Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has bolstered its portfolio with the addition of Bokarina Beach Apartments on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to its Ascend Hotel Collection this month.
The beachside hotel is operated by franchisees, Chris and Olivia Taylor, who also operate First Light Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, and previously managed Hervey Bay’s Oceans Resort and Spa, both positioned within the Ascend brand.
Bokarina Beach Apartments features one-to-four-bedroom, well-equipped apartments housed within six residential towers, a growing range of retail outlets, cafes and restaurants at ground level, including Bocca by renowned local restaurateur, Tony Kelly.
“We’re delighted to welcome Bokarina Beach Apartments to the Ascend Hotel Collection,” said Choice Hotels Asia-Pac CEO Trent Fraser.
“With the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympics, the hotel is perfectly positioned to benefit from increased demand.
“Chris and Olivia have already seen success with First Light Mooloolaba, and we’re pleased they’ve chosen to expand within the Choice network.”
Fraser is confident Choice Hotels Asia-Pac’s suite of services will help drive scale and profitability for the business.
For Chris Taylor, it is important to have “a strategic partner with proven expertise to maximise exposure”.
“We knew it would align perfectly with the Ascend brand and we wanted the strong backing that Choice Hotels delivers to help us tap into new markets, accelerate our growth and get Bokarina on the map,” he said.
Olivia Taylor says First Light Mooloolaba has seen significant growth since partnering with Choice, referencing distribution capabilities, marketing reach and sales support.
“Revenue Management, in particular, has gone from strength to strength, with strategic channel evaluation and optimised pricing generating more returns for our hotel,” she said.
“It’s really about driving direct bookings. Choice makes that happen on a global scale,” Chris added.