Hospitality

The first and last impressions of Queenstown of the 1.89 million visitors to the resort every year have never been more important in this age of instant global communication, but is customer service in the resort as exceptional as it could or should be?

The opening weekend of the 2011 Rugby World Cup had cash registers ringing and Dunedin businesses singing the praises of overseas visitors.

A Queenstown hotel general manager won the Senior Hotel Executive of the Year Award, at the finale of the New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference last week.

Qualmark will post its new branding to all 116 licence holders in Queenstown from this week, in a response to dissatisfaction about the old logos from many licence holders nationwide.

Queenstown's youngest Les Clefs d'Or concierge, Nathan Wise (30), left for Toronto on Friday to attend the organisation's annual world congress where he will represent New Zealand.

An ablutions block at Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park Creeksyde is set to become one of the resort's newest tourist attractions, where guests can enjoy the view from one of Ziptrek Ecotours' ziplines and other tourist attractions while they go about their business.

While Otago hoteliers are set for a boost from the Rugby World Cup, a prediction that the local industry would be affected in the wake of Christchurch's earthquake is proving correct.

Queenstown members of the New Zealand Hotel Council say their occupancy last month was "slightly down" compared with January 2010.

With the Queenstown Lakes District Council's redevelopment of Searle Lane complete, tenants and landlords are looking at how they could transform it into a "unique and beautiful" outdoor location able to hold events.

The new Queenstown regional chairwoman of the New Zealand Hotel Council says she does not want snow sports enthusiasts to think there is a "no vacancy" sign outside the resort during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Respite in Queenstown from the uncertainty and ongoing tremors is just what Simo Abbari and Anthea Sharpe need after their Christchurch delicatessen was left "completely obliterated" by September's earthquake.

The Heritage Hotel Queenstown has added an award-winning executive chef to its staff.

A Dunedin hotel has won a prestigious national award less than a year after opening.

If housework was a sport, Pamela Pittaway, of Wanaka, would be a national champion.