Large new international hotel unveiled for Geelong

The vibrant Victorian coastal city of Geelong is to get a new international hotel with the announcement of the Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong, which will be the largest hotel in the city.

Opening in 2020, the 190-room property will be the first new hotel in Geelong in more than 20 years. It is also IHG's first Holiday Inn hotel in Australia to include a 'suites' offering: with 40 suites intended for the longer-stay segment.

Franzé Developments announced that it had acquired the central CBD site in April, highlighting plans to that include retail and office space along with the flagship hotel.

The hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant and bar, swimming pool, gym, parking and a meeting facilities including a function room for 250 people.

Paul Franzé, founder and managing director at Franzé Developments, said: “Geelong welcomes around 2.2 million overnight visitors annually, but is dramatically underrepresented by quality hotels. 

"The Holiday Inn brand is known and loved by travellers all around the world, so I can't imagine a better fit for a world-class city like Geelong. With a prime CBD location in close proximity to the station, hospital, university, offices and government entities, I am confident that Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong is going to be a story of success.”

IHG currently has 47 hotels operating under four brands across Australasia: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express with a further 15 in the pipeline including Hotel Indigo and EVEN Hotels.

The new hotel is good news for anyone wanting to visit the Bellarine Peninsula and Moorabool Valley wine regions, both of which are short of quality accommodation. 

Wine industry duo combine in McLaren Vale

Lovers of casual gourmet destinations will be keen to check out McLaren Vale newcomer The General Wine Bar & Kitchen
. 

The new tasting venue and eatery is the brainchild of Mr Riggs winemaker and Zonte's Footstep co-owner Brad Rey. 

The General Wine Bar & Kitchen at 55a Main Road, McLaren Flat, combines a wine bar, open kitchen and cellar door experience - and is housed in a 100-year-old former general store. 

Chef Sommariva, formerly at the Kitchen Door restaurant at Penny's Hill, Fino’s Willunga and The Salopian, creates a daily set menu using the best local produce, with a choice of two or three courses.

The wine duo select their wine pairings to match the chef’s latest offerings, creating bespoke wine and food experiences every day.

Diners can choose to sit looking out over the vineyards, or at what they call “the pass”, sitting at the kitchen bench. 

The General Wine Bar & Kitchen will house both wine labels, Mr Riggs and Zonte’s Footstep, as a cellar door experience. Unique wine flights are on offer. 

The General is open seven days for wine tastings from 10am-5pm with wine flights from $25. The Kitchen is open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday 12noon-3pm offering two courses for $55. On Fridays, The General is open from 4.30pm until late for after-work drinks, pintxos and dinner. 

To check out the daily menu offering and to find out more visit www.thegeneralwinebar.com.au

Proof that the travelling public are idiots

Where can we see the wild haggis? Can you teach me Spanish in an hour? 

If you ever had any doubt that that travelling public was slightly lacking in the IQ department, a new survey released by the Traveldoge hotel chain in the UK removes all doubt. 

These are Brits, so sympathy is required, but can you seriously imagine rocking up at the reception of your local hotel and asking to use it as the venue for the school nativity play? 

The budget hotel chain polled staff across its 552 UK properties about the weirdest requests they had received. 

Blackpool South Shore was asked to move a guest’s entire room closer to the beach as they wanted to hear the ocean, while London Tower Bridge was expected to accommodate a yacht.

Another team were asked if they could stay up all night sewing crystals onto a wedding dress.  

In Slough, the team was asked directions to The Office to meet Ricky Gervais’ fictional character, David Brent. 

One Halifax guest wanted to be taught Spanish in an hour to impress Spanish investors, while one at Fort William asked about the local haggis population. 

Not forgetting the optimistic guest who wanted Travelodge staff to transform into wedding planners, asking if they could arrange for a ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral.

Which train goes to Hogwarts? 

Please can you stop the wind from blowing? 

Am I able to bring Spyro, my 7ft Komodo Dragon, to stay with me as part of your pet policy? 

Please can you fill my room with pink inflatable flamingos?

All in a day's work for Travelodge staff. 

Mitolo unveils new wine and food complex in McLaren Vale

McLaren Vale winery Mitolo has unveiled a new $3.5 million cellar door and restaurant complex.

The new facility offers personalised tasting experiences and Italian-accented food.

The Mitolo family has used 10 shipping containers as the basis for its tasting room, restaurant and event space – an ultra-modern, architecturally designed structure that also incorporates glass, concrete and timber.

“Nothing prissy,” said Mitolo brand founder Frank Mitolo. “A masculine structure just like the big red wines of the brand.”

Mitolo is the first McLaren Vale winery to make use of shipping containers.

The structure is the creation of local architect firm Tectvs, its director Francesco Bonato and interior designer Dina Giannone.

It covers around 24,000 square metres and is a reinvention of the classic Italian "sagra", a popular pop-up festival organised to show off local food and drink.

The landscaped exterior features fresh produce for use in the restaurant.

“I wanted this space to represent the brand and its people,” Mitolo said. “It needed to be unique and special - but it’s not about the building, it’s all about the wines.

“Terroir really defines our wines, and enables us to produce wines that are unique and expressive of place. And each wine comes with its own distinct personality and story.”

It’s now 18 years since Mitolo teamed up with winemaker Ben Glaetzer to launch his own brand.

Mitolo Wines is known for classic Australian shiraz, cabernet and grenache but the family’s Italian heritage is proudly displayed in their winemaking techniques and other coveted Mitolo wines like vermentino, sangiovese and sagrantino.

And guests can match the wines with a complimentary tasting plate for one from the new on-site restaurant, Bocca Di Luppo.

Head chef Tom Jack’s menu owes much to Italian tradition but it comes with a modern twist.

Mitolo Wines, 141 McMurtrie Rd, McLaren Vale. www.mitolowines.com.au

Wine industry newcomer makes a big impact

Lost Buoy Wines has made quite an impact on the marketplace since launching its first wines just three years ago. 

Based in McLaren Vale and owned by the Kelley family, Lost Bouy has boomed from producing two wines and a few hundred cases in August 2014 to eight wines and 8,500 cases in 2017. 

The estate vineyard, from which the brand-leading Cliff Block Shiraz and Lion Point Shiraz ($30+) are sourced, is located on a cliff top overlooking Port Willunga, while the fruit for the rest of the range, labelled Lost at Sea ($20-25),  is sourced from growers.

With experienced winemaker Phil Christiansen on board and former Schild marketer, and human dynamo Anna Watson running the show it is no surprise that growth has been so rapid.

And with an exciting pinot noir project launching next year, and some covetous eyes being cast at Tasmania, the expansion is not over yet. 

Watson hosted the first Lost Buoy dinner in Tasmania last night (the Apple Isle is the brand's No.2 market after South Australia) and I caught up with her the following morning when she was typically upbeat. 

Sales are buoyant (see what I did there) in Australia and export markets including Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada. 

"It's been a very exciting time," says Watson. "The whole team has been working hard to spread the word about quality and value - and it's great that is paying off."

# Stay tuned for some exciting news on the pinot noir project very soon. 



  



     

Good vibes all round on board the Norwegian Jewel

You can tell a lot from smiles. The cruise guests embarking and disembarking the Norwegian Jewel in Hobart this week almost all had smiles on their faces.

Similarly, the crew, making their first visit to the Tasmanian capital, went about their onboard duties clearly happy to be playing their various roles. 

There's a good feel about the Norwegian Jewel, part of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) fleet that has just begun her inaugural Australia and New Zealand season. It's clearly a happy ship with a good mix of age demographics

As the first Norwegian Cruise Lhomeportto home port in Australia for a full cruising season, Norwegian Jewel’s arrival reflects Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings long-term focus on the region, following similar announcements from sister brands – Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises – that they are more committed than ever before to Australia and New Zealand.

NCLH recently announced that Norwegian Jewel will return to Australian waters in 2018/19 – fresh from a multi-million-dollar bow-to-stern refurbishment – for a series of home-ported sailings. 

She is a light and airy ship with no fewer than 16 different dining options, making sure  even the fussiest guest does not get bored with the culinary offerings. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Norwegian Jewel to Sydney for her highly anticipated inaugural Australia and New Zealand season, said senior VP Steve Odell. "Norwegian Jewel’s arrival breaks the mould when it comes to freedom and flexibility, ushering in a new style of cruising with no set dining times, no pre-assigned seating and no dress codes, giving Australian travellers the unique opportunity to create bespoke cruise holiday experiences any way they want.” 

“The way Australian cruisers have embraced Norwegian Jewel’s inaugural season has exceeded our expectations, with the current booking season already close to capacity before it has even started.

"Norwegian Jewel’s 2018/19 season is now on sale, and early booking activity indicates it is set to be another ground-breaking one.” 

For those seeking the ultimate in luxury, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private enclave – The Haven by Norwegian features the most luxurious accommodation on board with a 24-hour butler, dedicated concierge service and a private sundeck.

The ship boasts those 16 impressive dining venues (half of them included in the tariff), along with 15 bars and lounges including dedicated Champagne, sake, mojito, whisky and cabaret bars, as well as a poolside bar for afternoon cocktails at sea. 

Guests keen to explore the raft of dining possibilities on board can indulge in Brazilian steakhouse Moderno, Japanese specials at Teppanyaki Room, authentic American fare at Cagney’s Steakhouse, Tuscan country flavours at La Cucina, and sushi and sake at Chin Chin.

On board on Wednesday, we enjoyed some impressive French flavours (and great service) at Le Bistro. 

Entertainment options for cruisers include Australia’s own Burn the Floor dance cabaret,  magic and comedy shows and acrobatics by Le Cirque Bijou. There is an impressive spa facility and a large on-board theatre. 

During her November 2017 to February 2018 time in local waters, Norwegian Jewel will embark on a total of nine sailings commencing with the current five-day sampler to Tasmania, visiting Burnie and Hobart before returning to Sydney. 

Other season highlights include a nine-day voyage calling at regional gems such as Eden, Kangaroo Island and Burnie, departing December 14, and a series of 10- to 16-day Australia and New Zealand itineraries visiting destinations including Milford Sound and the Bay of Islands.

Following her inaugural Australian and New Zealand season, Norwegian Jewel will travel to Asia, and then on to Alaska for the Northern Hemisphere summer before making her way back to Australia and New Zealand next year. 

The 2018-2019 home-ported sailings are now on sale and offer a number of new itineraries, taking in destinations such as Cairns, Hobart, Milford Sound and Tauranga, as well as sailings to the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and a transpacific voyage from Vancouver to Tokyo (Yokohama).

Norwegian Jewel can host up to 2,376 guests. Built 12 years ago and set for an off-season refurb, she has 1,069 professional crew.

For further information visit www.ncl.com; or ring 1300 255 200 in New Zealand. 

# The author was a guest of Norwegian Cruise Line and Norwegian Jewel will host the Sunrise breakfast program on Channel Seven when it docks back in Sydney on November 17.