FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/12/2018
Press Contact:
Allison Traylor
(513) 263-9333
allison.traylor@hmgllc.com
HX: The Awards 2018 Winners Announced
Cincinnati OH, USA – October 12, 2018 Hospitality Media Group (HMG) has announced the 2018 winners of its new hospitality industry awards program, HX: The Awards.
“HX: The Awards was designed to bring together the best and brightest in the Hospitality industry and will recognize and honor the movers and shakers of 2018,” said Phil Robinson, HX Show Director.
HX: The Awards is sponsored by Guest Supply. The ceremony and reception will take place on Saturday, November 10, 2018 from 6pm-8pm at The InterContinental Time Square Hotel in New York. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased here.
HX: The Awards winners in the following categories are:
Award – Best Hotel F&B Concept
Award Winner – Nomad New York City
The NoMad’s casually-elegant food and beverage program comes from Chef Daniel Humm and Restaurateur Will Guidara, the 2017 World’s 50 Best Restaurant winners . Inspired by Chef Daniel’s time spent throughout Switzerland, California, and New York City, the restaurant is rooted in the same traditions found at their critically acclaimed, Michelin three-star rated Eleven Madison Park.
Award Details –
Category – Food & Beverage
Sub-Category – Operational Excellence
Type of Award – Organization
Description – For integrated guest dining experience
Criteria – Recognizes an F&B outlet that complements the property they are located in and showcases creativity and outstanding guest experience through operational excellence. Exceptional food, environment and service create the trifecta of a top notch, integrated dining experience.
Award – Hotel of the Year
Award Winner – ARLO HOTELS
Arlo is the essential home base for urban explorers—a launchpad for local experiences; a place to rest up and recharge between adventures. Refined but approachable design elevates everyday occasions. Thoughtful spaces invite visitors to express their creativity. For work, play, or any purpose, Arlo provides guests the foundation and inspiration to reach their goals, their way. A new program launched this year, Arlo Cares is a sustainability program designed to spark eco-conscious changes in travel and serve as a home base for green-minded travelers. Arlo Cares encourages guests, locals and partners to embrace a more earth-ethical way of living, and is launching with an educational speaker series, community outreach opportunities, documentary screenings, charitable celebrations and more.
Award Details –
Category – Hotel, Resorts, Casinos
Sub-Category – Operational Excellence
Type of Award – Organization
Description – For overall results/performance this year
Criteria – No stone is left unturned. The Hotel of the Year recognizes a property that delivers guest excellence, take opportunities to use technology to enhance the guest experience and hotel operation, while being true to their mission, always remembering this is a “people” business. The hotel has embraced sustainable efforts and/or is taking steps to implement sustainable measures to better their operation and the greater good.
Award – Next Gen Leader
Award Winner – Alexander Shashou, Co-Founder and President of ALICE
Alex is the Co-Founder and President of ALICE. Since founding ALICE in 2013, the startup has become one of the fastest growing companies in the hospitality technology space, raising a total of $39M, building a team of over 100 and a global customer base of 2,000+ hotels. In 2016, Alex was awarded the HFTP President’s Award, which recognizes a person who has made a significant contribution to the hospitality industry. Born and raised in London, Alex grew up in the hospitality industry, with his family operating 90 hotels across three hotel chains in the UK. In recent years, he’s become a sought-after hospitality thought leader, speaking on technology and innovation in hospitality at conferences around the world.
Award Details –
Category – Leadership
Sub-Category – Young Leaders
Type of Award – Individual
Description – For a young professional making a difference
Criteria – This award will recognize an individual with a great story to tell. They are thinking differently to contribute positively to the hospitality industry and consistently asking “why” and “why not” so they can ultimately make a positive difference, spark a conversation and help inspire others within the industry to achieve excellence and reimagine what’s next.
Award – Outstanding Woman in Hospitality Leadership Award
Award Winner – Leola Edelin, General Manager, Renaissance Hotel, Albany, NY
Leola Edelin started in the hospitality industry on accident. She was a student at the University of Pittsburgh when she heard the Holiday Inn across the street was hiring. She became a restaurant server and loved helping people create memorable experiences and making them happy. 17 years later, climbing the later and taking on positions she has never held before, Leola was up for the challenge and has put all her energy and passion into providing the best guest experience in every position she has held. Today, Leola is the General Manager, of Albany’s first and only luxury, lifestyle hotel—The Renaissance Albany Hotel. In addition to all that Leola is impacting in her career, she is also an active volunteer in her community and sits on 4 boards—YMCA Schenectady Branch, Capital Region Workforce Development, Cultural Heritage and Tourism & Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau’ Executive Committee.
Award Details –
Category – Leadership
Sub-Category – Women in Leadership
Type of Award – Individual
Description – For a woman in an industry leadership role
Criteria – Has demonstrated invaluable contributions to the industry and their community at large – mentoring others and taking every opportunity to advance themselves and their organizations for the benefit of the industry and the women around them.
Award – General Manager of the Year
Award Winner – Steven Shern, Area Managing Director, Two Roads Hospitality
Born in the San Francisco Bay area, Steve Shern is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience and has always had a love for the hospitality industry. Currently living in Chicago, Shern awaits the opening of the Thompson Dallas, where he, along with his family, are relocating and he will become the Area Managing Director for Texas Thompson properties sometime in early 2019. Shern joined the Thompson brand during pre-opening of their Chicago property in 2013 from Hotel 71 Chicago, then part of the Capella Hotels & Resorts luxury hotel group, where he served as general manager for the 356-room property since 2006. His reputation as a great leader in the industry led him to be recognized by Hospitality Management magazine as a “GM to Watch” in 2012. Prior to joining Hotel 71, Shern spent 15 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in various management positions across multiple markets. Shern has taken his years of experience to lead all of his team members to treat their guests with honor and respect. He often speaks to aspiring hospitality students at local universities, mentors those interested in growing their careers, and currently sits on the Hospitality Board at Northern Illinois University.
Award Details –
Category – Leadership
Sub-Category – Special Achievement
Type of Award – Individual
Description – For overall leadership and business performance this year
Criteria – Presented to a GM who has provided exceptional leadership to both their hotel team as well as ownership. This individual is not afraid to try new things and reimagine the possibilities to stay at the forefront of guest needs and satisfaction.
For more information please visit the website at thehotelexperience.com. HX: The Hotel Experience will return to the Javits Center in New York City, November 11-12, 2018.
ABOUT HX
HX, a community for hotel and restaurant professionals, offers unparalleled access to market leading operators and suppliers, who are committed to sharing education, solutions, creativity and innovation in order to deliver an extraordinary guest experience and improved community profitability.
HX was acquired by HMG in November 2017 from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association (NYSHTA).
ABOUT HMG
HMG is a privately held company serving the global hospitality and related industries and specializing in trade fairs, conferences and event management and development. Events in the HMG portfolio include: Boutique Design New York (BDNY); Boutique Design West (BDwest); HX: The Hotel Experience; Boutique Design Forums; Boutique 18; Senior Lifestyle Design Match; and the prestigious Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design.