Louise Myer, owner of the Whare Kea Lodge & Chalet in New Zealand. Source: Supplied
The B&B Wanulla in Toowoomba. Picture: Judith Elen Source: Supplied
Ayutthaya-born chef Nu Suandokmai is turning out homely dishes at the Senyai restaurant in Sydney. Picture: Fiora Sacco Source: Supplied
Pure Fiji Hydrating Multi Active Serum, 30ml, $69.95; Original Satchel Store Clutch, 85 pounds sterling; Royal VKB Slow Cooker, $169.90 Source: Supplied
MOST of us do it. We pilfer shampoos, milled soaps and quality tea bags from hotel bathrooms and ship cabins. But hoteliers reckon filling your suitcase with the contents of the bar fridge, taking the $250 binoculars from your guest suite and "borrowing" the Bose sound system is taking things a bit too far.
When hotelier Joost Heymeijer opened the glamorous Emirates-owned Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa northwest of Sydney nearly four years ago, the last thing he expected he'd have to deal with was pilfering - even though he had research showing more than 90 per cent of guests take items from their hotel suite.
"[But] to my big surprise we do get this problem," Heymeijer says. "Anything that is not bolted on to the wall or the floor has the potential to walk."
To be clear, the Wolgan Valley housekeeping team doesn't have a problem with guests taking soaps and shampoos, but it's another matter when they "borrow" the room's shoehorns, towels, umbrellas, robes, coathangers, ashtrays and the $550 Huon pine wombats that sit on your bedside table and are used to indicate whether you want your bed linen changed.
They are also not that impressed with those who take the entire contents of the bar fridge - even if it is included in the rather hefty tariff.
"I am a hands-on general manager. When I drove some guests to their car and lifted their bags, I noticed the bags were very heavy and there were lots of clinking sounds," Heymeijer says. "These guests had cleaned out the mini-bar, taking the Cokes, white wine, beer, etc.
The mini-bar is inclusive, so I could not say anything."
And it's not just the bar fridge contents that tend to go walkabout. "Sometimes people go for long walks and we will give them a backpack and good quality LED flashlights, and they [take them away]." So how does Heymeijer deal with it? He calls the guests on their return home and asks if they would like to pay for the "borrowed" item. "I am not afraid to charge."
The French Accor group also cops its fair share of pilfering. But it is about to institute a scheme that will be familiar to those who have travelled to France and the US. Bar codes will be attached to mini-bar products and also to towels. If they are taken by guests, the cost will be charged to their account.
In good news for those who like popping the odd Hermes or L'Occitane toiletry into their bag, Accor accepts that and prices it into the room rate.
Has Wolgan Valley Resort's Heymeijer ever taken anything from a hotel room? "Depending on the quality of hotel, I will take a cake of soap or shampoos. But [those items] are there to be taken."
THE INSIDERS
Louise Myer Owner, Whare Kea Lodge And Chalet
STAY: Whare Kea Lodge & Chalet
A haven away from city life in the delightful resort town of Wanaka on New Zealand's South Island, with breathtaking views; wharekealodge.com.
EAT: Francesca's Pizzas
The wood-fired pizzas from this mobile trailer based in Brownston Street are the best in New Zealand - and they deliver; francescaspizzas.com.
SEE: Rippon Vineyard
One of Central Otago's celebrated wineries, with a striking rammed-earth and timber tasting room, it has fabulous views and runs an annual outdoor sculpture exhibition and a biennial music concert; rippon.co.nz.
WILDERNESS ESCAPE: Siberia Experience
The South Island is all about adventure and this experience will immerse you in the most spectacular scenery, from mountains and glaciers to valleys and rainforests. It involves a flight in a light aircraft to the remote Siberia Valley, then a three-hour walk through beech forest and a jetboat ride back; siberiaexperience.co.nz.
SHOP: Racers Edge
I always buy a few pieces of outdoor clothing or gear here. The owner, Shaker, is a great friend and he stocks selected international products to complement his New Zealand range; racersedge.co.nz.
STOCK UP: The Mediterranean Wholesale Market
This establishment sells superb local produce, as well as selected imported foods. Outside the main shopping precinct, this market is off the tourist radar; 50 Reece Cres; +64 3 443 4181.
ESCAPE: Kayaking on Makarora River
The ideal escape is getting away from people and technology and this guided kayak trip to the Makarora River's spectacular Blue Pools and gorge is perfect for that. You stop to fish in glacial water so clear you can see the trout, although that doesn't mean they are easy to catch; alpinekayaks.co.nz.
INDULGE: Aspiring Helicopters
This company offers a fabulous flight through the Southern Alps to Fiordland and the West Coast, which includes landing on the beach and on the glaciers - the contrast is mind-blowing. The tour ends with a high alpine picnic and walk; aspiringhelicopters.co.nz.
HOME AND AWAY
TOOWOOMBA, southeast Queensland's regional hub for business, farming and education on the Darling Downs, is preserving the memory of its Scottish settlers in the Caledonian Estate, now a heritage district with a 23-point, self-guided walk. B&B Wanulla, a gracious family home with one queen-bed ensuite guestroom (more accommodation plans are afoot), nestles in cottage gardens here, beside Queens Park. Wanulla is gracious in every sense, with discreet antique furnishings, artworks and broad iron-lace trimmed veranda. Owners Margaret and Steve Savage are gentle perfectionists. Breakfast, indoors or on the veranda, starts with staples - bircher muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit, local preserves, warm toast in a basket on a napkin-topped, terracotta hot-stone and the national and local morning papers, all of which is laid on a side table detailed with silver and starchy lace. There is also a cooked-to-order menu. A house key is provided for guests' private comings and goings. More: bandbwanulla.com.au.
Judith Elen
T&I LOVES
BLINK and you could miss Regent Place, between Sydney Town Hall and the Event Cinemas complex, on the corner of Bathurst and George streets. The precinct has developed as a bustling Asian food quarter, with eateries including Tenkomori ramen house, Chanoma Cafe (Sydney's first matcha teahouse) and Vietnamese tuckshop MissChu alongside Regent Place stalwart Chef's Gallery, while izakaya-style bar Yebisu opens this month. In particular, T&I loves Senyai, which offers authentic Thai cuisine served within a traditional teak house salvaged from rural Thailand. Ayutthaya-born chef Nu Suandokmai (pictured) is turning out delicious homely dishes - highlights include sausages in northeast Thai style, lemongrass-marinated chargrilled chicken and a decadent roti with condensed milk. More: regentplace.com.au; senyai.com.au.
Michelle Rowe
ACCESSORY
Original Satchel Store Clutch, £85
THE British-based Original Satchel Company specialises in handcrafted leather satchels. The new unisex Clutch design features a sturdy handle, detachable strap and magnetic fasteners. It comes in saddle brown or vibrant colours such as rouge red (pictured), with monogramming at extra cost. More: originalsatchelstore.co.uk.
Sharon Fowler
ON THE BENCH
Royal VKB Slow Cooker, $169.90
WITH autumn near, thoughts turn to comfort food, and this handsome slow-cooker made from terracotta and silicone is the business. Ingredients go in the bowl, the lid is popped on and the lot goes in the oven to steam. More: hardtofind.com.au.
Michelle Rowe
ON THE ROAD
Pure Fiji Hydrating Multi Active Serum, 30ml, $69.95
PURE Fiji has branched out from fruit and plant-based body products to a skincare line of cleansers, toners, scrubs, moisturisers and day creams featuring botanical ingredients sourced from Fijian communities. Described as "practically a facelift in a bottle" and aimed at boosting hydration and reducing wrinkles, the multi-active serum contains dilo and beach almond leaf, virgin coconut oil and plant extracts in a travel-friendly pump pack. More: store.purefiji.com/aus.
Susan Kurosawa
BEST DEALS
TO celebrate its refurbishment, Adelaide's 93-year-old Mercure Grosvenor Hotel is offering rooms for $93 a night from April 1 to September 30. Book between March 19 and 22 to secure the deal. More: (08) 8407 8888; accorhotels.com.
GREEN PIECES
PAN Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort and the Turtle Conservation and Education Centre release baby sea turtles into the ocean every Friday; guests pay about $20 to "adopt" a turtle and visits are also on offer to a hatchery. More: +62 361 815 900.
APT APP
HONG Kong Tourism Board has a Discover Hong Kong app using augmented reality technology; as your phone's camera scans its surroundings, the app recognises sites and buildings and provides directions and details. More: discoverhongkong.com.
WEB WISE
ESTABLISHED in 2008, ibooknow.com bills itself as a "one-stop destination" for discounted hotels, car hire and exclusive promotional pricing; unlike many accommodation sites, all service fees and booking charges are included up-front.
OPEN BOOK
'ALL day the coast was in sight - a long line of low mountains, indistinguishable from the pale clouds that hung above it. No one could tell me where the Sudan ended and Ethiopia began, but at 5.40pm we were approaching Massawah and a crimson sun slid quickly out of sight behind the high plateau of Abyssinia.'
DERVLA MURPHY IN ETHIOPIA WITH A MULE (1968)
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