A New Era For Queenstown's Largest Hotel

MEDIA RELEASE
18 March 2008

A New Era For Queenstown's Largest Hotel

One of Queenstown's favourite hotels is ushering in a new era with a new look, a new name and a new General Manager.

Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, formerly Novotel Gardens Queenstown, has recently completed a successful $13.5 million dollar makeover, refurbishing the entire hotel as well as introducing 70 new guest rooms. Although the hotel's iconic rose gardens are still a popular feature, the new name better reflects Novotel's premium location directly on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

General Manager Carl Braddock oversaw the 16 month refurbishment and expansion, which has created a more stylish, modern look and feel and includes additional rooms to make Novotel Queenstown Lakeside the resort town's largest hotel with 273 rooms. The lobby and reception, Elements Restaurant and the new Gallery Caf and Bar have all been transformed, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Mr Braddock has been General Manager for the past five years, and will now be taking up a new role as General Manager at Hotel Ibis Christchurch, also part of the Accor group of hotels and resorts. He will finish his position in Queenstown on 21 March.

Mr Braddock said family reasons, including the fact that daughter Ellie was boarding in Christchurch and her focus on equestrian sport, had made the decision to make the move "inevitable".

"I have had a great run in Queenstown and I can leave knowing that the hotel is in the hands of a team which will prove extremely capable of driving business into what is now the largest hotel property in the resort. I'm looking forward to the challenge of working in a brand new property in the heart of Christchurch."

Replacing Mr Braddock will be Jim Moore, currently General Manager at Mercure Hotel Auckland. Mr Moore has more than 20 years experience in the hospitality industry and has worked previously in Queenstown, where he first met his wife. During his 12 years with Accor, he has held various management and pre-opening positions.

"I love Queenstown and am looking forward to be joining Novotel Queenstown Lakeside at such an exciting time. The hotel has a new energy about it following the refurbishment and combined with its incredible location, I think there will be plenty to keep me busy."

Novotel Queenstown Lakeside is one of 29 Accor properties throughout New Zealand. In Queenstown Accor also operates Sofitel Queenstown Resort & Spa, Grand Mercure St Moritz and Mercure Resort Queenstown.

Accor, the European leader and a major global group in hotels, the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 170,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:
- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing more than 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lentre.
- Services, with 30 million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in human resources, marketing services and expense management.

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