Crowne Plaza Geelong general manager John Dickson.
The new general manager of Geelong’s biggest hotel has revealed when recruiting will start for the bulk of front of house jobs before the first paying guests arrive.
The 200-room Crowne Plaza Geelong is a key component of the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre which is under construction on the waterfront.
Industry veteran John Dickson has been appointed Crowne Plaza Geelong’s general manager and has hit the ground running ahead of an expected opening early next year.
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Mr Dickson said a date hasn’t been set to welcome the first paying guests, but revealed the hotel would open before the convention centre, once the pre-opening team had been recruited and the hotel put through its paces.
“We’ll get the hotel handed over to us from the builder towards the end of the year and we’ll start co-ordinating the installation of furniture and fittings and equipment and all the operating supplies that we need to present the hotel to a standard so we’ll be ready to open,” Mr Dickson said.
“This sounds easy but I can tell you it goes into detail from picking knives and forks for the restaurant and the bed linen and towelling for the rooms and everything in between.
The 200-room Crowne Plaza Geelong will open before the neighbouring Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. Picture: Alan Barber
“In January, we’ll put the staff through for a trial stay under normal hotel conditions and we’ll test everything to make sure that everything works exactly as it should.”
Head of sales and marketing Karen Jackson is Mr Dickson’s first appointment, while recruiting has opened for human resources and finance manager.
“Over the course of the next three to four months, the management team will come on board, and then towards the end of the year we’ve got some assistants and supervisors to come on board, and then we’ll also recruit in December for all of the front of house people,” he said.
“We’re going to be around 90-plus people for the pre-opening period, and then we’ll be in the new year, we’ll train them up in January.”
Among the people to be recruited will be a sommelier, who will oversee the wine selection that will heavily feature Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast producers, and mixologists for the hotel’s 10-floor Sky Bar.
The hotel extends Geelong’s north-facing Corio Bay waterfront, with a 10th floor Sky Bar offering the best views. Picture: Alan Barber
“The Sky Bar will be a unique aspect of the hotel. That’ll be a 90-seat cocktail bar on the 10th floor of the hotel, overlooking Corio Bay.”
The up-market bar and lounge will have its own kitchen and be available for before and after dinner and for functions.
“That will be a great asset for the hotel and for our guests, but also for locals to. It obviously will have amazing views.”
An all-day Italian trattoria on level one will include a 100-seat restaurant and a 60-seat bar, with a wood-fired pizza oven.
The $120m hotel is fully funded by Plenary Group and will be operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts under the Crowne Plaza brand.
The development is part of a total $250m being invested by Plenary in the convention centre precinct in associated retail, commercial and mixed-use spaces.
