Hamburg/Germany – January 19th, 2014 – The beaming winner comes from the St. Regis Singapore: Gwendolyn Chia is the ”AICR International Receptionist of the Year 2014” and winner of the coveted Bucherer David Campbell Trophy. Gwendolyn sat down in a thrilling final against 13 other candidates in the international edition of the AICR competition at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, Germany. The prestigious competition “David Campbell Receptionist of the Year Trophy” sponsored by Bucherer is awarded annually by the AICR (Amicale Internationale des Sous Directeurs et Chefs de Réception des Grand Hôtels / The International Association for Deputy Managers and Front Office Managers of Luxury Hotels). In 2015, the next international Congress of the front office managers of the top hotels around the world will be held in Singapore.
Introducing the winners of the AICR-David Campbell Trophy “International Receptionist of the Year 2014”:
Winner #1: Gwendolyn Chia (St. Regis, Singapore)
Winner #2: Johanna Dlogusch (The Gleneagles – Scottish Golf & Spa Hotels, Scottland)
Winner #3: Viviana Colonna (Mandarin Oriental, Geneva)/ Tarryn Adams (Raffles, Dubai)
“The outstanding competition results of the finalists show how enhancements are still possible, even amongst the already international high level of service,” Darin Davies, International President of the AICR and Director of Front House Operations at JW Marriott Maquis in Dubai summarizes: “The candidates of this year’s competition AICR ‘International Receptionist of the Year’ have impressively demonstrated how the icing on the cake can be presented in the personal care of the guests. Fine nuances in the service quality prove to be the best performance. After careful consideration the jury named four winners instead of the previous three – Winner No. 3 are two truly terrific candidates,” commented Davies further.
Other finalists with outstanding achievements:
Tiago De Oliveira de Oliveira, Villa Magna, Madrid
Gemma Vezzani, Hotel Massena, Cote d’Azur
Raffaella D’Amico, Crown Plaza Rome St. Peter’s
Simone Schuck, Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof, Vienna
Radka Lachova, Clarion Congress Hotel, Prague
Luzie Schnitzer, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, Munich
Alina Jassinover, Park Inn by Radisson Central Tallin
Lilia Garza, Peppers Clearwater Resort, New Zealand
Raphael Pretot, Four Seasons George V, Paris
Ni Putu Wulan Septiandari, The Stones Hotel Legian, Bali
“The world renowned AICR Receptionist of the Year Competition highlights the ever more importance of personally connecting with the guests in the luxury hotel industry,” said Kerstin Oelckers, Lecturer in Hotel Management, representing the International College of Hotel Management in South Australia. “In all technical and economic developments, the service quality at the hotel is crucial for guest loyalty and hotel reputation,” continued Ms. Oelckers.
This year’s AICR David Campbell Trophy “Receptionist of the Year Competition” was hosted by the German chapter of the world’s leading front-office trade association and took place at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg. The jury consisted of: Kerstin Oelckers (Australia / Chief Judge), Antonio Marra (Germany), Maude Pfluger (France), Carsten Hennig (Germany), Adeline Teoh (Singapore), Corinne Bellaby (UK) and Riina Reeder (Germany).
The AICR – Amicale Internationale des Sous Directeurs et Chefs de Reception des Grand Hôtel / The International Association for Deputy Managers and Front Office Managers of Luxury Hotels – was founded in 1964 and is the leading international trade association for front office management.