April 22 2016 – Shanghai, China – The Hotelier Awards 2016, the region's leading annual independent awards for hoteliers is now accepting applications from hotels across Greater China and the ASEAN region who wish to recognise their finest talent.

Now in its 3rd year, the Greater China Awards has previously received over 300 applications each year from some 100 properties and 44 brands. With the recent expansion to include Taiwan and the ASEAN region for the first time, the Awards are going from strength-to-strength and more than double the amount of applications is expected in 2016.

The Awards are unique. They are independently run and judged by an esteemed panel of global experts from the travel and hospitality industry. They also celebrate the individuals that make the booming hotel industry tick rather than just focusing on the hotel properties themselves. It is an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals, from General Managers, to front line staff who are the best in their field and often fly under the radar and may shy away from the limelight.

The Awards were launched in China in 2014 off the back of explosive growth in the hospitality industry and this is set to continue unabated in the next few years.

“This year, it is our pleasure to expand the awards into the ASEAN region and we are more than excited. I am immensely proud to be involved with the growth of this platform, which recognises the outstanding work of the most hardworking and talented hoteliers that hopefully will inspire the younger generation to join this thrilling and developing industry,” said Co-Founder of the Hotelier Awards, Stephane deMontgros.

Award categories cover the entire industry from Chef, Sales and Hotel Manager of the Year to IT, CSR and Spa Manager of the Year. This year's Awards will see 18 separate categories in each of the two races and one additional award – Corporate Hotelier of the Year - that will only have one winner from both the Greater China and ASEAN pool combined. This Award can be any individual from a hotel corporate office.

Hotels put forward their finest staff and the nominations are then put to the judging panel of global experts from the travel and hospitality industry. This year the Greater China race and the ASEAN race will be judged separately; they will not compete against each other.

This year's panel of judges includes the following experts. Yona He, the Asian leader of the Forbes Travel Guide, the world's leading global rating system for hotels which is to hotels what The Michelin Guide is to restaurants: Alison Gilmore, Director of the portfolio of leading global luxury travel industry events, International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), Zita Ong, CEO and Board member of Edipresse Media Asia which publishes the regional elite Tatler publications and Sacha Stocklin from Les Roches Jinjiang, Shanghai – the China based campus of the world's leading Swiss Hotel School. The two final members of the panel will be announced shortly.

Five shortlisted candidates will be selected for each category; five from Greater China and five from ASEAN. Come September, these shortlisted candidates will have a telephone interview to provide additional information and help support the judges' final decision. The announcement of the Award winners will be among the glitz and the glamor of The Hotelier Awards 2016 Black Tie Dinner. More than 500 of the top Hoteliers from across the region will come together for this special occasion on December 15th in Macao.

GHC Asia, the region's leading communications agency specialised in the hospitality and luxury lifestyle industries will once again be the official PR partner for The Hotelier Awards. “With our strong knowledge and specialisation in the hospitality industry in China and S E Asia, we are delighted to once again partner with the Hotelier Awards and support its development as the leading event recognising the contribution of the most outstanding hoteliers in the region,” said Paul Hicks, CEO and co-founder of GHC Asia.

2015 winners included Richard Ekkebus, from The Landmark Mandarin Oriental as Chef Hotelier of the Year, Elva Xue, from The PuLi Hotel and Spa as Health Club & Spa Hotelier of the Year, Vincent Zhou, from DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing as Sales Hotelier of the Year and Peter Tang, from Four Seasons Hotel Beijing as Concierge Hotelier of the Year.

Taking home the Award for General Manager of 2015 was Andrew Rogers, The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street. “I look at our roles and responsibilities; to find the best people, select them, bring them into the team and set them up for success. It makes me very very proud to accept this award on behalf of my team, myself and the Ritz-Carlton”.

Donna Campbell, Director of Public Relations, Sands China Ltd says “It was such an honor to receive this award on behalf of my public relations team. I believe in mentoring and nurturing the next generation to enable them to grow and go on to enjoy an amazing career in the hospitality industry just as I have. The Hotelier Awards shows that this industry offers a diverse range of career choices and I strongly encourage all hotels to enter their team members in the Awards this year.”

Applications are now open until July 22nd 2016 for all hotels across Greater China, and ASEAN through http://www.hotelierawards.com/awards-2016/applynow/

ENDS

About The Hotelier Awards

The Hotelier Awards is the only accolade in Greater China and ASEAN, which honours the dedicated professionals of the hotel industry. The annual rendezvous is an overdue recognition bestowed upon those individuals, who are the best in their field. It is also an opportunity to celebrate with their peers. Open to any property in Greater China and the ASEAN region. The high caliber entrants are carefully judged and examined by a panel of experts who, between them, hold a wide plethora of industry specific skills and knowledge.

For more information visit www.hotelierawards.com

The Hotelier Awards is produced by Riviera Events. For more information about Riviera Events visit www.rivieraevents.com.

For images, interviews or further information contact

Jennifer Douglas, The Hotelier Awards

Jennifer.douglas@hotelierawards.com

PR Representative GHC Asia – Hong Kong

Ms. Alice Mak / Ms. Nikita Shahani
Tel: (852) 3163 0125 / 3163 0114
Email: Alice.Mak@ghcasia.com / Nikita.Shahani@ghcasia.com

N.B. Countries included in The Hotelier Awards - China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and The Philippines.