Manager of the Year
Belfast's Europa Hotel has a history that is explosive even by Northern Ireland's turbulent standards. Gelignite in the lift shaft, Semtex in the foyer, dynamite fastened to the rooftop water tank: this hotel knows better than most the full range of the IRA's armoury. Even the ladies lavatory has been targeted.
There have been more than 30 attacks since the 1970s and the hotel has featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the most bombed in the world. So when John Toner, this year's Manager of the Year, became manager in 1993 he was accepting no ordinary job. And as his first role was to oversee the refurbishment of the heavily damaged Europa after it had been demolished by the latest attack - a 1,000lb bomb - he must have wondered what the next few years would hold for both him and the hotel.
But this award was not given simply for withstanding the stress imposed by the threat of terrorism. The judges for this Catey were impressed by much more than Toner's willingness to take on the challenge of one hotel, exceptional though it might have seemed.
Several of the judges highlighted Toner's commitment, not just to the Europa, but to the Northern Ireland hotel industry. Toner is a member of the Irish Hotel and Catering Institute, the Institute of Directors and the HCIMA, and is committed to getting the best training for his staff. The Europa was awarded Investors in People in December last year and the hotel is now an approved NVQ centre.
Financially, too, the hotel has recovered since Toner took over. From a revenue of £1.9m in 1993/4, the Europa's sales increased to £7.2m in 1996/7, perhaps a reflection of its manager's refusal to let terrorism get in the way of running a hotel.
And it is not the first time that Toner's ability has been acknowledged - in 1996 he was HCIMA professional manager of the year in Northern Ireland. Under Toner's leadership, the Europa's occupancy increased sharply between 1994 and 1996, hitting a peak of more than 90% in July 1996. It has fallen back since then from an annual average of 72% in 1996 to 65% in 1997, but this has been caused by a combination of political uncertainty and more hotels opening in Belfast.
Even with the fall, the Europa's average occupancy is still six percentage points higher than the Northern Ireland average and three percentage points above that of Belfast. And, if the peace process is successful, Toner's efforts in the past five years in making sure the Europa is well run should bring even more benefits as the 21stcentury approaches.
"Toner is one of those who has kept faith with Northern Ireland through all the difficult times that it has endured in the past 30 years," commented one judge. Toner last worked outside Ulster in 1968, when he was training manager at Simpson's in the Strand. If peace really is here to stay, there are few who deserve the benefits more than John Toner.
