Holiday Inn Dandenong opens

IHG Hotels & Resorts – one of the world’s leading hotel companies with over 6,000 hotels across 18 distinct brands and an award-wining loyalty programme, IHG One Rewards – has today opened its latest Australian Holiday Inn property in Melbourne’s southeast. The 124-room Holiday Inn Dandenong is located in the heart of Dandenong’s business and entertainment district at 50-52 McCrae Street.

Hotel owner, Pelligra Group, invested AUD$12m to create this next-generation Holiday Inn hotel featuring the brand’s modern Open Lobby concept, conference rooms and Dandelion Lounge + Eatery.

All rooms have been fully transformed alongside 16 newbuild rooms; configurations range from King Suites to Double Premium and Queen Standard, suitable for corporate and leisure travellers, as well as families. Free Wi-Fi is available for everyone, in addition to a 24-hour fitness centre, secure underground parking and 24/7 in-room dining.

Through the polished concrete looks, exposed ceilings, black metal features and natural oak battens, Holiday Inn Dandenong offers guests a refreshing ambiance with signature Melburnian design touches. From the harmonious blend of vibrant colours and curated feature lighting pieces to delightful décor and greenery, the property’s spaces are delightful, approachable and a little surprising.

Scott Schaefer, General Manager, Holiday Inn Dandenong, said: “Whether you’re spending time away with friends and family, or connecting over business, the hotel provides a warm and welcoming environment at an affordable price point.

“Light-filled spaces in our Open Lobby invite relaxed dining and meaningful conversations, while the rooms themselves provide a soothing space to recharge. We’re providing a fresh, new destination where guests, local workers and residents can come together for a coffee, a business meeting, or to work remotely – something the local business community is hungry for.”

Rebecca Russell Appointed General Manager At The Sebel Yarrawonga Silverwoods, Australia

Rebecca Russell has been appointed General Manager of The Sebel Yarrawonga following a stellar career spanning six years with Accor Hotels.

She was earmarked for the group's leadership program in 2014 and since then has worked across the Accor network managing hotels and resorts in North Queensland, Sydney, Alice Springs and regional NSW before being appointed to manage the Accor-branded The Sebel Yarrawonga.

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Annabell Javinez Appointed General Manager At Quest Perth Ascot, Australia

Quest Apartment Hotels has today announced the appointment of Annabell Javinez as General Manager of Quest Perth Ascot, set to open next month.

With more than ten years' experience working for Quest, Annabell hails from Quest South Perth Foreshore where she spent eighteen months as Property Manager. Prior to this, the hospitality professional devoted just short of nine years at Quest Townsville, where she worked her way from front office staff to property manager.

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Chef says we've been cooking mushrooms wrong as 'crazy' method divides opinion

Key Take Away

Jim Fuller, the co-founder of Fable Food Co, has split opinion with his 'controversial' method of cooking mushrooms - but says it achieves perfect results every time

Most of us will throw mushrooms into a pan or cook them in the oven as part of a bigger dish, but Jim Fuller says there's a far better way to be doing it.

The co-founder of meat alternative company Fable Food advised during a segment on Australia's The Today Show and says it really divided opinion.

For Delicious Recipe Click below :

www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/chef-says-weve-been-cooking-22228256

Learning Never Ends: A Revenue Manager’s Journey to the Next Level

Revenue management sits at the heart of all the action within a hospitality operation. Decisions are made real time and there is always something new on the horizon. What you learnt while training for hospitality or even over the years can become redundant very quickly if you don’t keep up with evolving trends, techniques and tools.

Pawan Sahani of Hospitality Minds India was quick to pick up on this. Having started his career at Hotel Grand Residency and after nearly 4 years at Hospitality Minds India, when the opportunity to upskill with Australian Revenue Management Association (ARMA) came up, he could not refuse. He knew the course’s practical make-up that armed students with knowledge and tips that he can apply at his work every day.

Pawan came across the first level of the ARMA course, part of which is offered at a discounted rate to STAAH partner clients. Level 1 of this course is free for all STAAH partners. ARMA is the leading organisation in Asia Pacific and Australia and works with market leaders and educational institutes to create training initiatives to support the development of those in the field of revenue management.

Pawan went on to complete Level 1 and 2. He now feels more confident than before to contribute positively to the growth of properties through best practice, sound processes and latest technologies for revenue management.

Among some of the topics covered in the course are Foundations and Calculations, Measures and Maximisation, Yieldmax Stimulation Game, Group and the Revenue Management Relationship and more.

Restaurants should embrace ‘inclusive dining’ says Master Chef winner

Elena Duggan, the winner of Master Chef Australia 2017, has called on restaurants to embrace a more inclusive approach to dining that doesn’t prevent people with certain disabilities or allergies from eating in their venues.

‘Inclusive Dining’ to mean making items gluten-free and using natural sugars in fruit rather than adding refined sugars. On her winning run on Master Chef Australia, she used gluten in only two dishes out of 6

According to Statistic in  Australia up to 20% of people have a disability of some sort, she said that the benefits of inclusive dining would speak for themselves

She will be hosting a three-day residency at MasterChef, the TV Experience in Dubai on February 18-20, where she will serve a five-course flexi-menu that can be adapted to suit customers’ dietary requirements.

Australia's Top 100 Restaurants revealed

Australia’s Top 100 Restaurants
1 Brae, Birregurra VIC
2 Ester NSW
3 Saint Peter NSW
4 Attica VIC
5 Africola SA
6 Momofuku Seiobo NSW
7 Sixpenny NSW
8 Embla VIC
9 Sepia NSW
10 Fleet, Brunswick Heads NSW
11 Firedoor NSW
12 Igni, Geelong VIC
13 LuMi Bar & Dining NSW
14 Franklin TAS
15 Fred’s NSW
16 Restaurant Hubert NSW
17 Mr Wong NSW
18 Flower Drum VIC
19 Tipo 00 VIC
20 Anchovy VIC
21 Bennelong NSW
22 Fratelli Paradiso NSW
23 Orana SA
24 Quay NSW
25 Automata NSW
26 Billy Kwong NSW
27 The Bridge Room NSW
28 10 William St NSW
29 Tetsuya’s NSW
30 The Apollo NSW
31 Cirrus Dining NSW
32 Agrarian Kitchen Eatery TAS
33 Supernormal VIC
34 LP’s Quality Meats NSW
35 Minamishima VIC
36 Sean’s Panaroma NSW
37 Cutler & Co VIC
38 Golden Century NSW
39 Cumulus Inc. VIC
40 Gerard’s Bistro QLD
41 Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield SA
42 Lee Ho Fook VIC
43 Paper Bird NSW
44 Ramblr VIC
45 Templo TAS
46 Biota Dining, Bowral NSW
47 Gauge QLD
48 The Summertown Aristologist, Summertown SA
49 Amaru VIC
50 Bar Lourinhã VIC
51 Wasabi Restaurant and Bar, Noosa Heads QLD
52 est. NSW
53 Icebergs Dining Room and Bar NSW
54 Marion VIC
55 Oakridge Restaurant, Coldstream VIC
56 Oscillate Wildly NSW
57 Paper Daisy, Cabarita Beach NSW
58 Aubergine ACT
59 Bentley Restaurant & Bar NSW
60 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal VIC
61 France-Soir VIC
62 Kisume VIC
63 Lulu La Delizia WA
64 Magill Estate Restaurant SA
65 Ezard VIC
66 French Saloon VIC
67 Ides VIC
68 Osteria Oggi SA
69 Pt. Leo Estate, Merricks VIC
70 Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney NSW
71 Stanbuli NSW
72 Cafe Di Stasio VIC
73 Chin Chin, Sydney NSW
74 Cho Cho San NSW
75 Estelle by Scott Pickett VIC
76 Fico TAS
77 Fino at Seppeltsfield, Seppeltsfield SA
78 MoVida, Melbourne VIC
79 nel. NSW
80 Ormeggio at the Spit NSW
81 Porteño NSW
82 Botanic Gardens Restaurant SA
83 Millbrook Winery Restaurant, Jarrahdale WA
84 Monster Kitchen and Bar ACT
85 Peel St SA
86 Pilu at Freshwater NSW
87 The Pot by Emma McCaskill SA
88 The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale SA
89 Aloft TAS
90 Chin Chin, Melbourne VIC
91 Provenance, Beechworth VIC
92 Shōbōsho SA
93 Vue de Monde VIC
94 Yarri Restaurant + Bar, Dunsborough WA
95 ARIA, Sydney NSW
96 Long Chim, Perth WA
97 Sokyo NSW
98 Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads QLD
99 Lûmé VIC
100 FermentAsian, Tanunda SA

IHG launches voco upscale brand and signs first property

The Watermark Hotel & Spa Gold Coast AustraliaIHGVocoSurfers Paradise UK/Australia: InterContinental Hotels Group has launched Voco, its new upscale hotel brand, alongside announcing a first signing for the brand in Australia.

Voco will focus primarily on conversion opportunities and will strengthen IHG's offer in the $40 billion upscale segment, which is expected to grow by a further $20 billion by 2025. Working with high-quality individual and locally-branded hotels, the brand will offer owners "the ability to drive higher returns through delivering a compelling guest experience and leveraging IHG's powerful systems.

This includes best-in-class revenue management and technology capabilities and IHG Rewards Club, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes".   IHG says: "Voco, inspired by the meaning 'to invite' or to 'come together' in Latin, will combine the informality and charm of an individual hotel, with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand."   The roll-out of Voco will begin in IHG's Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa (EMEAA) region, with plans to take it to the Americas and Greater China over time. IHG expects to open more than 200 voco hotels in attractive urban and leisure locations over the next 10 years.  

IHG has confirmed the first signing for the Voco brand outside of Europe will be the Watermark Hotel & Spa Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, Australia. The 388-room hotel is shortly to be acquired by IHG's long-standing partner, SB&G, which currently owns five other IHG hotels in Australia. The hotel is due to open under the Voco flag in late 2018.  

IHG CEO Keith Barr said: "We've talked about the significant growth opportunity we see for IHG in upscale and Voco will help us deliver against this. We'll work with owners of attractive properties, who appreciate the power and expertise that a global business can bring to the table. Guests will be able to enjoy the appeal of a more individual hotel, alongside the reassurance of a name above the door that they trust. The versatility of the brand, means a Voco hotel can retain and celebrate all of the elements that make that existing hotel successful. With Voco, the recent addition of Regent Hotels & Resorts in the luxury space, the launch of Avid Hotels in the Americas, and the work we're doing to enhance our existing brand portfolio, we're making great progress with our ambitious plans to accelerate growth."