Holiday Inn Wellington General Manager Appointed

Holiday Inn Wellington General Manager Appointed

InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Heather Riley as General Manager, Holiday Inn Wellington. Ms Riley is a highly experienced hotel industry executive, having held senior management positions across the New Zealand tourism and hospitality sector Currently nearing completion, Holiday Inn Wellington will be the Capital’s largest hotel when it opens in summer 2006.

Prior to her recent appointment Ms Riley has been Hotel Manager, InterContinental Wellington since 2004. Ms Riley commenced her career in the hospitality industry in Australia prior to returning to New Zealand in 1982, taking up a position as a Company Director of Onetangi Hotel, Waiheke Island, where she developed the country hotel into a boutique resort property and founded the Waiheke Tourist Association. Following this she held positions as Product Manager for specialist Pacific area wholesaler, Travel Arrangements Auckland; Conference Manager, Millennium Rotorua; Business Development Manager (Wellington), Stamford Plaza Hotel; and General Manager, CityLife Wellington, Heritage Hotel Group, from 2000-2004.

Announcing Ms Riley’s appointment David Shackleton, Regional General Manager – New Zealand and South Pacific, InterContinental Hotels Group said:

“We are delighted to have appointed such a highly-regarded manager who brings a wealth of experience and local knowledge across the tourism, hotel and hospitality industries in New Zealand, to InterContinental Hotels Group’s newest venture in New Zealand. Heather is well-placed to be at the helm of Holiday Inn Wellington as it establishes itself in the important and burgeoning Wellington market. Her appointment reinforces our strong commitment both to ensuring that Holiday Inn’s worldwide brand and reputation is upheld in this market, and to Wellington as an important destination for business and leisure travellers.”

Centrally located in the heart of the Capital, Holiday Inn Wellington will be a mid-market hotel brand offering 280 rooms on 17 levels including superb panoramic views of Wellington’s harbour and city, relaxed restaurant and bar facilities, an extensive suite of conference rooms and facilities, a business centre, gymnasium, 17-metre lap pool and secure on-site car parking for guests.

Holiday Inn is the world’s most popular midscale hotel brand, renowned globally for service, comfort and value. It is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of global hotel brands, which also includes InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Express by Holiday Inn. When it opens later this year, Holiday Inn Wellington will be the North Island’s first Holiday Inn, the 21st in Australia and New Zealand combined, and close to the 90th in the Asia Pacific region.

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Moving to Wellington in 1999, Ms Riley was appointed Business Development Manager for five-star Stamford Plaza Hotel Auckland’s newly reopened Wellington office, with the task of developing a stronger client-base from the Government sector for the Hotel.

From 2000-2004 she was General Manager, CityLife Wellington, Heritage Hotel Group. Responsibilities included management and development of the apartment hotel complex, and mounting new strategies for corporate and leisure market initiatives such as the implementation of a guest loyalty programme. This led to CityLife Wellington consistently achieving the top hotel occupancy in Wellington during her four years as General Manager.

In 2004 Ms Riley was appointed Hotel Manager, InterContinental Wellington – her current position. This role includes a wide range of responsibilities for the day to day management of this five-star, 231 deluxe room property; including overseeing room refurbishments and driving local marketing initiatives. InterContinental Wellington was recently awarded Five-Star Hotel Qualmark® status under Ms Riley’s management.

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