Five-star coup for Chateau Marlborough
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making it the only hotel of this class at the top of the South Island.
General Manager, Qualmark New Zealand, Tim Keeling, says the rating indicates that the hotel is of "an exceptional standard; among the best available in New Zealand. We congratulate the team at Chateau Marlborough on this excellent achievement."
Managed by Lynley McKinnon and owned by Brent Marshall, the Chateau Marlborough is a luxury 45 suite property that combines superb facilities with attentive but unobtrusive service. The 5-star rating has come through a major transformation to raise the hotel's rating in the accommodation sector as a host facility of outstanding quality.
Corporate travellers currently account for around 60 per cent of Chateau Marlborough's guests, with the balance made up of free independent traveller (FIT) domestic and international, conference and incentive guests.
Extensive planning
In December 2005, Brent and Sharyn Marshall purchased the property with a long term aim of developing it into a hotel of international standards. During its first 12 months under their ownership, all the existing units received a complete refurbishment, setting the property up for the extensive expansion plans to come.
Demand for the services the hotel could offer dictated a need for an expansion project, Ms McKinnon said. Work on 15 new suites, a fitness centre, restaurant, conference centre and lobby began in June 2008.
Before embarking on the re-development and overall concept for the final design, Mr Marshall travelled extensively throughout New Zealand and abroad, researching other establishments and gathering ideas to incorporate into his vision. "It was a long time in the planning stages before arriving at what you see today," he explained. "We took the best of what we saw and included those elements in the final design and concept."
Those expansion plans were completed in February 2009. With the total number of accommodation units now at 45, the hotel features 15 new suites including Grande Luxury Studios and Grande Luxury one bedroom apartments. An executive penthouse on the top floor is a two bedroom, two bathroom luxuriously appointed apartment with an expansive outdoor terrace.
All units feature a full service kitchenette with granite counter tops, solid black oak furniture, private balconies, 42" LCD television and DVD, and an executive office station with wireless internet. Fully tiled ensuite bathrooms are equipped with underfloor heating. Sumptuous bedding including 100 per cent Egyptian cotton linen, while personal robes, a Platinum range of towelling and boutique toiletries are also part of the package.
Chateau Marlborough also now boasts an impressive new entrance facade, complete with a vaulted ceiling entrance, landscaped gardens and designer water feature. Inside the modern, contemporary lobby is the adjoining Quench Café and Wine Bar which is also open to the public. A spacious conference room which can seat up to 50, includes a wide range of data and conference technologies. A new air conditioned fitness centre/gym has the necessary equipment to cater to all levels and includes a fully integrated DVD, 50" LCD with sound system.
High quality staff
A 5-star hotel would be nothing without staff of matching quality, and this has been the responsibility of Lynley McKinnon who had an extensive background in travel and tourism before becoming general manager seven years ago. She has overseen training in-house, ensuring staff attain the highest possible performance levels. "My focus has always been on excellence so I understood the performance levels that would be required to reach 5-star levels here. Chateau Marlborough already had a high level of service and facilities with a creditable 4-star plus rating. The challenge now is to keep maintaining and improving these."
Ms McKinnon says she has developed an "absolutely wonderful" management team that has contributed tremendously. "The staff are right behind me. Everyone's enthusiastic about what we're doing."
Brent Marshall is also effusive in his praise of the staff, saying a hotel is more than simply bricks and mortar. "We're very excited. This grading reflects not only significant capital investment in the property but also the work our people have put in. The success is a direct result of Lynley's efforts as general manager. She has led her team and co-ordinated the stringent standards compliance required by Qualmark in attaining their highest hotel rating."
Mr Marshall says the Qualmark Five Star Hotel rating is also a real win for the top of the South Island. "North American and Asian visitors especially, along with the incentive market, are really looking for assurance of that level of quality."
Matt Standing, Mainstay Hotels' CEO says he is delighted to recognise the Chateau Marlborough as the first of the group to achieve the Qualmark Five Star Hotel rating. "We celebrate the work and effort by all in this achievement, particularly the input by Brent Marshall and Lynley McKinnon. Mainstay has long been an advocate of the Qualmark system and our group of hotels has all worked to maintain and grow our gradings."
New tourist dimension
Lynley McKinnon believes the new rating has potential to bring new visitors into the region, perhaps attracted by the vineyards, but who would not normally travel below 5–star level.
"One of the reasons I wanted to achieve this rating was because I thought it would be very good for Marlborough and open us up to new markets, especially out of the US and Asia. A lot of Asian tourists to New Zealand do not come to Marlborough, but I think that will change with some education of those markets. While we only have 45 rooms, it's enough to start to add a different dimension. They'll have a guest experience here that will be better than at any other hotel at the top of the South Island."
Ms Mckinnon said Chateau Marlborough is also proud of its Qualmark Enviro Gold rating and has a continued commitment to business best practice and innovative environmental policies, including active reduction of waste.
