Late last week Graeme Kemlo spoke with the COO of Australia’s largest hotel group, Adrian Williams of Accor Pacific about a range of topics but particularly we wanted to get his take on what impact the ran war would have on the industry and in turn, the hotel guests.This is what he told Graeme.
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Mike Smith spoke with the entertaining and colourful head chef of the recently renovated Watsons Bay Hotel – Damian Heads – who also appeared regularly on the TV show Ready Steady Cook.
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Catherine Best is an Australian travel writer and author. Graeme Kemlo speaks with her about her latest book, Ultimate Family Holidays, about the shared adventures of her family all around Australia. It is as inspirational as informational and beautifully illustrated by many of Catherine’s own photos.
Puiblisher: Hardie Grant – now available at all good book stores and department storesRead More 

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Graeme Kemlo went to a soft opening last Friday for a totally transformed hotel that officially opened to the public in Geelong on October 8, 2025. Graeme reckons it was a unique experience being a crash test dummy with a detailed checklist putting pressure on the hotel systems, the kitchen and the service levels. Having checked out the rooms, the group then hit the restaurants and the heat was on in the kitchen. Nobody was injured during the tests and a great night reassured the hotel team that they were ready to open to the public. Graeme speaks with Mark Day of Bayside Hotel GeelongRead More 

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As the Adelaide Marriott hotel celebrates its first birthday, Carolyne Jasinski revisits the hotel’s unique history with GM Paul Gallop. She discovers the hotel has exceeded expectations in the first 12 months of operation and checks on the progress of phase two of the Marriott’s development.
Photo: Paul Gallop in the GPO Postal Hall – the next phase of thel redevelopment. By Carolyne JasinskiRead More 

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Manly is really only 30 minutes away from the busy Sydney CBD, but when you get to the beach and the rolling surf of the Pacific Ocean, you could be half a world away. There’s a different lifestyle, a mindset change that kicks in when you’ve left the big smoke, the traffic and the office culture. People are surfing, playing beach volleyball, running, walking, drinking coffee and taking in the salty air. For 50 years, Manly Pacific Hotel has been a Manly icon right opposite the Norfolk Pine-fringed beach. But it has been reinvigorated by a $40 million transformation that includes an Italian restaurant complex, Cibaria by Alessandro Pavoni. Graeme Kemlo was invited up to check it out and he speaks with the Manly Pacific General Manager, Dylan Cole.
Photo: Graeme Kemlo
More information: manlypacific.com.auRead More 

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Hill Farm Inn, set among South Vermont’s Green mountains . It is rich with history – the farm was first established 235 years ago and the Inn has been taking in guests for 155 years.. Our team of Helen Hayes and Carolyne Jasinski stayed there on their road trip around New England USA.They loved soaking up the country chic atmosphere and dining on the “home-grown” produce. Here they speak with the General Manager of the property, Joanne SzipdatRead More 

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Again this week we find our very busy reporting team of Helen Hayes and Carolyne Jasinski, have joined forces to interview an experienced couple of hoteliers who are building the first five-star hotel in the US state of New Hampshire,– the Lake Estate is a privately owned sprawling estate on the banks of Lake Winnesquam which the women discovered on their road trip through New England. They meet Ed and Patty Rocco who have taken on the huge task of designing and project managing the build which is due to open next month.
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The Sound of Music movie will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, which will again shed light on the incredible true story of the Von Trapp family. After leaving Austria, Captain Georg Von Trapp and his wife Maria, settled in Stowe, Vermont, and 75 years ago, built a lodge that was “part Austria and a lot of Vermont”. Helen Hayes recently stayed at the Von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort, and caught up with Kristina Von Trapp Frame, granddaughter of Georg and Maria and daughter of Georg and Maria’s youngest son, Johannes.
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Akira Mori is 18th generation family owner of the historic Japanese inn – Ryokan Sakaya – which is ideally located in the mountainous Nozawa Onsen (hot spring) resort area – a haven for guests both in winter and the warmer months. It’s a town where visitors are often seen wearing traditional yukata robes on their walk to and from the hot springs. To stay at his ryokan is an experience in the true sense, far from the typical western style of accommodation. Guests can even help with the harvesting of vegetables for the dinner table as team member and veteran reporter Mike Smith Mike discovered during the interview.
Photo by Mike Smith – Akira Mori and daughter YukimiRead More 

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