AFTER 20 years of being family-owned, operated and developed the Shoal Bay Resort and Spa will lease one of its major sections, the hotel's operations, to a major international player in a bid to increase occupancy rates.
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Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company, will run the resort's hotel and will change the name of the iconic Port Stephens location to the Ramada Resort Shoal Bay.
The resort's hotel will become part of Wyndham Hotel Group's South Pacific operation and joins eight Ramada hotels already operating in Australia. All up the company has 7490 hotels in 70 countries.
The Country Club Hotel, the TAB and SeaRock @ Shoal Bay will continue to be operated inhouse and all property, not including individual apartments and villas, will still be owned by the same family responsible for the site's growth.
"I'll still own all the operations . . . all the real estate," Resort managing director and owner Jay McPhee, whose family developed the site, said.
Front reception staff are being interviewed by the Wyndham Group to keep their positions but Mr McPhee said all other positions including food and beverage and pub staff remained under his control.
Mr McPhee said the decision to lease the hotel operation did not come lightly but the resort had struggled to increase occupancy rates.
He said other big name chains had approached the family in the past but he picked Wyndham because they held similar standards to his own and it could help boost tourism in the area.
"This property holds special meaning for generations of Australians who have enjoyed its hospitality over the decades," he said.
Barry Robinson, managing director, South Pacific, Wyndham Hotel Group said the location of the resort made it desirable.
"Shoal Bay is known for its spectacular natural beauty and the iconic Australian property provides the ideal base for holiday and business travel and exceptional onsite conference facilities for meetings and events," he said.
The hotel is the second joint venture between Wyndham Hotel Group and owner Jay McPhee, who is also collaborating with the company to develop Australia's first TRYP by Wyndham hotel, which will open in mid-2014, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.
