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Hotel management company Aimbridge EMEA has appointed a team of general managers (GMs) from across its UK and European portfolios to a new ‘Advisory Council’, designed to “empower hotel teams and give GMs greater input into hotel initiatives”.
It said the General Managers’ Advisory Council will meet monthly to discuss priorities for the hotel teams, relaying back information to the corporate team from the teams ‘on the ground’ and providing valuable feedback to management about new hotel initiatives and plans.
Sarah Bestwick, Cluster GM for Holiday Inn and Ibis Budget Manchester Airport, has been named chair of the group, supported by vice chair Kaushik Majumder, Cluster GM – Mercure Leeds Parkway and Bradford Hotel.
Other council members include Paul Borg, GM at Crown Plaza Newcastle; Paul Wood, GM at Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End; Jean-Marc Poumel, Cluster GM at Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites Heathrow; Peter Baerwinkel, GM at Hampton by Hilton Canterbury; David Cooke, GM at Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel; and Kshitijj Arora, GM at Mercure York Fairfield Manor Hotel.
Sarah Bestwick, said: “The creation of the Aimbridge General Managers’ Advisory Council gives general managers throughout the portfolio more input and influence into how the hotels we oversee operate day-to-day.
“As general managers we’re the ones on the ground with our teams, meeting and greeting guests day-in, day-out and seeing how initiatives work in our properties, as well as gathering feedback from our customers.This information is invaluable and can really shape the guest experience, as well as returns for owners, if used in the right way to enhance what we do and adapt where necessary.”
She added: “We’re looking forward to working together as a group, representing Aimbridge EMEAs’ hotel teams across the UK and Europe to empower one another and make sure our priorities and goals are aligned throughout the business in line with Aimbridge’s strategic plans.”
David Anderson, president of Aimbridge EMEA, said: “We know the vital importance general managers have in the running of our hotels. They play a crucial role in the performance of the team at the property as well as the guest experience, too.
“For this reason we wanted to empower our GMs even more and open up a more direct line of communication between them and our corporate support team, so we can all reap the rewards of shaping what we do based on real-time feedback from across the portfolio.”
