The Hotelier Awards China is a celebration of brilliance – the pinnacle of appreciation of the people bringing life to a hotel.
After receiving more than 250 applications, the five judges gathered recently in Shanghai to begin the selection process. They were astounded by the quality of each submission and the level of dedication and pride shown for the job. The judges faced an extremely difficult task of narrowing down the 15 categories to just five nominees for each.
Judge Yona He – Senior Vice President Asia Pacific & Oceania – Forbes Travel Guide comments “I was overwhelmed at the quality of the applications, the level of detail included and overall effort applied. Choosing the top five nominees was an extremely difficult task and the hoteliers certainly didn’t make it easy for us!” The feedback from all judges was unanimous as they all agreed that the quality of applications was a real testament to all those involved.
The category for GM of the Year was positively brimming with outstanding applications, each including impressive testimonials. As a result, the judges felt it was only fair to shortlist a top eight to move forward onto the next stage of the competition rather than just five. The successful candidates are:
Andy Wang – General Manager – The Azure Qiantang, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hangzhou
Bahram Sepahi – General Manager and Vice President – Four Seasons, Guangzhou
Bob Van Den Oord – Managing Director of the Langham, Hong Kong, VP of Brands for Langham Hospitality Group
Jan B. Tibaldi – General Manager, The Puli Hotel and Spa
Mark Foxwell – General Manager – Hyatt Regency Hangzhou
Pierre Perusset – General Manager – The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
Rainer Burkle – Regional Vice President and General Manager – The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, Pudong
Sandy Murray – General Manager – DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing
The top nominees for the Unsung Hero category include;
Colin Li – Sous Chef – Associate Dinning Kitchen – The Westin Pazhou
Evan Wang – Duty Manager – The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai
Lazio Zuo – Food and Beverage Manager – The Langham Xintinandi, Shanghai
Linda Zhao – HC Cleaner – Hilton Beijing
Wang Haibo – Driver – Yanqi Lake Kempinski Hotel Beijing and Yanqi Island
Dr. Sacha Stocklin – Campus Director Academic Dean – Les Roches Jinjiang expresses his views; “It’s extremely exciting to see so many talented individuals working in the hospitality industry – after reviewing the applications it is clear that they certainly do deserve this recognition. We need to honor them for their dedication and continued commitment to providing guests with outstanding experiences. I am delighted to be a part of this and have no doubts that the nominees will be ecstatic!” The selection process was a further indication of the extraordinary lengths hoteliers are reaching in order to improve service and overall guest experience. The hospitality sector in Greater China is well on its way to becoming a major player on a global scale.
To find out the top nominees for all 15 categories visit www.hotelierawards.com. Online voting for the Most Popular Hotelier is ongoing.
All winners will be announced and celebrated at the award ceremony on Thursday 11th December 2014 at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong. The Ritz-Carlton is an internationally renowned brand admired for high-quality and luxury. The award ceremony debut is an opportunity for winners to receive recognition and for peers to congratulate their co-workers. There are various different ways for those working within the hospitality industry to be involved; become a sponsor, participate in the vendor show or purchase tickets to the award ceremony. For more details visit www.hotelierawards.com
