EVENT REMINDER - LAST CHANCE!

Australian Timeshare Industry Golf Open - Friday 27th February 2009

If you haven’t got your team booked, now is the time to do so as space is filling fast. See the attached information flyer. For more information go the events area at www.athoc.com.au or download the brochure here (in PDF format).

EVENT REMINDER: ATHOC Annual Conference – 13 - 15th September 2009

The ATHOC Annual Conference will be held from the 13th to the 15th September at the Courtyard Marriott in Surfers Paradise. More information to follow soon. The conference committee is meeting this week to discuss different alternatives for the September event. If there is something specific you would like to see, let us know as soon as possible.

HOME GROWN: Coral Coast Palm Cove Welcomes It's First Visitors

Accor Vacation Club has welcomed the first Members to its brand new Club property – Coral Coast Palm Cove, Accor Vacation Club Apartments in far north Queensland. At only a half hour scenic drive from Cairns, the fully self contained apartments have sent a benchmark for luxurious holidays and are located a stone's throw from the beach, the renowned village and a myriad of bars and restaurants in the Palm Cove vicinity. This unspoilt paradise lies parallel to the beautiful Great Barrier Reef and is within easy reach of the renowned Daintree rainforest and tropical Atherton Tablelands.

HOME GROWN: Sunny Smiles At Sofitel Gold Coast

Accor Vacation Club continues to shine despite these gloomy economic times. Amongst the dismal news stories each week, the Accor Vacation Sales deck at Sofitel Gold Coast has risen above the negativity and impressively completed its fourth record month in a row! Toppling numerous company sales records with staff achieving record-breaking sales volumes, the sunshine state has proven to continue to be a happy hunting ground for the sales team - maybe it’s the sunny disposition of the team! (Image – Broadbeach Team)

HOME GROWN: Be In It To Win It! Accor Vacation Club

Accor Vacation Club has teamed up with national supplier Tooheys, the Novotel Bali Nusa Dua Hotel & Residences and Accor WA to offer a fantastic trip for four to Bali, which includes a five night stay at the Novotel, return airfares from Perth to Indonesia for four people and $500 spending money! Entry is simple – on purchase of a bottle of Tooheys Extra Dry, guests staying at Accor WA hotels can fill in the forms available at all Accor WA hotel bars and pop it in the very enticing entry boxes, located throughout the hotels. The lucky winner will be notified in April.

WORLD AROUND US: Holiday Club Pacific Launches A New Timeshare Development

Holiday Club Pacific launched Fiji’s newest timeshare apartments on Wednesday 3rd December 2008 at Fiji Palms Beach Club & Resort.  The opening ceremony included a traditional Fijian kava blessing and was officiated by Neville Beekman, CEO The Holiday Club South Africa;  Mark Henry, Managing Director The Holiday Club Australia;  Jim Sherlock, Chairman of the Fiji Timeshare Association and the Pacific Harbour Tourism Association.

The newly completed block of 12 stunning apartments consist of two bedrooms, two bathrooms including ensuite, air conditioning, fully equipped kitchen featuring stainless steel appliances,  granite bench top, wide screen wall mounted LCD TV, sky pacific satellite television, washer/dryer, private balconies (levels 2 & 3) Patio area (ground level).  The apartments are designed as a 6 sleeper and are available Friday to Friday.

Fiji Palms Beach Club & Resort is situated in Pacific Harbour a scenic drive from Nadi International Airport and boasts being situated right on the longest, safest and best sand beach in Fiji, opposite Beqa Island.  Beqa Lagoon is renowned for world class dive sites and diving contributes to Pacific Harbour’s claim as ‘The Adventure Capital of Fiji’.

Fiji Palms Resort is managed by Vacation Management Services who have been managing resorts in South Africa for some twenty four years and currently have 35 resorts under its management. 

The Holiday Club’s  investment in Fiji Palms Beach Club & Resort to date, shows the confidence that the Company has in the future of tourism and timeshare in Fiji with a further 24 apartments on the drawing board for future development at the Resort.

WORLD AROUND US: Group RCI Expands It's Registry Collection In Africa

Group RCI has affiliated four exclusive properties of South Africa’s Zorgvliet Private Residence Club to its Registry Collection of more than 100 luxury resorts.

The new additions include two game resorts, the Ka’Ingo Private Reserve & Spa in the Waterberg region and the Dinkweng Safari Camp in Limpopo.

Group RCI members will also be able to relax at Zorgvliet Vineyard Lodge & Spa, a historic farm in the Banhoek Valley dating from 1692, or at the riverside Riviera On Vaal & Country Club.

Mac van der Merwe, CEO of the Zorgvliet Group, said: “We chose to affiliate with The Registry Collection because we share a passion for offering exceptional five-star products and cast-iron standards.” OTE Volume 9 Issue 1

WORLD AROUND US: Interval Adds New Affiliate Golf Resort In Thailand

The affiliation of Stoney Monday Oasis Golf Resort in Thailand is the latest addition to Interval International’s growing exchange network.

Stoney Monday Oasis Golf Resort is a new vacation club located on the popular island of Phuket off the west coast of Thailand. The development has 61 units, of which 44 are being allocated to the timeshare programme.

The resort is within the perimeters of the Phuket Country Club, home to a renowned championship golf course which has hosted major tournaments like the Thai Senior PGA Challenge 2002 and the Phuket Asian Senior Masters 2006 and 2008. OTE Volume 9 Issue 1

DOWN TO BUSINESS: Safe Swimming Practices

DPI&F are emphasising the rules about sharks and safe swimming practices which include:

• Swim or surf only at patrolled beaches and between the flags
• Obey lifesavers' and lifeguards' advice, and heed all sign and safety warnings
• Leave the water immediately if a shark is sighted
• Do not swim or surf after dusk, at night or before dawn when sharks are most active
• Do not swim or surf in murky waters
• Do not swim in or near mouths of estuaries, artificial canals and lakes
• Never swim alone
• Never swim when bleeding
• Do not swim near schools of fish or where fish are being cleaned
• Do not swim near or interfere with shark control equipment
• Do not swim with animals.

DOWN TO BUSINESS: ATDW - It's Worth Checking Out If You Are Looking At E-Marketing

The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) is the national platform for digital tourism information on Australia.

The ATDW system is a central distribution and storage facility for tourism industry product and destination information from all Australian States and Territories. This content is compiled in a nationally agreed format and electronically accessible by tourism business owners (operators), wholesalers, retailers and distributors for use in their websites and booking systems.

Breaking News

ATDW launches the largest online education program for the Australian tourism industry. Initiated by the National Online Strategy Committee and funded by all Australian state & territory tourism offices, this program promises to be the most effective education tool produced for industry. It comprises a complete suite of online tutorials with information on basic online marketing concepts such as website design to more complex issues including the use of online booking systems. Read the press release. Go to the Download page for the Tourism e-kit.

DOWN TO BUSINESS: How To Turn An Upset Guest Into A Fan Of Your Hotel

"One ounce of good strategy is better than a ton of hard work" -- Tom Poland

How Can You Turn an Upset Guest into a Fan of Your Hotel?
By Sam Astorino

We've all been there: a guest approaches the desk, upset and yelling about a problem. Dealing with upset guests is one of the most disagreeable tasks for any hospitality professional. However, with the attitude and technique, we can turn problems into opportunities. Here are my best tips on how to gain loyalty through calm conflict resolution.

Step One: Bring Calm to the Situation and the Guest
Take a deep breath before answering the guest in a very calm voice. Invite the guest to move to a different part of the desk, out into the lobby, or to any other suitable, quiet place. This lets the guest know that he or she has your full attention. Managers should step into a situation if the front desk agent needs their help.

Step Two: Action Plan
Once the guest is calm, come up with an action plan and tell the guest how you are going to assist them and make the situation right. That might mean asking maintenance or housekeeping to attend to the matter, attending to it yourself, or taking further measures. Nine times out of then the guest is only looking for a fair resolution to the problem.

A guest recently complained that his key was not working. I apologized and made him a new one, but a few minutes later he returned. This time he was even more upset because he had to come down to the front desk a second time. Instead of making another key, I accompanied the guest to his room in order to learn what the problem was. I found out the guest had two adjoining rooms and that he had bolted one of the doors from the inside and left through the other door; he was trying to get in through the bolted door. We entered through the other door and found that the key worked when it was not dead-bolted. The guest was grateful for my help. By attending to the problem myself (instead of giving the guest another key or asking maintenance to check on the problem), I won the guest's gratitude and loyalty.

Step Three: What to Do if the Guest Does Not Calm Down
Still try your best to keep a calm voice: if you raise your voice for any reason you will make the situation worse. You can be firm to get the point across, but you should never raise your voice. This will only set people off. Show confidence in your resolution by contacting the manager on duty and asking him or her to speak with the guest.
I previously worked at a timeshare/hotel property where home owners decorated their units according to their personal taste. Although there were decoration guidelines, no two units were exactly the same. A guest became very upset with me when she did not get the exact unit that she wanted, even though we never guaranteed that guests would receive the unit of their choice. She screamed at the front desk agents, including myself. She used bad language, threatened me with a law suit, and demanded my bosses' contact information. Although the unit that she wanted was occupied, we did offer a comparable unit. My boss and his colleagues supported my position. I learned that day that you can't please everyone: you have to stick by the regulations your company while trying to please a guest.

100% Satisfaction
Both Hilton and Hamister Hospitality, LLC, our management company, promise 100% guest satisfaction. Although a comped stay should be avoided, it can be necessary. I was working the late shift one night when a guest called down because her fire alarm had gone off. It was 3am. When she checked out in the morning, she told me that it went off twice while she was getting ready to leave. I told her that I had invoked our 100% satisfaction Guarantee and that she would not have to pay for the night. She said, "Thank you! That is fair." I apologized for her inconvenience and she went on her way. This unfortunate situation turned into a win because the guest was pleased with how I handled the situation.

When you work at a front desk, you are bound to have a guest who will be upset about something. Don't take it personally: most of the time the issues have nothing to do with you. If you are confident in yourself and your support system you can make almost any situation better for the upset guest.

Sam Astorino is a Hamister Hospitality Group, LLC manager. Feedback can be sent to him at news@hamistergroup.com. For more information on The Hamister Group, Inc., a growing hotel and healthcare management company, see www.hamistergroup.com

DOWN TO BUSINESS: 2009 Compliance Program - Where The ATO Will Be Looking

The Australian Taxation Office ("ATO") recently released its 2009 compliance program which identifies the areas it will focus its audit resources on this financial year. We recommend you show special attention to these compliance areas and contact us if you are unsure of the appropriate tax treatment. 

This  information from WHK Horwath will help you understand your risk of the ATO conducting an audit of your compliance obligations. January 28, 2009

Small to medium enterprises (annual turnover of up to $250 million)

The ATO will focus its attention on:

• The proper lodgement of returns and full disclosure of Australian and foreign income.
• Transactions involving the sale of assets and investments (including shares).
• The application of the capital gains tax rules in particular the small business concessions. 
• Distributions from partnerships and trusts.
• Regulatory issues associated with protecting retirement investments, such as loans, in-house assets, borrowings and non-arms length transactions.
• Monitoring of high net wealth individuals and trusts.
• Business restructures where the primary objective is to receive a tax advantage through the use of de-mergers, consolidation or trust cloning.
• Phoenix arrangements under which tax is attempted to be evaded by the deliberate, systematic and sometimes cyclical liquidation of related corporate trading entities.
• Use of loans, payments and debt forgiveness by private companies to distribute company profits to; shareholders and associates.
• The use of tax havens and preferential tax regimes.
• Transfer pricing and profit shifting between related parties.  
• Unreported property sales, the correct application of the margin scheme and the incorrect reporting of adjustment events.
• The Fringe Benefits Tax treatment of business-owned motor vehicles.

Large businesses (annual turnover above $250 million)

In relation to large businesses the ATO's priorities include:

• Cracking down on global corporate restructures that shift assets, functions and risks offshore.
• Reducing non-compliance on GST issues, by ensuring the correct GST treatment of transactions.
• Mergers and acquisitions and the extensive and complex tax issues surrounding these.
• Differences between accounting profit and taxable income, both permanent and timing.
• Deviations from expected industry results and other external benchmarks.
• Examining specific issues on consolidation, losses, profit shifting and the characterisation of income and expenses.