Personally, we prefer wine pilates, but we’ll take what we can get. Catch loads more freebies and initiatives from the hotel industry here.

Club Med hosts virtual bend and brew yoga for agents 

For anyone working from home, the struggle is real – trying to be productive, getting a full-body workout, staying connected with clients and deciding when it’s an appropriate time to crack or pop open an ice-cold beverage.

Club Med, the pioneer of premium all-inclusive holidays, is hosting a first-of-its-kind virtual yoga class on Zoom that is the answer to (nearly) all your daily struggles. Club Med Bend & Brew is keeping travel agents and travel industry colleagues connected with the Club Med Team, while helping you find some inner peace through yoga and beer during these ‘unprecedented times’.

The one-off event on Thursday 30 April at 4pm AEST, will be hosted by Club Med’s very own trade marketing manager, Kass Scarlett, who will guide a 30-minute beginner style flow that focuses on stretching and feeling energised, with a few beer salutations between poses.

Leaving the crazy poses and spiritual awakening at home at the door to the experts, all you need to do is B.Y.O yoga mat or towel, and your favourite brew, then log onto zoom and namaste at home.

To register, sign up to Club Med Bend & Brew Eventbrite page HERE. or find out more on the Facebook event page HERE. But be quick as it’s for the first 100 people.

Hotel closures top of agenda as TAA meets

The devastating impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the hotel sector dominated discussions at this week’s emergency Tourism Accommodation Australia NSW board meeting – called as hotel closures nationwide continue to mount.

Chaired by Antony Page of the Sydney Harbour Marriott, the state’s accommodation board brought together decades of experience via conference call. TAA NSW CEO Michael Johnson said keeping as many hotels operating as possible during the crisis topped the agenda.

“Sadly, more than 40 hotels have closed in Sydney alone in the last three weeks and potentially 300 nationally,” Johnson said.

“That’s despite the best efforts of the industry to stay afloat with the assistance of TAA and the state and federal governments.”

Johnson said the use of hotels to quarantine travellers or to provide accommodation for health care personnel was also a major discussion point.

“Last weekend saw the first mass departure of quarantined guests from Sydney hotels and our continued support of Government initiatives was discussed,” he said.

“The chance for hotels to host our valued front-line health care workers in suburban and regional hotels in particular could be the lifeline needed for some of those hotels. The sad fact is hotels around Australia are continuing to close whilst travel restrictions continue and we will be doing all we can to support them in this difficult time.”

Sydney Hotel hosts quarantine concert

Sofitel Sydney Wentworth struck a chord with its guests on Tuesday night by arranging a live music performance in its iconic outdoor garden terrace for the hotel’s 400 in-house quarantine guests to enjoy from their private balconies.

The guests, who are staying at the iconic Sydney hotel while they complete their 14-day mandatory government quarantine, sang along to classic hits by popular Sydney RNB cover band Soul Nights; singer-songwriter Johnny Diesel; and DJ Troy T from Sound Agents. Many of the guests were celebrating the completion of their mandatory isolation, with 55 guests checking out of the hotel on Wednesday.

Hotel management group’s heartfelt global initiative in support of employees

StayWell Holdings has created heartfelt video aptly titled ‘Hearts Across the Globe’ as part a new global initiative to send positive vibes and a message of support to its employees around the world.

As one the largest hotel management groups in the Asia Pacific, StayWell has created a video montage of staff from around the world coming together as a team to show solidarity and kinship.

The video shows the team making heart shapes to show their support of one another, and features staff from head office through to frontline workers from Australia, India, the United Emirates and the United Kingdom.

With the travel industry and operations changing rapidly and dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, StayWell believes it is now more important than ever for its thousands of employees worldwide to come together as one to spread love and support.

The video is currently being circulated within the group’s internal communications and can be viewed HERE.

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney’s take on a Singaporean classic