The Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Kassel, Germany is the recipient of the Ultimate Service Award in Europe. It was voted for by business and leisure travellers around the world who were invited to nominate the hotel that they believe offers exceptional levels of service and is willing to go that extra mile.
Analysis of the nominations shows that ‘staff attitude and customer service’ were the main reasons for nominating a hotel with two-thirds (65 per cent) of travellers stating that this was their primary reason for voting.
Stuart Scher, Chairman, Taylor Nelson Sofres Leisure and Hospitality commented: “It is clear that in order to meet and exceed customer expectations hotels must put time and effort into employing, developing and retaining good, service-focused staff. And this means ensuring employees are given a sense of security in tough economic times. We’ve always known that it’s not enough just to provide excellent facilities or a comfortable atmosphere, but now we have thousands of consumers confirming this.”
The Ultimate Service Award is the first global award to recognise and reward outstanding service in the hotel industry and received over 2,500 nominations from 128 countries across the world.
Recipients of the Ultimate Service Award in each of the eight regions are:
Africa: Sheraton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Asia: Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Isles: Sheraton Four Points, Sydney, Australia
Central America and Caribbean: Joint winners were Hotel Cariblue, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and JW Marriott, Mexico City, Mexico
Indian Sub-Continent and Ocean: Kandalama Hotel, Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Middle East: Ritz Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
North America: Double Tree, Minneapolis, USA
South America: Hotel Sofitel, Bogota, Columbia
Hans Lindh, Director of Lodging Industry at American Express commented: Hotels have always existed in a service orientated culture and as the recipients of this year's Awards have clearly demonstrated, success is achieved when a hotel's employees focus on the detail that makes a customer's stay an ultimate experience.”
Philip Lawrie, Director, Hotel and Commercial Distribution, CNN International, said: “Service is a vital element of a hotel’s commercial success regardless of it’s size, standing or location.”
The winners were presented with a crystal sculpture created by Villeroy and Boch at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin yesterday. For a full listing of the Award recipients please go to www.cnn.com/hotels.
The Award is an independent initiative in partnership with CNN Partner Hotels, American Express and Taylor Nelson Sofres Hospitality and Leisure. It is backed by a supervisory panel of the world’s top global hoteliers*.
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