In the midst of a pandemic and growing concerns worldwide, one positive ray of sunshine emerged for staff and management at Aitken Spence Hotels Maldives with the selection of four employees to the final round of the ‘ Stelliers Hotelier Awards 2020.’
Adaaran Select Meedhupparu HR cum L&D Manager Ahamaed Anwar is among the finalists for ‘CSR Hotelier’ with Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Executive Housekeeper Beede Perera listed in the ‘Housekeeping Hotelier’ category.
Heritance Aarah Executive Sommelier Lenka Praveen is among the finalists of ‘Sommelier & Mixologist Hotelier’ category with Aitken Spence Hotel Maldives’ Assistant General Manager Tharaka Appuhamy Talent Management & Quality Assurance up to win in the categories of ‘Sustainability Hotelier’ and ‘Corporate Hotelier’.
This years’ achievements pose as an important milestone for the Group as not one but four finalists made it to the final, represented both brands, Adaaran Resorts and Heritance Hotels and Resorts. The Stellier Award which debuted as The Hotelier Awards in 2014 annually recognize professionals in the hospitality industry in the archipelago, based on their performance in the respective fields as well as key aspects such as personality, team work and other.
Among the finalists are some of Aitken Spence Hotel Maldives’ brightest stars and upcoming talent. With Ahmed Anwar from Meedhupparu being part of the Spence family since 2007, his contribution towards the upliftment of thousands of lives over the years have been monumental. His passion to go beyond the confines of his role led him to champion varied CSR programmes. Adaaran Prestige Vadoo has been known for its exceptional service and have been commended over the years on the quality of accommodation and public spaces. The team lead behind this success is Beede Perera, the resort’s Executive Housekeeper. Counting over 23 years of experience within the industry, he has certainly brought a unique touch to the resort and is deserving of the accolade.
Among the veterans is Heritance Aarah’s Lenka Praveen, whose foray into the field came just over one and half years ago. His enthusiasm to learn, his continued passion to better his skills and his thirst to innovate are well recognized with his listing as a finalist under ‘Sommelier & Mixologist Hotelier’.
Aitken Spence Hotel Maldives’ Corporate Assistant General Manager – Talent Management & Quality Assurance Tharaka Appuhamy, recipient of ‘Stelliers South Asia Human Resources Hotelier of the Year’ in 2019 is up for two more wins this year. Having entered the Spence Maldives family in 2016, Appuhamy has risen in the corporate ladder owing to his sheer drive and focus.
These four finalists make up part of the 98 finalists who were virtually selected for the final stage of the prestigious Stelliers Hoteliers awarding platform. Winners are set to be announced and recognized at a glamorous awards ceremony on 4 December 2020 in Macau.
As a Company, the hospitality giant Aitken Spence Hotels have been known for its trendsetting approach to creating a holiday experience unlike any other. The Company has, over the years, invested heavily on training and development along with research and development to stay abreast of the trends and curating aspirational memorable stays.
Aitken Spence Resorts today, is a recognized international resort chain that has been in operation since 1993 in Maldives. The chain has been very active in establishing a solid training ground for many local hoteliers in the nation since its inception and has ever since upheld the responsibility of grooming local talent towards forging a career in the field of resort operations in the Maldives.
The Aitken Spence Hotels portfolio consists of 22 hotels, with ten hotels in Sri Lanka, one in India, seven in the Maldives and four in Oman. Aitken Spence Resorts, which commenced its operations in the Maldives in 1993 has an inventory of 750 rooms. The Company launched its latest property in 2019 with the opening of Heritance Aarah, a premier all-inclusive resort in the Raa Atoll.
