Hotel Wrap: Rydges employee tests positive for COVID-19, Fullerton ups its cleaning measures + MORE
We’re taking you around the world in five minutes with this week’s Hotel Wrap, or 10 minutes if you’re a slow reader.
Worker at Rydges quarantine hotel in Melbourne tests positive for COVID-19
An employee at the Rydges on Swanston hotel in Melbourne’s CBD, which is being used for mandatory isolation of Australians returning from overseas, is among eight new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Victoria, 7 News reported.
The hotel is not currently open to the public as it is hosting a small number of returned travellers under mandatory quarantine.
According to a statement from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, the staff member’s source of infection is “under investigation”.
Fullerton Hotels and Resorts introduces expanded cleaning measures
Enhanced deep cleaning practices, the introduction of new technologies and hygiene accreditation are among new measures being introduced by Fullerton Hotels and Resorts to ensure “well-being and safety”.
From the point of arrival to check-in, guests and visitors arriving at The Fullerton’s properties will experience an elevated level of protection which includes:
- Temperature taking and completion of health declaration forms
- Contact tracing through Safe Entry Mobile Application (applicable for hotels in Singapore only)
- Minimisation of physical contact between guests and front office team members through touchless payment transaction devices
- Gloves and surgical masks will be worn by all guest-facing team members; and
- Provision of surgical masks upon request for hotel guests, among other measures.
Choice Hotels’ ‘Commitment to Clean’ initiative
Choice Hotels Asia-Pacific has announced the launch of ‘Commitment to Clean’ across the region.
The initiative represents the company’s holistic approach to supplying franchisees and their employees with the tools they need to help Choice-branded hotels achieve superior levels of cleanliness, and address health and safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commitment to Clean incorporates industry-leading advice on hygiene and infection prevention technologies and services, as well as guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal Health Department and HY.GIENE Australia.
Iconic Sydney theatre to be revived as part of new boutique hotel
CE Boston Hotels has revealed its $100 million plans to revive West’s Olympia Theatre in Paddington, renowned for housing the Grand Pacific Blue Room in the 1990s.
The joint venture between Sydney-based property developer Central Element and strategic investment firm Boston Global recently lodged a development application (DA) to revitalise Oxford Street and the local precinct.
The original Oxford Street building was initially the site of Marshall’s Paddington Brewery (circa 1860 to 1906) before being replaced by West’s Olympia Pictures in 1911 and becoming a destination for Sydney’s movie lovers for nearly 50 years.
In its 90s heyday, the building’s Grand Pacific Blue Room was the party place to see and be seen. But, after a decade of underuse, it fell into disrepair, as reported by Travel Weekly sister-publication The Nibbler.
Now, the Sydney landmark will be transformed into a luxury, mixed-use, boutique hotel that truly embodies the spirit of one of Sydney’s best-known and busiest locations.
Stuba hotel services update
Looking ahead to assist its trade partners to rebuild their businesses, Stuba has loaded a range of contracts and continues to work with hotel partners to procure deals for the end of 2020 and 2021.
As the hospitality industry begins to re-open its doors, Stuba wishes to draw its trade partners’ attention to some changes that may be implemented going forward:
- Breakfast inclusions may be altered to provide boxed options instead of the expected buffet or plated in-restaurant service
- Hotel bars and restaurants may remain closed until it is safe to re-open or social distancing measures can be safely implemented
- Facilities such as spas, swimming pools and gyms may be out of action until the safety of all guests can be ensured.
Since these changes may be applied with short notice and will be carried out with the guests’ safety in mind, Stuba said it “will not be possible for us to advise by email for each booking” that is affected by alterations.
Nesuto launches guests first cancellation policy
Nesuto is putting guests first with the launch of a new cancellation and booking promise allowing for total flexibility for reservations made direct and via Nesuto’s travel industry partners.
From now, all bookings with the hotel group can be cancelled free of charge up to 6pm on the day of arrival.
This initiative is coupled with a zero prepayment at the time of booking. Additionally, guests are welcome to make complimentary changes to their stays while in-house.
This will apply to all corporate, wholesale, leisure group and business group bookings.
Stayz announces cleanliness guidelines and tools to meet needs of travelling families
Stayz has developed new hygiene guidelines to ensure homeowners, property managers, and travellers receive aligned, clear cleanliness recommendations. The additional recommended cleaning measures include the disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, allocating time between bookings to avoid back-to-back stays, and stocking antibacterial handwashes, cleaners and hand sanitisers for guests.
These combine information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and Cristal International Standards (part of international certification and training company Intertek Group) and have been reviewed by an expert from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Stayz is also adding a feature that allows enhanced safety practices to be communicated by partners on their property description pages so travellers can choose and book homes that meet their expectations.
Homeowners and property managers will be able to report if the property is being cleaned with disinfectant, if guests can check in and out without any person-to-person contact, and whether the property is unavailable for at least 24 hours between guests.
These important facts will be visible from late May, as the information is provided by property owners.
Furthermore, families looking for properties with flexible cancellation policies will be able to use Stayz search filters to find holiday homes that provide a full refund when cancelling by a specific date.
Stayz will also highlight listings with the most flexible cancellation policies, making it easier for families to find holiday homes that offer free cancellation closer to their check-in date.
Hot deals at Metro Sydney hotels ahead of eased NSW travel restrictions
With zoos, animal parks, aquariums, museums and galleries in NSW set to reopen to the public from 1 June, Metro Hotels is offering the following great value rates:
- Metro Aspire Hotel Sydney from $80 per night (premium room). The deal includes 10 per cent discount when you book online at www.metrohotels.com.au with promo code METRO123.
- Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour from $95 night (standard apartment) with a free upgrade. The deal includes 10 per cent discount when you book online at www.metrohotels.com.au with promo code METRO123.
Accom Noosa fuels post-COVID tourism revival
Leading Queensland holiday operator Accom Noosa is fuelling the post-COVID-19 tourism rival by offering free petrol to travellers from within the Sunshine State.
With the state government enacting Stage 2 in its roadmap to easing Queensland restrictions, allowing Queenslanders to holiday up to 250 kilometres within their region for stays after 12 June, Noosa has put out the welcome mat.
“To celebrate the state’s re-opening, Accom Noosa is offering one $50 BP fuel gift voucher per booking to any new reservation made, travelling between 13 June and 31 August 2020.
Asian properties up their game
Whether we emerge from the most acute phase of the pandemic into a brave new world is largely dependent on whether we’re all observing heightened hygiene protocols.
Hotels know this, and are enacting all kinds of protocols to ensure the safest possible stay in a hotel. Here’s a sampling of how some hotels are changing their game:
Tanah Gajah by Hadiprana
Tanah Gajah (pictured above), a resort by Hadiprana, has just 20 suites and villas, each with its own AC system.
The entire property sprayed down with disinfectant twice a week and housekeeping disinfects guest rooms on a daily basis, and hand sanitiser is available at all outlets (from the lobby to the swimming pool) and distributed to each guest as well as a reusable fabric mask.
The butler is the guest’s only point of personal contact and visitors will be escorted directly to their villa by their personal butler instead of checking in at the lobby.
Once there they can have a shower before completing the check-in process and the butler will return an hour later to complete their registration and pick up their laundry. On arrival and throughout the stay there will be a daily temperature check for guests, as well as for staff.
Banyan Tree Samui
All food and beverage served at Banyan Tree Samui can be fully traced with full documentation from the stage of receiving to storage, preparation, processing, cooking and, finally, serving.
Even the temperature of the dish can be tracked and identified, according to the resort’s hygiene manager, Phakthima Naratthakit.
Alma Resort
The new 30-hectare Alma Resort encourages minimised interaction between staff and guests, and between guests themselves, in many ways.
Guests are welcome to buy their own food from Alma’s mini supermarket to cook in their accommodation’s private kitchen or ask room service to deliver food to their doorstep.
Guests’ body temperatures are checked when they enter any of the resort’s food and beverage outlets, where, rather than a waiter providing bread and butter, then pouring a wine and following all sorts of gradual steps within close proximity, everything is brought to the guests to handle themselves.
There are no longer items such as salt and pepper on tables; guests need to specifically ask for them, and they will be cleaned straight after use.
Meliá Koh Samui
From the moment guests are transferred from Thailand’s Samui Airport to Meliá Koh Samui until the time they leave the beachfront resort, their stay is a fully sanitised one.
Vehicles transporting guests to and from the airport are disinfected after every trip. Disinfectants against COVID-19 and other bacteria are continually used throughout the entire resort, including in the entrance and lobby, check-in areas, restaurants and kitchens, guest rooms, pool areas, gymnasium, spa and kid’s club, with particular emphasis on key touch points such as switches, handles, telephones, chairs, desks, food and beverage tables, and cutlery.
Other precautions include deep cleaning guest rooms, covering all soiled linen transported from guest rooms to the laundry, and sanitising luggage trolleys after use.
Nihi Sumba announces exclusive update on ‘one-to-one’ offer
Nihi Sumba has extended an exclusive one-to-one rate for Australian residents, matching bookings made in US and Australian dollars.
For example, the property’s US$895 entry-level rate will be adjusted to $895 for all Australian bookings, along with the extra benefit of US$200 in resort credit per room per night.
The package is inclusive of:
- Three daily meals and all non-alcoholic drinks
- Minibar (one full re-stock per day, including beer and spirits)
- Tour of the Sumba Foundation Projects
- Activities, including stand-up paddleboarding and snorkelling around Nihiwatu beach (when weather conditions permit)
- Participation in group yoga and meditation classes at the Yoga Pavilion twice per day.
QT Sydney restaurant Parlour Cucina re-opens
QT Sydney’s Parlour Cucina restaurant has re-opened and is welcoming Sydneysiders with a brand new menu.
Led by QT Sydney executive chef Nic Wood, in partnership with QT Hotels & Resorts creative food director Rob Marchetti, Cucina’s new offering serves up homemade, simple flavours with classic generosity and a grab-and-go panini menu for the returning CBD crowd.
These include pork and veal meatballs with provolone cheese and green olives on a pressed sub, and rigatoncini with pork, fennel ragu, dried chili and tomato from QT Sydney’s rooftop garden, paired with a glass of rosso curated by QT Hotel & Resorts group wine director Chris Morrison, among others.
Six Senses shares secret recipes
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas are opening the vault on some of their properties best kept secret recipes so we can try them at home.
From Six Senses Ninh Van Bay (Vietnam) executive chef Ozgur Bozgurt’s banana and mango tapioca pudding, Six Senses Laamu (Maldives) executive chef Stefan Goehck’s all-island salad, and Six Senses Douro Valley (Portugal) chief bartender David’s ‘Made in Douro’ cocktail, there are so many top recipes to try at home.
Across Six Senses’ resorts around the world, their chefs follow the ‘Eat With Six Senses’ philosophy, while offering a signature twist according to what’s in season locally in their retrospective locations.
You can check out the recipes in full, here.
Featured image: supplied by Fullerton Hotels and Resorts
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
Accom Noosa Alma Resort Banyan Tree Samui BP CE Boston Hotels choice hotels Commitment to Clean COVID-19 Fullerton Hotels and Resorts hotel wrap Meliá Koh Samui Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour Metro Aspire Hotel Sydney Nesuto paddington rydges Rydges on Swanson stayz Stuba Tanah Gajah by Hadiprana West Olympia TheatreLatest News
Australia fails to make top 10 destination list for American travellers
Australia's top cities have failed to make the grade with American travellers this northern summer, with no local city in the top.
APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures
APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]
ANZAC Battlefield travel on the 2025 bucketlist
As Anzac Day dawns, agents prepare for a surge in bookings for the 110th anniversary of the Anzac Cove landings.
Former Channel 9 Getaway host and founder of TRIBE Jules Lund to speak at Travel DAZE
From blond-tipped travel reporter to Travel DAZE speaker, Jules Lund cuts through the BS.
HX’s Roald Amundsen finds aliens in the Antarctic
Forget whales, HX's MS Roald Amundsen captures aliens in the Antarctic - and they're not pretty.
Mayhem in France as 70% of flights face cancellation
I mean it wouldn't be France if there wasn't at least one strike.
Etihad Airways launches double-decker service with world’s only in-air three-room suite
We imagine falling asleep in the three-room suite is superior to falling asleep on your neighbour's shoulder.
Norwegian Cruise Line launches 2024 Europe travel season
Europe certainly has a lot of ports. Its time for Australia to up its game.
“The power of travel for positive change” – Intrepid’s Jenny Gray hails controversial all-women Saudi Arabia trip
There is an awful lot to love about this tour from Intrepid. Where do we sign up?
Princess names the Sun, unveils Sanctuary Collection + Star Princess to Alaska in ’26
A huge bottle of Veuve was smashed into the side of the ship to make things official. So no, we couldn't snag a glass.
Collette special offers across peak northern summer season
If you are craving a trip to Europe then grab this deal with both of your grubby hands.
Air India and All Nippon codeshare between the two countries
Here at TW we agreed that the photo would have worked better if they had swapped planes.
A&K offers minimum 18 weeks paid parental leave
Contrary to what the photo suggests this benefit is only applicable for humans. Back to work Mrs Jumbo.
NH Hotel Group rebrands as Minor Hotels Europe & Americas
Hang around the bends of the hotels. We imagine they will be full of a lot of branded content.
Scenic Eclipse II – the business of creating unforgettable life-changing memories
These cruise brothers from another mother offer a view of cruising on Scenic Eclipse II that is poles apart.
MSC builds new hospital ship with Mercy Ships
If you want to read a story that puts a smile on your face then this is the one for you.
“I peed on myself watching this” – Social media users squirm at Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of The Seas 55ft dive video
TW is not responsible for any involuntary actions your body might have after watching this video.
FLIGHT REVIEW: Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner business class
The real bonus is you're unlikely to be around screaming children. Hoorah!
Traveltek offers travel agents new rapid deploy cruise website
As always, if you have any issue with the platform, just turn it off and on again.
Experience whale watching & classical music at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville
Disappointedly, the whales do not start singing in tune with the orchestra. Opportunity missed.
Fond, very Fond. London hotel famed for James Bond link adds ‘Classic Comforts’ lunch menu
James Bond author Ian Fleming was so fond if this hotel, it inspired the legendary phrase ‘shaken, not stirred’.
What sets Eclipse Travel apart with Africa expert Hilary Dubyk: Travel Weekly TV
If you want to know more about Africa, then Hilary Dubyk is your person.
Surge in Australians visiting Japan
Feel like all of your friends have just returned from Europe? Now it's Japan.
Seabourn announces Western Kimberley Traditional Owners as Godparents of Seabourn Pursuit
Seabourn has named Western Kimberley Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera, as Godparents of the ultra-luxury purpose-built Seabourn Pursuit. It is the first cruise line to appoint Traditional Owners as godparents of a ship. Seabourn Pursuit embarks on its inaugural season in the Kimberley region this June. The naming ceremony will take place on Seabourn Pursuit’s […]
Sydney named 17th best place to work remotely
If you struggle to get a seat within Sydney's coffee shops, you now know why.
W Melbourne grows sales team
We appreciate the thought that has gone into this team photo.
Cunard welcomes new ship Queen Anne
This might be the most impressive ship handover in ship handover history.
Intrepid Travel appoints Yvette Thompson as general manager sales & marketing ANZ
It isn't end-of-day Monday and Yvette Thompson has already nabbed herself an impressive promotion.
Anna Fawcett re-joins Global Touring in newly-created APAC role
With such an impressive CV, Global Touring is no doubt thrilled to have Fawcett back.
“We know our response has been far from perfect” – Emirates’ open letter following Dubai flooding
If you also need to write an apology letter, then this is a pretty good template.
Malolo Island Resort opens brand new Spa
Fiji’s Malolo Island has added another string to its bow – opening its $1.3 million day spa on Thursday, 18th April 2024. (Lead Image: matriarch Rosie Whitton with spa staff) Located at the edge of the resort’s luscious patch of tropical rainforest, the new “Leilani’s Spa” adds another level of elevated experiences to Malolo’s already […]
Virgin Australia’s HILARIOUS second instalment of the ‘Bring on Wonderful’ campaign
We don't use the word 'hilarious' lightly, but this is worthy of the title.
Visit Sunshine Coast reveals new brand identity
If you were looking for another reason to visit the Sunshine Coast then this is it.
Sofitel launches brand campaign starring Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson
We can confirm the content of this video is less spicy than Sex Education.
Holland America Line gives agents the chance to visit Alaska on 11-day Famil
If you've ever wanted to see a Polar Bear (and who doesn't?), now is your time.
More than 65 luxury agents gather in Sydney for Best of the Best dinner
This looks like a fabulous do. We imagine there may be a few (or maybe 65) sore heads this morning!