COVID-19 has not spared New Zealand, despite it being one of the countries that touted early success against the virus. The country went into a nationwide lockdown on 25 March, and managed to curb the virus spread, with all restrictions except border controls lifted on 8 June. However, due to a second wave of infections, industries such as travel and tourism remain shut, and a second lockdown was imposed.

Impacted by COVID-19, Millennium & Copthorne New Zealand now has a 70% smaller organisation, and employees have risen to new ways of running operations. They share with Hi Life some of the multi-tasking and working across functions and roles.

At Millennium Rotorua, the hotel was temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Employees have also been doing their best to operate efficiently with the lower staff numbers. For example, Operations Manager Ms Michele Weston and Hotel Administrator Ms Jolene Grey have stepped up beyond their usual scope of work and helped with tasks such as repairing the curtains while the hotel was temporarily closed. On the other hand, Maintenance Manager Mr Shane James and his team also converted a back-office area into an extension of the kitchen. By doing so, they have managed to close off one other restaurant, the main bar and two other kitchen areas in the hotel to help reduce energy and running costs.

Also on the North Island, Millennium New Plymouth Waterfront was similarly affected by the hotel closures. The hotel has since reopened, and General Manager Mr Tobias Daniels has been multi-tasking, making and serving up barista-level coffee at the hotel’s Salt Restaurant as well as doing shifts at the reception, all while continuing his bottom line responsibilities as general manager. He said, “We all pitch in, be helpful and always mindful of the Outstanding Service Experience principles we live up to.”

The ability to adapt swiftly and nimbly to changing circumstances has been one of the most valued attributes to employees in the hospitality industry today. Even in wintertime, the grass continues to grow on the lawns of Copthorne Rotorua. General Manager Mr Blair Chalmers is very much a farmer at heart, and has been doing a tidy job of the hotel lawns as he extolls the virtues of grass-based farming and the new varieties of export-grade New Zealand apples.