Room Evolution

We've been a little quiet on the blog lately largely due to being preoccupied with some redesign plans for the hotel. That's led to a lot of thought on have hotels kept ahead of consumerism? There was an article recently noting that once upon a time the promise of a hot shower and a clean bed was enough but now rest and relaxation run a poor second to hooking up a wi fi network and recharging smart phones, notebooks and other devices. There was a time when checking in to a hotel meant accessing the things you didn't have at home or in the office, the flat screen tv's, the built in room to room stereos and the like. There seems to have been a lull where hotels have been lagging behind private homes, but reading some trade press recently the next evolution of hotels are getting really 'cool' again. What would be on your room wish list?

Manners – Where Have They Gone?

Please, thank you, may I – where have they gone? Not just those, but the good or polite way of behaving - manners, etiquette and decorum. Does civility still exist or has it become an art?

Is Blogging Over?

With the rise of other social media channels and the popularity of them are the days of the informative blog over? Has everyone moved over to facebook, twitter, linkedin, plaxo and the like? Are blogs still considered important? Have we become too time poor to read and engage with a blog and instead prefer the information in short sharp tweets? Where will social media end? Will a mass migration continue? What do you think?

Sweet Dreams

We’re currently trialling some new mattresses in the hotel and I was wondering what makes a good bed? Personally I’ve never slept better than I do now under my 1000 thread count sheets, down doona and fluffy pillows. I love crawling into a hotel bed with crisp sheets and a firm mattress. At Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney most of our regular guests know that we also offer a pillow menu to make your sleep even more comfortable.

A to Z

There was a rather humorous article last week in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Living, a simple A-Z guide of restaurant etiquette. This rather quirky alphabet covered topics of restaurant service, menu, décor, ambiance and design. Reading this article got me thinking, exactly what does make a ‘good restaurant experience’ for one and not for someone else? I had lunch at a fairly prominent restaurant in the city last week and in summary, I found some of the ambiance lovely, the décor cheap, the noise unbearable, the service proficient but not good (I don’t like having five different waiters over one course) and the food amazing. Make of that summary what you will, but, I enjoyed the food so much that if my schedule had permitted I would have gone back the following day. Ultimately, isn’t that what a restaurant wants, clientele to return? Therefore, the driving factor for me is the food, while I prefer every other facet to be good, I’m not going to return just for the service or just because I liked the décor. What do you think?

What Makes A Restaurant Good?

I’ve been dining around town of late, experiencing a number of restaurants on our doorstep and taking a look at what makes them tick. I’ve been wondering what makes a restaurant a good dining experience. Is it the food, price, service or décor and then what is it about each of those points? So, what is it?

What Do You Use?

This is the question that continually creates a debate in the advertising world, regardless of the product - even for hotels! Quite simply, how do you find out about a hotel to make the choice to stay in that hotel?

Which Of The Following Do You Use To Choose A Hotel?

I've Been Feeling A Little Wicked

It’s true, I have been feeling a little wicked. For those of you who follow our Twitter stream, you will recall I was tasting cocktails recently as part of creating a new package (well that’s my excuse) – A Wicked Night Away. The package is now open for sale and it seems a lot of people are already liking a little wickedness.

It’s Our Shout

Our new promotion in ABX Bar, “It’s Our Shout”, is proving to be very popular. Each night between 5pm and 7pm there is a special offer. If you like, it’s a modern take on ‘Happy Hour’. There is a different offer each night, tonight for example all drinks are half price. Other nights include offers such as receiving complimentary cheese and crackers with a glass of wine, a complimentary canapé with a cocktail or even great deals on beer and champagne. Offering great value and a good selection seems to be a winning combination.

What To Pack

No, I’m not talking about what to put in a suitcase but rather what to put in an accommodation package. Does it really matter what’s in a package or are people now just buying based on price alone? Maybe the breakfast, room upgrade, drinks, massages and the like aren’t really desired anymore, or are they?

What Makes A Holiday Good?

Having just returned from a holiday in Tahiti I’ve been thinking, what is it that actually makes a holiday a good holiday? Is it the destination, the transportation, the weather, the hotel, the things to see and do, the local residents or perhaps it’s a combination of it all? Having been to Tahiti a few years back it was not one of my favourite destinations, this time around though my opinion has changed and I put it down to a combination of all of the above. I do wonder though, that in general, is there one element of a holiday that is or should be more outstanding than the rest?

Do You Really Want To Know My Thoughts!

Travel review websites for guests, I just don’t understand them. Well okay, some maybe, but it’s the sites that operate independent of hotels that I have a real concern about and particularly the ones that rank hotels. Yes, of course we want to know what our guests think, good, bad or ugly. It’s the websites that don’t and won’t communicate with hotels and thus give a right of reply that I really take issue with. Or worse yet, the websites that rank hotels with algorithms that seem to be nothing short of a lucky dip as they refuse to explain the rating calculations. I just think that if these sites are going to exist, and of course they are, then please, let’s work and communicate together.

To Click Or Not To Click

I was discussing last night the worth of online banner advertising and the probability of the eyeballs reaction, ie the 3 steps to advertisers heaven… view, click and convert! It’s hard to have belief when I know that my habits don’t climb those stairs. When I’m online, okay, I’m maybe a casual viewer, perhaps an odd clicker, but I’m never a converter. You see, when I’m online I’ve gone to that site for a specific reason and it’s not to look at the third party advertising. I’m just a more responsive print eyeballer, I cut, tear and save for later. Maybe I’m a little spoiled due to working in front of a computer for 12 hours or so a day and surfing in my downtime really takes an effort, but I wonder what the majority of eyeballs out there actually infact do?

Web 3.0

Forgive me blog, for I have not posted! I have been cheating on you with Twitter! Where will Web 2.0 end? There are so many, many, many avenues that now comprise Web 2.0 and social media that I have to ask where do people get the time! I read somewhere that prime time evening television is losing market share to the internet and more specifically social media channels. I was thinking the other day what will be Web 3.0? I think voice recognition already exists doesn’t it? Maybe we’ll have computers that will tune into our thoughts so that for whatever I’m thinking a website will appear!

The Art Of Acknowledgement

How much is too much? How much is too little? Is it eye contact, a smile, a nod, a hello? For me eye contact is a must. We're all different though so what is it that's exactly just right? Reading a person certainly is an art. A hotel lobby is a great place to watch the various interactions.

It’s Our Oscars!

Just like Hollywood, hotels also have awards. We've recently done submissions for some particular hotel awards. This morning we’ve been advised that we’re a finalist in each of those categories – very exciting. We won’t find out the results until the envelopes are read at the award ceremony in May. This has got me thinking though, do awards make a difference when choosing a hotel? What influence, if any, do they have on the decision making process?

I Like It

I’ve been fortunate to travel a bit and I’ve stayed in all sorts of accommodation. I’ve been thinking lately, what makes a hotel a favourite? Is it the bed, the food, the location or the service? While I don’t have fond memories of El Paso I do of a dinner there, it was in a restaurant of a hotel, just a salad but the freshest leaves and the dressing was made at my table. The best sleep I’ve ever had was in Chicago, it is the first time in my life I have pulled apart a hotel bed to read every label on the bedding. Then there was the best Jazz brunch ever in London, it started mid morning and went till the evening with bottomless glasses of champagne. So many places, so many memories and a lot of unexpected touches - perhaps that is what makes a hotel a favourite?

The Eggs Are Coming

Easter is coming and if you’ve been in the shops lately you will have by now noticed the appearance of Easter Eggs. I have to confess, I have already sampled a chocolate or two, I blame it on the fact that we recently created a special package for Easter and I needed some Easter eggs to put myself in the right frame of mind!

Who Turned Off The Lights?

This Saturday night the hotel is taking part in Earth Hour – the global warming initiative whereby you turn off your lights for one hour. If Australia’s commercial sector turned off lights when buildings weren’t in use and combined this with other cost effective technology there would be a reduction in lighting emissions by 70% or 2 – 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s an amazing amount when you think about it. If all Australian households simply turned off unused lighting and appliances on standby it would reduce emissions by at least 5 million tonnes per annum. Now I just find that frightening. The amount of wastage by using standby instead of switching them off at the wall is shocking. So more importantly, let’s not wait for one hour of the year to do this, let’s make an effort to do this every day, I think it should be a daily habit, not an annual celebration.

Lights, Camera, Action

It’s been a busy few weeks in the hotel. We’ve had a couple of film crews shooting episodes for two forthcoming television shows. Stars shall remain nameless at this stage but it created some interest amongst our guests. The hotel is often scouted for film shoots both for the stunning façade that lends itself to many looks including both European and American cities and also for the contemporary neutral décor inside. With all the filming the hotel has been involved in over the years perhaps we should create our own “Hollywood walk of fame” on our footpath!

Live And Unplugged

No, I’m not referring to a band! It’s now easier to get connected when staying in the hotel. There is now 24 hour complimentary internet access and also wireless in every guest room. To me, this just makes life a little easier when travelling, a bonus if you like. A friend recently took a long weekend in Brisbane and was annoyed there was an internet charge, he refused to have to pay for the service. He lived in the US for a number of years and tells me it's standard for it to be free there, clearly not the case in Australia. I wonder how many others consider complimentary internet a plus and thus part of the selection criteria when choosing which hotel to stay at?

Howzat

Congratulations to the Australian Cricket Team claiming a 2-0 lead in the three match Test series in Durban. As a result the team has retained their No.1 ranking. In our ABX Bar we have a number of cricket bats signed by the touring cricket teams from the past couple of years. It can’t be easy playing a game with the hopes of a nation resting on your shoulders. When you’re up you’re cheered, when you’re down you’re fiercely criticized. To remain focused and humble under such media scrutiny certainly is an art.

I'll Have Wine With That

The Sydney Morning Herald Dine With Wine event has kicked off this month for its second year. I wonder how many people this event attracts? It’s a great opportunity to dine at restaurants around town for special prices and sample some of the new amazing wines from all over New South Wales making it to the market place. I must confess, I’m a bit of a restaurant connoisseur and do you know how hard it is to find chicken on the menu? For some reason it’s very few and far between, so I was a little excited when it made it onto the Bistro-Fax menu as the special dish for this event. No, I did not influence this one. Looking forward to tasting the wine from Cooks Lot.

Cheers!

In the ABX Bar, there are often special drink promotions. The Caipirinha was the “Cocktail of the Month” for February and I can’t wait to try the Caprioska cocktail that's featuring in March.

My drink tastes really depend on my mood and perhaps the season a little. Mowing the grass on a hot summer day could mean a beer, catching up with friends more often than not involves a bottle of wine or two, then there are cocktails before a night on the town, anything goes on a Friday or probably my favourite – champagne, requiring no reason at all! I was once told that Napoleon Bonaparte said “I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate…and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself”. I wonder what the most commonly sipped drink in a hotel bar is?

Happy Mardi Gras!

The Sydney Mardi Gras season is in full swing. The festivities run over a three week period packed full of culture, entertainment and social events. The theme this year is “Nations United”. The jewel in the crown is the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. The parade has grown to become a major cultural event with over half a million Sydneysiders and thousands of international visitors turning out each year to cheer. Celebrate with us, the parade commences at 7:45pm on Saturday 7th March and heads along Oxford Street. The sequins, feathers, tiaras and the like are not to be missed!

Have Your Cake… And Tea Too

It seems that High Teas, Afternoon Teas and Devonshire Teas have never been more fashionable than they are now. I remember when a certain bakery in New York was put on the map when it was included in an episode of the television show Sex And The City, I heard it became so popular that the store went on to employ a bouncer! I can’t believe there’s now even a cupcake fan club!

We’ve been thinking, what makes a good Tea experience? Is it the cup of tea, the scones or perhaps more importantly, the cakes? A friend of mine swears it’s the scones, I’d be leaning to the glass of champagne myself! What would your ultimate Tea experience be?

V Day - Romantic Or Too Commercial?

We ask the question, has the traditional day of expressing love become too commercial?

According to Wikipedia, Valentine’s Day is a day of mutually exchanging love notes in the form of “valentines”, the sending of which was fashionable in nineteenth century Great Britain.

Has this day lost its meaning? Valentine’s Day cards now creep into the shops right after Christmas. Advertising encourages spending. Should affection be measured by the amount you spend? Does your significant other expect the roses, the chocolates, the night in a hotel or for some, that thrilling blue box from Tiffany’s?

There was a bar in Sydney holding an Anti-Valentine’s Day event, it was very popular although held a couple of nights before the actual day. Was this a way of two bites of that commercial cherry by holding another event on the night?

It seems expected that hotels have a special offer available for Valentine’s Day. Our “Be Our Valentine” two night package was indeed successful. Are we buying into the commercialisation or just providing what we’re being asked for? What do you look for in a romantic hotel package – a suite, dinner, champagne, breakfast in bed?

2009 Is The Year Of You!

Welcome to Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney.

Whether you have stumbled upon us or purposely followed a link, welcome to our blog.

This is a new endeavour for us and one that will be all about you!

Our hope is that this blog be informative, fun, intriguing and collaborative. The hotel is first and foremost for you and about you. We’ll be posting to inspire, engage and so that you can tell us simply what you think.

We’re delighted that you have visited us.

Enjoy this window to our world… your world.