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Red Carnation, a luxury collection of five and four-star family run boutique hotels, have just been named "Best Employer in Hospitality & Leisure" at the 2009 Springboard Awards for Excellence.
The awards were hosted by television presenter Leah Charles and by Anne Pierce, Chief Executive of Springboard UK & The Springboard Charity at a glittering black tie event at the Intercontinental London Park Lane hotel, attended by 550 leading representatives of the UK hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry.
Anne Pierce commented that the awards celebrate "… the outstanding people in our businesses, the teams that drive our strategies forward, the individuals who delight customers daily, the companies that champion innovation and progression. The number and quality of award entries this year has been incredible and all of our winners and short-listed candidates should be hugely proud of their achievements – they’re the best in the business!"
The Best Employer in Hospitality & Leisure Award went to Red Carnation Hotels. The company impressed the judges with their refusal to make redundancies, or lower prices, despite the economic downturn. They boldly decided to use increased investment in staff training to deliver improved customer service and added value.
The awards citation reports that the training paid off handsomely – the company increased revenue, exceeded food and beverage targets, and increased market share. Red Carnation’s owners were praised for their "… 110% commitment … to support and invest in employees" noting that the company shows equal commitment to caring for customers and staff alike.
Speaking after the awards, Katherine Cottrell, Sector Engagement Manager for award sponsors Investors in People UK said, "Investors in People UK would like to congratulate Red Carnation Hotels for their excellent winning entry. Despite the difficult economic conditions Red Carnation made a pledge to their staff of no redundancies, and through some innovative measures they were able to succeed. They continue to invest in the training and development of staff which allows them to promote from within, and provide an excellent service to their customers. Such investment means they have excellently trained staff, and can come out of the recession even stronger. We believe they are an inspiration to other businesses in hospitality."
Jonathan Raggett, Managing Director of Red Carnation Hotels, and recently named Hotelier of the Year at the world-renowned Hotel Catey Annual Industry Awards, commented, "Instead of doing the easy thing, the company decided to do the right thing. It was tough, but everyone got behind the strategy and rose to the challenge – especially Liz McGivern, our Director of Human Resources and Training. The sense of achievement we all feel is reward in itself, but it’s also wonderful to receive this independent recognition. I’m hugely proud to be leading such a great team and to be working for people who realise that you can’t offer the best service unless you invest in the best training – they genuinely value every individual, from the most loyal customer to the most junior member of staff."
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
