A life in hospitality.
From a dairy farm in County Cork to a life in Australian hospitality, Will has always been drawn to the people who make a place feel welcoming.
Will co-founded Alloggio with his wife, Karen Howard. He remains curious about places, ideas and what people can build together.
The places and people along the way.
Will grew up working on his family’s farm and began helping at a local pub when he was eleven. The conversations there gave him an early sense of how a place can bring people together.
A visit to Australia in 2000 led to work with the Roche family at Hunter Valley Gardens. Years later, an ageing motel in Newcastle opened a path into accommodation. Will and Karen co-founded Alloggio in 2015. They have built it alongside many people who bring their own care and experience to the work.
Places hold memories
Will co-founded Alloggio with his wife, Karen Howard. He remains curious about places, ideas and what people can build together.
Growth carries responsibility
When a local business joins Alloggio, it brings the trust of owners, guests, teams and communities. Will sees that trust as something to look after.
community
Taking part in the wider conversation.
Will has contributed to discussions about regional tourism, local recovery and short-stay accommodation alongside others in the industry. These are some of the public records of that work.
Regional tourism in the Hunter
As chair of Tourism Hunter, Will worked with others to advocate for a stronger visitor economy and more sustainable support for regional tourism. Read the reporting.
Newcastle’s COVID response
Will represented tourism on the City of Newcastle taskforce, bringing local evidence and industry concerns into recovery discussions. Read the council report.
Newcastle’s COVID response aShort-stay policy
Will gave evidence as part of ASTRA’s contribution to a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into housing and short-stay accommodation. See the hearing record.
Good partnerships start with listening.
Will enjoys working with people who care about the places and businesses they have built. He begins by understanding what matters to them, being honest about what is possible, and leaving room for local people to lead.
Alloggio works with property owners, local accommodation businesses and industry partners across Australia and New Zealand. More about the business and its services is available on the Alloggio website.
Still curious.
Will keeps a strong connection to Ireland and values the life he and Karen have made in Australia. Away from work, he enjoys sport, reading and conversations that wander somewhere unexpected.
He serves on the board of The Ireland Funds Australia, connecting his Irish roots with work that supports communities in both countries.