Page 35 - Tropic Magazine Issue 13

TROPIC • COVER STORY

‘THROW OUT THE RILEY
RULE BOOK’
THE FACTS
Talking to the Crystalbrook team on
the ground as they juggle and innovate
and strive in the weeks leading up to 131-141 Number Jobs during Ongoing
the November 6 opening, you get the The Esplanade of rooms construction jobs
overwhelming sense they are proud and Cairns 311 500 150
humble to be involved with Riley, and
the company’s other resort projects.
On its own, starting a hotel brand is a
monumental undertaking. Starting a FOOD AND BEVERAGE
hotel brand involving three brand new Paper Crane
properties, a luxury outback lodge, a Modern Asian-fusion restaurant
working cattle station and more sites with a menu to transport you to the
waiting to be developed – all within a bustling streets of South East Asia.
24-month period – is almost certainly Greenfields
unprecedented in Australia, if not the A health-conscious cafe-bar with
world. Such an immense, challenging a focus on tasty, simple ingredients
undertaking is the daily reality for Joel sourced from the local region.
Gordon, Crystalbrook’s area general Rocco
manager appointed back in January. By The rooftop bar proudly reflecting
the time all three hotels are operational Mediterranean history mingled with
a contemporary take on cuisine and
a stellar champagne menu.

The support of the local
community is integral to any
hospitality group. We hope
Cairns and the region will enjoy What’s the mix of local and out-of-town
the opening of Riley, and we look applicants?
A focus on injecting jobs into the local
forward to welcoming them. community is hugely important to us
and so far, 95% of all our front line,
- Geoff York, Crystalbrook’s Group supervisory and middle management
Director Hotels
Collaborators are from our local
region. We have been very deliberate
in this approach as one of our guiding
in 2020, Joel will oversee a team of Q&A principles when finding our stars is
more than 500 people. Spend any time Tracey Donaghey being “Locally Aware”, meaning they are
with Joel and you’ll know he projects a Human Resources aware of their locale and are passionate
preternatural sense of calm about the about unearthing and curating the
whole thing. “This opportunity with best local experiences for our guests.
Crystalbrook Collection is a unique How has the response to Crystalbrook’s I myself have been here for 18 years so
experience, that’s for sure,” Joel told recruitment campaign been so far? know what it’s like to have a love and
Tropic. “With an existing hotel company, We’ve been overwhelmed by passion for our local region.
you have a set structure at your the positive response to join the
fingertips, a reference guide around Crystalbrook Collaborators - that’s How will you manage the staff culture
policies and procedures, a database Crystalbrook for staff! Our online in the company on an ongoing basis?
built on years of operation, existing application database alone is bursting Our ambition is not to be an employer of
buying power with suppliers and many at the seams with over 1500 candidates choice but to be the employer of choice.
tiers of support from a head office level. so far and growing every day! With 150 We have one of the best equipped
Crystalbrook Collection presents a great roles to fill in 100 days, we are very and experienced Human Resources
opportunity to throw out the rulebook, fortunate to have such a diverse local hospitality teams and we won’t stop at
integrate technology and create a talent pool looking to join what we are driving a great employee experience
genuine experience for our guests calling the Positive Rebellion. for our Collaborators. We have loads
across all facets of the hotel. We don’t of sweeteners for our team after all
possess the footprint of large-scale What career scope is there for staff? Happy Collaborators = Happy Guests.
hotel brands; therefore, our buying With four hotels in the pipeline we can Our new Collaborators are undertaking
power and brand story is in its infancy, genuinely recruit Collaborators with a four solid weeks of training pre-opening
however we do possess a group of definite succession plan in mind. We and this focus will continue via regular
strong passionate hoteliers who share will create a ladder that is easy to climb training via our internal Crystalbrook
a vision to grow this company into an – if you’re good at what you do, the only College which also aligns with industry
international brand. To be creating this way is up. accredited training.
brand story here in Cairns is something
remarkable. “
35 • tropicnow.com.au