Need a little hotel help? Want to wow your boss with your impeccable accommodation prowess? All you need to know and more is right here in our weekly wrap.

Capetown’s new Skyline icon, Silo Hotel opens March 1

The highly anticipated Silo Hotel on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is the latest addition to The Royal Portfolio and will open its doors to guests on 1 March 2017. 

The Silo Hotel occupies a very special location in the heart of Cape Town and has been built in the grain elevator portion of the historic grain silo building which was originally built in 1924. The Silo Hotel will have 28 keys across seven room categories, including a spectacular penthouse. 

Facilities at the hotel will include The Silo Hotel Spa (with five treatment rooms), The Willaston Bar and Granary Café on the sixth floor and the rooftop bar and restaurant. With panoramic views of Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, The Silo Hotel is set to become a popular destination for both international guests and local visitors.

Agents Give Big Thumbs up for Thailand!

 12 lucky Flight Centre agents and Infinity wholesale consultants enjoyed a trip to Thailand recently taking in the majestic scenery of Krabi and the hidden gem of Cape Panwa in Phuket.

The agents stayed at two Centara properties in Krabi including the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas arriving in style by private boat. The resort feature some of the largest guest rooms in Thailand & has its own 500 metre private beach. Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa was enjoyed by all with its location close to all the dining and shopping that Ao Nang has to offer.

Agents also got to spend a few days in Phuket where they stayed at the luxurious all-suite Cape Panwa Hotel where they got a chance to relax on the hotel’s private beach and tuck into steak night at the hotel’s restaurant.

They also got a chance to visit the Aussie family favourite Sunwing Kamala Beach, which features accommodation designed for families travelling with babies and young children and Sunprime Kamala Beach which is an adult only resort with three amazing swimming pools and four bars.

Pullman Melbourne On The Park set for $6million transformation

The Pullman brand is set to make a bold statement, announcing innovative plans to transform the ground floor of one of Melbourne’s most iconic hotels, Pullman Melbourne On The Park, with a $6million investment.

Scheduled for completion in July 2017, the 419-room landmark hotel’s ground floor interior spaces – reception, arrival area, bar and restaurant – will be completely transformed, whilst respecting the hotel’s rich heritage, under the direction of national design practice ROTHELOWMAN, who have been appointed to manage the project.

The redevelopment will provide the iconic hotel with a new ground floor identity, by connecting the external streetscape with the internal lobby, restaurant and bar with a radically redesigned series of interconnected spaces, positioning the hotel design in line with the Pullman Hotels & Resorts global cosmopolitan brand.

Set to undergo the greatest transformation is the restaurant and bar – soon to become a playground of culinary delight, focused around local produce and the visual theatre of food preparation. Large open plan spaces and semi-private dining room areas will be incorporated into the new restaurant concept, all designed around creating an interactive environment, featuring a large pizza oven, raw bar section for fresh seafood and cured items, a churned ice-creamery and dessert bar.

Inspired by the hotel’s leafy outlook over Fitzroy Gardens, the colours and textures will be reflected in treatments throughout the new ground floor design, with lush patterns set against a backdrop of chevron timber wall panelling, retaining the formality of an upscale executive hotel with a relaxed sophisticated ambience.

A $10.6 million upgrade of the RACV/RACT Hobart Apartment Hotel $10.6 million upgrade completed

The hotel did not miss a beat during the 14-month long project. Construction crews adhered to strict curfews to minimise noise as they built a new lounge, fully renovated the restaurant, added a gymnasium and created a hotel entry directly off centrally located Collins Street.

The adjacent heritage-listed Cascade House was also restored and connected to the 125-room hotel. Internally, the sandstone building was remodelled to incorporate an exclusive lounge upstairs and a bar at street level.

Ms Richards said the Hobart Apartment Hotel, which is in the heart of the city, had become very popular with business people and leisure travellers since the two motoring organisations purchased the property.

Conferences also are a major part of the hotel and event facilities were upgraded. As well as improving existing areas, a new Board Room for up to 16 people was created. The Collins Room accommodates 200 people seated theatre style, while The Stables seats up to 100.

In September 2016, conference visitors increased by 47 per cent, and holidaymakers by eight per cent.

New Penthouse Hotel Apartments open at Adina Apartment Hotel in Auckland, Britomart

Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland, Britomart has opened two beautiful new penthouse apartments where guests can enjoy spectacular views across the harbour and the city from huge balconies with comfortable outdoor settings and open-air fireplaces.

Each new double storey loft-style penthouse apartment has an expansive living space of up to 250 square metres with either two bedrooms or three bedrooms, its own kitchen and laundry and a private balcony overlooking Waitemata Harbour, the Auckland Museum, Vector Arena and city centre.The hotel now offers 152 stylish and modern hotel apartments that combine the comfort of living as though in your own home but with full hotel services, including 24-hour reception, room service, an on-site bar and restaurant, gym and undercover parking.

Typical of all Adina Apartment Hotels, spacious and contemporary living and working spaces encourage guests to “live like a local”, making it a perfect base to explore the city’s star attractions — the sparkling Viaduct, Wynyard Quarter and Britomart.

Yard Bar & Eatery opened earlier this year – an urban café by day and a city bar and bistro by night with a strong coffee culture and commitment to quality produce.

Mantra Group Limited (Mantra Group) (ASX: MTR) Announce Half Year Results for Period Ended 31 December 2016

The report outlines an underlying Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) of $31.8m, up $4.2m and 15.1 per cent on H1 FY2016 and underlying EBITDAI of $58.7m, up 10.3 per cent (underlying results are the statutory results excluding transaction costs of $1.7m (H1FY2016: $4.8m) incurred in respect of acquisitions). Four hotels were added to the network during the period.

Key highlights include:

• Total revenue of $356.2m, up 15.9 per cent on the first half of FY16
• Net profit after tax was $30.5m, 25.9 per cent higher than the previous period
• Underlying Revenue growth, excluding new properties, of $20.9m
• Strong pipeline of development opportunities in both domestic and international markets

Mantra Group CEO Bob East said H1 FY2017 delivered another strong performance with continued growth in revenue and profitability.

Iconic Hotel Reborn as Mantra Club Croc 

Mantra Group today officially opened the new-look, rebranded Mantra Club Croc hotel, following a major $5 million refurbishment to bring a fresh design and upgraded facilities to the iconic Airlie Beach hotel. Situated close to the beachfront and Abell Point Marina, Mantra Club Croc is housed in a traditional Queenslander-style building, offering a glimpse into the region’s past, contrasted by its modern accommodation and facilities.

Guests can now experience stylish accommodation with coastal inspired décor, a range of new and improved guest amenities such as a large lagoon pool with adjoining spa and lush tropical gardens, and locally-inspired cuisine at the hotel’s new contemporary poolside restaurant and bar.

In addition to the refurbishment of all 160 guest rooms, the restaurant and bar, common areas and leisure facilities, the upgrade also includes an executive makeover of the hotel’s conference centre, which accommodates events from 20 to 200 delegates with a comprehensive range of facilities.

In celebration of the opening, Mantra Club Croc is offering special opening rates starting from $109* per night in a Garden Deluxe Room (minimum two night stay – total cost $218*). To book, call 13 15 17 or visit www.mantra.com.au. 

Three times Proves it for Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort at Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards

 It was three out of three for Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort when it scooped the pool with a trifecta of awards at the annual ANZ Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards held last Saturday night. The resort was named Best Deluxe Resort while its fine dining restaurant Ivi won the award for Best Visitor Dining Experience.

Outrigger Fiji’s Executive Chef, and Honorary President of the Fiji Chefs Association, Mr. Shailesh Naidu, was named as the industry’s most outstanding Tourism Leader. Resort general manager Peter Hopgood praised his team for the excellence of its efforts in what he said had been a challenging year.

“Each member of the Outrigger team supports the other and the results of that are to be seen in these awards,” he said.

Outrigger Fiji’s sister property, Castaway Island was named as a finalist in three categories – Tourism Sustainability, Deluxe Accommodation and Visitor Dining Experience.

Key Appointments at Mantra Group Announced 

Mantra Group has strengthened its leadership team with a number of key management appointments across its portfolio of Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree properties. Chris Northam will commence as area general manager Port Douglas following a 12 month placement in Indonesia with Mantra Group.

Northam will join the management team in North Queensland, supporting special projects and strategic planning.

Katrina Brown has recently been appointed to the position of general manager at BreakFree Cosmopolitan, Surfers Paradise. Brown re-joins Mantra Group after 18 months as general manager of Burleigh Surf Apartments.

Craig Smith, currently area manager Gold Coast, will soon relocate to Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu following his appointment as Area Manager Hawaii. Smith has senior management experience within Mantra Group and will support the leadership team at Ala Moana Hotel on various strategic projects.

Other Key Appointments include the following:

•  Chris McIntosh, currently Peppers Kings Square Hotel’s general manager, will replace Smith as area manager Broadbeach. McIntosh joined Mantra Group in 2015 and was notably awarded GM of the Year at Mantra Group’s 2016 Awards for Excellence.
• Tracey Beresford has been appointed the general manager of Mantra Group’s newest resort addition, Mantra the Observatory.
• Kristen Carville has been appointed as the general manager of BreakFree on George, Sydney.
• Bobbie Murphy has been appointed to the role of general manager at Peppers Manor House in the Southern Highlands.
• James Sharrock, Peppers Gallery Hotel general manager, has been appointed to area general manager ACT.
• Joseph Amerio, recently operations manager at Peppers Airlie Beach, has been appointed to the position of GM BreakFree Capital Tower, Canberra.
• Sharine Boey joins Mantra Group in the role of general manager at Mantra 100 Exhibition, Melbourne.
• Nick Ellis has relocated to Western Australia after being appointed as GM of Tribe West Perth (opening May 2017).
• Andrew McTaggart has joined Mantra Group as development manager.
• St. John Lord, Mantra Group Corporate Counsel, has joined Mantra Group’s Executive Committee.