A six-star resort has been forced to shut down its restaurant and renowned buffets after a mass walkout of anti-vaxxer staff in the lead up to Christmas.
The Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast, Queensland’s highest-rated resort when it opened in 2000, has been a magnet for controversy in recent years.
In recent weeks the situation has escalated, with staff quitting, the famous Christmas buffet falling over, and guests complaining about poor service.
Some staff were also accused of refusing to wear face masks when on the clock, while others offered unwanted Covid conspiracy rants to stunned guests.
A Versace insider said the resort is on its knees, with many workers refusing to be vaccinated.
The Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast, initially touted as Queensland’s first six-star resort, has been forced to shut down its restaurant and renowned buffets following a mass walkout of anti-vaxxer staff leading into Christmas
Staff are leaving in droves, and others are offering unwanted Covid conspiracy rants to stunned guests (pictured, the famed buffet)
Many visitors and guests in recent years have criticised the Gold Coast hotel for a not being as glamorous as it projects
A former employee claimed morale was at an all-time low at the high-end hotel where some rooms can cost more than $3,000 a night.
‘Its been getting more and more run down and the staff that are there are getting asked to do more for less,’ the ex-staffer told The Courier Mail.
‘It’s such a shame because everyone had worked so hard to get everything back up to high standards after the lockdowns and they’ve just destroyed the hotel in a matter of months.’
The famed Vanitas restaurant will not reopen until early 2022, and Versace has job openings for a chef, banquet staff, and other catering roles.
The traditional Christmas Day banquet in the grand ballroom, which was completely booked out, was also recently cancelled.
Palazzo Versace in response claimed some staff departures were overdue.
‘Many hotels are actively hiring, and our recruitment is focused on attracting new talent,’ it said.
‘We remain committed to providing world class service to our guests, and look forward to sharing the many exciting changes on the horizon in the new year.’
Previous celebrity guests at the ritzy hotel include American rapper Snoop Dogg, actor Johnny Depp, and model Tammy Hembrow.
In May, Jane Kingston was the latest general manager to resign, following four others who quit the job dating back to 2014.
‘Never in my life have I experienced such venomous and vociferous attacks from other human beings, where you just stop and think, “Is this for real?”’ Ms Kingston previously told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Anybody else who wasn’t strong would have gone and committed suicide, that’s how bad the attacks [on me] were. It’s disgraceful.’
The famed Vanitas restaurant Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast will not reopen until early 2022, and the hotel (pictured) have current openings for a chef, banquet and other catering roles.
The traditional Christmas Day banquet, which was completely booked out, was also recently cancelled by Palazzo Versace
The property doubles as a hotel-resort and a home for condominium owners on the Gold Coast
Palazzo Versace has 200 five-star hotel rooms but also more than 70 condominiums.
Issues between residents and the owner have plagued the hotel-resort since it was bought by China’s Zou family through its Dong Run Group from local developers Sunland Group in 2012.
Earlier this year, a series of damning TripAdvisor reviews of the establishment were highlighted by Daily Mail Australia, echoing a regular complaint by visitors, guests and travel industry specialists.
Many felt Palazzo Versace’s original ‘six-star’ status was no longer justified because upkeep, maintenance and renovation of its facilities had fallen behind.
‘Whilst we were trying to enjoy our food, a bird excreted faeces above us which went straight through the top of our cabana and all over ourselves and our food,’ one reviewer wrote.
Another reviewer said using the hotel pool was ‘like swimming in the Parramatta River’, partly because a family of ducks had taken over and left droppings.
The resort’s expensive-looking grounds are favoured by influencers such as Tammy Hembrow
US rapper Snoop Dogg posing next to a fruit platter during a stay at Palazzo Versace
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