Kevin Hendrickson is Hospitality Personality of the Year
AHUGE round of applause erupted when veteran hotelier Kevin Hendrickson was named Hospitality Personality of the Year during the Hospitality
Jamaica 2016 awards at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
Hendrickson, who heads the Hendrickson Group of Companies, was lauded for being a committed contributor to Jamaica’s tourism industry by investing continuously in upgrading and refurbishing his properties and providing service and products beyond expectations.
He was also applauded for, among other things, his heavy investment in staff training, personnel development, and preservation of the natural environment.
Hendrickson began his foray into the hospitality sector in 1981 as general manager of the then Courtleigh Hotel on Trafalgar Road and later acquired other properties over the decades including The Ruins at the Falls in Ocho Rios, the Knutsford Court Hotel, Holiday Inn Resort in Montego Bay, the former Wyndham Kingston in 2014, and The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, which were also big winners on Saturday night, copping two awards for the Best Conference/Business Hotel and the Best European Plan hotel. “I was shocked!” Hendrickson told Hospitality Jamaica following the awards. “I wasn’t even prepared. I was extremely surprised and honoured, I must admit. The feeling is fantastic! It is very rewarding, you know, anytime you win an award for anything. More importantly for the team, the whole morale of the team is lifted because even if they are not in that particular property, it is still a team effort.”
“I am just proud to have been part of this Hospitality 2016 awards. It really is nice, the recognition that Hospitality Jamaica gives to the industry overall and the exposure not just to us Jamaicans, but to the entire world. The publication shows off a lot of fantastic products, the culture, the people, the whole range of what Jamaica is all about as a location,” he added.