NATIONAL REPORT—Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, receiving an award, earning a certification, debuting a new product or expanding the business, hotel companies and vendors achieve new milestones on a daily basis. Here’s a look at recent accomplishments:
Orange Lake Resorts Wins 10 ARDA Awards
Orange Lake Resorts revealed that the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand won 10 ARDA Awards at the annual American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Awards Gala.
“An ARDA Award is the highest honor in the timeshare industry; therefore, winning 10 of these awards is a huge testament to the quality of our team,” said Tom Nelson, president/CEO of Orange Lake Resorts. “Over the past year, teams from across all departments banded together to deliver incredible experiences to our owners and guests. This collaboration also helped establish a value-driven culture that is both creative and inviting. I’m very proud of all the talented team members who made 2018 one of our most successful years.”
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations ARDA Award winners represented various departments, including human resources, legal, resort operations, sales and social media. In total, 10 individuals, teams and projects were recognized for their contributions.
IHG Opens the 100th Holiday Inn Open Lobby in Europe
IHG has a milestone for the Holiday Inn brand, with the opening of the 100th ‘Open Lobby’ as part of roll-out of the Europe-wide concept. The opening of the 100th Open Lobby at Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre marks a milestone in the roll-out of concept across Europe. There has been an increase in the momentum behind Open Lobby throughout 2018 into 2019 with 80% of Holiday Inn hotels in Europe now committed to refurbishment. IHG unveiled Open Lobby, a concept to transform the traditional hotel lobby format by combining all public spaces, from the reception area, to the restaurant, bar and lounge into one open, cohesive space, while refreshing the design to give it a contemporary feel.
RCI Celebrates 45th Anniversary
RCI, the timeshare vacation exchange network, is celebrating 45 years. Since its inception, RCI has delivered more than 56 million vacations to its members around the world. RCI now has approximately 3.8 million members and 4,300 affiliated resorts in approximately 110 countries, adding more than 172 new properties to its affiliate exchange network in 2018 alone. In February, RCI named hospitality industry veteran Olivier Chavy as its president, bringing new leadership to guide the growth of the company’s network and travel services, including oversight of its collection of leading brands RCI, The Registry Collection, DAE and Love Home Swap.
Teneo Hospitality Group Begins New Initiative For Kids
Teneo Hospitality Group, a group representation firm, is teaming up with the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) and Society B to give back to communities where they host events. The program, created by Teneo, includes an innovative approach to raise funds for KINF to provide school supplies to students and teachers across America. It is designed to enable and encourage Teneo member hotels, resorts, destination management companies, staff and clients to participate in raising money to support KINF’s programs. Teneo’s clients can contribute by purchasing Society B merchandise with 10% of the purchase price going directly to KINF or three additional charities; or through a new fundraising website for KINF created by Teneo. The site also contains information about the seven networking events that Teneo will host throughout the year in major U.S. cities where the program will be introduced and encouraged.
Burt Cabañas Earns Benchmark Chairman’s Award of Excellence
Burt Cabañas, founder and chairman of Benchmark, has awarded Nate Waldron, director of operations at The Ridge in Basking Ridge, NJ, the Chairman’s Award of Excellence.
The award annually recognizes a Benchmark employee who has exhibited exemplary service, actively demonstrating the company’s “Be The Difference” service culture within Benchmark and the recipient’s local community. Waldron was nominated for the Award of Excellence by Mike Taylor, Benchmark’s general manager of The Ridge.
“Nate is a most deserving recipient of the Chairman’s Award, and serves as a daily reminder of Benchmark’s ‘Be The Difference’ service platform in his entire approach to life. He is loved and revered throughout our company as much as he is loved and respected in his local community,” said Burt Cabañas.
