ROYAL St. Lucia Resort and Spa recognized its top performers for 2016 at its Annual Staff Awards held on Friday, May 19.
Outstanding performers within various departments were recognized for their hard work and dedication. Awards were given in various categories, including Long Service, Employee of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Department of the Year.
Tricia Cherubin, Front Office Receptionist, captured the coveted Employee of the Year award. Cherubin, who has been with The Royal for just over two years, attributed her award to her warm personality, love for people, hard work, and attention to detail. She is currently pursuing a Degree in Business Management with Monroe College and has her sights set on becoming a Supervisor and then Front Office Manager.
The Front Office was also named Department of the Year. Speaking on behalf of her team, Cherubin said: “I think that we handle pressure very well and I think we do a very good job in taking care of our guests — not only when they check-in, but throughout their stay.”
Elizabeth Gabriel was named Manager of the Year. She was recently promoted to Front of House Manager, responsible for Reception, Reservations, Security, Maintenance, and Laundry. Prior to her promotion, Gabriel served as Executive Housekeeper.
Gabriel has been with The Royal from inception (since 1990) and started off as a Room Attendant. She said her next level is General Manager. Reacting to the award, Gabriel said: “I feel really happy. I love what I do and it’s always nice to be appreciated. It’s a wonderful feeling to be recognized in this way.”
For the third year in a row, Simon William was named Supervisor of the Year. He described himself as “focused and friendly”. He said: “I take my work seriously. I’m dedicated to my job. I’m always available, always ready to help. I spend more time at the hotel than at home. So I want to thank my girlfriend and my children for being so understanding.”
William has been with The Royal for 14 years, starting as a Line Cook. Within the last 5 years, he has been promoted — first to Chef de Parte and, more recently, Sous Chef. He supervises about 25 staffers in the Kitchen, Stewarding, and the Canteen departments.
William praised his staff for their support and also Chef Eike Lauff, for encouraging and challenging him to work towards achieving his full potential. he hopes to one day become an Executive Chef.
Personnel Manager, Valerie St. Remy, received the General Manager’s Distinguished Service Award for 37 years of loyal and dedicated service to Rex Resorts. Long Service Awards were bestowed on Frances Edward of The Restaurant for 40 years of service, and Restaurant Manager, David Gerald, for 35 years of service.
In addressing the awards ceremony, the hotel’s General Manager, Richard Michelin, told team members: “I would like to thank each and every one of you for the part that you played in the past year in providing our guests with the Royal welcome, which has resulted in us maintaining our Certificate of Excellence on Trip Advisor, as well as positive guest comments. All of this is through your collective efforts – it’s a team effort.”
According to Michelin, “The competition we face is not in St. Lucia, but from the entire world, as everyone is trying to capture their share of the tourist dollar. Hence, we have to be constantly striving to improve our services — to be better in everything we do.”
He noted that remaining competitive was not easy and that competition means that rates have to be reduced and costs have to be controlled. Travellers are more and more knowledgeable and demand higher standards, so it’s a bit of a juggling act.
Michelin announced that the old Rex St. Lucian Hotel will soon be demolished and a new 350-room hotel built in its place. He sees this as “a remarkable show of confidence in St. Lucia” by MRI – the UK-based parent company of Rex Resorts.
The awards ceremony was attended by Kevin Lazenby, Director of Sales & Marketing for Rex Resorts; and Alison Palin, Consultant to Rex Resorts, based at the MRI Head Office in London.
In her brief remarks, Palin told the gathering: “It’s a privilege for Kevin and I to be here this evening and to share this evening with you. We are very excited about continuing the fantastic journey of Rex Resorts and continuing to grow the brand in St. Lucia. We’re developing next door. The Royal has always been the jewel in our crown and we will continue to invest in that jewel.”
Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee was the guest speaker at the awards ceremony. He described Rex Resorts as “a training ground and an early pioneer in the hotel industry in St. Lucia” and urged team members to be proud of that legacy.
Fedee believes the new hotel to be built by MRI will have a tremendous impact on the hotel industry and on employment in St. Lucia. Noting that people and service drive tourism, the Minister took the opportunity to flag a Tourism Staff Transportation System, targeted specifically at hotel employees who live outside of Castries and encounter difficulty getting home after work, especially at night.
Fedee said his Ministry is also pursuing the establishment of a Night Child Care Service for hotel workers, especially single mothers. The announcements were well-received by staff of The Royal.