Accommodation

New Pinnacle Tower addition at hotel set to open October.

QT Auckland aims to revamp winter offerings with new staff.

Lease with Quest signed for 43-room hotel.

The Refundable Bookings service allows full refunds to guests and accommodation providers to retain payments.

Card sales for accommodation services were down $81m, or 29%, compared with January 2020.

Direct bookings via STAAH climbed up globally from the number six spot to number three, beating some of the top online channels.

Stats NZ domestic card spending data for December reveals a sluggish start to summer for the accommodation sector.

Spending at accommodation merchants through the Paymark network fell by 30% in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to the electronic card payments processor.

Nationwide spend across the accommodation sector through Paymark in July 2020 was 10.9% below the same month last year.

The initiative aimed to bring business back to partners in New Zealand, inspire travellers and drive support for local businesses, said the OTA.

“Visitor accommodation has been particularly affected by Covid-19.”

Tourism marketing agency Tomahawk has launched a new website that lists accommodation options for people who need to self-isolate due to Covid-19.

Quest is offering up to 500 rooms for essential workers and returning travellers to use for self-isolation during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has contracted 25 motels to provide immediate housing to the homeless in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Queenstown Lakes District Council is asking holiday home owners spending lock down in the district to provide information on how many people are staying at their property.

The Bed & Breakfast Association has compiled relevant official information to help small bed and breakfast operators suffering through the Covid-19 pandemic.

The guidelines provide advice to accommodation suppliers taking self-isolation guests or essential workers.

The deadline for domestic travel for those trying to get home has also been extended.

Queenstown Lakes District Council has compiled a list of accommodation providers who are happy to cater for domestic and international visitors who need to self-isolate during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The data could be back by mid-2020, filling a big insight gap in the industry.

People have one week left to share their views on rules to be included in the Christchurch District Plan to manage the homeshare accommodation.

Following the signing of a joint venture with EVENT, JUCY’s CEO tells the Ticker what his plans are for the new entity.

YHA New Zealand has chosen the TravelDesk booking platform to streamline travel sales.

The Heritage Collection Waitakere Estate is leaving the Heritage Hotels group, which it joined in 2011, and rebranding after 30 years.

Scenic Hotel Group is set to launch its new premium brand, Legacy Collection, with the two-year overhaul of Scenic Hotel Auckland.

An award-winning waterfront eco-lodge in the Marlborough Sounds is on the market for sale.

The Harvest Lodge Motel in Havelock North has been sold to well-known local property investor Graeme Fowler.

Touch of Spice has unveiled its latest addition of luxury accommodation under its Residence Collection, Dancing on Moonlight in Christchurch.

Bachcare says it has co-operated fully with the Commerce Commission’s investigation into manipulating online reviews posted by users of its accommodation.

Airbnb plans to continue to add market share in New Zealand, according to its head of public affairs, Brett Thomas.

The ministry outlines the major gaps it wants filled in a new, improved accommodation survey.

Experimental government research that has unveiled the value of New Zealand’s peer-to-peer accommodation sector has been welcomed as “helpful”, but risks having limited value, says the TIA.

Could a new dataset using cellphone tracking help inform an enhanced accommodation survey?

Stats NZ is pulling its monthly survey of hotels, motels, backpackers and holiday parks.

Spend on accommodation fell 4.7% in the three months to March 2019, offsetting overall retail spend growth in the summer quarter according to Stats NZ.

Bachcare’s Lesley Preston on building an iconic kiwi business, organic growth versus acquisitions and the opportunities that come with an international backer.

Airbnb has launched its premium accommodation offer, Airbnb Plus, in New Zealand.

Motels’ loss of market share to Airbnb is “concerning”, says Horwath HTL’s Hamilton.