Residents urged to back a local and book a staycation

With the travel and hospitality industries being decimated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the general manager of one Moreton Bay hotel is urging people to book a staycation closer to home.

While the number of tourists visiting Queensland is slowly rising, Best Western North Lakes Hotel General Manager Jeremy Kreft said he also relies on the support of locals to help keep his business afloat.

“During the recovery phase back to normal trade, we at North Lakes Hotel recognise the need for us to all pull together,” Mr Kreft said.

“Our employees are all local residents, because not only have they proven to be very dependable, but it keeps the money circulating locally which is important to us all.

“By supporting one another we are stronger and less prone to outside factors which we can’t control.”

Situated in the heart of North Lakes, and less than a half hour drive from the Brisbane CBD, Mr Kreft said the hotel offered a relaxing stay with all the creature comforts.

“We have 65 fully serviced rooms, including deluxe rooms, superior lake view rooms, executive suites, twin accessible rooms and standard apartments, suitable for all kinds of travelers,” he said.

“Whether you’re looking for one night away, a weekend, or a longer stay, we can cater for all your needs with a comfortable room with all the amenities you could need.

“We also have an onsite café serving up delicious meals, a great outdoor swimming pool to take a dip in, and a fully-equipped gym.”

The Boardwalk Café serves up a variety of meals including salads, burgers, pastas, steak, seafood, curries and desserts, as well as an extensive drinks menu, with an unrivalled view over the water.

“We aim to provide additional value to the local community who use our Boardwalk Café by buying local produce and rewarding locals for their support by running two loyalty programs,” Mr Kreft said.

“The most rewarding of these is our Birthday Club, whereby locals who are celebrating a birthday can eat for free, providing one meal is purchased.

“Daily specials featuring our delicious meals are available at prices well below many of our competitors – it’s just our way of saying we are local, and we are a small part of a larger local community whose support we sincerely value.”

The hotel also reduces the price on its conference and functions rooms for businesses and community groups to meet.

“We need the support of local business and to attract their attention we do our very best to give them the best deals we can – that way we encourage locals to think local first for any of their hospitality requirements,” Mr Kreft said.

Giving back to the community 

Despite the challenges the hotel has faced in the last two years, Mr Kreft said he was committed to supporting others who were also feeling the pinch.

“To date we have managed to collaborate with other locals by allowing them to use our commercial kitchen to bake fresh produce such as muffins and scones, as well as using the services of local producers who supply us with other baked cookies and biscuits,” he said.

“These products are then made available for local conference guests – a classic example of goods produced by locals for consumption by locals.

“We also work with local not-for-profit organisations across the board to help them raise much needed funds for their various charities by keeping our rates low or by providing sponsorships in many cases.

“Additionally, we also sponsor a wide variety of local sporting clubs including the North Lakes Eels and Queensland Off Road Racing, just to mention a few.”

Boosting the local economy 

With the philosophy of supporting locals, Mr Kreft is backing Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Back a Local campaign, which encourages locals to boost the local economy by eating, drinking, shopping, playing and spending money at businesses close to home.

As part of the campaign, Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Peter Flannery is asking everybody to think local next time they pull out their wallets.

“With more than 29,000 businesses in the Moreton Bay Region supporting 140,000 jobs, I ask the community to work together as part of ‘Team Moreton Bay’, to help shape our region into Queensland’s best place to live, work and play,” Mayor Flannery said.

“It’s our goal that the legacy and impacts of this campaign extend well beyond this campaign, and locals continue to back locals, well into the future.”

“As a local resident myself, I’m pledging to back a local business whenever I can in 2022, and I’m urging the community to join the cause.”

A number of resources are available on Council’s website, including printable Back a Local posters, allowing locals to show their support for the campaign.