Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, the UK's largest private hotel
group, scooped three prestigious awards across two categories at
the North East Tourism Awards on 6 October.
Hosted at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, William Salve,
restaurant manager at the 4-star Macdonald Linden Hall Golf &
Country Club in Morpeth, Northumberland received the Gold Award for
Outstanding Customer Service.
In the Large Hotel of the Year category, the historic
70-bedroom, 4-star Gisborough Hall Hotel in North Yorkshire picked
up a Silver Award. In the same category, Macdonald Linden Hall,
dating back to 1812 and nestled within 450 acres of private grounds
received the Bronze Award.
In reaching their decision, judges may have noted that Salve's
high standards of customer service have been consistently praised
both on hotel guest comment cards and on TripAdviser. Salve,
who started his hotel career in 2006 at Macdonald Marine Hotel
& Spa in North Berwick, now goes forward to the VisitEngland
national awards in the Spring of next year.
It is the second time in a year that the 30 year-old, originally
from Mumbai in India, has been recognised for delivering the
highest standards of service to discerning business, conference and
leisure guests within Linden Hall's stylish two AA Rosette Dobson
restaurant. In March, he received a silver gong for customer
service at the North East Hoteliers Association Awards; a ceremony
at which his colleagues Helen Butler and Jean Mills respectively
picked up the prestigious Sales and Leisure Excellence awards.
Salve, who holds a postgraduate qualification in Hospitality
& Tourism Management from Stratford University in London, said
of his latest success: "I am over the moon to win this award. No
words can describe how I feel. I was initially just delighted
to be shortlisted, so to have won the Gold Award for Outstanding
Customer Service is a dream come true."
He added: "Of course, I would also like to win the national
(VisitEngland) awards while I focus on building my career within
Macdonald Hotels. Every year I have been fortunate to earn a
promotion (he was appointed restaurant / bar manager in 2010) and
hopefully one day in the future I will have the opportunity to
manage a Macdonald Hotel."
Ruaridh Macdonald, Sales & Marketing Director for Macdonald
Hotels & Resorts, added: "The very fact that prestigious awards
have been conferred again on staff at the Macdonald Linden Hall and
Gisborough Hall Hotel reflects the highest possible professional
standards for service and product delivery that we strive to
consistently offer our discerning guests across all Macdonald
Hotels & Resorts.
"It is also a tremendous personal accolade for William (Salve)
to receive the Gold Award for Customer Service - one that I believe
underlines the fact that within the Macdonald Hotel group, our
guests are always our number one priority."
A total of 44 tourism businesses across the region were
recognised at the North East Tourism Awards.
www.MacdonaldHotels.co.uk
