California Hotel & Lodging Association Members Recognized at National AH&LA Stars of the Industry Awards
Washington, D.C. – Three California properties were awarded AH&LA Achievement Awards by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), as part of the annual Stars of the Industry Awards. These awards, awarded annually since 1966, distinguish individual hotels that have developed outstanding programs, events, and campaigns. Winners were chosen in the categories of Community Service, Special Events, Guest Relations, Good Earthkeeping, and Technology Innovation.
The winner of the Guest Relations award in the small property category is the Glorietta Bay Inn in Coronado, California. The hotel is a recent recipient of their second “Best Guest Relations” award from the California Hotel & Lodging Association, making it a 10-time winner over the past 14 years on a state and national level. Their guest relations program uses a personalized approach and continuously adds new services to keep the program fresh. The hotel credits their empowered, enthusiastic, and energetic staff as the discerning characteristic that keeps the inn winning the award.
The winner of the Good Earthkeeping award in the small property category is The Huntington Hotel in San Francisco, California, for successfully implementing a hotel-wide trash training program that reduced the trash output by almost 70 percent, saving $12,000 a year. The hotel organized a hotel-wide trash training and created a “trash police” task force to look into the waste bins in their areas and identify items that were not being thrown in the right place. The program changed habits and the way people think about trash not only at work, but also at home.
For the Technology award in the large property category, the winner is the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco, California. The hotel provides many technological guest amenities, including being the first hotel in the city to offer the iPad2 to guests. Another first was the launch of real time interactions with guests via their mobile devices, including requests and concierge services before, during, and after their stay. Each room features a running map with a QR code, which allows guests to scan the map using their smartphones to give them a running route through the city. And, e-brochures have taken the place of sales kits.
“The California Hotel & Lodging Association is elated to have had three of our members honored at this year’s national Stars awards,” said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CAE, President & CEO of CH&LA. “We congratulate them on their marvelous accomplishments, as they are now added to a distinguished list of CH&LA national achievers.”
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