From Fawlty Towers to Faultless: Fairmont goes from most derided to most decorated
Just three years after joining Accor's MGallery collection, the Fairmont Resort has gone from "Fawlty Towers" to faultless, winning a number of awards including the national award for Best Regional Superior Hotel Accommodation of the Year in the 2012 Tourism Accommodation Association Awards, as well as the Customer Service Award and Employee of the Year Awards in the Blue Mountains Lithgow, Oberon Tourism Awards of excellence. In addition, the hotel was nominated as a finalist in seven categories in the HM Awards, with General Manager Geoff York taking home the title of Best GM Australia 2012.
The Awards come after a multi-million dollar make-over of the resort that not only updated the interior and exterior of the hotel, but also, more importantly, has seen significant investment in its staff. And the numbers speak for themselves, with customers embracing the new-look Fairmont and the hotel once more taking its position as one of the best in the region.
General Manager Geoff York said he was thrilled that the Fairmont has been restored to its pre-eminent position and said the resort's renaissance has coincided with increased visitation to the Blue Mountains region.
"When I started at the Fairmont there was so much work to do to restore the hotel, not just in its hardware but in re-energising the staff and bringing the resort back to its former glory," he said. "The recent recognition that we have received from the industry and the amazing comments we are getting from our guests confirms that we have managed to really turn things around and today the resort is easily as good as, or better than, it's ever been.
"Importantly, as the largest conference hotel in the Blue Mountains and regional NSW, we have been able to play a real role in bringing more events to the region and in attracting visitors back to the area, which previously was suffering a slump in visitor numbers."
In addition to all rooms being given a complete update, the public areas of the hotel have been restored, with new features including an amphitheatre which will showcase live theatre and film events and newly updated meeting spaces. The hotel will also soon add a new day spa.
MGallery is a collection of upscale hotels that are remarkable in their personality. They will appeal to individual travellers looking for distinctive services or seeking a place with a true soul.
Whether located downtown or in prime tourist areas, each hotel in the collection offers a distinctive setting in which guests will enjoy an original hotel experience reflecting a philosophy of pleasure.
Launched in September 2008 by Accor, it now extends to the five continents with 30 properties and will comprise more than 40 hotels by year-end 2010.
More information about the hotels in the MGallery collection is available on the mgallery.com website.