New Zealand Luxury Motels has higher end motels with the equivalent to 4.5 and 5 Qualmark star ratings to compliment apartments marketed by the New Zealand Apartments accommodation marketing group.
Anton and Jules Wilke heads the two groups after being involved in commercial tourism marketing for 14 years.
The apartment and motel product is marketed to international travel agents at events such as TRENZ and sales missions to UK, Europe, US and Australia. The main marketing focus is on travel wholesalers offshore and inbound tour operators.
There appears to be a pragmatic approach to quality control. Most properties are Qualmark rated, however those that are not are internally self-assessed by the group and an equivalent star rating status is awarded.
What I like about the group is that there does not appear to be any gimmicks such as tariff specials, customer loyalty points, free nights, free breakfasts or other inclusions. The offer is clean and simple with the focus on consistent quality. This grouping of accommodation appears to appease those that are seeking a consistent quality accommodation experience and are not price sensitive.
I really hope that this will work for them.
The website is also clean and simple with a booking engine that displays tariff and availability for member properties. however, a quick scan would suggest that many properties only offer rooms on-request instead of instant reservations .
The wholesale accommodation business is a hard market that the motel product has traditionally struggled in. Ideally, properties that are serious about participating the in wholesale market should be setting their published tariff at a level to sustain a 20-30% commission.
In the wholesale business, management costs and marketing are always much higher than operating in the domestic market. To add to insult, the accommodation provider needs to carry the cost of credit and is always the last to be paid. To depend on this market takes a lot of dedication, hard work and time.
Motels that joined New Zealand Luxury Motels should not hope for a quick fix, however many will be already assessing their ROI after their first full year in the group as they continue to trade in a depressed economy.
Time will tell if New Zealand Luxury Motels can give long term value to their members and survive by dependence on the volatile wholesale market.
We hope they can.
www.fourcorners.co.nz
10/08/09
New Zealand Luxury Motels has announced that three new motels have joined their New Zealand Luxury Motel collection, bringing the total number of motels to 22 nationwide.
“These three motels are welcomed additions to our collection. They are in locations where we've experienced demand but didn't have motels. Now we can offer travellers even greater choice and fulfill that need”, comments New Zealand Luxury Motel's Managing Director Anton Wilke.
“With forward reservations in place for the summer of 2009-10 already out-stripping the total figures for last year, it was vital to grow the number of properties and rooms available to our clients and customers”, advises Anton.
It has been only 12 months since New Zealand Luxury Motels initially launched. Expansion in this difficult climate may be challenging for some, but not for this company as Anton explains. “We identified a gap for high quality motel accommodation and our market has responded very well. We're excited about the year ahead”.
New Zealand Luxury Motels is a collection of personally selected and inspected premier motels. Many are in locations that may be secondary or tertiary destinations for some visitors. “We find many of our customers booking luxury motels to be second or third time visitors to New Zealand, or New Zealanders who know some of the hidden delights in these locations”, comments Anton.
The majority of motels in the collection hold Qualmark® 4.5 or 5 star ratings. Of the few that don’t hold a Qualmark, an internal New Zealand Luxury Motels grading has been applied.
All motels in the New Zealand Luxury Motels collection can be booked with just one contact to the central booking office.
Dunedin Palms Motel is centrally located near The Octagon, Southern Cross Hotel and Dunedin Casino. The motel opened in January 2009 and is well appointed with double-glazing, sound-proofing and quality heating to keep the chills of Dunedin weather at bay.
Aspen Court Motel is located in New Zealand's home of whale-watching – Kaikoura. Situated within the township each unit has a balcony or courtyard so guests can enjoy the stunning views of the Kaikoura mountains.
Admiralty Lodge is superbly located across the road from Buffalo Beach in Whitianga and only 10 minutes walk from the town centre. It is the only Qualmark® five-star self contained and serviced property in the Coromandel.
10/08/09
New Zealand Luxury Motels has announced that three new motels have joined their New Zealand Luxury Motel collection, bringing the total number of motels to 22 nationwide.
The new motels are:
“These three motels are welcomed additions to our collection. They are in locations where we've experienced demand but didn't have motels. Now we can offer travellers even greater choice and fulfill that need”, comments New Zealand Luxury Motel's Managing Director Anton Wilke.
“With forward reservations in place for the summer of 2009-10 already out-stripping the total figures for last year, it was vital to grow the number of properties and rooms available to our clients and customers”, advises Anton.
It has been only 12 months since New Zealand Luxury Motels initially launched. Expansion in this difficult climate may be challenging for some, but not for this company as Anton explains. “We identified a gap for high quality motel accommodation and our market has responded very well. We're excited about the year ahead”.
New Zealand Luxury Motels is a collection of personally selected and inspected premier motels. Many are in locations that may be secondary or tertiary destinations for some visitors. “We find many of our customers booking luxury motels to be second or third time visitors to New Zealand, or New Zealanders who know some of the hidden delights in these locations”, comments Anton.
The majority of motels in the collection hold Qualmark® 4.5 or 5 star ratings. Of the few that don’t hold a Qualmark, an internal New Zealand Luxury Motels grading has been applied.
All motels in the New Zealand Luxury Motels collection can be booked with just one contact to the central booking office.
Dunedin Palms Motel is centrally located near The Octagon, Southern Cross Hotel and Dunedin Casino. The motel opened in January 2009 and is well appointed with double-glazing, sound-proofing and quality heating to keep the chills of Dunedin weather at bay.
Aspen Court Motel is located in New Zealand's home of whale-watching – Kaikoura. Situated within the township each unit has a balcony or courtyard so guests can enjoy the stunning views of the Kaikoura mountains.
Admiralty Lodge is superbly located across the road from Buffalo Beach in Whitianga and only 10 minutes walk from the town centre. It is the only Qualmark® five-star self contained and serviced property in the Coromandel.
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