter Island was the focal point of the new settlement in Tasmania.

See https://hunterislandwhisky.com.au/