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Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) has been named ‘Hotel Brand Management Company of the Year’ for the fourth consecutive year at the prestigious HM Awards for Hotel & Accommodation Excellence, which were held in Sydney on 14 August 2009. This industry recognition comes hot on the heels of SLH’s recent success in the New York-based Luxury Institute’s annual Luxury Brand Status Index survey, having been voted number one luxury hotel brand by wealthy consumers for the third year in a row.
Paul Kerr, Chief Executive Officer of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, said: "To maintain our position as Hotel Brand Management Company of the Year for four years in a row is a sensational achievement. Despite our continuing success we never rest on our laurels and we have worked hard to maintain our position as the number one hotel brand for small, independent hotels. Even during the economic downturn we have continued to roll out initiatives to add value for both our hotels and our guests. We are delighted that qualia won Hotel of the Year and Resort of the Year and that Blanket Bay won the award for Best Regional Property in New Zealand. Our hotels are the best of the best in their regions. These awards prove this."
Alison Roberts-Brown, SLH’s Area Director, Asia Pacific, collected the award on behalf of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
The HM Awards are now in their seventh year and recognise excellence in accommodation at hotels across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. The Awards are hosted by leading industry trade publication Hotel & Accommodation Management Magazine. HM received a record number of entries this year with over 1,200 nominations submitted compared to 600 in 2008.
The judging panel is made up of 20 industry professionals and travel journalists. The judging results are audited by Ernst & Young.
The SLH hotels which received awards include:
- Hotel of the Year and Resort of the Year – qualia, Hamilton Island, QLD, Australia
- New Zealand Regional Property – Blanket Bay, Glenorchy, New Zealand
SLH properties, which were highly commended include:
- Boutique Hotel – Cape Lodge, Margaret River, WA, Australia
- Regional Property – Kim’s Beach Hideaway, NSW; Australia
- New Zealand Hotel Manager – Victoria Shaw, Eichardt’s Private Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
