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January, 2011 Lavish plans for Queenstown's new Hilton Hotel were unveiled by top-level managers at a function in the resort this month.While the opening date for the twin, four and five-star lakeside hotel and apartment complex, dubbed Kawarau Village, was merely outlined as "before ski season", announcements were made that earmark the village for far more than accommodation. Newly appointed general manager Marlene Poynder, who started her Queenstown residency on January 5, announced several restaurants, pubs and eateries would be aimed at including locals and visitors, even if they weren't hotel guests. These include a gourmet grocer and deli, a gastro pub and noodle bar, and a floating pontoon that boats on Lake Wakatipu will be welcome to moor at while visiting the complex. All are aimed at creating a village atmosphere. Finishing touches to the hotel are still being made and names for the gastro pub being mooted. Hilton Worldwide vice-president operations Australasia Ashley Spencer said the resort stoodto gain from the global chain's36 sales offices around theworld. "We've got the ability to sell Queenstown globally," he said. "We are a large, aggressive organisation and will join the goal of tripling the amount of visitors to Queenstown by 2030. Strategically, us being in Queenstown is an absolute must. " While targeting a high-end clientele who were willing and able to pay for helicopter rides and fine dining, the benefits of attracting such visitors would be shared by Queenstown as a whole, Mr Spencer said. "We want to be responsible neighbours, have a voice in the community and in the local tourism industry." However, much more work, including a seven-figure landscaping project, needed to be completed before opening. "As the next few months pass, people will get to see that for themselves. Considerable budget and resource will put into bringing the entire grounds up to the level of ambience that people expect from the Hilton, and we will be using local contractors to carry out that work." The crowd at the function, held at the Amisfield Winery, in-cluded top-level managers oftourism giants such as Skyline, Real Journeys and Ngai Tahu Tourism holdings, as well as Queenstown Mayor Vanessavan Uden and members of the Queenstown Lakes District Council. Earlier story: The opening of Queenstown's Hilton Hotel would lead to an influx of skilled staff that would have great spin-offs for the local economy, a Queenstown hotel expert says. New Zealand Hotel Association Queenstown chairwoman and veteran hotel general manager Penny Clark yesterday said advertisements for at least 20 management positions would attract interest from far and wide. "They could undoubtedly find many of these people in Queenstown, but whether they would be willing to leave the environments they are already in is another question," she said. "Ostensibly that means they may have to import many people in from outside the area, because we are lucky enough to have a very low unemployment rate in Queenstown." The advertisements state the hotel will be opening in March. The positions advertised were for skilled people, who would need to be at the top of their game because of the five-star requirements of the Hilton brand, Ms Clark said. "They will be sought-after positions, but hotel industry staff are very portable, and will move from other parts of the country or other countries, to take these positions. These people will need accommodation, so in turn it means the influx of staff will be very good for the local economy." Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Ann Lockhart agreed an influx of staff would only mean good things for the resort's economy. "The staff needed for the Hilton will absolutely be another vehicle to drive Queenstown's economy forward," she said. "It'll be good for general business, including landlords, retailers, Queenstown's hospitality trade and goods and services providers." Queenstown Job Agency owner Chris Major said he had already been in contact with the Hilton. "We've got a good pool of people here in Queenstown and Wanaka who could certainly fill some permanent and part-time roles at the Hilton," he said. (Source: Fairfax)
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