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Whitsundays resort gets new name and new GM

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Whitsundays resort gets new name and new GM
The InterContinental Hayman Island Resort has rebranded and appointed a new general manager following the departure of Arpad Romandy.

The private island resort will now be known as InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef, tying the property more closely to its World Heritage-listed surroundings in the Whitsundays.

“We’re thrilled to embark on this next chapter,” said Kayte Staraj, InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef’s new general manager, who joined the resort last month.

“The rebrand is more than just a name change – it’s a commitment to delivering extraordinary experiences, where guests can discover luxury, relaxation and adventure at the frontier of the awe-inspiring Great Barrier Reef.”

Staraj joins IHG Hotels & Resorts from Accor, where she was general manager at Sofitel Brisbane Central since March 2021. She has also held GM positions at other Accor properties including the Novotel and Mercure Darwin Airport and Novotel Brisbane.

Romandy left the resort to become general manager of The Langham, Gold Coast.

IHG took over the management of the Hayman Island resort from Emirates One&Only, who departed the property after Cyclone Debbie came through the Whitsundays in 2017.

The hotel reopened as an InterContinental, after $135 million in renovations and refurbishments, in July 2019. It offers exclusive use of its 168 rooms and 12 private pavilions on the beach, as well as options for smaller groups.

Alongside indoor event spaces which can accommodate up to 400 in theatre, the resort offers plenty of outdoors spaces for events and dinners by the pool, on the beach and in the lush tropical gardens which surround the resort’s buildings.

The resort also offers various activities suitable for groups in and around the island and, in a new development, a donation is made to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation on behalf of every business events group that visits the island.