Change of plans for new Adelaide hotel

 

There has been a change of direction for the new IHG Hotels & Resorts property in the city of Salisbury, north of Adelaide, which will open later this year.

A joint venture between IHG, Pelligra Group and ONE7, the new hotel was originally announced as a 130-room Holiday Inn & Suites - but will now be a more upscale Crowne Plaza property.

The Mawson Lakes property has "undergone a transformation during the development phase" and been re-branded as Crowne Plaza Mawson Lakes.

The new hotel, which will be focused on the meetings and events space, .is scheduled to open in the second half of 2024.

The property will now feature 155 rooms, three meeting spaces across 442 sqm, a fitness centre and a bar and restaurant.

Pelligra Group, currently the owner of Holiday Inn Werribee, Holiday Inn Dandenong, and Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, is also set to add three more IHG-branded hotels to its portfolio, including the soon-to-open Crowne Plaza Carlton and Holiday Inn Richmond.

“IHG and Pelligra Group share a remarkable partnership, operating three hotels together with three more in the pipeline," said Matt Tripolone, managing director for IHG Hotels & Resorts Australasia & Pacific.

"We are delighted that Ross and the Pelligra team envision such a positive outlook for the premium travel segment in Australia, leading them to invest in elevating this asset to the premium sector. This move brings exceptional iterations of the Crowne Plaza brand to Adelaide.”

Ross Pelligra, chairman of Pelligra Group, said: “We're excited to be expanding our IHG brand portfolio to include our second Crowne Plaza, in Adelaide.”

Geelong on the move with new eateries and pubs

 

There is a lot of excitement in Geelong, where the city has recently welcomed several new restaurants, pubs and hotels.

Already regarded as one of Victoria's top food and wine destinations, Geelong is very much on the move, the folk from Visit Geelong and Bellarine say.

Celebrity chefs Adrian Richardson and Michael Demagistris are among those to have started new ventures by Corio Bay.

Two Noble (above) is a new fine dining destination fusing south-east Asian and modern Australian flavours.

It is located on the top floor of a 173-year-old Geelong pub - the Sawyers Arms Tavern - recently purchased by publican Paul Upham, who previously incorporated Movida and Coda into The Lorne Hotel before selling in 2021. See twonoble.com.au

Outside of town, Tarra Restaurant has opened at Queensclliff inside the ferry terminal. Tarra is a contemporary coastal dining experience with bay views and acclaimed chef Michael Demagistris at the helm. See tarra.com.au

Maestro is operated by celebrity chef Adrian Richardson, host of Channel Ten series Good Chef Bad Chef. He also has La Luna Bistro and Bouvier Bar and Grill in his suite of restaurants. At Maestro he's working alongside executive chef Migo Razon. maestrogeelong.com.au

The Novotel has also opened a new restaurant at its Geelong waterfront location: Tempo Kitchen & Bar offers seafood and grill dishes with globally travelled chef Erwin Joven (ex the Mayfair Hotel in Adelaide) in charge of the kitchen. tempogeelong.com.au

Barwon Edge Restaurant offers Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant on the edge of the Barwon River operated by the owners of Geelong dining institutions Alma and Felix. barwonedge.com.au

Eureka Hotel, meanwhile, is a classic pub that has bee refurbed and is one of Geelong's most popular venues for live music and big acts.

Honouring heritage is a bit of a trend with another pub in Geelong West having restored and returned to its original name: The Queen of the West.

Mt Pleasant Road Brewers, meanwhile, has a new taproom in Belmont with 10 taps pouring locally brewed beer.

Two new hotels have opened in the heart of Geelong within walking distance of main attractions such as the waterfront and the Little Malop Street cultural and dining precinct: Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong and Quest Central Geelong.

Why attention to detail matters in hospitality

Attention to detail matters.

Everyone makes spelling mistakes. But that's why hotels, bars and restaurants need to proofread and double-check their menus and wine lists before putting them online or printing them.

Nothing says "we are slapdash and unprofessional" like a menu dotted with spelling errors.

Like one that is being sent around right now - and was sent me by a wine professional.

The one that spells pomegranate as pomagrante; prawns as prawnes and macadamia as makadamia. It goes on. coriander is corriander.

Oh, the same list displays a total lack of knowledge of compound adjectives. So no dashes in free range pork, or hibachi charred eggplant.

This isn't a corner café, either. It is a restaurant in a major international hotel in state capital city. The F&B manager - if the hotel has one - should hang their head in shame. If someone has English as a second, or third, language, it is up to the business to help them out.  

But this property is not alone. Wine lists are often full of errors. Spelling, regions, vintages are all often wrong. Misplaced apostrophes are commonplace.

Another plague is random capitalisation without rhyme or reason.

Oh, and sending emails that contain falsehoods about former employees.

This one this morning: x x x "has gone on an antisemitic tirade".

In fact, the former employee had been protesting Israeli war crimes, which is completely different to blanket anti-semitism. The former employee could well sue about false information being spread about him.

So language matters. A lot.

Your thoughts are welcome. 

Image: Jessica Lee, Scop.io 

   

Farewell Tank Stream Hotel; Hello Rydges

The Tank Stream Hotel enjoys one of Sydney's most central locations but its name will soon vanish off the map.

The hotel will transition to being Rydges Australia Square in 2024.

Boon Lee Tan, CEO of owners IGB Berhad, said that following an extensive review, EVT Hotels and Resorts is the new operator.

Initially placed as part of the Independent Collection by EVT, the property will undergo a staged refurbishment over the next nine months to minimise guest disruption and will be re-branded as Rydges Australia Square in mid-2024.

Located in the heart of the Sydney CBD, directly adjacent to Australia Square and just minutes from the Sydney Opera House, the hotel refurbishment will include guest rooms, ground floor and level one, as well as food and beverage areas.

Norman Arundel, director of hotels and resorts for EVT, said: “We are thrilled to be undertaking an exciting new partnership with IGB Berhad.

"The Tank Stream is currently the perfectly positioned Sydney CBD hotel, and when the refurbishment is complete the property will be a great addition to the Rydges portfolio of hotels and resorts. The Rydges brand continues to expand with this property becoming the 45th in the portfolio across Australia and New Zealand."

See www.rydges.com

Celebrity wine and hospitality segment hits some high notes

From singers to footballers, it seems everyone wants to be involved in the wine and hospitality industries.

From songwriter and Take That star Gary Barlow (above) to Jon Bon Jovi and ex-Manchester United star Gary Neville, the pages of English magazine Drinks Business are full of stories about famous names, wine and food.

Gary Barlow Wines this month launched its new Organic Sauvignon Blanc and Blush from South Africa at a celebrity studded event in Manchester.

Barlow's organic wine portfolio, created in collaboration with London-based drinks distributor Benchmark Drinks.

The range has sold more than one million bottles since launching in 2021 and is one of the fast-growing organic brands in the UK.

In London, meanwhile, rocker Jon Bon Jovi, his son Jesse Bongiovi, and leading Languedoc winemaker Gérard Bertrand - a former French rugby union player - were promoting global expansion for their heir Hampton Water rosé.

The trio was launching the 2022 rosé, its sixth vintage.

“The success in America has given us a footprint in Europe," Bon Jovi said. "Six years in, and it’s not about hype, it’s critical acclaim.”

Back in Manchester, former England international Neville shared his final plans for a major luxury development in in the city that has been “15 years in the making” and will include a rooftop restaurant and a “traditional” pub.

The co-owner of Salford City said the development, to be called ‘St Michael’s Manchester’, is a collaboration between Neville’s Relentless Group and a number of stakeholders.

Neville said on LinkedIn: “It’s an extraordinary scheme that we believe will be the first fully Net Zero Carbon commercial development in Manchester, something we’re very proud of.

"Phase one of the scheme will have nine floors of office space, Chotto Matte on the rooftop restaurant and two F+B [food and beverage] outlets. Later this summer we’ll begin phase two with construction of a 41-storey tower which will host a 162-bed five-star international hotel brand and 217 luxury residences.”

The pub will be called The Sir Ralph Abercromby and will serve an “ever evolving range of craft beers”.

Meanwhile, supertsar chef Gordon Ramsay, who as a child dreamed of playing a goalkeeper for Rangers in Glasgow will be linking with the club for new food venture at Ibrox stadium.

A knee injury as a teenager ultimately crushed Ramsay’s dream of playing professionally for his boyhood club and resulted in him choosing to embark on a career in the kitchen, rather than on the pitch.

Rangers has announced a new hospitality lounge, called Menu by Gordon Ramsay at their stadium.

“From a very young age I dreamt about having my name up in lights at Ibrox," Ramsay said. "While my football career may have ended prematurely, I’m proud and delighted to have partnered with the Rangers team to develop an exclusive menu for the iconic stadium."

Surcharges and service charges a blight on the restaurant experience

There is a new threat to the customer enjoyment of a café or restaurant experience: the insidious creep of "surcharges" and "service charges".

Because hospitality workers are guaranteed a decent wage under Australian workplace laws, tipping has always been considered voluntary. I generally tip between 12-15% for good service, usually making sure the money goes straight into the hand of the person who has looked after us.

Most Australians are also used to the idea of paying a surcharge on a Sunday, or a public holiday, when businesses have to pay their staff an additional penalty rate. Or even for group bookings, who can be difficult and are notoriously poor tippers.

But how about a compulsory extra charge just because it is Monday? Or Wednesday.

A recent arrival on the Brisbane dining scene, Komeyui - an offshoot of a Melbourne business - caused a lot of debate on Facebook this week with its compulsory 5% "service" charge on midweek days.

The business does not make it clear whether or not the charge goes to staff, but if customers are paying a "service" charge then they can hardly be expected to also tip. And 5% is less than a lot of diners would leave voluntarily.

At the bottom of the menu is note saying: "Service charge of 5% on weekdays and Saturdays, 10% on Sundays and 15% on public holidays applies."

The owner of a successful local café says the surcharges like this - and for a glass of tap water - are a bad look. 

"People who are dining out hate to be confronted with extra charges," she says. "If the menu says $33, then that is what people expect to pay. Adding a surcharge likes this makes it look like a business has simply got its sums wrong when doing its pricing.

"It makes a lot more sense to build costs into your prices across the board and charge what people expect they are going to pay."

Others disagree. I spoke out strongly against added charges - I also hate being charged extra for a slice of bread and butter - and was told: "Your extreme position here is out of step and unhelpful to the industry."

Well, so be it. 

It is called the "hospitality" industry, not the "screw another 5% out of the unsuspecting" industry.

Another hospitality industry figure posted: "Product and service cost what they cost, but isn't that what ‘the price’ is. An additional service charge on special days you can understand, but if it’s just adding 5% everyday then shouldn’t that be the price?"

And the owner of a well-known wine bar contributed: "I don't think tipping has become a part of our culture yet. We expect employers to pay the right amount and build it into the price of their product/service."

Added charges also cause angst. Is this additional charge calculated before, or after, GST. And before, or after, any credit card surcharge. Another creeping issue.

One insider put it best, I think: "Does it go to the staff, who presumably get paid award wages, or is it a bit of icing on the cake for the business?"

A good question - and one that any business imposing such a charge should make very clear. 

"Take your gun - and find somewhere else to stay"

You would think it was common sense not to allow hotel guests to carry guns.

But common sense and the people of the good old US of A do not always go hand in hand.

This week, hotels across New York City announced they are joining forces to ban guns from hotel rooms - a move they say will help protect guests and tourists.

After the US Supreme Court (not so supreme when it comes to sensible ideas) struck down New York’s "concealed carry" law - which was over a century old - the New York state state legislature passed a bill that allows guns to be prohibited in "sensitive areas," including private businesses.

"This is really important because it's a destination marketplace for the world," Vijay Dandapani President & CEO, Hotel Association of NYC said. "The focus of this is entirely on the safety of the people coming in here."

The Hotel Association of New York City, which represents hundreds of hotels in the city, struck a deal with the Hotel Trades Council so that most hotel rooms will prohibit guns of any kind.

On-duty officers and agents will still be allowed to carry a gun, as well as anyone else exempted under the state’s laws.

Employers will notify all customers and guests about this ban on firearms.

"The agreement will be there at some point, either in the reservation confirmation or on the [hotel] website," Dandapani said. "That’s up to each hotel."

After the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Hotel Trades Council wrote a letter to state lawmakers, urging them to pass the bill allowing guns to be banned from private businesses.

"Public accommodations and tourism hubs may always be targets for people with guns to commit terrible acts of violence, but by achieving this agreement to keep guns away from these vulnerable areas, we can better ensure the security of workers and customers while also promoting the economic recovery of the hospitality sector," said Rich Maroko, president of the NY Hotel & Gaming Trades Council (HTC).

"Obviously, it is not safe to allow guests and members of the public to wander into hotels, restaurants, and casinos fully armed.

“Now an angry customer at the front desk, across the bar, or on the casino floor isn’t just an angry customer - they are potentially an angry customer with a gun.”

High-profile hotels like The Plaza, New York Hilton, and the Marriott Marquis are covered by the deal in addition to hundreds of other hotels that cumulatively operate about three-quarters of rooms citywide.

Hotels will begin enforcing the policy in the coming weeks - but it is not clear how.

The message will, however be driven home: If you need a gun in your hotel room, then find somewhere else to stay.