Macdonald Hotels Unveiled As AA Hotel Group Of The Year

Macdonald Hotels Unveiled As AA Hotel Group Of The Year

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts was unveiled as the 2007/2008 AA Hotel Group of Year at an award ceremony in Park Lane, London last night (Monday 17 September).

The prestigious award recognises the work Macdonald Hotels is doing to consolidate its position in the four, four red and five star market, and acknowledges the quality service and range of facilities at each Macdonald property. The Group is one of the largest hotel chains to win this accolade since the AA established the Hospitality Awards 17 years ago*.

The award is presented to the hotel group that demonstrates outstanding commitment to improving and developing its individual hotels, while maintaining brand consistency across the group, and to providing consistently high levels of customer service.

Held annually and attended by some of the world’s most renowned chefs, prominent hoteliers and hospitality gurus, the AA Hospitality Awards recognise and reward the excellent services provided by the UK’s very best establishments, honouring the finest AA-inspected and rated hotels, restaurants and pubs throughout the UK.

Commenting on the award win, David Guile, deputy chief executive of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts said: “This award recognises the hard work, commitment and passion shown by our people in delivering excellent levels of service across the business. The fundamental value and belief of providing quality service to our guests runs through our business, and motivates and shapes our development. “This has been instrumental in us gaining the prestigious title of AA Hotel Group of the Year.”

Donald Macdonald, chairman of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts said: “This accolade reflects the journey the orgnisation has been on under the guidance of the senior management team, and the many achievements we have made so far.

“Uniquely, we are a hotel group owned and managed by hoteliers. This gives us greater insight, experience and passion for what we do, and underpins our focus on driving profit and results by putting the customer first. I am proud to head up an organisation that merits such an award and look forward to gaining further recognition as we continue our journey in pursuit of good service and value for money.”

Peter Birnie, AA chief hotel and restaurant inspector said: “There’s been a lot of investment and commitment at a lot of different levels this year. Our winners exemplify the dedication to balancing commitment to service and high quality, with a touch of well-thought-out innovation.”

Macdonald Hotels & Resort’s drive for improvement and excellence continues with its substantial investment programme, including the recent completion of the multi-million pound refurbishment of the historic Bath Spa Hotel; the opening of the £8 million Portal Hotel Golf & Spa resort in Cheshire in July 2007 and the launch of the new £50 million city centre hotel in Manchester, which is due to open on 1 October 2007.

With a strong focus on training and development, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts operates a rigorous training programme develped in partnership with key academic institutions and industry bodies, underpining the high quality service and facilities offered to customers.

The AA Hospitality Award winners from Scotland and Northern Ireland will be announced at a luncheon at The Balmoral in Edinburgh on 1 October. For further information about the AA Hospitality Awards, and the 2008 Centenary Awards Celebrations, please visit the website:
http://www.AAHospitalityAwards.com/

Ends

Image Caption:
Announced on Monday (17/09), AA Hotel Group of the Year, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, unveils the new plaque that will be displayed across its UK and Spanish portfolio. Deputy Chief Executive, David Guile, is pictured at the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa, North Berwick.

For media enquiries contact
Lynn Hunter
Communications Manager
Macdonald Hotels Ltd
T » 07809 405493

Eve Robertson Ross Nisbet
3×1 Public Relations
T: 0141 221 0707 / 07974 193 897
E: erobertson@3×1.com / rnisbet@3×1.com

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts Limited operates 48 hotels across the UK and ten resorts throughout the UK (6) and the Costa del Sol in Spain (4). The company employs over 4,400 staff and operates in excess of 3900 hotel rooms.
First established in 1990 by Donald Macdonald and colleagues, the company was
floated in 1996 on the main London Stock Exchange. In 2003, it returned to private ownership and was one of Scotland’s biggest public to private deals at a cost of £620m, which was wholly underwritten by the Bank of Scotland. The Bank now owns 50% of the equity with the remainder held by the management.

The Group’s focus is on developing its strong portfolio of four and five star hotels, with each offering its own character and individuality underpinned with the quality and attention to detail expected of the Macdonald brand.

In particular, the company prides itself on the seasonality and provenance of its food within the hotels, from breakfast through to dinner, as well as its wide range of specially selected wines. The Group has recently embarked on a programme of investment and refurbishment that includes properties such as Macdonald Blossoms in Chester, Macdonald Old England in Windermere and Compleat Angler in Marlow. In addition, the Group is creating two new hotels – the Macdonald Portal Hotel and Spa opened in July 2007 on the site of the Portal Championship Golf Course, in Tarporley, Cheshire, and the Macdonald Manchester Hotel, situated in the heart of the city centre, adjacent to Piccadilly Station, will open in October 2007.
The AA has been inspecting and rewarding hotels since 1908, and are proud to offer one of the UK’s leading recognition schemes in the hospitality industry. The knowledge and experience of the AA’s inspectorate is unrivalled with recognition schemes covering not only Hotels but also Guest Accommodation, Caravan & Camping, Restaurants, Golf Courses and Pubs. Every year, the AA presents a range of awards to the finest AA-inspected and rated hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and pubs from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
*Mariott won the award in 2001