Christmas Approaches!
This month Les Clefs d’Or Australia had the pleasure of welcoming two new Sydney members into its fold. Chris Traill from the Park Hyatt Sydney and Peter Brown from the Four Points by Sheraton were both warmly received into Les Clefs d’Or Australia. This exciting news was celebrated at the recent Les Clefs d’Or bi-monthly dinner at Sepia Restaurant.
WHERE Magazine held another successful Sydney Concierge Hospitality Night for the concierge fraternity and our industry friends. A wonderful showcase of three of Kings Cross’ leading venues – The Sugarmill, Gazebo Wine Bar and the ‘Cocktail and Lounge Bar of the Year’ Kit and Kaboodle.
In a very busy month for Sydney concierge, our friends at Opal Fields hosted a special in-store industry networking night that gave everyone a chance to acquaint themselves with the store and their stunning range of jewellery. Thanks to Graham and his team for the wonderful evening that was had by all.
Finally, WHERE Magazine is pleased to announce a Sydney Concierge Hospitality Night Christmas Party for concierge and industry friends on Sunday 6th December at Nick's Bar & Grill King Street Wharf. Organise your table now as tickets are selling fast! Click here to download the invitation and registration form. RSVP by Friday the 27th November 2009.
Upcoming Event - WHERE Magazine and Les Clefs d’Or Concierge Golf Day!The 2nd Annual WHERE Magazine and Les Clefs d’Or Concierge Golf Day will be held on Monday 14 September. Last year the event was a huge success with concierge at all golfing levels enjoying the Ambrose Competition and this year it is set to be even bigger.
Hunter Valley Famil TourAs a concierge the information that we provide to our guest needs to be relevant and up to date. One of the ways that we achieve this is to attend “famils” (familiarisation tours). Recently a group of Sydney concierge travelled to the Hunter Valley wine region at the invitation of WHERE Magazine.
The ground transport for the two-day trip was provided by Boutique Wine Tours, who use 14-seater luxury Mercedes people movers that are designed to spoil. Our first stop was the new and innovative Small Winemakers Centre, which is unique to the region in that it features wines from five local up and coming winemakers.
Robert Molines has been at the forefront of the Hunter Valley cuisine scene for 30 years and we were delighted to have the opportunity to dine at his new restaurant Bistro Molines at Tallavera Grove, located at Mount View. Its stunning vistas over the valley equal a menu that is inspired by seasonal produce. The dinner was enhanced by the presence of local winemakers Andrew Thomas, David Hook and Rhys Eather showcasing the two most popular grape varieties of the Hunter region, Semillon and Shiraz (Syrah).
Our accommodation for the evening highlighted the diversity available in the region. The properties included the Tuscan inspired Tower Lodge, the resort styled Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, the self-contained apartments of the Grand Mercure The Vintage, the elegant Sebel Kirkton Park and the quaint Hermitage Lodge. Nestled amongst the vineyards are a number of golf courses, including the Greg Norman- designed, The Vintage. We were transported from The Vintage by helicopter courtesy of Slattery Helicopter Charter to Tower Estate Wines. The Hunter Valley is accessible by a 35-minute flight from Sydney Airport, with the opportunity to land at virtually any location. The late Len Evans created Tower Estate Wines, the wines produced are full of character and you could be forgiven for saying they are not unlike Evans himself.
Monday’s lunch was hosted by the Firestick Café, which has wood-fired pizza ovens and is the ideal place for a light lunch and a coffee. However, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings it morphs into the relaxed elegance of the Rock Restaurant. The attending concierge and the members of Les Clefs d’Or would like to thank all of those involved in the famil, especially the efforts of Heidi Duckworth and the team at Hunter Valley Wine Country Tourism.
27th Australian AGMThe Les Clefs d'Or Annual General Meeting, held in mid-July, provided a wonderful opportunity for our colleagues from around Australia to meet up and discuss recent developments in the tourism and hospitality industries.
Following a productive workshop at The Langham, Melbourne, we were treated to unparalleled views of the Melbourne skyline from Eureka 89, the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere. Les Clefs d'Or members hosted a number of our local Melbourne supporters at this traditional opening night cocktail party as well as a contingent from the New Zealand Executive Committee including newly appointed Zone Director Gustavo Concha.
Early next morning members gathered at Federation Square to be ferried off to the beautiful Yarra Valley region north of Melbourne for the main meeting. Grayline provided us with a beautifully restored 1955 touring coach for the short trek up into the hills, a real treat for many of the motoring enthusiasts within the group. The meeting itself, held in the imposing Oak Room at Chateau Yering, was a great success, with members reviewing our past years activities as well as formulating plans for the challenging year ahead.
The weekend wrapped up with a lovely dinner at The Deck, one of Melbourne’s stylish restaurants in the Southbank complex followed by a visit to the famous MCG for a tour of the National Sports Museum and box seats at the Australian Rules game between Melbourne and Port Adelaide.
Our thanks to the wonderful people at Avis, APT, Grayline, Brunel Chauffeured Limousines and WHERE Magazine for their support over the weekend and congratulations as well to our team in Melbourne for hosting a truly memorable AGM.
Captain Cook Cruises - Christmas In JulyIt was a cause for dual celebrations at the recent Captain Cook Cruises
Christmas in July event held on beautiful Sydney Harbour. Local Sydney concierge joined with their industry colleagues in toasting the success of Sydney’s premier cruise operator and thanked hosts Anthony and Jackie Howarth for their continued support during the year. Also on board was our dear friend and newest addition to the Les Clefs d’Or family Piers Harding.
Piers, an industry stalwart who has been a great supporter of the Society, received his Honorary Membership from President Elvis Soiza who flew in from Brisbane for the occasion. Congratulations to Piers in receiving this rare honour and thank you again to Ros Jackson of Captain Cook Cruises for organising another wonderful evening.