One of Queenstown’s longest-serving hoteliers is about to say ‘mā te wā’ to Queenstown, and ‘bula’ to Fiji.
Novotel Queenstown GM Jim Moore’s packing his bags to take up the role of ‘‘cluster GM’’ in Fiji late next month, where he’ll manage two
Novotels and a Mercure hotel, in Nandi and Suva.
He quips ‘‘Queenstown will be taking over’’, given former Queenstowner Vincent Macquet’s still Accor’s Fiji Islands area GM.
Moore, who’s been in Queenstown for 16 years, says the time’s right for him and wife, Sue, to make the most of the opportunity.
‘‘We love Queenstown, love the hotel, but … the kids have mostly gone … two will be overseas next year and a bit more independent, so it’s an opportunity [for us] to travel.
‘‘We talked about going overseas when we retire and living overseas for a while, I guess this gives us the opportunity to do it beforehand.’’
Moore, who’ll turn 60 next year, has spent 40 years in the hotel industry, working for Quality Hotels, THC Hotels and others, before opening SkyCity Auckland.
He joined Accor 26 years ago and has been a general manager for the past 24, starting with the opening of Novotel Hamilton.
After another stint in Auckland running Novotel Auckland Ellerslie and the Mercure, his family shifted south.
In Queenstown he’s been a huge contributor to the community — from year one he’s been on the Queenstown Resort College advisory board, he was a Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce board member for nine years and has been on the Destination Queenstown board for the past six.
Additionally, he’s helped raise almost $750,000 for child research charity Cure Kids through twice-annual ‘men’s luncheons’ and the annual Novotel Cure Kids Quiz — being held at the Queenstown Memorial Centre this coming Friday.
He also supports the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust, a charity in India, and already has connections to Fiji, where he’s done three ‘Race to Survive’ events.
‘‘We used to take 60-odd staff … up there and you do extreme makeovers of the hospital wards, some physical activities, but also community stuff.’’
Looking back on his time in the resort, Moore says he’ll be sad to leave his ‘‘amazing team’’, many of whom have been here longer than he has.
He’s also proud of the way the business, and his staff, coped through the Covid years.
‘‘Covid was incredibly tough for us and, actually, coming out of Covid was even harder with lack of staff.
‘‘It was particularly [tough] in 2022 — we seem to have broken that now.
‘‘I never thought when I arrived … I’d be the landlord for 65 staff, but that’s what we’ve had to do.’’
While Fiji might be the couple’s new home, Moore says they’ll keep Queenstown as their base and intend to retain their property.
‘‘We love Queenstown — we’ll be back at some point.’’
