Hotel Council Elects New Queenstown Regional Chair

New Zealand Hotel Council Elects New Queenstown Regional Chair

Penny Clark, General Manager of Goldridge Resort, has been elected NZHC Chair for the Queenstown region. She replaces John McIlwain who has recently been appointed Area General Manager New Zealand for the Rydges properties. He will, however, remain involved as the region’s Deputy Chair. NZHC members in each region elect their own Chair for a two year period.

Ms Clark has a long and varied career in hotels having spent her initial career in NZ with Southern Pacific Hotels as General Manager for Travelodges in Wellington and Auckland and then Parkroyals in Queenstown. She moved to the Northern Territory to manage the Gagudju complex in Kakadu for two years. Returning to NZ in 1997 she managed Heritage Christchurch and became senior GM for South Island Heritage operations before taking up the role of Operations Manager in Auckland. Penny’s role at Goldridge also sees her as a Director for Dorchester Hotel Property Trust Trading Ltd which has another three accommodation entities.

NZHC’s Independent Chair, Jennie Langley, said the Board welcomed Ms Clark to the position and was delighted she had agreed to take on the role. “Penny did a fantastic job as the NZHC Christchurch Chair while she was GM of Heritage Hotel and no doubt she will bring the same wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to the Queenstown position.

“Queenstown is a distinctly different NZHC region compared to other regions like Auckland or Wellington,” says Ms Langley. “It offers very interesting and often contrasting insights into the New Zealand hotel and tourism sector, and it is important that Queenstown specific issues such as seasonality and staffing are well represented both locally and nationally. Penny will do a great job in this regard.”

NZHC is well represented in the Queenstown region with 19 members, ranging from large chain hotels, through to independently owned and boutique properties. NZHC Queenstown members currently operate 2412 hotel rooms, control capital assets valued at $436 million, generate annual revenue of $97 million, pay $2.5 million annually in rates and provide employment for over 1210 people.

“NZHC is recognised as a credible, professional organisation that not only represents the interests of its growing membership throughout the country, but also actively participates in the ongoing development and success of the wider tourism industry," says Ms Langley.

ENDS

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