Wedding party kicked out of hotel with three days notice to make room for quarantining NRL teams

The couple whose wedding party has been displaced from a Sunshine Coast resort to make way for NRL teams has been identified.

A distressed bride has been forced to find new accommodation for herself and her family just three days before her wedding after being kicked out of a Novotel resort on the Sunshine Coast to make room for quarantining NRL teams.

Kathryn McDowall and Andrew Hettige had booked for 10 groups to stay at Novotel Twin Waters Resort for their wedding at Twin Waters Golf Club on the weekend.

The mother of the bride, Suzi, spoke to Neil Breen on 4BC Breakfast on Wednesday morning detailing the shocking treatment the family received from Novotel Twin Waters Resort at Maroochydore.

She said that the family had eight rooms booked months in advance as Kathryn was planning on getting married at the Twin Waters Golf Club.

A bride and her wedding party has had their accommodation at Novotel Twin Waters resort cancelled to make room for quarantining NRL teams.

But on Tuesday evening Kathryn’s brother, who was flying up from Melbourne for the wedding, received an email from the hotel.

“He called me to say that he had received an email from Novotel saying that our accommodation had been cancelled due to it becoming a quarantine hotel,” she said.

It has since been revealed that those quarantining are four NRL clubs – the Newcastle Knights, Penrith Panthers, Sydney Rooster and the Manley Sea Eagles.

Suzie said that when she called the hotel herself to confirm they had lost their booking, their response was simple: “yep”.

“We had eight rooms booked, and we’re all out,” she said.

“Even the bride and the groom are out.”

Kathryn McDowall and Andrew Hettige

As the family scrambled to secure new accommodation three days before the wedding, the mother and the bride have been separated as a result.

Suzie is now staying in accommodation at Marcoola, but the wedding and reception with over 70 guests remains at Twin Waters Golf Course.

“Obviously my money is not good enough and the NRL is more important,” she said.

Suzie said that the hotel later said she should be receiving an email sometime on Wednesday with the cancellation in writing, which she is still yet to receive.

Kathryn McDowall and Andrew Hettige

Kathryn McDowall and Andrew Hettige

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Queensland Foster and Kinship Care also said the Novotel Twin Waters Sunshine Coast Resort had informed it it could no longer host their conference at the end of July due to “alternate arrangements they (the hotel) have entered in to”.

“We realise this will have a significant impact on not only staff, but our wonderful Foster and Kinship Carers right across Queensland,” the hotel wrote.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles addressed the incident, saying “obviously there weren’t three empty resorts available” so it was an unfortunate reality some events would be displaced, but he urged the NRL to make every effort to find suitable replacement venues.

A representative from Novotel said that they were not able to comment.