The first edition of India Hospitality Awards 2015, recognising outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry in West and South regions, was held on July 21 at Hotel Crowne Plaza Kochi. After the success of first region- wise Travel Awards in 2014-15, this new initiative has already garnered popularity and recognition within the hospitality industry. The winners have been selected through a fair and unbiased process by a panel of judges consisting of luminaries from the hospitality industry.
The presence of G Kamala Vardhana Rao, Secretary Tourism, Kerala as the chief guest along with Gladrags Mrs India 2015, Dr. Tanushree Pandey Padgaonkar and other distinguished personalities made the occasion truly memorable. Talking about the India Hospitality Awards, Rao says, “It is a significant initiative to confer awards in the Hospitality sector especially when the Government of India has identified Tourism as one of the Five Ts of Nation Building. India is known the world over for the quality and warmth of its hospitality. All the states in the country are competing with each other to excel in their endeavour to provide world class hospitality to the tourists in terms of infrastructure, cleanliness, service quality and other parameters. We are confident that we will focus on matching every international standard and will stand up to global expectations.”
The gala event saw more than 120 attendees and is widely regarded as the best networking opportunity in the hospitality and travel & tourism industry, supported by Ministry of Tourism and esteemed trade bodies.
The awards were presented to achievers from different segments of the industry, which included restaurants, spas, suppliers, hotels and resorts and technology. The Gallery of Legends award was given to Ashok Anantram, Consultant, Sales and Marketing, GRT Group of Hotels & Resorts. DDP Game Changer was Jose Dominic MD & CEO, CGH Earth. DDP Trailblazer was given to KG Abraham Chairman & MD, KGA Group of companies and The Face of the Future was awarded to Abhishek Verma, GM, Holiday Inn Express Chennai.
Speaking on the sidelines of the award ceremony, SanJeet, Mentor, India Hospitality Awards said, “Encouraged by the enormous success of India Travel Awards, which gave a platform to the travel fraternity to acknowledge the emerging leaders regionally, this year we thought of doing the same in hospitality as well. Being an integral part of a traveller’s experience, the Indian hospitality industry has seen immense growth and development. India Hospitality Awards 2015 is a celebration of excellence and commitment towards this industry.”
The winners of India Hospitality Awards, West and South, 2015 are:
1. Best MICE Destination – Lavasa Tourism
2. Best Restuarant & Bar – Sayaji Indore Mediterra
3. The Enterprising General Manager of the Year – Kunal Shankar, Holiday Inn Cochin
4. Best Budget Hotel – Nandhana Hotels (India) Private Limited
5. Excellence in Customer Service – Golden Tulip Grand View Resort, Goa
6. Best Luxury Wedding and MICE Hotel – Crowne Plaza Kochi
7. Best Hotel Chain – Choice Hotels India
8. Best Mid Market Hotel – Mercure Lavasa Hotel
9. Best City Hotel – The Capital, Trivandrum
10. Best Debut Hotel – Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hyderabad Gachibowli
11. Best Debut Business Hotel – Sayaji Kolhapur
12. Best Business Hotel – Radisson Blu Indore
13. Best F & B Manager of the Year – Ganesh Chalangodan, Holiday Inn, Cochin
14. Best Corporate Hotel – Holiday Inn Cochin
15. Spirit of Hospitality – Hyatt Goa
16. Best Luxury Wedding Destination Resort – Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Alibaugh
17. Best Designed Hotel – Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park
18. Best Holiday Accommodation – Poetree Sarovar Portico Thekkady
19. Best Emerging Hotel – ibis Bengaluru City Centre
20. Best Service Residences – Somerset Greenways Chennai
21. Best Technology Provider – Travelport Rooms and More
22. Best All Day Dining restaurant – Festa – Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort
23. Best Luxury Hotel – Le Meridian Kochi
24. Best Luxury Resort – The Leela Raviz Kovalam
25. Best General Manager Mid Market – Ranganath Budumooru, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hyderabad Gachibowli
26. Best Ancillary Services – Maini Materials Movement Pvt Ltd
27. Best Debut Heritage Hotel – The Poovath Heritage
28. Best Day Spa – Ora Regenesis Spa
29. Best Leisure Resort – Vasundhara Sarovar Premier
30. Best Heritage Boutique Hotel – The Malabar House Fort Kochi
31. Best Boutique Hotel – Dream Cochin