Midweek Interview with Tony Howlett, general manager, sales and marketing, Heritage Hotel Management

Midweek Interview with Tony Howlett, general manager, sales and marketing, Heritage Hotel Management
By admin


The challenge for the industry is….continuously offering new initiatives and meeting the changing demands of guests. For example, we have been at the forefront of conscious cuisine offering raw food, vegetarian and vegan options in our every day hotel menus in Auckland and in fact offering a total of 16 special dietary requirements for guests. 

 

The things I like about my job are….promoting a fantastic range of hotels that are all special and centrally located, and often have historic significance, such as our amazing Heritage Christchurch hotel which has reopened recently. This 100-year-old building is a priceless piece of the city's heritage and guests and locals love its grandeur and endurance.

 

And the frustrations….long hours are the name of the game in the hospitality industry. It’s a constant balance of workload and family but hopefully I manage to walk the fine line at home and at work. But perhaps my wife should answer that question!

 

If I didn’t work in travel I would be a…..pilot, this was on my career plan as a child.

 

Qantas or Virgin?….NZ 

 

My proudest moment was….being a father .

 

The naughtiest thing I ever did was….not printable!  

 

I try to relax by….spending time with the kids after a business trip. They bring everything back to the essentials in life.  

 

The last time I feared for my life… was a bungee jump at Hanmer Springs.

 

If I can, I always try to avoid…. doing the same thing again and again. Our industry needs constant innovation.

 

I really wish I had….more time. 

 

The best advice I’ve ever received was… to tell the truth. Dishonesty never pays in the end. 

 

I don’t understand why….there are not enough hours in the day. 

 

My greatest weakness is….excellent Central Otago pinot noir.  

 

And my greatest strength….my sense of humour.  It’s great for relieving stress in the team. 

 

If I was prime minister I would….as the PM, who is also our tourism minister, I would funnel budget to promoting the smaller regional parts of New Zealand where some of the best tourism experiences lie. We have so many hidden gems yet to be explored.

 

If I won $1 million on the lottery I would…. upgrade my boat. I love fishing and getting out on the Waitemata harbour in Auckland every chance I can.

 

If I could be someone else for one day I would be….a WRC Rally driver. I really enjoy this sport and have wanted to be evolved since I was a young boy.

 

 I’ve always wanted to travel to….South America.

 

My favourite holiday was….recently we had a short break and as a family visited Hobbiton in Matamata a couple of hours south of Auckland. It’s where The Hobbit and some of the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed. The Hobbiton Movie set team have done a great job of making it possible for everyone to access this famous film set and it is like visiting another world.

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