Guest Services Manager, Transport Manager
Palmer Coolum Resort
Total years of experience :16 years, 11 Months
Experience March 2012 - Current
Guest Services Manager, Transport Manager
Palmer Coolum Resort (formerly Hyatt Regency Coolum), Coolum Beach, Queensland.
(www.palmercoolumresort.com.au)
Palmer Coolum Resort is a 5 star resort on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland; The Resort
features 324 hotel suites organised in low-rise clusters amid a natural Australian environment of gardens, lakes and woodlands. Equipped with an Australian PGA Championship golf course,
beach club and privately patrolled beach, the largest day spa in the southern hemisphere,
tennis centre, arts centre, and Kids Club.
Key Responsibilities: • The Guest Services department caters for all guest requests and encompassed the traditional departments of In-room dining, personal bar, bell desk, concierge, transport and communications.
• The Guest Services Manager is Head of the department and is responsible for all daily
operations. Including but not limited to; rostering, staff training, stock ordering and control, guest satisfaction, guest transportation along with management of in room
dining and personal bar.
• One major responsibility was the implementation of a new Guest Services department in June 2012. This involved the strategic planning, staffing and skilling to flatten the traditional guest service departments mentioned above in to one Guest Service
department.
• As well as Guest Services, the role also included the responsibilities of Transport
manager. This position monitors and arranges all guest transportation movement
patterns and arrival/departure forecasts, while maintaining up to date records as required for local legislation. The transport manager is also responsible for all resort
vehicles maintenance, drive logs and purchase requests.
• Provide excellent leadership for employees and team leaders, while being supportive of creativity and innovation, and maintaining a high level of professionalism and quality
service.
The Commodore Regent is a 3.5 star motel in Launceston Tasmania, the motel boasts 44 guest rooms and an onsite restaurant.
Key Responsibilities: 1 . Gain an understanding Commodore Regents current business practices, clientele and market place to allow the identification of market gaps and business strengths, with the aim of suggesting strategies to increase occupancy, business efficiency and the bottom line. After analysing Commodore Regents current market position through historical reports, consultation with staff and management, reviewing of competitors and Tasmanian tourism research, suggest recommendations and strategies to run a more effective business and increase occupancy.
Summit Apartments is a sixty room 4.5 half star luxury apartment complex in Airlie Beach in the
Whitsundays.
Airlie Summit Apartments, Airlie Beach (www.summitairliebeach.com.au) Summit Apartments is a sixty room 4.5 half star luxury apartment complex in Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays. Key Responsibilities: All facets of business operation: • Through detailed market research developed¬¬¬ an opening marketing strategy that was based on a ‘value based’ unique selling proposition. This strategy was supported primarily through web-based advertising, SEO tactics, Google Adwords and social media marketing. The business in its opening phase exceeded profit projections by 12% and became a market leader in the Whitsunday marketplace. In the 1st quarter of the 2011 financial year occupancy tripled the previous year’s figures. • Tourism Award planning, writing and submission. • Creation of a sustainable tourism product through eco-friendly policy and practices. Liaison with key community and government groups in Queensland and the Whitsundays to become a market leader in environmental business acumen. • Creation of a socially responsible brand image for Summit Apartments through collaboration with local charity and environmental groups, including receiving the AAA tourism Green Star award. • Collaboration with Tourism Whitsundays in local business leader forums to suggest and create community marketing ideas to improve the visitation to the area and thus potential clientele for Summit Apartments.
Awards Received: • 2011 Tourism Whitsundays “Deluxe Accommodation” WINNER. • 2011Trip Advisor No.1 rated property in Airlie Beach. • 2011 Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Award WINNER. • 2011 Trip Advisor Excellence Award - May. • 2011 Rated No.1 Whitsunday property on Wotif.com (room nights). • 2010 Queensland Tourism “Deluxe Accommodation” FINALIST. • 2010 Tourism Whitsundays July Networking Host. • 2009 Tourism Whitsundays 2009 “Best New Tourism Development” WINNER. •
• The key responsibility at Blue Horizon was to open the resort, this position commenced 6 weeks before the resort was finished being built and included the grand opening. • Creation of all marketing material. • Formation of all marketing and supply channels. • Creation and control of all market research, promotion and sales activities. • Policy creation and management. • Reservations and reception management. • Conference and events planning, marketing and management. • Control & utilization of customer database and reservations systems. • Human Resource management responsibilities - Recruitment and Hiring, Employee Orientation, Training, Performance management, conflict resolution. • Occupational Health and Safety Management. • Financial control, end of month balancing, budgeting. Key Outcomes: • Liaised with developer and Building Company in final project construction stages to manage the building opening. • Managed room commissioning and final design and set up of reception and back office areas. • Successfully created a management proposal and contracted 29 of 30 owners into the letting pool. • Planned and implemented a market introduction strategy to increase local brand knowledge for the Blue Horizon Apartments product. • Organised an opening ceremony for the property in partnership with the local tourism body and broke record numbers for the number of guest to have ever attended a Whitsunday business tourism event. • Exceeded profit projections for the first 6 months of business operation by 21% and cemented Blue Horizon Resort in the top 3 revenue earners on Wotif.com in the Whitsundays in the first 12 months of operation. • Successfully created a conferencing and events marketing plan and secured a number of major contracts for repeat conferencing from local major industry
Bachelor of Information Systems, University of Tasmania (2000- 2004) Major: Electronic Commerce Sub-Major: Business Management