THE Grand Hotel in Brighton has helped its owners scoop two major hotel industry awards.

Both the hotel's standards of hospitality and its practice as an employer have been recognised.

De Vere Hotels, of which the Brighton Grand is one, has become the first national hotel company to obtain the Hotel and Catering International Managment Association (HCIMA) 'Hospitality Assured' accreditation.

The award is designed to recognise the quality of hospitality offerd by hotels to their guests.

Similarly De Vere's parent company, Greenalls Hotels and Leisure Group, has become the first major group in the industry to win the British Hospitality Association's 'Excellence Through People' award in the best employers category.

The Brighton hotel was one of three in the group to be assessed for the award which was presented for high quality internal procedures such as employee contracts, induction programmes and training initiatives.

Richard Baker, the Grand's general manager, said: "We have a cracking good team here and these accolades are a fitting tribute to the sterling efforts made by everone who works in the hotel."

He added that the Grand was a byword for stylish hospitality and everyting possible was done to ensure that the standards of service never faltered.

Almost 100 staff at the hotel were recently presented with certificates and badges to mark training achievements and length of service.

They included seven staff receiving the five-year award and one who had completed ten years service.

Robert Allan, deputy general manager, said: "The Grand is something of an exception in a service sector where high staff turnover is the norm."

The 135-year-old hotel is currently undergoing a major facelift, one of its biggest revamps ever.

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