He may be the general manager of one of Newcastle's hottest accommodation properties, but QT Newcastle boss Michael Stamboulidis knows his business cannot succeed on its own.
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When discussing the broad subject of tourism in the city, Stamboulidis is quick to sing the praises of other Newcastle hospitality operators - like Earp Distilling Company, and Scottie's fish restaurant, and permanently-cool waterfront cafe Estabar.
Raised on Sydney's Northern Beaches, he's the kind of newcomer Newcastle needs to lift its game. He sees possibilities, and brings a suitcase full of can-do optimism to the scene.
Stamboulidis did not move to Newcastle on a forced corporate transfer - he got on board parent company EVT's QT Newcastle project long before the first nail was hammered.
QT Newcastle, the 104-room boutique hotel created through the renovation of the 100-plus-years-old David Jones building on Hunter Street in Newcastle's East End as part of developer Sam Arnaout's $700million Iris Capital urban renewal project, was recently named Best Regional Superior Hotel for 2023 in the NSW Accommodation Awards for Excellence.
The hotel only opened in June 2022, but created an immediate impact with the QT's exceptional reputation for personal service, innovative design and fun.
A year later, business is solid despite a difficult economy.
"July finished well above forecast due to a large number of conference and events held in the city of Newcastle," Stamboulidis says. "We saw over 1000 delegates across the month with requests for accommodation and dining out.
"The forecast from September onwards is looking very positive in particular for Newcastle. The volume of large conference and events coming to town in October and November will deliver two very strong months for the tourism and hospitality industry, and were ready for it!"
Stamboulidis was on board with QT Newcastle from August 2021, enabling him to be involved in every step of its evolution. Working at the QT Melbourne, he sought the QT Newcastle general manager's job from the moment he heard about the project.
He knows every one of the Newcastle rooms - no two rooms in the hotel are exactly the same. He was involved in the menu creation, the hiring of staff - he knows the place inside out. He was even answering calls months in advance from clients who wanted to book one of the QT's dog-friendly rooms.
"I'd love to keep visitors here [in the QT] for three days," he says in a conversation about Newcastle's tourism potential, "but you're not doing Newcastle justice. There are so many - Scottie's is one of my favourite places. You know the prawn pancake they do, have you tried it?
"It's not about trying to keep people in your four walls, it's about showcasing. Dinner here, cocktail upstairs, go to Scottie's and have lunch, go to Scratchleys and have a cracking dinner. It's just about being more open."
His positivity is infectious. He talked hatted Newcastle chef Shayne Mansfield into coming to work as executive chef at the hotel. His new restaurant and bar manager, Ally McLean, worked at another hotel in Newcastle, but she enjoyed the spirit of the QT so much as a customer she applied for a job so she could be part of it.
Stamboulidis says QT Newcastle has retained 70 per cent of the pre-opening staff from 2022. "This is no easy feat," he says, "and I put this down to the culture of my senior and wider teams advocate, live and breathe."
The hotel employs 85 staff, but expects to grow to more than 110 by this summer.
Stamboulidis has bet heavily on Newcastle blossoming into a must-visit city for tourists from not only Sydney, but all of Australia and points offshore.
So far, so good.
As for lifestyle, it's been a good move for Stamboulidis on that front, too.
"My wife, Nicolette, is my rock," he says. "She also works in the tourism and hospitality industry which makes dinner table conversations interesting to say the least. The twinkle In our eye is our son, Ocean. He is turning a year old in two weeks. Since relocating to Newcastle, we have called Kotara South home. It's a fantastic neighbourhood, lovely street, and even better neighbours."
Stamboulidis recently took over as chairperson of the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group (NTIG), a hospitality-industry driven entity which fully backs the Newcastle Destination Management Plan, an industry-and-government strategy that outlines in fine detail what the city needs to do to increase the economic output of its tourism industry.
"While there's much to celebrate in this industry, we also need to create a supportive environment for the sector to continue to grow and flourish," Stamboulidis says. "With almost 5000 jobs and an economic output of close to a billion dollars we are a crucial part of the local economy."
Stamboulidis's optimism about Newcastle's future as a tourist destination is boundless. But from where he is standing, both in terms of running a high-end hotel and so quickly becoming an active player in hospitality politics, it feels like a sure thing.
"I don't think the locals even understand that it is about to boom.
"The economy, the visitation, the airport expansion - that's the biggest thing," he says. "If you open up a gateway where people can travel to and from freely, interstate and international, there's your tourism and there's your base right there.
"That to me is the biggest game-changer, the airport."
In July Prime Minister Anthony Albanese turned sod on Newcastle Airport's new $110million upgrade, including an international terminal, with completion expected by the end of 2024. The reality of international flights full of tourists coming to Australia with Newcastle as their first destination is near.
"It just shows you the importance of Newcastle," Stamboulidis says. "And think, because it is such a working-class town, you've got a working-class harbour, which is super unique. You've got more cruise ships wanting to dock here. The airport going up. The fast train. These things will take time, but it's all boosting that, the narrative around Newcastle and what it's about to become."
Closer to home, Stamboulidis is excited about the completion of Stage 2 of Iris Capital's East End development later this year (the QT is the anchor of Stage 1) and plans for stages 3 and 4, which won't be far behind. All up, it could mean 4000 new residents at the QT's doorstep.
Those East End apartments mean more local customers for the QT's already-popular ground floor bar and restaurant (seating 120) and Rooftop bar (100 capacity). And more retail establishments, giving his hotel clients more options, and more reasons to visit Newcastle.
I just think the development which is about to take place, even locals can't comprehend it.
- QT Newcastle boss Michael Stamboulidis
"I just think the development which is about to take place, even locals can't comprehend it," the bullish Stamboulidis says of what's to come.
The Newcastle Destination Management Plan, created to run through 2025, outlines several key actions that are needed, including more major events and improved sporting, entertainment and cultural infrastructure.
The plan's forecast visitation modelling estimates that Newcastle will attract an additional 1.83million visitors annually by 2028, comprised of an additional 757,300 daytrip visitors, 1.01million overnight visitors and 159,144 international visitors.
It also notes deep in the discussion: "whilst online perception and conversations relating to Newcastle were unique, the volume of conversations was significantly less than other comparison cities, highlighting that identity and awareness is a key issue".
The city is making an effort at branding, but the reality is that word of mouth may be the most powerful factor: if visitors have a great time here, the word will spread.
Stamboulidis is all about experiences - it's what his business trades in.
"If you want to attract the international or the interstate people, you need to have experiences ready, and 24/7," he says. "You can't have a restaurant and a bar close at 10pm. You have to have late at night entertainment.
"It's education. We're not trying to create more areas, just trying to create more entertainment. And entertainment is anything. It could be bars, it could be something on the water. It could be anything and everything. It could be health-related. It doesn't make a difference.
"There just needs to be a bit more flexibility and almost - not a greater voice, but a greater understanding
of what the common goal is, and what we are trying to achieve."
What does Newcastle look like to Stamboulidis - where does he see it positioned?
"It's got the charm of the Northern Beaches in Sydney. But it's got the inner city feeling of a Fitzroy in Melbourne," he says.
Thinking more about what drives visitors, Stamboulidis notes the high level of customer satisfaction with QT Newcastle through Google and TripAdvisor reviews.
"A lot of our guests who come through, they love our location. And they can already see the vision of what is to come.
"I think it just shows - unfortunately if you walk down Hunter Street right now, it looks a little bit derelict, emptied old buildings and shops. But give it six or 12 months when things start to come alive. It's going to really start thriving down here."
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