Case Study – Royal on the Park: Refurbishment fit for a king
Royal on the Park is a truly unique fixture within Australia’s plethora of accommodation facilities.
A 44 year old 4½-star treasure that reigns from within the Brisbane hotel scene, its rock and roll history and glamourous reputation may have helped build its current success but extensive refurbishment secured it.
Steve Underwood is currently the general manager of Royal on the Park and oversaw its refurbishment that aimed to retain a traditional sense of sophistication and elegance while bolstering an entirely fresh contemporary style. Classically built in 1969, The Parkroyal, as it was then known, became the place to be for stars and the starry eyed. With the Festival Hall just up the road, “the likes of Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Simon and Garfunkel were all frequent stayers” and with four decades, plenty of changes and major renovations under her belt, “this hotel certainly has some zing and sizzle left in her”.
According to Steve Underwood, “The tasteful refurbishment was executed by Noble House Design and the suites by perspective property services. They have managed to refresh without losing the elegance of the design.” Head interior designer for Nobel House, Kay Schieb, was responsible for the design of the entire refurbishment. She tailored all decisions regarding the rooms, foyer and restaurant; everything from the furniture down to the lighting and claimed that it all ‘went like clockwork’. Steve was particularly impressed, insisting “the daily onsite meetings and the professional approach of this team was outstanding as was the high level of integrity. I have not seen such a seamless delivery of inspiration, activation, and implementation to this high standard in my 40 years in the industry”. Exceptionally proud of the property’s end result, which went on to win multiple awards, Kay Schieb states it was all “on budget and on time” thanks not only to Noble House Design, but to everyone involved, from the product suppliers, to the hotel management, to the property owners who funded the project.
Royal on the Park is owned today by the Brunei Investment Agency and it was they who enabled the $5 million dollar facelift that would give the property its new lease on life. All guest rooms and suites have been completely renovated and restyled, while crystal chandeliers have been fitted in the lobby, restaurant and function rooms, for a start. The entire building has undergone a colossal technology upgrade: with the installation of a fibre optic Internet pipeline to the hotel, guests are able to access free wifi throughout the building. Free use of iPads is also permitted and iPod docking stations are now present in all rooms. This technological advancement juxtaposes the hotel’s stunningly historical feel in a way that intrigues and delights its guests, some of whom Steve Underwood says have been returning for over 30 years. There are no time or download limits for guests, there are no fees or deposits involved, the internet is being used simply as a service Royal on the Park wishes to provide.
Quality is a huge drive for Royal on the Park that now has Nespresso machines fitted in all Royal rooms, suites and of course within the hotel restaurant as a further show of complete luxury. Additions like these have combined in such a majestic fashion that Royal on the Park was recently presented with the prestigious QHA award for Best Redeveloped Accommodation Hotel. This award reflects the underlying ideal Royal on the Park seems eager to convey – they do not simply wish to offer guests a bed to sleep in, “but rather a completely upgraded experience”.
This refurbishment seems to have done the trick. Dining in the hotel restaurant, for instance has become an entirely new experience for all. The hotel’s much revered eatery, the Walnut Restaurant not only sits amongst the top ten restaurants in Brisbane on TripAdvisor but recently won the Queensland Tourism Award for Best Tourism Restaurant of 2012.
This comes as no surprise when taking into account the restaurant’s recent innovations. Menus are now replaced by Royal on the Park iPads, where guests are able to view all the available culinary delights, wine lists, as well as a selection of the chef’s recipes, team biographies, upcoming event information, etc. Impressive to say the least, Royal on the Park has essentially come to reinvent itself as a bona fide hub of hotel innovation.
This quality-first approach to refurbishment undoubtedly led Royal on the Park to Vintech Systems when it came to fitting new locks throughout the building. According to Vintech’s spokesperson, “The executive management of Royal on the Park when looking to upgrade their locks chose to upgrade the locking system to Salfok RFID (radio-frequency identification) that will extend the life span of the locks and reduce the amount of maintenance that the locks require, helping add to the hotel’s overall efficiency. Also with Royal’s forward planning, the installed locks have come NFC (near field communication) enabled so that once mobile phone technology has caught up to the lock technology, customers will be able to access their hotel rooms using their mobile phones. Not only is this technology exceptionally innovative and convenient for staff and guests alike, it is forward-thinking enough to keep Royal on the Park ahead of the trend and all the more appealing.
The refurbishments have also allowed Royal on the Park to become trendsetters in eco-friendly hotels. Installing new double glazed windows, hot water services, environmentally friendly lighting, worm farm and green chef initiatives have all together won this hotel the Global Business Travel Association’s award for sustainability obtained by carbon emission reduction.
As a Green Star accredited hotel, Royal on the Park decided to exclusively provide the environmentally conscious products of the Peter Morrissey collection. “Not only is his hotel collection environmentally friendly, it is also from a renowned Australian designer and is a deluxe hotel product. It is not tested on animals, the ingredients are paraben free and infused with Australian eucalyptus and wattle seed extracts, the packaging is certified biodegradable, as are all of the ingredients.”
This is a mere example of the endless effort Royal on the Park infuses into itself as part of a larger community and ecosystem.
Recently the establishment made public their support for gender equality within the workplace. In June 2012, the Royal on the Park Hotel Brisbane was again proud to receive its annual Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency certification. They asserted that “after an exhaustive consultative compliance audit, the Royal on the Park Hotel Brisbane continues to ensure equal and fair opportunities for women in all facets of its operations, from recruitment, employment and promotion and workplace consultation”.
They have proudly been able to establish and retain a 50% female management team. “This is also reflected in the almost 50% female workforce at the hotel and the equal salary rates for these employees.”
This self-reflexivity again demonstrates how a hotel can lead the way in working to improve the community it exists within.
Moving forward in every direction, the ongoing success of Royal on the Park is a consequence of its constant self-reinvention, innovation and positive attitude. Its carbon footprint may be smaller than most but its boots are perhaps much bigger to fill.
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