Major award winner Novotel Brisbane Airport General Manger, Alex Penklis with Dino Mezzatesta, General Manager Franchise Hotels and Michael Issenberg, Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Accor Asia Pacific.

More than100 Accor Franchise hotel and corporate office staff came together to celebrate the inaugural Accor Pacific Franchise Awards held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre last night.

The Awards, which recoginse outstanding performance and celebrate the achievements of Accor’s growing Franchise network across Australia and New Zealand, will become part of Accor’s Franchise program on an annual basis and provide the opportunity to celebrate results and milestones with the Franchise properties across the network.

Novotel Brisbane Airport took home the major award of Accor Franchise of the Year (chosen from each of the brand category winners) and was also crowned Novotel of the Year. 

In accepting the two gongs, General Manager Alex Penklis said “These awards are testament to the commitment of my team and their passion to delivering a guest experience second to no one else. After all, customer service and providing great product underpins the work we do and it’s a real honour to accept these awards on behalf of the hotel. I would also like to acknowledge the work and support of the greater Accor team and we thank them for giving us this opportunity to perform”.

The General Manager of the Year Award which recoginses a leader who adopts Accor’s values of Innovation, Respect, Trust, Spirit of Conquest and Performance was awarded to Peter Emery of Novotel Rockford Darling Harbour.

Novotel Sydney Rooty Hill won the Franchise Member Program Award thanks to its proven integration and engagement of Accor’s member and loyalty programs. The hotel’s win has secured it a place at the 2012 Sydney and Melbourne Advantage Plus Expos.

The Franchise Customer Service Award was awarded to New Zealand’s Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco property for its outstanding achievements in overall guest satisfaction – proving that the Kiwis are really at the top of their game in customer service. 

The Hotel of the Year Awards for individual brands were won by All Seasons Cairns (All Seasons of the Year), Grand Mercure Newcastle (Grand Mercure of the Year), Mercure Sydney Liverpool (Mercure of the Year) and Novotel Brisbane Airport (Novotel of the Year).

General Manager of Franchise Hotels, Dino Mezzatesta, said “Throughout 2011 Accor has welcomed 14 hotels, resorts and apartment style accommodation to its growing portfolio in key business and leisure destinations, with a further three due to open by the end of the year. It has been a busy and prosperous year for us and our franchise partners and we are thrilled to congratulate the winners of our very first Accor Asia Pacific Franchise Awards”.

Each award category aims to showcase the improvements, enhancements and developments of a Franchise property under the Accor umbrella, whilst at the same time recognising individual property performances and successes across Australia and New Zealand.