Auckland hotels and executives made a clean sweep of the 2015 New Zealand Hotel Industry Awards, winning all four awards.
The winners were announced at the New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference gala dinner in Auckland last night.
“This year’s awards attracted a record number of entrants and the competition was fierce,” says Sally Attfield, Hotels Sector Manager for the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), which co-hosts the awards with Horwath HTL.
“Our three individual winners all go above and beyond the call of duty. They span the generations and reflect the depth of talent in our valuable hotel sector, which bodes well for the future. Our environmental award winner really sets the bar for New Zealand hotels when it comes to minimising its environmental footprint.”
The 2015 New Zealand Hotel Industry Award winners:
- Outstanding Young Executive Award sponsored by ServiceIQ
Sam Swaffield, Operations Manager, Crowne Plaza Auckland
- Senior Hotel Executive Award sponsored by ReserveGroup
Paul Columbus, General Manager, Novotel Auckland Airport
- Hotel Industry Environmental Initiative Award sponsored by Greenfield
The Langham, Auckland
- Hotel Industry Achievement Award
John Farrell, Area Director Sales and Marketing, Accor New Zealand and South Pacific, Auckland
Horwath HTL Director Stephen Hamilton says the winners are inspirational and set a benchmark of excellence for the sector.
“New Zealand hotels operate in an extremely competitive international environment. Continually improving the experience we offer domestic and international visitors is vital if we are to achieve the tourism industry’s Tourism 2025 goal of almost doubling annual tourism revenue to $41 billion by 2025.”
The hotel sector is a major contributor to New Zealand’s tourism industry, with more visitors staying in hotels than any other commercial accommodation.
