Member Article

Hotel Awards set to be bigger than ever

AN annual awards ceremony, which honours the unsung heroes of the hotel industry, will be bigger than ever this year.

The fifth North East Hotel Association Excellence Awards 2016, which will be held at Hilton, Newcastle-Gateshead, on 25 February, has attracted a record number of entries from an increasing number of hotels in the region.

And along with 50 staff, shortlisted in 10 categories, the event itself will be attended by around 400 members of the hotel industry – reflecting the rising importance of the sector to the economy and GDP of the North East.

The awards, which reward individual staff members for their achievements, are organised by the North East Hotels Association and management committee member, Lisa Crocker, has watched them go from strength to strength.

“We first decided there was a need to recognise individual people, as opposed to venues, back in 2010,” she said, “but it was rather hard at first to get the backing of the industry.

“Now, the awards are the highlight of the hospitality sector’s calendar - and they have grown exponentially, as has the sector itself, of course.”

The North East Hotels Association (NEHA) is one of the biggest of its kind in England, comprising 43 of the best-known hotels, employing 3,400 people and influencing 11,400 jobs in the region.

“Offering 4,500 bedrooms and spending £70 million on purchasing goods and services, its contribution to the regional economy is considerable, said Lisa, general manager at the 128-bedroom Staybridge Suites, Buxton Street Newcastle.

“However, while the figures are mind blowing - hotel revenue in excess of £200m and a total economic footprint of £616m – they are not what the Excellence Awards celebrate.

“They celebrate the people who have made – and are making - the sector so successful, in roles that, very often, go unnoticed when praise is being handed out.

“The awards are about making everyone who works in the sector at any level feel treasured and special – from the housekeeping team, to the young apprentices – and the buzz in the industry as the ceremony grow near is almost tangible.

“On a broader level, the awards have also helped raise service standards and that is why they are important, not just to the sector, but to the region as a whole.”

The 50 shortlisted staff represent hotels across the region, including Newcastle’s New Northumbria Hotel, Jesmond Dene House, Vermont Hotel, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Newcastle Marriott Gosforth Park and Village Urban Resort; Seaham Hall; Rockliffe Hall, Darlington; the Middlesbrough Hotel; the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead; Matfen Hall, Northumberland and the Sunderland Marriott Hotel.

For more information visit www.nehotels.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lauren Hillary .