Bark but no bite!

The contrast between running a hotel in Parramatta and Terrigal must be significant, but David Bark, the relatively newly appointed GM of the Crowne Plaza Terrigal seems to have managed the change and contrast, settling in well in this stunningly located oceanside resort.

Formerly running the company’s hotel in Parramatta for over 4 years David got the call to move to Terrigal saying that living by the sea had always appealed to him having worked in Penang and although an ex Kiwi, he was schooled in Hong Kong.

David said that the previous manager had been promoted to Regional GM for IHG, based in Darwin and although David did not think that they would ever ask him, to take the Terrigal role he said, here I am, adding, “We moved here in December and we love it.”

He did say though that there are significant differences between the hotels, Parramatta is a corporate hotel, whereas Terrigal is a business tourism hotel, the essential difference being that very few clients in Parramatta were leisure with predominance of clients being corporate travellers and some business travellers, but in Terrigal the mix was part business travel and part leisure and whatever the reason, all guests seemed to be at Terrigal for a good time. 

David added, “The big change for me is that half Terrigal’s business is conferencing and the other half leisure, so it is a big change and here you just look out there and test the product and I look over the ocean and go, wow, it is incredible!

David also said that to come from the demographic heart of Sydney, Terrigal is a great place to get away from it all and while the attraction or reason for coming here is for a meeting or business event, the hotel is surrounded by great countryside on one side and great ocean on the other and no heaps of things to do including great countryside and great golf!

David said that perhaps his secret for success was having fun while others are having fun and in general guests in the hotel here in Terrigal, even guests here for a conference are not as serious as in other hotels and that he tries to maximise the beachside location for conferences by even doing things on the beach, running competitions and so on.

He added that people make all the difference, that in particular the great team at the Crowne Plaza Terrigal and he is here to build on what has already been done.

He added that the hotel is only part of the Terrigal mix with a great seaside village, offering 33 cafes and restaurants in the area offering every food you can think of and with the hotel coming from a good base David says he is beginning to add his elements to it.

I asked David when was the best time to visit Terrigal and he not surprisingly said anytime, although he added that when the winter is cold, Sydney people go to QLD, but Terrigal is a great place to visit even in the winter, just an hour north of Sydney with a pool heated all year round to 27C!

By the way, The Mole also says that the Crowne Plaza Terrigal offers the very best seafood platter The Mole has ever seen with a cold platter served first and then followed by a hot platter, both absolutely massive, superb quality and a great price – you have to try it!

In closing, David released the big secret in that the Welsh rugby team is staying at the Crowne Plaza Terrigal for all their training before the test!

A Crowne Plaza Terrigal Report by The Mole