St. Petersbirg/Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) June 10, 2014
The Pinellas chapter of the Superior Small Lodging™ Association (http://www.SuperiorSmallLodging.com) today announced that 9 local hotels have earned the association’s prestigious Award of Excellence for the innovative delivery of “a superior guest experience.”
To be eligible for any Award of Excellence, area hotels with 50 or fewer rooms must first have successfully qualified for the Florida Superior Small Lodging™ designation in 2014. In the St. Petersburg – Clearwater area, thirty-seven (37) of nearly 200 eligible hotels (under 50 rooms), attained the Superior Small Lodging™ designation in 2014.
Ten (10) areas of hotel performance were measured: Guest Amenities, Guest Services, Pet Friendliness, Family Choice, Captain’s Choice, Website Excellence, First Impression, Impressive Pool & Patio, Eco-Friendly and Destination Wedding.
Five (5) area boutique hotels applied for and achieved the Award of Excellence in seven (7) categories. Winners were:
The Plaza Beach Hotel Beachfront Resort, St. Pete’s Beach
Camelot Beach Resort, Clearwater Beach
The Bayview Plaza Waterfront Resort, St. Pete Beach
The Bay Palms Waterfront Resort – Hotel and Marina, St Pete Beach
The Pasa Tiempo Waterfront Resort from St Pete Beach
Two (2) hotels achieved the Award of Excellence in five (5) categories; winners were: Island Paradise Cottages, Madeira Beach
Frenchy’s Oasis Motel, Clearwater Beach
Earning three (3) awards each are:
Cay Pointe Villa, Indian Rocks Beach
Ebb Tide Resort, Clearwater Beach
“Today’s travelers are far more sophisticated and have unique needs and preferences,” said June Mohns, a leader of the local SSLA chapter and proprietor of Island Paradise Cottages. “Guests enjoy distinctive guest amenities and prefer personalized service, tailored to their lifestyles. Some want their pets to travel with them, while others seek out Eco-friendly hotels. Families with children often look for accommodations with impressive pool areas, while boaters and fishermen seek out waterfront properties with docks. Then there are the brides who choose a “destination wedding”, for whom services, facilities, and expertise are paramount.”
One result of this second-annual Award of Excellence program is that it has propelled innovation in all areas of guest services, such as the popular “Dog’s Guide to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area” distributed at pet-friendly properties. This focus on the guest’s experience is producing a demonstrable result in measures of guest satisfaction. In fact, boutique hotels with the Superior Small Lodging™ designation in the St. Petersburg Clearwater area are consistently among the highest rated on such hotel review sites as TripAdvisor™, Google® and Yelp.
“What is so significant about this awards program is the willingness of member properties to share their approach with fellow hotel owners – as Best Practice benchmarking,” said Ben Hirschenfang, Vice President of PRP. The Property Review Program (PRP) is an independent hotel audit and inspection company, annually examining each boutique hotel that seeks the Florida Superior Small Lodging™ designation.
Also of note, thirty-three (33) of the hotels achieving the Superior Small Lodging™ designation in the St. Petersburg – Clearwater area in 2014, have also received the prestigious Donal A. Dermody White Glove Award for housekeeping excellence, scoring 100% during an onsite visit.
About the Florida Superior Small Lodging™ Association:
The Florida Superior Small Lodging™ Association is the nation’s largest and oldest association dedicated to serving smaller owner-operated hotels, resorts and inns. The non-profit organization, created in 1989 has approximately 175 member hotels in Florida, representing almost 3000 rooms. The mission is to set and recognize standards of excellence for quality and guest services, and to promote awareness of exceptional achievement to benefit Florida’s tourists.
Travelers seeking a unique authentic Florida guest experience with personalized service can rely on the Superior Small Lodging™ Association for help in choosing exceptional accommodations. For information about unique, boutique, guest service-oriented small hotels with authentic Florida charm visit Florida Superior Small Lodging Association at http://www.SuperiorSmallLodging.com in the St. Petersburg – Clearwater area, visit http://www.FloridaSSL.com.