East Imperial's new owners determined to revive brand to former glory
East Imperial was founded in Auckland in 2012 by Anthony Burt.
It went into liquidation on July 30, 2024, after
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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Customer service manager's focus
New Ascot Hotel executive manager Oytun Cevik at the hotel. PHOTO: TONI MCDONALD Ascot Hotel's new executive manager Oytun Cevik is no stranger to making beds or carrying luggage. However, the industry was much more than making beds, he said. Developing a great customer experience should be the industry's end goal. "You have to put yourself in the guest's shoes." Being greeted with a smile and staff building a rapport with customers as soon as they walked through the door was key. The diversity of hospitality required flexibility to its demands, Mr Cevik said. Besides the nation's attractive scenery, he believed New Zealand had a unique hospitality culture that was attractive to international visitors. "I think Kiwi hospitality is something that you really need to come and experience ... It's definitely down to earth. Friendliness and welcoming, that's what brings people back." Capturing repeat business was core to the industry's survival, he said. After graduating in Turkey with honours in tourism and management, he moved to the United States to work in the housekeeping department at the 1415ha, 300-room Chateau Elan Winery and Resort in Georgia. His New Zealand industry experience started in Queenstown where he met his future wife, Southland-born Emma. Industry doors continued to open to the couple and their two daughters, Ruby, 9, and Scarlet, 12 — offering new opportunities on the hospitality management ladder which led to his Ascot Park Hotel executive manager role. He always believed a move back to the South Island would be part of their future where they would be closer to family, he said. He had done the hard yards in housekeeping, front office, food and beverage service and accounts. "You don't become a GM [general manager] for a hotel overnight — you have to start from scratch." While he was no micro-manager, he was still happy to pitch in and make beds and clean bathrooms if it was required. 'Being a GM is not something that you always do from behind the desk. You have to be really ready with multiple hats throughout the day ... you have to be really flexible with what you do around the hotel. "It's hospitality — wherever it's required, you need to step in and do it with the team." Meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds was a part of the industry he particularly enjoyed. "It's embedded into Ascot Hotel ... that's what I love about coming to work every day and sharing things with my team and what they're achieving every day." Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT) chief executive Chris Ramsay said Mr Cevik's record of success across all his previous positions had the ILT executive team excited for the future of the Ascot Park Hotel. The role was a highly contested position which attracted international interest from a range of highly skilled and experienced hotel managers, he said. "Oytun stood out throughout the process, having built a career in hotels that started in America at the Chateau Elan Winery and Resort Atlanta and has included major hotel brands across New Zealand." - By Toni McDonald
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Local food delivery company struggling against competition
business food 36 minutes ago Getting food delivered to the door has become a huge business, and in one New Zealand town the competition between two operators has led to complaints to the Commerce Commission. Nelson's Yummi food delivery business launched a decade ago but in recent years it has struggled. Two years ago another Kiwi-owned nationwide company, DeliverEasy, Yummi began losing clients. Yummi founder George Evans spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Domestic tourism surges in Rotorua as Aucklanders return
The mayor praised the 'Robe Trip' marketing campaign, which was aimed at highlighting Rotorua's standing as a destination for luxury and relaxation. The campaign ran over six weeks in February and March across multiple media, including a television ad featuring Tapsell. According to figures the council released to the Taxpayers' Union in March, the ad cost just under $94,000 to produce and broadcast. RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson said they were very pleased with the results of the Robe Trip campaign. About three-quarters (73%) of Aucklanders surveyed would consider Rotorua for a holiday or breakaway after the campaign, up from 34% pre-campaign. 'This was a bold and deliberate move to reposition Rotorua in the minds of New Zealanders – especially young and mid-life Auckland couples – as a destination for luxury, relaxation and indulgence.' Over the course of the campaign, there was a 9.4% increase in visitor spend by Aucklanders in the city and a 5% year-on-year rise on hotel occupancy. In comparison, there were 1.4% and 4.4% decreases respectively across the nation. RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson. Photo / Laura Smith Spending by domestic visitors from across the whole of New Zealand, not just Auckland, went up 14.3% year-on-year in Rotorua in May – compared to a 0.1% drop nationally. In addition, 76% of New Zealanders surveyed rated Rotorua as appealing to visit, with 35% intending to do so in the next 12 months. Traditionally, Rotorua's heritage has marked it as the birthplace of Kiwi tourism, but it had also grown into a mecca for adventure seekers, Wilson said. 'The push towards luxury and relaxation is not about abandoning our adventure roots. 'It's about expanding our narrative. Rotorua has always been a place of restoration and manaakitanga [hospitality]. We're simply reminding Kiwis of that in a fresh, relatable way,' Wilson said. The recent rise in domestic tourism has also been noticed by those in the industry. Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button said he has seen an improvement domestically compared to 12 months ago. Last year, the country was in the grip of the cost-of-living crisis as households tightened budgets and went without getaways, he said. Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button. Photo / Andrew Warner 'I don't think there's one silver bullet,' said Button. 'Last year, domestically, it fell off. We had an abrupt drop in May and our research suggested it was economy-related. 'It's definitely still tough out there and I am not going to pretend it's not but interest rates have dropped and things might be getting better.' Button said Rotorua's desirability had also returned. The pandemic had a major impact on the city, while the subsequent period of emergency housing compounded the city's tourism struggles, he said. Emergency housing motels in Rotorua are being wound down by the Government, with a plan to stop contracting motels by the end of 2025. Hennessey's Irish Bar owner Reg Hennessey. Photo / Andrew Warner 'A lot less use of motels for social housing has really helped,' said Reg Hennessey, owner of the locally famous Hennessey's Irish Bar on Tutanekai St. 'This school holiday was good and domestic tourism has definitely picked up, it's taken quite a bump this year. 'Now we are just getting the good word back out to New Zealand that it's a safe town and people can always feel safe here because of the way it's operated.' Tapsell also highlighted new efforts to attract more international visitors, as Rotorua Lakes Council funded promotion through an economic development rate on short-term accommodation providers. 'Tourism and hospitality contribute significantly to jobs in Rotorua,' she said. 'Attracting visitors can be very competitive, not just to get them to our district, but also to our country. It's important that we don't get complacent, so we've put a lot of effort and smart investment into unique initiatives to promote Rotorua.' She said the council was excited to continue to see the results of this. Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
