The Lord Mayor of Newcastle Cr John Tate, NRMA representatives and members of the Newcastle community gathered at the Hotel to reminisce the major storm that caused the Pasha Bulker to be stranded on Nobby’s Beach just over 12 months ago.
The major storm, which swept through Newcastle on 8 June 2007, caused the Pasha Bulker carrier to run aground on Nobby’s Beach while waiting in the open ocean outside the harbour to load coal. At the time of the storm, NSW Premier Morris Iemma described the storm damage as worse than the 1989 earthquake.
Travelodge Newcastle, which was enjoying the completion of the extensive refurbishment at the time of the storm, had their excitement suffer a significant blow when the entire ground flooded during the disastrous tempest. The refurbishment had been completed just one month prior in May 2007.
According to Rachel Argaman, CEO of Toga Hospitality, “Following the aftermath of the storm we restored Travelodge Newcastle back to its newly refurbished state and as the Newcastle community gathered together during the first week of July in 2007 the Pasha Bulker was finally pulled clear of Nobby’s beach.”
“Despite the extensive damage to the entire ground floor of the newly restored Hotel that was caused by the storm, the Travelodge Newcastle team displayed remarkable resilience and should be congratulated for all their hard work in getting the hotel back to its usual high levels of occupancy,” continued Rachel.
“My self and the Travelodge Newcastle team are proud to be part of this wonderful community and we recently celebrated success in being named the Best Four Star Hotel in NSW at the annual Accommodation Industry Awards for Excellence, presented by the Hotel Motel & Accommodation Association (HMAA) on Friday 13 June 2008.”
According to Ruth Appleby, Conventions Manager, Newcastle Visitor & Conventions Bureau, “We are thrilled that Travelodge Newcastle has won this award as the team there has worked particularly hard to keep the hotel operating at full capacity during an extensive refurbishment programme; only then to have their excitement dented just as it was completed when the entire ground flooded during the disastrous storms in Newcastle 12 months ago when the Pasha Bulker was stranded on Nobby’s Beach.”
Travelodge Newcastle is conveniently located in the heart of Newcastle and boasts 129 recently refurbished guest rooms including spa suites, restaurant, bar and extensive conference facilities, making it an excellent choice for business and leisure travelers alike. The price per room rates offer comfort and quality at unbeatable value.
Travelodge Hotels represent a new generation of hotels for the smart traveller looking for quality hotels in excellent city locations. With a 40 year heritage in Australia, the 15 new generation Travelodge Hotels are located in Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Darwin and Perth in Australia and Palmerston North and Wellington in New Zealand.
For more information on Travelodge Hotels visit www.travelodge.com.au or 1300 886 886.