GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND (7 December 2020): Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific and its top performers have been recognised at this year’s HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, including one team member took out a major gong for the second year in a row.

The weekend’s awards were the leading hospitality industry awards in the region for the year and were designed to recognised the best of the best in hotels, resorts, brands and people over the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific region.

For the second year in a row, Simon Tufrey, Director of Human Resources at Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, received the HR Associate of the Year award.

Simon is responsible for the Human Resources operations of the business in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region, which includes 28 resorts, a corporate office, sales sites and 1,100 employees.

Over the course of the year, Simon spearheaded a massive recruitment drive in response to a booming demand in travel, which recruited more than 100 new employees for skilled and entry-level posiitons. He was also the architect behind a permanent hybrid work-home model designed to help employees maximise productivity while maintaining connection, which was rolled out for approximately 200 staff in the Gold Coast Corporate office.

“We are immensely proud of our people at Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific and it is always satisifying to see them acknowledged in front of their peers. Our teams have shown continued commitment and dedication over a difficult two years and we are thankful for their efforts,” said Senior Vice President of HR, Brand Communications and Customer Experience, Bruce Harkness.

Highly commended nods went to:

• Wyndham Surfers Paradise for Serviced Apartment Property
• Club Wyndham Denarau Island for Fijian Property
• WYNDGreen for Environmental Program
• Chris Logan for Communications Associate
• Curtis Harris for Finance Associate
• Kaydee George for South Pacific General Manager (Club Wyndham Denarau Island)
• Wishes by Wyndham for Service to the Community

PORT MACQUARIE (December 2, 2021) – The Port Macquarie region is preparing for a summer tourism boom as visitors from Greater Sydney and regional New South Wales will soon arrive in droves for the festive season.

The 113-room Club Wyndham Flynns Beach is booked out until February.

“This is wonderful news for the region’s economy, which is now in recovery mode following this year’s state-wide lockdowns,” said Barry Robinson, President and Managing Director International Operations, Wyndham Destinations. 

The resort recently doubled in size after a $25 million development that added 53 one to four-bedroom villas, with 20 designated as Deluxe, 25 as Grand and eight as Presidential. The four-bedroom Presidential villas in particular are designed as an unparalleled product within the region, featuring four spacious bedrooms, four bathrooms, full kitchen, laundry, a private ground floor deck with outdoor spa and a large upper balcony.

“These large apartments are a drawcard for families and groups,” said Mr Robinson “Most have been booked by Club Wyndham South Pacific members, so their holidays have been largely pre-paid and they typically spend more locally when holidaying,” said Mr Robinson.

With an average $3,538 spend in the region, per party per trip, and 1,230 bookings over December and January, Club Wyndham holidaymakers will provide a boost of over $4.3 million into the Port Macquarie region this summer alone.

The resort’s redevelopment project also saw the addition of Henry’s Restaurant & Bar, a games area, kids’ pool, common area pavilions and car parking, as well as a refreshed gym and remodelled reception.

Club Wyndham Flynns Beach employs 70 staff. There are 30 positions currently available, for food and beverage attendants, housekeeping, maintenance, front office and sales staff.

“It is wonderful to see our resorts operating at full capacity once more. Our hygiene standards are stringent to ensure peace of mind for travellers. The challenge right now is filling all the roles we have vacant to ensure we have enough staff to support this tourism boom,” said Mr Robinson.

Club Wyndham Flynns Beach is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, just a one-hour flight or four-hour drive from Sydney. It offers a host of facilities and complimentary hire of a range of outdoor equipment and games including electric bikes, pushbikes, body boards, surfboards, beach equipment and fishing rods.

Club Wyndham South Pacific is part of Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, part of the world’s largest timeshare company, Wyndham Destinations – a business unit of Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL).

PHUKET, THAILAND (NOVEMBER 17, 2021) – Loy Krathong celebrations will be in full force at the award-winning Wyndham Grand Kalim Bay this week and the resort is inviting its guests and the public to be part of this special occasion.

The resort will be giving guests the opportunity to make their own Krathong with guidance from the resort team, using traditional banana stalks, banana leaves and flowers with a candle and incense sticks. The onsite Latitude 98 restaurant will also offer a special set menu only available on Friday night which includes a number of classic full-flavour Thai dishes.

“Due to the restrictions on travel and movement to combat COVID-19, this week’s Loy Krathong festival is the first special occasion in some time we have been able to celebrate alongside international travellers,” said Dominic Egger, General Manager of Wyndham Grand Kalim Bay.

“In the morning, our resort team will help guests make their own Krathong to participate in this tradition and, in the evening, we will all launch them in the Inifiniti Lobby Bar’s pond and celebrate with Latitude 98’s specially crafted menu. As there are COVID-19 restrictions on crowd numbers at the larger festivities over the island this year, we are confident that our more intimate setting will be an exciting and authentic alternative,” he said.

Latitude 98’s set menu for the night will include Thai classics tod mun goong (deep fried fish cake), gai hor bai toey (Pandan chicken), tom yum goong (sour and spicy lemongrass shrimp soup) and khao neeo manuang (mango sticky rice). Meanwhile, the Infiniti Lobby Bar will offer a huge Sunset Happy Hour between 6pm and 10pm, where patrons can buy one drink and get another free. Members of the public or tourists from outside the resort are able to participate in the event, book in at Latitude 98 or visit the Infiniti Lobby Bar to take advantage of the special prices.

With Phuket now accepting international travellers and Thailand opening its borders to more countries, the resort has also observed a noticeable uptick in occupancy.

“Travel is a robust industry and we are looking forward to building on the numbers we have for this weekend – one of our highest occupancies since COVID-19 began. Our team is excited and well-prepared to welcome the increased visitors this weekend and we take this higher occupancy as a sign that travel is beginning to get back to normal,” said Mr Egger.

The 214-key Wyndham Grand Kalim Bay is perched on the side of a spectacular cliff with sweeping views of the Andaman Sea and features two outdoor pools, a full-service spa offering traditional Thai therapies, fitness centre, kids’ club, restaurant Latitude 98, bar Infinity Lobby Bar and café Thabtim Café, and a large ballroom with sweeping views of the bay.

The resort offers 152 private pool suites and villas, each with their own personal six or nine-metre pool overlooking the resort gardens or the Andaman Sea. Guests can book in for private cooking, cocktail making or fruit carving classes with the resort’s highly skilled culinary team.

For more information, please call +66-765-62000 or visit wyndhamgrandphuket.com

NADI, FIJI (NOVEMBER, 2021) – Club Wyndham Denarau Island has achieved 100 per cent vaccination status and is considered a fully vaccinated business under Tourism Fiji’s CareFiji Commitment, after its staff completed their COVID-19 vaccination.

The “100% vaccination stamp” is an add-on feature to Tourism Fiji’s CareFiji Commitment program which demonstrates an intent to prioritise health and safety. Fiji has required hospitality businesses to be fully vaccinated in order to follow global best practice for travel.

“We are proud of our staff for completing their vaccinations. We believe this demonstrates to our guests that we value their health and safety, and we hope the accreditation system will help encourage domestic travel in earnest and international travel to resume sooner,” said the resort’s General Manager, Kaydee George.

Club Wyndham Denarau Island has also undergone an extensive renovation program since COVID-19 hit. Works include repairs to the beachfront rock wall and beach, re-thatching bures, a new pizza bar, updated playground equipment, a cinema at the kids’ club, rustproofing, re-painting the exterior of buildings, renovation of the restaurant kitchen and swim-up pool bar, refurbishment of the gym and more.

Despite spending much of the past 18 months closed, the resort was once again named in the Top 25 South Pacific resorts in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards earlier this year.

Port Macquarie resort almost doubles in size with villa accommodation added

PORT MACQUARIE, NEW SOUTH WALES (OCTOBER, 2021) – Club Wyndham Flynns Beach is poised to bring more travellers to the Port Macquarie region, after concluding an expansion that nearly doubles the size of the resort.

The development added 53 one to four-bedroom villas, with 20 designated as Deluxe, 25 as Grand and eight as Presidential. The four-bedroom Presidential villas in particular are designed as an unparalleled product within the region, featuring four spacious bedrooms, four bathrooms, full kitchen, laundry facilities, a private ground floor deck with outdoor spa and a large upper balcony, and superior fittings and finishes.

Over almost two years, the $25 million development provided employment to 220 tradespeople and professionals and expanded the resort’s accommodation to 113 apartments and villas. The project also saw the creation of a new café, games area, kids’ pool, common area pavilions and car parking, as well as a refreshed gym and remodeled reception.

“Prior to this development and the COVID-19 pandemic, the resort enjoyed occupancy levels of more than 90 per cent on average and contributed an estimated $20 million per year to the local economy directly or indirectly through guest spending – a number which we now expect to increase,” said Barry Robinson, President and Managing Director, International Operations of Wyndham Destinations.

“By adding this premium accommodation, creating new resort facilities and enhancing existing ones, we believe it will attract greater demand for our resort and, in doing so, promote the beauty of Port Macquarie, which will provide a boost to the region’s post-COVID-19 recovery.”

The project began in May 2019 but the developer, Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, decided to forge ahead with the works during the COVID-19 pandemic with the expectation that the area will experience a full recovery.

The villas are being progressively added to the portfolio of Club Wyndham South Pacific, a leading timeshare club in the Asia Pacific region with close to 60,000 owners. The club is a modern and flexible timeshare program with a network of quality resort accommodation across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, Thailand and Hawaii in the US. The resort also changed its name to Club Wyndham Flynns Beach, to reflect the fact most of the accommodation is owned by the timeshare club.

Henry’s Restaurant and Bar recently launched at the resort offering Australian favourites for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a diverse beverage menu that can be enjoyed poolside, and a click-and-collect service for guests. The resort has also enhanced its offerings further by including complimentary hire of bikes, fishing equipment, body boards and a beach cricket set for Club members.

“This development of over $25 million demonstrates the confidence Wyndham Destinations has in the Port Macquarie Hastings as a leading tourism destination in New South Wales,” said Mayor Peta Pinson.

“The project has provided an economic stimulus that was greatly welcomed by our community, more local jobs and a new attraction for our visitors. This is a great addition to our region, in conjunction with a number of multi-million dollar projects our region is seeing at this time.”

Club Wyndham Flynns Beach is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, just a one-hour flight or four-hour drive from Sydney. It offers an array of amenities, family-friendly initiatives and complimentary hire of a range of outdoor equipment and games.

Club Wyndham South Pacific is managed by Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, part of the world’s largest timeshare company, Wyndham Destinations – a business unit of Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL).

SINGAPORE (JANUARY 22, 2020) – President and Managing Director of International Operations for Wyndham Vacation Clubs, Barry Robinson, has been selected to lead the Asia Pacific Resort Development Organisation (APRDO), the industry body for timeshare in the Asia Pacific region. Mr Robinson now serves as President of the APRDO Executive Committee.

APRDO formed in 2019 to represent and advocate for its member businesses and enhance the success of the timeshare or vacation ownership industry, while also building consumer awareness and confidence in timeshare as an alternative to traditional holiday products. Its members include Hilton Grand Vacations, Anantara Vacation Club, Karma Group, Classic Holidays, Interval International, Marriot Vacations Worldwide, Wyndham Destinations and RCI, among others.

“I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the APRDO body and continue on its work in this diverse part of the world, where we are truly beginning to see consumers recognise the fantastic benefits and lifestyle that timeshare can provide its owners,” Mr Robinson said.

“The multitude of languages and cultures and the differences in legal systems between the many markets can make working in this region both an exciting and challenging experience, so it is important that our member businesses have the ability to work together to protect both industry and consumer interests.

“I would like to pay tribute to the work that our previous APRDO President, Bill Minnock, former Managing Director Asia Pacific at Marriot Vacations Worldwide, did with APRDO before his recent retirement and I am committed to further raising the profile of APDRO and the timeshare industry in Asia,” Mr Robinson added.

Other leadership appointments, effective from January 1, this year, include:

• Vice President – Jeff Bernier; Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing Asia, Hilton Grand Vacations
• Treasurer – Joe Hickman; Vice President/Executive Director, Interval International Asia Pacific
• Director – Martin Tolan; Regional Vice President of Marketing & Sales Asia Pacific, Marriott Vacation Club
• Secretary – Paul Mulcahy; Managing Director, RCI Asia Pacific, India & EMEA

To find out more about APDRO, please visit www.aprdo.org.

KUTA, INDONESIA (MAY, 2020): Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach Bali has helped locals take precautions against the spread of COVID-19 on the tourist island by building public washbasins for people and donating vitamins to at-risk communities.

International health authorities say social distancing and self-isolation are both key ways to minimise the spread of the coronavirus, while frequently washing or sanitising hands is an excellent precautionary measure.

Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach General Manager, Bagus Ngurah, has worked with industry colleagues to distribute 52 public washbasins for high-traffic areas like walkways and locations near temples and mosques. These basins come complete with a water tank, soap, and tissues to dry hands.

“As a result of COVID-19, there is unfortunately a very high demand for hygiene products, meaning that they are short in supply in certain areas and not affordable for many people. I was inspired to build these basins so everyone can clean their hands and protect themselves,” Mr Ngurah said.

As he sets up more basins, the initiative gathers more momentum in the form of greater public awareness and donations.

“Through corporate donors, hospitals and our personal friends, we have been able to raise approximately 88 million Indonesian Rupiah for more than 50 basins so far, and we have plans for more. It has been pleasing to see the community support because the only way we can defeat COVID-19 is by working together. These basins remind us of the importance of personal hygiene and give us all the opportunity to practice it,” he said.

The basins drain into existing infrastructure and locals are encouraged to refill them with soap and water when they run low.

The team at Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach has also worked with hoteliers and academics to donate 10,000 vitamin tablets to the village of Songan at Mount Batur to improve community health during this time. The village was chosen due to low ratio of health care professionals to people.

Wyndham Destinations manages the 155-room Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach along with three other Bali properties: Wyndham Dreamland Resort Bali, Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali, Ramada by Wyndham Bali Sunset Road Kuta, and six other Indonesia properties in Lombok, Jakarta, Surabaya, Palembang and Solo through its local subsidiary, PT Wyndham Hotel Management.

Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach is positioned directly across the famous Kuta Beach and offers two pools – a family pool for children and a rooftop pool overlooking the ocean – an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, a day spa and meeting rooms for seminars and events.

NADI, FIJI (24 APRIL 2020) – In the midst of a tourism downturn caused by the global coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, Club Wyndham Denarau Island is doing everything it can to support its displaced staff, including providing them with fresh meals and vouchers for groceries.

In late March, Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific made the decision to close Club Wyndham Denarau Island until at least May 31, in order to ensure the safety of its guests and staff. The business also wanted to play its part to encourage people to stay at home, in line with the direction provided by national and international health bodies.

“With no guests currently staying at Club Wyndham Denarau Island, we are unable to provide work to some of the resort’s team,” said General Manager, Kaydee George. “We have a large team of employees and we are a tight-knit group with a great sense of camaraderie. It is in our heart to support one another, especially at a time like this.

“Just this week, we have provided our team members who are not working with $100 food vouchers for Shop N Save and hot meals – a small gesture to show we care. We have a reduced team onsite maintaining the resorts rooms, facilities and grounds and are looking for opportunities to keep others engaged – for example, we brought some additional staff back to help clean debris in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Harold recently.”

Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific serves close to 60,000 owners who are part of Club Wyndham South Pacific, the region’s leading timeshare club featuring 51 resorts including Club Wyndham Denarau Island.

Ideally located just 15 minutes from Nadi Airport, Club Wyndham Denarau Island features a host of facilities including Mamacita Restaurant & Bar, The Beach Shack café and bar, a mobile coffee cart and swim up-pool bars at the lagoon-style swimming pool and adults’ only pool. The resort also boasts a children’s pool, day spa, gym, beach club, games room and 24-hour reception.

AIRLIE BEACH, QUEENSLAND (11 MARCH 2020) – Tides, the onsite restaurant at Club Wyndham Airlie Beach Whitsundays, will relaunch tomorrow night under new management with a fresh menu and an emphasis on locally sourced food at affordable prices.

Club Wyndham Airlie Beach was acquired by Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific late last year and was quickly made available to the almost 60,000 owners who are part of the region’s largest timeshare club, Club Wyndham South Pacific.

The resort’s General Manager Malik Hayat said his team has been working on a new direction for Tides and is excited about unveiling it to club owners and locals at tomorrow’s relaunch.

“Our refreshed focus is about catering for a broad range of tastes through high quality food and a carefully considered menu featuring cultural diversity and different dietary preferences,” said Mr Hayat.

“The restaurant’s new management will concentrate on sourcing locally where possible – particularly when it comes to seafood – and providing competitive price points, so that Tides will become a go-to venue for Airlie Beach residents.
“We are looking forward to plating up at our relaunch and we are eagerly anticipating a full house of locals and guests keen to try our new meals for the first time.”

The restaurant’s menu features classics like nachos, Caesar salad and Greek salad alongside local seafood dishes: Whitsunday king prawns with rose marie sauce, and barramundi and chips. An Indian-style chicken curry, a specialty of the restaurant’s Chef Guatam, also promises to be a rare treat.

Sticky date pudding, vanilla bean panna cotta and homemade chocolate brownies are the options for dessert, while the restaurant also has an extensive wine and spirits list.

Bookings for tomorrow night can still be made by calling 4962 5100 and diners can receive discounts of 25 per cent on food. Patrons at the relaunch will also be entertained by local performer Mick Woodbridge. Moving forward, the restaurant will be open from Tuesday to Saturday between 11am and 9pm and will cater for restaurant and poolside dining, and room service for guests.

Boasting one, two and three-bedroom apartments, Club Wyndham Airlie Beach features an open-air restaurant and bar, infinity pool and spa, gym, conference facilities and undercover parking, all within easy reach of Airlie Beach’s popular attractions.