So what brought you to North Sydney Specifically as a shoulder destination before your move to New Zealand?
“It was along the lines, of ringing a few places. We can use our corporate agency for shorter stays for example 2-night stays. But given that this was for a longer period and we were unsure on how long it would be, we really needed flexibility. I actually ended up ringing a few different places, The other factor was given my family were going to be there primarily and again who knows how long. We ended up calling the property directly, what ticked the box for me was the person I spoke to was the franchisee obviously doing it tough. so we wanted to help you guys out.”

We greatly appreciate it too, that ultimately for us what’s kept us open is having people in the door and the extended stays during the brunt of the pandemic.
“It was the same situation for us and our company, we need customers to visit our business. But a big part of our decision, especially with a young family, was when I spoke to the property I got the feeling we would be looked after properly and that we wouldn’t have ring and consistently and need to check in. If my family were going to be stuck in the hotel while I am at work I wanted them to be comfortable. It’s funny getting to know the place, as we have we said to each other we should have moved over here!”

“Given Question one you that haven’t flown / left the state has there been much preparation for the next stage of your journey? What are some of the hurdles your facing given the situation pre pandemic is very different to now?”
“We are kind of limbo, but given we are Australian citizens moving to New Zealand we don’t face some of the barriers you would with visas. But now we just need permission / exemption to enter the country. There is a lot work that goes into the background to make that happen, but unfortunately, we are kind of in a no mans land situation. My company is supporting me through as its beyond my control.”

“With moving to New Zealand, how much is health and safety going to be on fore front of your mind going into your next place of housing.”
“It’s the number one thing on my mind in the sense that we made a decision that my family will stay in Australia and ill commute back & forth until boarders ease and everything is ok. The positive thing is outside of Australia; New Zealand is one of the safest places. Given their immediate action & vigilance towards the pandemic. I’m not concerned about exposure to it specifically, I’m more concerned about if there is another wave in Australia or boarders change and its harder to get back. I’m more worried about boarders closing down a second time.”

“Given your relocation is little bit different as your already in Australia but coming into North Sydney what are some the changes you recognised in placed due to the COVID Pandemic?”
“I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels around the world & the differences I noticed coming into Quest North Sydney were all the measures that were needed to be in place were there the lines on the ground, sanitiser stations and gym being closed. But we realised subconsciously that everything was being done. We even had a conversation before hand about what precautions Quest North Sydney was taking. The key factor was the hotel not having any COVID patients inhouse and what would happen if you did. It put my mind at rest that if was to happen Quest had an action plan in place to shift us. We noticed it all in a subconscious way, I didn’t think it was over the top or under done it felt right and made us feel comfortable” “I go back to my original comments that I always enjoy working with people who have skin in the game, it was important to me to know that if I ring I know its going to get sorted as its your business and I’m not just talking to an employee that’s there to punch the clock & this was reflective when we arrived”

“How much is safety going to be on the agenda for your future travel? Have you had to change much in the way of company policy towards relocations?”
“100% safety is paramount, it’s the number one thing whether is travel, lifestyle or health but as the situation changes so do the policies. As a single traveller and to a country that’s consider relatively safe I’m going to be naturally not as concerned as have been when I arrived in North Sydney with my family. But again will still take similar precautions I took before moving in with Quest North Sydney. This is a key factor into the next hotel we select”

“I noticed particularly this week that there was a sense of optimism and positivity about people when they came to check in & return to work & travel. Have you noticed anything similar within your organisation currently and do you feel people looking to get back to work?”
“We are eager but cautious, like any organisation we are taking a cautious approach. We are always following the governments guidelines and federal health department best recommendations, I feel this won’t change for some time. We won’t take any unnecessary risks, but people now have a lot more choice whether its working from home or coming into the office.”