Written By : PETER LOMAS. The Whitton family’s Likuliku Lagoon Resort in the Mamanucas has been named top Fiji hotel and resort in a major awards ceremony in Sydney.
Leading hotels in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific were awarded for accommodation excellence at the 2010 HM (Hotel Management) Awards. These were held in front of a record 520 guests. People, departments, properties and chains were recognised in 42 categories.
The couples-only Likuliku Lagoon Resort is the flagship property of managing director Tony Whitton and the Nadi-based Rosie Group.
Likuliku is on Malolo Island, 25 kilometres off Nadi International Airport.
It features 45 luxury bures, 10 of them over the water.
Runner-up and highly commended was the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa at Denarau, Nadi.
The 10 finalists for this HM Best Fijian Property award were:
lInterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
lLikuliku Lagoon Resort
lOutrigger on the Lagoon Fiji
lShangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa
lSheraton Denarau Villas
lSheraton Fiji Resort
lSofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
lTaunovo Bay Resort & Spa
lThe Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa
lYasawa Island Resort
Suva Holiday Inn general manager Mike Wilson was named runnerup and highly-commended in the South Pacific Hotel General Manager of the Year award. This was won by Michael Shah, of Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands.
The 10 finalists for best South Pacific General Manager were:
lBernard Isautier, Vahine Island, Tahaa, French Polynesia
lLee Pearce, Novotel Nadi, Fiji
lMarc Reissigner, Sofitel Hotels (French Polynesia)
lMichael Monks, Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, Fiji
lMichael Shah, Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands
lMike Wilson, Holiday Inn Suva, Fiji
lNeil Houghton, InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, Fiji
lOlivier de Ronseray, Sofitel Moorea, French Polynesia
lSteve Anstey, Likuliku Lagoon Resort, Fiji
lTony Alfaro, Taunovo Bay Resort & Spa, Fiji
James Wilkinson, Managing Editor of HM magazine, said in a statement: “Once again, the HM Awards were a magnificent showcase of the best the industry has to offer.
“We have some of the most amazing staff and hotels the world has to offer and it has once more been a privilege to recognise excellence across the entire accommodation industry here in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
“Once again, this year’s HM Awards have been the most successful ever held.
“Everything about the awards was bigger and better, from the record 520 guests, to the incredible amount of entries we received in 2010, which exceeded 1300.”
Rachel Argaman, CEO of Toga Hospitality, took home the top award on the night, the 2010 HM Magazine Hotelier of the Year.
Toga Hospitality operates the Medina Apartment Hotels, Vibe Hotels, Adina Apartment Hotels and Travelodge Hotels in Australia and New Zealand.
The award was voted on by the leading regional directors of hotel chains, as were the other three top awards on the night – Hotel Brand, Overall Hotel and Accommodation Chain.
Two international hotel chains operating in Fiji won recognition. Accor’s Sofitel Luxury Hotels was named Hotel Brand of the Year, and InterContinental Hotels Group was named Accommodation Chain of the Year.
Over 20 leading travel writers and industry leaders decided the property categories. An HM magazine team decided the people awards.
Winners across Australia, New Zealand the South Pacific were:

PROPERTY AWARDS – AUSTRALIA
1. Serviced Apartment Property
Winner: Quay Grand Suites Sydney
Highly commended: Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney
2. Accommodation Property under 3.5 Stars
Winner: Thredbo Alpine Hotel
Highly commended: Travelodge Docklands
3. Accommodation – 4 to 4.5 Stars
Winner: The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
Highly commended: Peppers Salt Resort and Spa
Highly commended: Q Station Retreat
4. Accommodation 5 Stars
Winner: Crown Towers Melbourne
Highly commended: qualia
5. Business Hotel
Winner: Sheraton Perth
Highly commended: Hilton Sydney
6. Resort
Winner: qualia
Highly commended: Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
7. Hotel Refurbishment
Winner: Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Highly commended: Peppers Manor House
8. Boutique Hotel
Winner: Emporium Hotel, Brisbane
Highly commended: The Olsen
9. Unique Accommodation
Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
Highly commended: Longitude 131
10. New Hotel
Presented by: Intrust Super
Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
Highly commended: Crown Metropol
11. Alpine Accommodation
Winner: Quay West Resort & Spa Falls Creek
Highly commended: Thredbo Alpine Hotel
12. MICE Property
Winner: Quay West Resort & Spa Bunker Bay
Highly commended: Q Station Retreat
13. Regional Property
Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
Highly commended: The Byron at Byron Resort & Spa
14. Hotel Day Spa
Winner: Angsana Spa, Angsana Resort & Spa Great Barrier Reef
Highly commended: Spa qualia, qualia
15. Hotel Bar
Winner: Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney, NSW
Highly commended: Blu Bar on 36, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
16. Hotel Restaurant
Winner: Bilson’s, Radisson Plaza Sydney
Highly commended: Astral, Star City
17. Hi-Tech Hotel
Winner: Hilton Sydney
Highly commended: Crown Towers

PROPERTY AWARDS – NEW ZEALAND, FIJI & SOUTH PACIFIC
18. New Zealand Hotel
Winner: Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa
Highly commended: The Langham, Auckland
19. New Zealand Regional Property
Winner: Peppers Clearwater Resort
Highly commended: Millbrook Resort
20. New Zealand Lodge
Winner: The Farm at Cape Kidnappers
Highly commended: Huka Lodge
21. Fijian Property
Winner: Likuliku Lagoon Resort
Highly commended: Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
22. South Pacific Property
Winner: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa
Highly commended: Sofitel Moorea Resort & Spa

PROPERTY AWARDS – ALL COUNTRIES
23. Hotel Brand Management Company
Winner: Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Highly commended: Small Luxury Hotels of the World
24. Marketing Campaign
Winner: Holiday Inn hotels (Australasia)
Highly commended: Travelodge Hotels (Australia)
25. Service to the Community
Winner: Accor Hospitality (Australia)
Highly commended: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor

PEOPLE AWARDS
26. Concierge
Winner: Ben Davies, The Langham, Melbourne
Highly commended: Elvis Soiza, Sofitel Brisbane
27. Hotel Executive Chef
Winner: Dwane Goodman, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
Highly commended: Glenn Bacon, Hayman
28. Hotel Bartender
Winner: Stuart Reeves, harbourbar, Park Hyatt Sydney
Highly commended: Chewie Choo, Emporium Hotel, Brisbane
29. Human Resources Department Member
Winner: Nicole Downs, The Sebel Surry Hills
Highly commended: Nykkie Gibson, Accor Hospitality (New Zealand)
Highly commended: David Wain, Hilton Sydney
30. Sales & Marketing department member
Winner: Rupert Hallam, Hilton Melbourne South Wharf
Highly commended: Morag Ritchie, Angsana Resort and Spa Great Barrier Reef
31. Public Relations department member
Winner: Peter Hook, Accor Hospitality
Highly commended: Sarah Vickery, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
32. Front Office Department Member
Winner: Sofie Di Donato, Diamant Hotel Sydney
Highly commended: Cameron Griffiths, Park Hyatt Sydney
33. Housekeeper
Winner: Tony Smith, Mantra 2 Bond Street
Highly commended: Imran Asif, Chifley Eastern Creek
Highly commended: Lalini De Silva, Star City
34. Hotel Engineer
Winner: Alan Wallbanks, Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach
Highly commended: Robin Power, Crowne Plaza Melbourne

MAJOR AWARDS
35. South Pacific Hotel Manager
Winner: Michael Shah, Pacific Resort Aitutaki
Highly commended: Mike Wilson, Holiday Inn Suva
36. New Zealand General Manager
Winner: Lynne McVicar, Hotel St Moritz
Highly commended: Jeffrey van Vorsselen, The Langham Auckland
Highly commended: Jim Moore, Novotel Queenstown Lakeside
37. Australian General Manager
Winner: Craig Bond, The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Melbourne
Highly commended: Paul Hutton, Hilton Sydney
38. Environmental Programme
Winner: Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
Highly commended: Mercure hotels (Australasia)
Highly commended: Pacific Resort Rarotonga
39. Hotel Brand
Winner: Sofitel Luxury Hotels
Highly commended: Quest Serviced Apartments
40. Accommodation Chain
Winner: InterContinental Hotels Group
Highly commended: Accor Hospitality
41. Hotel of the Year
Winner: The Observatory Hotel, Sydney
Highly commended: qualia
42. HM Magazine Hotelier of the Year
Winner: Rachel Argaman, Toga Hospitality
Plus the HALL OF FAME inductee:
Stephen Lewis, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.