Northstar

22 | www.travelweekly-asia.com SAVE THE DATE FOR 13-15 June 2018 Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand www.thailandtravelmartplus.com C M Y CM MY CY CMY K HOSPITALITY Ovolo Hotels now runs four hotels and a serviced apartment in Hong Kong, and five hotels across Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. In Australia, the recent opening of Ovolo Nishi in Canberra, and the July 1 launch of flagship Emporium Hotel South Bank in Brisbane, will showcase Ovolo's very individual style. "All hotels are working towards creating experiences these days but we have been going deeper than most," said Dave Baswal, chief operating officer for Ovolo Hotels. "We like to say we are consistently inconsistent with our hotels. There's always something different, something to surprise guests when they walk into one of our hotels." Ovolo Hotels offer AppleTV, Alexa and super hi-speed Wi- Fi, along with a complimentary minibar. "Everything in the room is all-inclusive. Our mini bar is free – there's no argument at check- out over whether or not you've consumed a bottle of water," said Baswal. "And because we all carry so many digital devices, we pack our hotels with power points so wherever you are in the hotel, your room or public areas, a power point is at hand." Baswal says Ovolo is deliberately staying away from mobile check-in and "gimmicky robots". Hong Kong's family-owned Ovolo Hotels continues to put a distinctive stamp across Australia with the management of boutique hotels in Canberra, the rebranding of Brisbane's Emporium Hotel to Ovolo in mid-April and fresh elements added to its property in Woolloomooloo in Sydney. By Ian Jarrett Ovolo Hotels: Happy to be consistently inconsistent "Our mini bar is free – there's no argument at check-out over whether or not you've consumed a bottle of water." – Dave Baswal, Ovolo Hotels' COO "Sure we have Alexa, who will open the blinds for you, but we are very keen to retain the human touch with the service we offer." Ovolo Hotels, headed by founder and CEO Girish Jhunjhnuwala, owns and manages all its hotels except the most recent acquisition, Hotel Hotel in Canberra, Australia's capital city, which is managed under a lease agreement. In Sydney, US chef, restaurateur and pioneer of plant-based cuisine, Matthew Kenney, has launched his first Australian food concept, Alibi, at Ovolo Woolloomooloo. "We have listened to the market and know that healthy eating is a priority, so we made the decision to partner with Matthew to develop a new plant-based concept not yet seen in an Australian hotel restaurant," said Jhunjhnuwala. Ovolo's new brand, co-living Mojo Nomad, has been launched in Aberdeen Harbour in Hong Kong, and will spread across Asia and Australia. "This is a new direction for us, crossing the boundary between hotels and hostels," said Baswal, who added that Ovolo will stay away from budget hotels "where there is a lot of competition".

• Cover