- March 28, 2024
Loading
A pair of Southwest Florida hotels recently earned national recognition for customer service, dedication to the brands and employee satisfaction.
The Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport @ Town Center won the Kemmons Wilson Spirit of Family Award — the only one of 736 Holiday Inn hotels in the Americas to earn this award. The property also was one of three Holiday Inn hotels out of 654 nationwide to win the Torchbearer Award from InterContinental Hotels Group, according to a statement. The 169-room full-service hotel, managed by Twenty/Twenty Worldwide Hospitality, is near Southwest Florida International Airport, JetBlue Stadium and Florida Gulf Coast University.
The Best Western Plus Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach, meanwhile, recently earned the brand's highest honor, the M.K. Guertin Award. It was the fifth consecutive year the 75-room beachfront resort earned the chain's top prize, and it's the only hotel in Florida to receive the award, according to a separate statement.
At the Holiday Inn Fort Myers, the dedication to employees is front-and-center every day. That includes parties and games with prizes, from having the general manager wash your car to free overnight stays at Holiday Inn hotels in Miami. For a full week in June, there's a party every day for the team called Celebrate Service. Each department holds a party one day of the week with free food, games and prizes.
Then there's this perk: When it gets busy, a manager rolls out the Treat Trolley, a rolling mini buffet of soft drinks, candy bars, chips and water. Not for the guests. Instead, it's for employees who clean the rooms — a pick-me-up from their hard work in the middle of the afternoon on the busiest days.
“It's very simple: If you take care of your team, they will take care of the guests,” says Brian Holly, managing director and partner of the Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport @ Town Center, in the statement.
When the hotel won the Torchbearer Award, managers held an Oscar-style party with a red carpet for the team, serving them dinner and drinks in a gala inside the Holiday Inn ballroom. While the team members enjoyed their night out, the hotel provided complimentary babysitting service for their children and a free room for an overnight stay.
“When your staff stays at your hotel as a guest,” says Holly, who manned the carving station serving roast beef to the staff at the Torchbearer party, “they can appreciate good service even more.”