Construction of the new Armidale SerVies Motel is progressing on schedule and the freshly appointed managers started two weeks ago.
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SerVies CEO Scott Sullivan said he wants to make sure that all aspects of the business are 4.5 stars when it opens in January 2022.
"It's a lot of planning and preparation to open - it's not just having a building finished," he said.
"We must also thank the Rice Construction Group for keeping us on schedule given a wet winter and COVID-19 interruptions - they've done a great job."
The new $7 million business has been heralded as a turning point for economic confidence in the city and will have 32 rooms, all with views overlooking the creeklands. The earthworks were completed in December 2020, and the 12 month build began in January.
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New managers Rhonda and Dave Gibbons moved to Armidale from Sydney nearly a decade ago so Rhonda could take up a strategic role at the university but they have spent the last five years working in motel management.
"We've been doing relief management in Queensland, Victoria and NSW," Mrs Gibbons said.
"But our family is here and we wanted to return because Armidale is now home for us."
Mr Sullivan said the model was always to have a husband and wife team to make the family motel more welcoming and the appointment was made through an interview process.
"The Gibbons' years of experience, the fact they know our community and were Armidale residents made them right for the role," he said.
Since taking on management of the SerVies Motel earlier this month, the couple have been 'costing up' and 'getting all the inclusions ready to go'.
"We're actually doing the room inventories now - we're not just sitting here waiting for January to arrive," Mrs Gibbons said.
Most inclusions, furniture and fittings are not only Australian but they have mostly been sourced through local retailers, the couple said.
"There is nothing on our inventory list which is not Australian, we are not importing from anywhere and most of it is sourced from local companies," Mrs Gibbons said.
Interacting with guests and meeting people on a regular basis is what appeals most to the Gibbons about the industry.
"We just love it, we absolutely love it," Mrs Gibbons said
"We certainly have come from a service culture and we have both been in trade. Dave is a retired builder and I started out as a hairdresser - so service culture is in my DNA."
The property is poised to take advantage of the pent up travel demand after nearly two years of lockdowns, and Mr Sullivan said he is confident the motel has enough capacity to cater for it.
"We did a fair bit of research around the number of rooms needed and we feel it is big enough," he said.
"It's big enough to host a coach and it's big enough for what the town needs. We didn't want to oversupply the community."
The business model for the multimillion dollar investment also factored in providing accommodation for Armidale conference bookings and according to Mr Sullivan there is already strong enquiry.
"Our SerVies function team have already accepted a tentative booking for a three day event in February and are now just waiting to confirm," he said.
"As well as boosting the club's business the plan was always to bring more business to Armidale."
It is envisaged up to 15 people will eventually gain employment within the motel and the club itself. Once the build is complete the Gibbons will live on the premises.
"Managing a motel is a 24/7 role," Mrs Gibbons said.
"That's why the job really needs to be done by a couple."
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