A steal of deal minus the five finger discount
Peter Hook, GM Communications at Accor says, who hasn’t pilfered a few items from the hotel breakfast buffet to provide fuel for morning tea or lunch? While an apple or muffin is one thing, some guests tend to cross the boundary by trying to surreptitiously fit a three course meal for the whole family into their carry bag.
One of Queenstown’s leading hotels – Grand Mercure St Moritz – has introduced a clever idea that avoids the embarrassment of guests trying to sneak pastries, fruit, cheese and other items into their bag, while offering a convenient and very inexpensive alternative to the five-finger discount.
“Lunch-to-go” allows guests to pack their own lunch bag with items offered at the breakfast buffet at Lombardi’s restaurant. At just NZ$12, including a fruit juice, the initiative is a great lunch or morning tea solution for travellers who are on tight itineraries and want to get out and about to enjoy Queenstown’s ski fields and spectacular scenery.
General Manager Lynne McVicar said that guests at the Grand Mercure were inevitably skiing or sightseeing for most of the day and therefore taking some healthy menu items from the breakfast buffet was a good idea – but there had to be a limit to the hotel’s generosity.
“The journey to the ski-fields can take a little while and with the snow being so good, the last thing people want to do is spend too much time buying snacks – they really want to have food on tap in their backpack so that they can make every hour count,” she said.
“Even outside the ski season people are usually touring and don’t have the time or opportunity to stop for meals, so this is a really good solution. I think most people are pretty fair when it comes to being reasonable with the breakfast buffet and the new ‘Lunch-to-go’ offer allows them an inexpensive dining option – without the guilt.”
The Grand Mercure enjoys a superb position in Queenstown overlooking Lake Wakatipu. The hotel is a three times winner of the ‘Best Hotel” award in the New Zealand Tourism Awards and recently completed a full upgrade of the hotel’s rooms and public areas.
For bookings: www.accorhotels.com.au or 1300 656565
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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