NYC Hotels and beautiful NYC hotel flowers, go together like peas and carrots. Valentine’s Day in NYC is like the Super Bowl for florists, restauranteurs and hoteliers alike. Two weeks before the big day, only an event that is dear to our hearts can drag us away from our preparation. That event is the Hotel Experience Awards. Starbright Floral Design, for the eleventh year running, was a major sponsor of the Hotel Experience Awards. In this annual event, the best of the best in the hospitality industry are awarded and recognized for their efforts. It is considered “The Oscars” for New York City’s hospitality industry.
In the year that past, New York City had over 50 million visitors. A goal that was set for 2012 was surpassed in 2011! Only in New York… The City that Never Sleeps! Thanks to the amazing efforts of everyone in our great city; from the taxi driver to the bartender and the convention planner… Everyone played a huge part to help keep our city vibrant during challenging economic times and to make sure that all of us had work and played our part. Congratulations to all.
Starbright provided the floral decor for the event which was held at Cipriani’s Wall Street. There were over 650 in attendance. We hope to capture the flavor of the event with the attached photos. It was truly a spectacular evening! Nic Faitos (Senior Partner – Starbright Floral Design) presented the award for the Best Concierge Service (in the less than 500 room category). The Ritz Carlton Central Park won that award!
The event was hosted by MVP (Morris Visitor Publications) which publishes IN New York Magazine and WHERE. The two premier in-guest room resource guides. Here is the press release that was issued after the event by MVP:
For immediate release
Hotel Excellence Awards Honor Hospitality Industry Achievements
January 31, 2012 (New York, NY) On Monday evening, January 30, 2012, the 2011 Hotel Excellence Awards (HEA) program was held at the iconic Cipriani Wall Street and hosted by MVP|NY (Morris Visitor Publications), a multi-media travel-publishing company—in cooperation with the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. The HEA program
recognizes the qualities and characteristics that define superior service and achievement in New York City’s hospitality industry. The night saw a record turnout of more than 640 of the hospitality industry’s finest.
Comprised of the Hotel Experience Awards, selected by the readers of IN New York magazine; and the Silver Plume Awards, which honor exemplary customer service of concierges and managers, as chosen by their peers, HEA winners included:
Hotel Experience Award Winners
500 Rooms or More
Best Concierge Service: New York Marriott Marquis
Best Room Amenities: The New York Palace Hotel
Best Hotel Restaurant: The London NYC
Best Family-Friendly Hotel: The Waldorf=Astoria
Best Business Services: InterContinental New York Times Square
Best Overall Hotel Experience: The Waldorf=Astoria
Fewer than 500 Rooms
Best Concierge Service: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Best Room Amenities: W New York – Union Square
Best Hotel Restaurant: The Setai Fifth Avenue
Best Family-Friendly Hotel: The Plaza Hotel
Best Business Services: Mandarin Oriental, New York
Best Overall Hotel Experience: The Setai Fifth Avenue
Silver Plume Winners
Chef Concierge of the Year: Frederick Bigler, The Peninsula New York
Concierge of the Year: McKinley Winston, The St. Regis New York
Best Supporting Manager of the Year: Heiko Kuenstle, The Pierre, a Taj Hotel
The night also saw Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, receive the
prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given each year to an individual who demonstrates exceptional achievement in their field and outstanding contributions to
New York City’s hospitality industry. Actress and humanitarian Whoopi Goldberg received this honor in 2010.
“One of the very best things about leading the Times Square Alliance is knowing and working with so many amazing people in the travel and tourism industry,” says Tompkins. “So being honored by them is truly a special treat; I in turn tip my hat to all of those who make tourism an incredibly and ever more important part of New York City’s economy.”
The Hotel Excellence Awards’ presenting sponsor, jcpenney, presented the jcpenney’s Hotel Excellence Award for Community Service to James Lamboglia, concierge at The Plaza Hotel.
Entertainment for the evening included selections from Ghost the Musical, which will make its Broadway debut on March 15 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, as well as a charitable Silent Auction—containing hundreds of luxury items—to benefit the Les Clefs d’Or Foundation, the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges’ Charitable Fund, the Hotel Association of New York City Scholarship Fund and the ITM Hospitality Fund.
About MVP/NY:
Morris Visitor Publications New York (MVP/NY) is a division of Morris
Communications Company. MVP/NY’s market-leading visitor publications include IN New York and Where® New York magazines, QG: New York City’s QuickGuide, Where GuestBook® New York and IN New York Map. Reaching every segment of the visitor market—from leisure and family to business and luxury travel—MVP/NY products appear at more than 300 of New York’s most distinguished hotels, visitor centers and high-traffic
attractions, private clubs, airports, on New York Water Taxi boats, Amtrak trains and Acela VIP lounges and in upscale corporate housing, generating an annual readership in excess of 34 million. For more information, log on to www.mvpny.net
Starbright would like to congratulate all the winners and thank everyone in the industry for a job well done. NYC is again the destination capital of the world, in no small part, due to your efforts. Now lets fill all those NYC Hotels with beautiful flowers!
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance”. We deliver flowers, love, passion and smiles everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide. Sometimes we deliver messages of appreciation like the within scribe.
Passionately yours,
Your NYC Valentine’s Day Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com
Blooming Thoughts 