Dubai | Now the hospitality industry can bag an award for looking after their staff, with the launch of the 2009 Best Hotel Staff Accomodation Award at this year's Arabian Hotel Investment Conference.

Accordingly to AHIC co-organiser, Jonathan Worsley, the initiative is the result of a 50-strong advisory panel call to acknowledge and recognize the value and effort that hotel operators and developers put into looking after their staff in the region's burgeoning hospitality sector.

“According to a survey by research company Proleads, the UAE will see the completion of 22 hotels in 2009 and 13 hotels in 2010, so we felt that the spotlight should focus on accommodation standards of the region’s hotels and not only that of the guest’s experience," explained Worsley.

The award scheme also has two other categories; Best New Hotel and Best Hotel Innovation awards. They will all be presented at a lunchtime event on the final day of the conference, May 4, at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre, Dubai.

Worsley said that nominations for the three Awards have been short listed to the top three in each category by a judging panel comprising of leaders from the hospitality industry.

"With these awards, we hope to encourage and applaud projects that are trying to stay at the top of the game in making the Middle East a leading business and leisure destination”.

The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference will run from May 2-4, 2009 at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah Convention Centre and is jointly organised by Bench Events and MEED. Further details can be found on www.arabianconference.com.

Dee Booth
+971 (0) 4 433 5187
MEED (Middle East Economic Digest)