We are proud to announce the latest winners in our much celebrated Leisureplex Hotel yearly awards programme.
These highly coveted awards are judged on the work put in by each of our Leisureplex Hotel teams over the past twelve months.
Hotel of the Year
Winner – 1st Place – Hotel of the Year (Large) – Cumberland
Since 2016 the Cumberland Hotel has been a featured in the top 3 in the Hotel of the Year award and Kyle and his team continue to provide great service from the moment our guests are first welcomed to the moment they leave the hotel. Kyle was the Head Chef for many years at the Cumberland and once he completed our Trainee Manager programme he took over the running of the hotel. He has worked for us since he was 17 years old. He often says that he will retire at the Cumberland (many years from now). It’s great to see that Kyle and the Team are consistent in providing excellent service to our guests year after year. Kyle also volunteers for the RNLI in Scarborough and his dedication in helping people shines through in everything that he does.
Winner – 1st Place – Hotel of the Year (Medium) – Devon Towers
It is fantastic to see the Devon Towers team win the esteemed award of ‘Hotel of the Year’, which is a testament to the commitment and hard work put in by Rich, the Hotel Manager, and the amazing team in Bournemouth. Rich took over as the General Manager in Bournemouth in 2018, having completed an internal Trainee Manager programme and made improvements to the hotel operations from the start. In 2019 the Devon Towers saw a substantial increase in occupancy and improved guests’ satisfaction scores. We look forward to seeing how the Bournemouth team perform in 2020!
Rising Star of the Year – Jenny Badarau (Monarch Hotel)
Jenny completed our Trainee Manager programme in March 2019 and took over the very difficult task of making sure that the Monarch Hotel (which we have just acquired) is up to Leisureplex standards. While she had plenty of experience in all departments of the hotel operation, which she has acquired over the past few years working in a number of Leisureplex Hotels, training all of the new Employee Owners and dealing with the refurbishment programme is a huge test, even for the most experienced General Manager’s, which Jenny passed with flying colours. A new lift, new heating system and overseeing the build of 7 completely new rooms are only few of the challenges that Jenny managed in the first 9 months of being a General Manager, so we are all very proud of her and pleased that she received the Raising Star award… and what a Star she is.



Reception Team of the Year - Selborne
It’s great to see that the Reception team, headed by the longest serving Employee Owner – Susan Porchetta, have been recognised for their excellent customer service. Everyone receives a warm welcome and a smile whilst visiting our Selborne Hotel and to say that the team goes “the extra mile” is an understatement as they “run a marathon” for our guests. Well done to them.
Restaurant Team of the Year – Croit Anna
The restaurant team at the Croit Anna Hotel is dealing with a huge variation of early departures and late arrivals and this clearly doesn’t stop them providing the best service to our customers. Ramona and her team are always there with a huge smile on their faces and always happy to help, so this is a well-deserved recognition, which we’re sure comes as no surprise to anyone.
Kitchen Team of the Year – Cumberland
The kitchen team at the Cumberland Hotel has been consistently providing outstanding service and tasty food over the years. Since Mark (Head Chef) took over the running of the Kitchen from Kyle (General Manager) the team have continued to improve, providing excellent service to our guests.
Bar Team of the Year – George IV
It’s hardly a surprise that Plamen (Bar Supervisor) and Dorota have been recognised for their dedication in making sure our guests have a great time. And for anyone who had heard Plamen calling his BINGO would agree that his is one in a million, making guests laugh so much that they forget to check their numbers most of the time!
Housekeeping Team – Royal Norfolk
The housekeeping team in Bognor Regis are led by Daiva Morgan, who has been in the Head Housekeeper role for over 15 years and has maintained the highest levels of cleanliness standards throughout her time, managing to keep high guest satisfaction levels, along with well controlled linen and operational costs. Daiva is an expert in her role and her friendly and outgoing approach has helped her to achieve one of the lowest staff turnover in the group, with most of her team working with her for nearly 10 years! It’s great to see her commitment being recognised and we wish Daiva and her team all the best in 2020.







