During the company's five regional hotel owner conferences held this fall, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), in conjunction with all of its franchise owners associations, celebrated the inaugural year of its Awards for Property Excellence (APEX) program by honoring over 100 individual hotel owners and staff members from across the country for their outstanding performance in a number of different categories.
"Recipients of APEX awards have provided great guest care and demonstrated a commitment to providing top-notch hospitality," said Stephen P. Joyce, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels International. "The individuals and teams that received this honor should be extremely proud of their achievements."
The 122 individual award winners have been selected among the 4,600-plus Choice brand hotels and their staff within the United States. Nominated by their manager, team or peer, these unique award winners were recognized for their outstanding efforts and contributions among the following ten award categories:
-- Best Renovation/Redesign -- for hotels that have undertaken superior property renovations and redesigns within the past 12 months.
-- Community Hero -- for individuals actively involved in giving back to their community.
-- Eco-Excellence -- awarded to those who are making strides and implementing initiatives in achieving green operations at their property in order to better the environment.
-- Embracing Inclusion -- given to individuals who address underrepresented populations through workforce and community efforts or supplier diversity initiatives.
-- Rookie of the Year -- recognizes the newest properties in the Choice family that have hit the ground running since opening their doors.
-- Service Excellence in the categories of General Manager, Front Desk, Housekeeping, Maintenance and Other Staff -- for associates who went above and beyond to surpass a guest's service expectations.
As the first-ever APEX awards, Choice would like to voice its thanks and gratitude to all of the 2008 APEX award recipients.
