THE hospitality industry can now bag an award for looking after their staff, with the launch of the 2009 Best Hotel Staff Accomodation Award at this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference held at the beginning of May.
Accordingly to AHIC co-organiser, Jonathan Worsley, the initiative is the result of a 50 strong advisory panel call to acknowledge and recognise the value and effort that hotel operators and developers put into looking after their staff in the region’s burgeoning hospitality sector.
“According to a survey by research company Proleads, the UAE will see the completion of 22 hotels in 2009 and 13 hotels in 2010, so we felt that the spotlight should focus on accommodation standards of the region’s hotels and not only that of the guest’s experience,” said Worsley.
The award scheme also had two other categories; Best New Hotel and Best Hotel Innovation awards.
Nominations for the three awards were short listed by a judging panel comprising leaders from the hospitality industry.
“With these awards, we hope to encourage and applaud projects that are trying to stay at the top of the game in making the Middle East a leading business and leisure destination,” he said.