Hospitality Business Magazine

Senior managers appointed for new Auckland hotels

Pro-invest Hotels has announced the appointment of Fraser McKenzie to the role of Area General Manager, New Zealand and Sunny Goo, to the role of Hotel Manager, for both voco and Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre, two new hotels set to open this month.

Originally from Auckland, Fraser McKenzie’s new role will see him overseeing both voco Auckland City Centre and Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre. Fraser will also manage the brand’s growing New Zealand portfolio of properties, including the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown.

As an international hotelier who previously spent seven years in South East Asia and Japan with Accor Hotels, his most recent role was as Representative Director and General Manager in Swissotel Nankai Osaka, one of Osaka’s most prestigious properties and a Namba city icon, and Area Manager, Western Japan.

During his previous role as Area Manager Midscale & Economy Hotels in Thailand, Fraser oversaw Accor group hotels across Thailand from Bangkok to Koh Samui with specific responsibilities as Cluster General Manager for Novotel and ibis Bangkok IMPACT, the accommodation provider for South East Asia’s largest convention and exhibition facility IMPACT Exhibition, Meeting and Conference Centre and the IMPACT Tennis Academy.

“While I have spent a lot of time internationally, New Zealand is home for me and I am thrilled to be at the helm of both of these highly anticipated Pro-invest Hotel openings in 2022. It’s extremely exciting to be working with such an incredible team that consists of some of New Zealand’s best up and coming talent,” said McKenzie.

“I’m extremely proud of the team for working together to ensure the successful opening of these hotels during a difficult few months and am excited to be able to welcome visitors back to Auckland as part of the Auckland tourism recovery,” he said.

“voco Auckland City Centre and Holiday Inn Express City Centre are uniquely housed together, offering guests an elevated, crossover experience no matter which property they choose. The team and I are extremely excited to welcome travellers to New Zealand’s newest hotel destination.”

Meanwhile, Sunny Goo joins the team as Hotel Manager across both voco Auckland City Centre and Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre, two of Auckland’s most anticipated hotel openings.

Having spent the past ten years working with Accor in various roles, Sunny’s most recent position was as General Manager of Mercure Auckland Queen Street where she was part of the pre-opening team that launched the property.

Prior to that, she was the Executive Assistant Manager for Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa where she was part of the core executive team overseeing the renovation project from concept proposal to execution.

Sunny will head up both of the new hotels in Auckland, which mark the debut of the voco brand to New Zealand and an exciting new era of travel, offering diverse and differentiated stay experiences for both local and international visitors alike. Holiday Inn Express Auckland will be the second hotel from the globally-loved brand to open in New Zealand.

With 201 guest rooms, voco Auckland City Centre’s spacious interiors showcase the warm, signature style of the voco brand with indulgent bedding, stylish bathrooms and thoughtful amenities. Located within the same building, offering comfort and convenience, Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre has a purposeful and contemporary design creating a relaxed, warm environment from the lobby to the top floor and every space in between. The hotel boasts 294 well-appointed guest rooms featuring walk-in power showers, black-out blinds, an efficient work station and high-quality bedding with a choice of firm or soft pillows.