Franz Josef grabs hotel prizes
Awards show strength of accommodation sector in remote regions, say organisers
Franz Josef took a quarter of the top prizes at the Hotel Industry Awards, reflecting what organisers say is the strength of the accommodation sector in remote regions.
Regional hotel employee of the year went to Rohan Thakur, frontoffice manager of Te Waonui Forest Retreat, and the five-star property’s Richard Bungeroth picked up the award for top hotel-industry general manager.
Mick Yuan from Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier was named hotelindustry food and beverage employee of the year.
The awards were part of the New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference, co-hosted by Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) and Horwath HTL.
Franz Josef has a resident population of just over 500 but more than half a million tourists visit each year, with up to 6000 a day visiting the glacier.
It was the first time hotel staff had been nominated for the awards.
Sally Attfield, hotel-sector manager at TIA, said it was often difficult to work in a remote region.
“But Rohan is surviving and thriving in that environment,” she said.
“He is knowledgeable about the product, customer-focused, flexible, and calm under pressure.”
Horwath HTL director Stephen Hamilton said it could be tough for hoteliers away from the main tourist areas.
“It’s extremely pleasing to see that hotels in remote regions are meeting the challenges of providing excellent customer service and can foot it with main-centre properties that benefit from much easier access to staff and resources.”
The hotel sector’s most soughtafter prize, the Hotel Industry Achievement Award, was won by Kathy Guy, group general manager of the Chateau Tongariro Hotel and the Wairakei Resort Taupo¯ , and a director of scenic flight operator Mountain Air.
Attfield said Guy had started as a waitress, a job that fitted around her young family, and worked her way up to management level.
In addition to overseeing the restoration of the historic Chateau Tongariro Hotel, she had been active in both the regional and national tourism industry, representing her region on a number of boards.
Hamilton said the awards attracted a record number of entries this year and the calibre of the finalists and winners showed the sector was in good heart.
TIA’s hotel sector represents the interests of more than 170 members throughout New Zealand, including international chains and large independent and privately owned hotels.
Members employ more than 11,000 staff nationally, with annual revenues of more than $1.4 billion.
It’s extremely pleasing to see hotels . . . meeting the challenges. Stephen Hamilton