Another award for Liz at Lancaster
Liz at Lancaster won another award last night when the 2012 AA Quality Assured Accommodation Awards were announced. Although we didn’t win in our category Guesthouse with Breakfast, (congratulations to Cycad Guesthouse in Polokwane), we won a special award: Travellers Value Award for “Top-end Executive and/or Leisure Travellers City.
Vanessa Weltmann explained the process behind this award:
We agree that everyone perceives value for money differently, but with enough overall feedback there comes consensus that some places are regarded as offering more value for money than others. On our revised accommodation awards questionnaire we asked our establishments what category of consumer they were, i.e. top-end executive and/or leisure travellers or those on a limited budget, and matched those that perceived that they were getting value for money to categories in which the value for money scores were high.
So we are very happy that we are perceived to give excellent value for money.
The competition was stiff this year with more than 61 000 consumers commenting on approximately 800 establishments, either online, via eGuestSurv reviews, or by completing AA guest review forms. From these establishments 21 winners in varying categories were announced, including guest houses, bed and breakfasts, self-catering apartments, game lodges and different types of hotels. The rating was based on feedback around a range of aspects including service levels, the quality of facilities, cleanliness, ambience and food.
Vanessa Sand of Essential Travel Info, which organised the event, said all information received from guests, whether positive or negative was sent back to participating establishments.
This assists owners or managers to improve certain aspects of their operations or to maintain existing high standards. The awards programme is therefore a very effective tool to respond to the needs of consumers and gives establishments a definite marketing edge, particularly when times are tough in the industry.
Thanks again to all the guests at Liz at Lancaster who gave feedback on the rating forms and reassured us where we are ‘doing good’ and helped us correct and improve where we came short.