Group Hotel of the Year
Excellence in its chosen market is one of the criteria for winning Group Hotel of the Year, and last year's winner, the Travel Inn at County Hall, London, certainly achieves that. It was deemed to be a modern hotel satisfying the needs of a modern world at the turn of the new millennium by last year's judges.
It was "an outstanding product in an outstanding location with an outstanding future", according one judge. And it was evidence, if such was needed, that the winner did not have to be a five-star property - Cliveden and the Savoy are the previous two winners.
Instead, the level of service must exceed that of its competitors within its area of operation. Judges will not accept a difference to the uniform cleanliness of the building or to the friendliness of the staff, regardless of star rating or rack rate.
Good value
It was the Travel Inn's value for money that particularly captured the judges' eyes last year. The hotel shares the former Greater London Council headquarter with its sister hotel Marriott and opened its 312 bedrooms in 1998 charging £49.95 for the night. The price has now gone up to £62.95, but as judge Paul Henderson commented last year: "If I could have stayed in London two years ago for £60 a night, I would not have had to buy a flat."
The Travel Inn County Hall is five times the size of a normal Travel Inn and at the time of judging was clearly the flagship for the brand. To illustrate how quickly the brand has moved, Guy Parsons, marketing director for Travel Inn says its recent opening in Glasgow has surpassed the London property as flagship for the brand. "The award is recognition that the budget hotel sector has come of age. People do not have to spend £150 for a good night's stay in the UK any longer," he says.
High occupancy
With brand occupancy of 88% across 232 properties, Parsons has the figures to back up his statement. At Travel Inn County Hall, occupancy at well over 90% indicated a financial success, which the judges were also looking for in the winner.
"From Travel Inn's perspective, it was fantastic as we had no idea we were about to win. When you look at the previous winners they are hotels at the other end of the spectrum from us," adds Parsons.
If you would like to nominate a property for the 2000 Group Hotel of the Year award, please call Sarah Sutton on Tel 020 8652 8349 for a nomination form. A supporting statement no longer than 200 words on a separate sheet of paper may assist the judges during their deliberations. Closing date for nominations is Friday 3 March and judging will take place on Thursday 4 May at London's Savoy.
