Hotel Cateys 2011 - Front of House Manager of the Year
Sponsored by Micros Fidelio
WINNER: Joanne Alder, room divisions manager, Park Plaza Victoria
Communication is key to Joanne Alder's success. Not just in terms of managing 50 full-time and 70 casual staff, but also to ensure the team know all areas of the business and are ready to step up when the time comes.
This is borne out by the fact that nobody from outside the hotel has been employed for senior positions within the front-of-house team in the past two years. In that time all three reception supervisors and both guest relations managers have been promoted internally. Alder clearly recognises and rewards talent.
Under Alder's leadership her team was the most accomplished in the 27-strong group at enrolling guests in the Park Plaza loyalty programme, while check-in has increased by 10% and check out by 15% year on year in customer service ratings.
In fact, so significant is Alder's success that she was invited to rewrite and design front office standard operating procedure for Park Plaza Europe. Working with the special projects co-ordinator, all 64 procedures have been rewritten and have already been implemented across all UK Park Plaza front-of-house teams.
With a well-drilled team behind her, Alder has been able to deputise for the general manager in his absence and act as an Inspirator for Park Plaza. As part of the Inspirator duties she delivers training to develop teams and ensure guest expectations are exceeded. Such is the hotel's reputation that employees from Berlin properties requested cross training with the Park Plaza Victoria team.
It won't come as a surprise to learn that employee satisfaction in Alder's rooms division has been at the highest level of any department in the hotel for two years.
What the judges said...
"Joanne Alder shone out from her peers in this category, not only for the way she drives the business at the Park Plaza Victoria but also for the way she has developed her team."
Philip Newman-Hall, director/general manager, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
"Joanne impressed both me and other panel members with her can-do attitude and positive innovations, including corporate brand standards for the UK Park Plaza Hotels that have been adopted."
Alistair Sandall, key accounts manager - senior inspector, AA Hotel Services
THE JUDGES
Philip Newman-Hall, director/general manager, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Alistair Sandall, key accounts manager - senior inspector, AA Hotel Services
Ben Seager, rooms division manager, the Montague on the Gardens, Red Carnation Hotels
Annabel Shaw, hotel manager, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
Andrew Toole, general manager, Jurys Inn Manchester
Robert Walton, director, Trunkwell Mansion House/president of the Restaurant Association
THE SHORTLIST
Joanne Alder, Park Plaza Victoria, London
Carol Radlett, the Frogmill hotel, Cheltenham
Jarkko Uusi-Rauva, Chancery Court hotel, London
Sarah Walker, Village hotel and leisure club Manchester Ashton
FORMER WINNERS
2010 Ben Seager, the Chesterfield Mayfair
2009 Ben Malpass, the Cavendish hotel, London
2008 Carly Taylor, Ston Easton Park, Von Essen in Bath
2007 Felicity Wheeler, Four Seasons Hotel, London