The International Commercial Forum gave our team the chance to reconnect, learn and celebrate. The event culminated in our coveted award ceremony where we recognised and rewarded our hard-working hotel teams. After a tumultuous period, they have shown such strength of character and determination, and we couldn’t be prouder. Congratulations to our nominees and the lucky winners:

Rising Stars

Our Rising Star Awards recognise the achievements of individuals who go beyond, show an exceptional level of initiative, skill and commitment. They drive a positive impact in their role and display real promise for the future.  

Our winners:

• Katie Hack – UK3 Sales Team
• Jelle Boersma – Interim Cluster Revenue Manager and Group Reservations Coordinator at the Borealis Hotel Group
• Marielle Mikson – Reservations Manager, Hampton by Hilton Canterbury
• Hannah McCabe – UK3 Sales Team
• Emma Stockwell – Reservations Manager, Hotel Indigo Newcastle

Better Together Award

This award recognises individuals or teams who consistently share best practices, offer support and help us work better together.

Shortlist:

• Mercure Maidstone
• UK3 Scottish Hub
• Courtyard by Marriott Sarajevo
• Hampton by Hilton Stockton
• Louise Merrell – Holiday Inn Southend & Holiday Inn Express Folkestone

Congratulations Louise Merrell, winner of our Better Together Award!

Outstanding Achievement Award

Every day our people achieve incredible things and go the extra mile. These awards are to recognise individuals or teams whose contribution to the business is nothing short of exceptional. 

Our winners:

• Holiday Inn Bournemouth
• Emma Lafferty – Scottish Hub Manager UK3
• Moscow’s Marriott Cluster Sales Team

Above & Beyond Award

Individuals and teams across our portfolio have displayed great tenacity as they drove their commercial team to success over the last two years, and this award recognises those who have gone above & beyond.

Shortlist:

• Hampton by Hilton Canterbury
• Louise Merrell – Holiday Inn Southend & Holiday Inn Express Folkestone
• Emma Lafferty – Scottish Hub Manager UK3
• Jade Jones – ibis Coventry
• Rhianne Roberts – Radisson Blu Cardiff

Congratulations Rhianne Roberts, winner of our Above & Beyond Award!

Embracing Initiatives

Embracing initiatives is key to driving business, and this award recognises those who have not only embraced new challenges and audiences but created new processes to secure future business.

Shortlist:

• Amanda McBride – AC by Marriott Belfast
• Nikki Wilson – Novotel & Adagio Leicester
• Dean Massey – Holiday Inn Manchester Central Park
• Holiday Inn Stevenage

Congratulations Nikki Wilson, winner of our Embracing Initiatives Award!

Special Recognition Award

Our winners:

• Jades Jones – ibis Coventry, for creating the idea to raise money for the NHS through exercise, a simple ideas that helped bring us together as a company during lockdown.
• UK3 Scottish Sales Cluster for their incredible teamwork during a city-wide event: COP26

Lead Generation

This award recognises those to create an unbeatable sales culture within their hotels: they drive activity, create a creed and celebrate success.

Shortlist:

• Mercure Swansea
• Holiday Inn Express London ExCeL
• Mercure Perth
• Holiday Inn Express Folkestone

Congratulations to Holiday Inn Express Folkestone, winner of our Lead Generation Award!

Marketing Award

This award recognises those who have crafted clever campaigns and packages using a variety of media and channels, driving their hotel’s commercial activity forward.

Shortlist:

• Paul Upham – Hotel Indigo Manchester Victoria Station
• Amanda McBride – AC by Marriott Belfast
• The View, Eastbourne
• The Alexander Luxury Collection, Yerevan

Congratulations to Amanda McBride, winner of our Marketing Award!

Amanda said ‘I have learnt so many new skills navigating my way through 2021 and am delighted to have been recognised for marketing which was a big focus for me. As the public dreamed, planned and booked their staycations a strong presence in the domestic marketplace was really important. I was fortunate to secure funding which gave me the ability to put the hotel front and centre using print, radio, TV, VOD and social campaigns. It is great to see the hotel buzzing again and leisure continuing to grow.’

Revenue Strategy Contribution Award

This award recognises individuals and teams who have had a laser focus on pricing, mix and channel management, delivering record-breaking results despite the pandemic.

Shortlist:

• Lindsey Pearson – Hampton by Hilton London Stansted Airport
• Laura Pursey – Holiday Inn Southend
• Alex Joburns – ibis Styles Leeds City Centre Arena
• Suzanne Clarke – The View, Eastbourne
• Jane Napper – Hotel Indigo Durham
• Hilton Garden Inn Volgograd

Congratulations Lindsey Pearson, winner of our Revenue Strategy Contribution Award!

Lindsey commented, “I was very happy and surprised to receive the revenue contribution award – this was the icing on the cake after a very challenging year. It meant the world to me that my hard work has been rewarded, this is due to the amazing leadership from Paolo Franchi at HBH LSA who allows me to take risks and lead the market.”

Sales Manager of the Year

This award recognises those who have been driven, inspiring and incredibly commercial over the pandemic. They have tackled unforeseen challenges and navigated key relationships in the most competitive markets.

Shortlist:

• Nikki Wilson – Novotel & Adagio Leicester
• Jas Sandhu – Holiday Inn & Staybridge Suites London Heathrow Bath Road
• Louise Merrell – Holiday Inn Southend & Holiday Inn Express Folkestone
• Laura Lamb – UK3 Sales Team
• Kelly Morrison – UK3 Sales Team
• Leanne Bladen – Aloft & Eastside Rooms Birmingham

Congratulations Jas Sandhu, our Sales Manager of the Year, who will be joining our other top sales performers on the VIP trip to the Bahamas! 

Jas said, “Just to be considered among the final shortlist with some of the best in the business is a highlight in itself, but winning the award goes way beyond ‘RECOGNITION’ for the past year – for me it’s an opportunity to self-evaluate my learnings, amplify sales culture within the hotels and continue to challenge myself and the fabulous team members I work with to achieve both personal and commercial goals for our ownership.”

Commercial Team of the Year

Achieving your commercial goals takes a team, and this award recognises those who have gone above and beyond. They have seized every opportunity that came their way and achieved record-breaking results.

Shortlist:

• Novotel & Adagio Leicester
• Hilton Garden Inn Paris
• Moscow’s Marriott Team Cluster
• Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter
• Courtyard by Marriott Sarajevo
• Hotel Indigo Durham

Congratulations to Novotel & Adagio Leicester, our Commercial Team of the Year!

James Conaghan, General Manager, said “The award means everything to me and the team. To open a hotel in January 2020, see 2 years of navigating a pandemic, with hotels still open, building a strong relationship with Elite Sports teams and their agents (business now worth over 1.2 million) managing 2 hotels day to day with skeleton team, making sure everyone on furlough are OK, stealing corporate business from our competitors, building a restaurant and bar brand, acquiring exclusive use business in excess of 2.5 million revenue, just a few of our successes. Just delighted for the team to be recognised for their extreme efforts in extreme times.”