Crowne Plaza Hotels-Ireland win "Ireland Business Hotel of the Year" and "Ireland's Guest Experience award" at the 2016 Gold Medal Awards.
Date: 13/10/2016
Brand: Crowne Plaza Hotels-Ireland
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The 28th annual Gold Medal Awards, Ireland's leading independent awards for the Irish hospitality industry, took place at the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Co. Kilkenny, on September 27th last.
Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport – Winner of Ireland’s Best Business Hotel 2016.
Winner of the award for "Ireland's Business Hotel" sponsored by Corporate Catering Services was the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport. This award recognises excellence in the provision of amenities and facilities which are required by modern travellers on business, who rely on the property to work on the road. Bedrooms must have excellent desks with first-rate connectivity, seating and lighting. Meeting rooms are essential; business centres or similar facilities are helpful; basic support services for the business traveller (printing, PC / laptop back-up, local information) are integral. Hotels were credited for original thinking that makes the stay more pleasant for a business-person, including support for international, foreign-language speaking guests.
Garret O'Neill General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport said that he was "delighted and honoured that the hotel has been recognised with this award. Business tourism accounts for over 80% of our customer base so it is extremely important that we are constantly focused on delivering a hotel product and service that supports the daily demands of the business traveller allowing them to work seamlessly when away from home or the office". Mr. O’Neill went on to say that "the competition in this category came from other well established hotels in the market, but it is a result of our constant investment and continuous improvement in our product, technology, business facilities and services and the hard work and endeavour by our team to constantly meet and exceed the demands of the modern business traveller, that we have won this award".
Other finalists in this category were: Absolute Hotel Limerick; Clarion Hotel Cork; Clayton Hotel Leopardstown; Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown; Limerick Strand Hotel; The Croke Park Hotel; the Gibson Hotel.
The 2016 Gold Medal award is not the first time the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport has been recognised as being the best Business Hotel in Ireland. In 2010 the hotel was the recipient of the Georgina Campbell Business Hotel of the Year Award, and in 2006 the AA Business Hotel of the Year Award.
Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown – Winner of Ireland Guest Experience.
Winner of the award for "Ireland's Guest Experience" sponsored by Robert Roberts was the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown. This award recognises outstanding venues providing a superior customer experience through the provision of exceptional service. The ambience of the property, the guest service standards, the quality and range of menu offerings and the overall feel of the establishment will all be considered by the expert judging panel when choosing the successful recipient of this envious recognition of achievement.
Magda Dabrowska, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown said that "delivering exceptional service for our guests is part and parcel of the fabric of our hotel. When the hotel first opened in 2008 we set out our vision statement that we will continuously work towards exceeding our customers' expectations. This award recognises our commitment to this vision and the hard work from all the team to deliver exceptional service for our guests". Ms. Dabrowska went on to recognise the importance of listening to the feedback from both customers and staff in an effort to meet and exceed customer expectations... "we are constantly looking to improve the service and quality of the operation. Listening to and taking corrective action on the feedback generated by our team and our customers is a critical part of our ability to meet and exceed customer expectations".
Other finalists in this category were: Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa; Ballyseede Castle; Ballyvolane House; Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa; Killeen House Hotel & Rozzers Restaurant; Mount Falcon Estate; Moy House
In 2012 The Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown won the IHG Hotel of Year award, which recognises outstanding results where the hotel has gone the extra mile to exceed expectations and bring their brand to life when looking after guests, employees and the local community. The hotel was also the recipient of the IHG Torchbearer award which recognises hotels that have achieved the highest levels of excellence through outstanding service.
About Crowne Plaza Hotels-Ireland:
The three Crowne Plaza hotels in Ireland, at Dublin-Airport, Dublin-Blanchardstown and Dundalk are owned and operated, under franchise from Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), by Tifco Hotel Group. The Crowne Plaza brand is a 4 star upscale international hotel brand, designed for today's modern business traveller, in prime business locations.
The Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport is a 204 bedroom 4 star hotel, with conference and meeting facilities for up to 1000 delegates. The hotel first opened in 2003, in 2006 it was extended to include a dedicated conference and meeting centre and the 114 bedroom Holiday Inn Express (IHG Budget brand) was opened next to the Crowne Plaza. In 2016 the hotel's 204 bedrooms were fully refurbished.
The Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown is a 188 bedroom 4 star hotel. Located at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre the hotel is an ideal base when visiting Dublin for business or pleasure. The hotel also has 14 meeting rooms and a conference centre that will accommodate up to 600 delegates.
The Crowne Plaza Dundalk is located next to the Dundalk Institute of Technology. The 129 bedrooms are set over the 14 storey building with a newly refurbished Roof Top restaurant located on the top floor. For business the hotel has 12 meeting rooms varying in size and a conference centre that can accommodate up to 400 delegates.
Over the past 13 years the Crowne Plaza Hotels in Ireland have consistently being scored as being among the top 10 best Crowne Plaza Hotels in the Europe Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) region by guests of InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG).
For further information on the Crowne Plaza Hotels in Ireland visit www.cpireland.com
About Tifco Hotel Group
Tifco Hotel Group is one of Ireland's leading hotel companies who currently own and manage a portfolio of 5, 4 and 3 star hotels in Ireland and has a proven track record as an award winning, standards focused, hotel operator. Tifco Hotel Group also own the Crowne Plaza Hotels in Dublin-Airport, Blanchardstown and Dundalk and the Holiday Inn Express Dublin-Airport. In the past 12 months Tifco also purchased the Hilton Dublin-Kilmainham and the Parliament Hotel. Some of the other hotels that are managed by Tifco Hotel Group include the 5 Star Heritage Killenard Co. Laois, Clontarf Castle Hotel a unique 4 star Castle Hotel and winner of the Deloitte best managed companies in Ireland, the Athlone Springs Hotel, Hotel Killarney and the Metropole Hotel Cork. Tifco Hotel Group is one of the only hotel companies in Ireland to have received the EFQM Level 5 award.
For further information on Tifco Hotel Group visit www.tifcohotels.ie
European Business Excellence Accreditations at the EFQM Awards Events in Dublin
On the 12th October 2015 the EFQM Excellence Awards were presented in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, Dublin, by Mr. Joe O’ Mahony, Chairman of the Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland)
The EFQM Business Excellence ceremony is a prestigious event that recognises the achievements of some of Ireland’s best-managed organisations.
This special occasion celebrated the success of 29 organisations throughout Ireland in the Hospitality, Financial, Retail, SME, and Public sectors who have achieved recognition for performance improvements on their quality journey measured against the European Excellence Framework - the most rigorous measurement of business performance excellence in Europe.
The Excellence Awards, managed by the Centre for Competitiveness, as the official Country Partner of the Brussels based European Foundation for Quality Management, benchmarks assesses, and recognises organisations that have demonstrated their commitment to business excellence as an integral part of what they do.
One of the organisations, the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk, received the EFQM 4 Star Excellence Award in its first application for accreditation.
The levels of recognition awarded to companies at the event included:
Ireland Excellence Award, Recognized for Excellence EFQM 5 Star, 4 Star and 3 Star Awards, the EFQM Committed to Excellence, and the EFQM Gold Star Service Excellence.
All the organisations on their ‘Journey to Excellence’ undergo rigorous examination and must through the application of the EFQM Framework, illustrate, for example, excellence in employee management, strategic leadership, high productivity, high levels of customer satisfaction and overall superior business performance.
30,000, large and small organisations across Europe in the private, public and voluntary sectors have used the world class EFQM Model as their blueprint and driver for sustainable competitiveness. A number of organisations on the Island of Ireland, under the guidance of the Centre for Competitiveness, are also currently benchmarking themselves against the EFQM criteria, improving their international competitiveness and working towards achieving appropriate levels of recognition and accreditation.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland) Tony lenehan said:
“This years’ award recipients represent a range of industries and sectors that have a commitment to the fundamental concepts of excellence as an integral part of what they do, so I warmly congratulate them on their achievements. The critical success factors for businesses in the future will be business competitiveness through Innovation, Productivity, and Service Excellence, driven by professional standards and processes. This will ensure that the more discerning customer will support, and return to, those organisations where their expectations will not only be met—but exceeded.
The organisations awarded today are all well on their way to exceeding their customers’ needs and expectations and setting a valuable benchmark for others to follow.
The benefits of EFQM accreditation are substantial as it provides an international symbol and benchmark of excellence; especially for tourism organisations, seeking to engage in the international leisure and business markets.
Regardless of sector, size, structure or maturity, the EFQM framework is a powerful management tool providing organisations and their management, with a keen sense of what needs to be done while establishing robust management and business systems through its powerful logic and practical help. It does this by measuring where they are on the Excellence road map; helping them understands the gaps, and apply innovative solutions”.
While the world class EFQM Excellence Framework is used by over 30,000 organisations throughout Europe, the Centre’s strategy is to encourage leaders in large and small businesses on the island of Ireland to benefit from its potential and significantly boost their international competitiveness. The focus will be to promote and implement the EFQM Framework in a range of businesses and sectors, with a particular emphasis on improving leadership and management practices, organisational systems, processes and, business performance.
Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland)
The Centre for Competitiveness (CforC) is an all-Island Organisation, with offices in Dublin and Belfast. It is dedicated to actively supporting the development of an internationally competitive economy through innovation, productivity improvement and quality excellence across arrange of sectors and to build best -in- class performance through International Leadership across public and private organisations enabling them to grow, excel and be sustainable.
The Centre is the National Partner for the European Foundation for Quality Management, Brussels (EFQM) in Ireland and an active member of the Global Federation of Competitive Councils headquartered in Washington DC. It is also the strategic partner for ADS supply chain development and accreditation for aerospace, defence, security and space in Ireland and the PDMA partner connecting innovators worldwide. It is also the Ireland Partner for the China Overseas Research Institute (COTRI) accreditation in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure destinations for Chinese tourism to Ireland.
The Centre, through its range of business and management supports, services and programmes, enhances the quality, effectiveness and international competitiveness of organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors, through Performance Management, Leadership Training, Innovation, Productivity Improvement and Business accreditation in key sectors of the economy in Ireland.
Louth Business Awards – Finalist
Crowne Plaza Dundalk were delighted to be recently shortlisted at the very prestigious Louth Business Awards for “Best Customer Service”.
