Four Pillars Stars Come Out to Shine

The Golden Globes may have been scaled down but the leading lights of the Four Pillars Hotel group were out in force recently for a spectacular night of fire and ice. The ‘Night of Stars’ awards ceremony and celebration was held at the newly completed Cotswold Water Park Hotel and Resort, the sixth in the group’s portfolio of 3 and 4 star hotels. The drinks reception saw guests entertained by jugglers performing with state of the art ‘glow clubs’ in an ice palace, featuring an ice sculpture depicting the winners’ star trophy.

Category winners each received a star trophy, framed certificate and a cheque for £500, and included Back of House Employee of the Year John Martin (Maintenance Assistant, Abingdon) and Food & Beverage Employee of the Year Mahesh Weeramanthri (Commis Chef, Witney). The prestigious Hotel of the Year was awarded to Oxford Spires, and its staff will be treated to an all-expense paid party plus £1,000 worth of prizes to kit out the staff room.

Unsung Hero Award

But the real star of the night scooped the inaugural Unsung Hero award, introduced to recognise Four Pillars employees who provide excellent levels of service often unnoticed, and often in difficult circumstances. The Unsung Hero for 2008 is Mira Prusevic, who has been a General Assistant at winning hotel Oxford Spires since November 2005. Mira left her family in Lithuania and arrived in England unable to speak any English at all, but her perseverance and cheerful nature shone through and she is now able to converse with colleagues and guests with ease. Wendy Proctor, General Manager at Hotel of the Year Oxford Spires, commented; “Mira always has a smile on her face and takes a huge amount of pride in every aspect of her job, even the small tasks which are often overlooked by guests. She’s simply a hard-working and determined person and a credit to Four Pillars”.

Katherine White, Group Human Resources Manager for Four Pillars Hotels, commented; “As a hotel chain we believe our main priority to be the comfort and enjoyment of our guests during their stay. But as employers, we have a commitment to inspire our staff to higher levels of achievement while ensuring their tenure with us is both educational and enjoyable. Events such as the yearly Night of Stars serve to praise and reward our committed high-achievers, as well as offering an opportunity for them all to be spoiled with a fabulous banquet and evening’s entertainment”.

The Four Pillars Hotel Group consists of six hotels awarded three or four stars, across the Oxfordshire, Cotswolds and Bristol area. For more information on Four Pillars Hotels and to book a stay, visit www.four-pillars.co.uk. If you are interested in Four Pillars careers, call Human Resources on 01993 777509.

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Editor’s Note:
Four Pillars is an independent hotel group based in Oxfordshire, with a portfolio of six, four and three star luxury hotels in Oxford, the Cotswolds, Bristol, Abingdon and Witney. The Cotswold Water Park Resort is a new luxury development offering hotel and holiday living in a picturesque lakeside setting. The resort features a four-star 220-bed hotel, health spa, leisure club, luxury apartments and extensive conference and banqueting facilities.

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