New manager’s dreams of having Queenslanders ‘fall back in love’ with tropical island

A new general manager has vowed to turn the tide for one of Queensland’s top island destinations after it faced damning public scrutiny over staff shortages and poor service during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A new general manager has vowed to turn the tide for one of Queensland’s top island destinations which faced public scrutiny over staff shortages and poor service during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Brenden van Blerk has swapped his Sydney digs for the tropical paradise of Daydream Island where he plans to enhance the workforce and lead them out of a prickly period of border closures and restrictions.

Mr van Blerk, who developed and managed brands like Hilton and Marriott, had provided advice on revitalising the island before he was offered the role of general manager.

He said the pandemic meant Daydream was unable to reach its full potential after undergoing a $140 million renovation which was completed in late 2019.

“For me, that all screams great opportunity to reposition the asset and really bring it to market in a way it deserves and how it should have the first time around,” Mr van Blerk said.

Daydream Island resort in the Whitsundays. Picture: File

Daydream Island made headlines in 2021 after travellers claimed the price point did not match the product and again in January when services were reduced as island staff were forced into isolation.

Mr van Blerk said he considered the challenges the island had faced over the past two years, but wasn’t immune to adversity the tourism industry had faced given he had opened hotels across Australasia during the same period.

He hopes strategic partnerships with industry bodies, such as hotel schools and placement programs, will attract more skilled and passionate employees to the island to provide good service.

“It’s just about looking at our local workforce and we want to be known as an employer of choice but there’s a lot of work that goes into making that happen,” Mr van Blerk said.

“We’re starting that journey now and looking forward to where it goes.

“For example, we no longer have a human resources department but instead a people and culture team because for us it stems from having the right people and culture.

“Sometime you have to shake things up a bit to get to new opportunities.”

Brenden van Blerk has landed on Daydream Island with plans to lead the workforce out of the pandemic.

Mr van Blerk wouldn’t reveal current staff numbers or targets, but was working on “optimising what the workforce looks like based upon how busy the hotel is”.

Island management has turned its attention to southern parts of the island which “need a lot of love”, including an old resort.

Mr van Blerk said there was several projects in the works with stakeholders that were yet to be unveiled.

For the northern and revamped parts of the island, he said the work was in small and unseen touch points to make Daydream an effortless stay for guests.

“It’s nice to be able to steward the next phase of what the island gets to do,” Mr van Blerk said.

He brings 25 years of hotel experience to Daydream with key leadership roles at IHG properties including Director of Operations

Support and Franchise.

Mr van Blerk’s wife and children have remained in Sydney where they work and go to school, but look forward to visiting the island at every opportunity they get.

He said their recent visit allowed him to play tourist at the resort as a family.

Mr van Blerk hopes to use his own experiences and hotel background to transform Daydream into a top choice for families, couples and friends wanting a Whitsundays escape.

“If I think about what success looks like, we will have incredibly happy guests who will be our greatest brand assets, a local community which falls back in love with Daydream Island and we will be an employer of choice that people will be lining up to want to work for,” he said.