Chambers fine-dining restaurant now has a modern, clean design with a wide stairway entrance from the south-end carpark leading to double doors into an enclosed lobby area; a small fish pond and water feature is due for completion next to this entrance. The dining-room now has a gently curved white ceiling, halogen downlights, charcoal and olive-green feature wall decor and new bar/service area. A projector mounted in the ceiling will be used to create lighting effects for varied ambience on the tall white partitioned screen that dominates the feature wall. Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass sliding doors look out onto a wide under-cover verandah providing opportunities for outdoor dining.
Chambers and its lobby now connect to the new indoor-outdoor café with its gum leaf-green corrugated iron roof and latte-coloured bagged exterior walls. The spacious interior continues the charcoal décor with timber parquet flooring, woven cane furniture and an espresso and food service counter. A deep verandah area wraps around the café and offers tables and chairs; the venue has already proved popular with students socializing over a light lunch and coffee.
The in-ground swimming pool surrounds have been expanded and covered with non-slip all-weather material, while the old fencing has been replaced with an attractive slim-line metal fence to create a pleasant poolside recreation area with deck-chairs, sun-umbrellas, outdoor tables and chairs and potted palms.
The new wing with the library downstairs and student recreation rooms upstairs was also completed by mid-March. The spacious library has a modern sleek librarian’s desk and offers more room than previously for bookshelves and study areas with a separate seminar/private studyroom adjoining. The windows look out onto the courtyard and the Hoy Lake gardens and admit ample natural light.
Upstairs the extensive student recreation area features pistachio-green and ochre-red feature walls and commands views over the courtyard. The area includes vending machines, tub-chairs and lounges, billiard tables, table tennis table, tabletop soccer, a new air hockey table as well as a TV and DVD player lounge with overhead projector. This wing connects to the expanded two-storey accommodation wing with 15 additional twin student rooms all with ensuites and the new enlarged laundry room and housekeeping office on the ground floor.
At the northern Hoy Lake end of the campus all academic staff have now been relocated to centralised staff offices connected by a widened corridor and the Principal/CEO has his own large private office and meeting room opening onto a sunny courtyard. The old recreation room has been turned into a spacious classroom with large picture window, called the Hoy Lake Room. Stage Two of the building works - completion of staff offices and the construction of the main entrance, lobby, front office and VIP guest lounge areas opposite Fitzroy Road - is currently in the planning phase.
The Blue Mountains Hotel School has issued its new prospectus for 2006/07 entitled “Your Journey To Success”. This brings information about the school up to date with its new higher education awards - the Diploma of Food and Beverage Management and the Associate Degree in Hotel and Resort Management - which dovetail with the third year of the Bachelor of Commerce (Hospitality and Tourism Management) conferred from UNE.
The new prospectus also covers other important initiatives for BMHS such as the Career Development Program (student-focused coaching and preparation for industry placement and long-term career planning), the Industry Stars Program (key consultants from industry providing insights into latest technologies, systems and practices to staff and students), and the ORION hotel schools global alliance representing a network of six leading tourism and hospitality educators worldwide including BMHS’ new partner school in Canberra, the Australian International Hotel School (AIHS).
“The new-look prospectus reflects the School’s growing maturity and confidence as an institution,” says Ms Laurie Jackson, Vice Principal, Marketing and Recruitment, “It offers a fresh new perspective on the School’s courses, life on campus and worldwide partnerships with an emphasis on our strong links and reputation in industry. An exciting new fold-out section features some of our 3,000 graduate success stories around the world while key international industry players give their views on what the future holds.”
With the decision to speed up the campus building works program by including the complete refurbishment of Chambers fine-dining restaurant and the construction of a new indoor-outdoor cafe in Stage One, the Leura campus is transformed as the new facilities approach completion.
