Belgrade's Holiday Inn won 2009 Torchbearer Award for best hotel service on three continents

(Thomas Pavlović with 2009 Torchbearer Award)

New Belgrade-based Holiday Inn hotel, a part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), is the laureate of Torchbearer Award for year 2009.

This award has been presented to Thomas Pavlović, the Director of Holiday Inn hotel in Belgrade, at ceremonious Hotel Stars Award Night in Istanbul.

By the way, in tough competition involving 686 hotels, awards were presented in 20 categories, while Torchbearer Award is traditionally granted to the hotel with the highest Overall Satisfaction Index – OSAT.

Commenting on the award the hotel got, Pavlović said he was very proud of the fact that the award had been won in the category of hotels from three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa. He also said that the success was even bigger when we knew that Germany, Switzerland and Austria were on the top of the hotel business in the world and, in spite of that, the award went to Belgrade.

OSAT system is based on the questionnaires filled in by the guests during their stay. In that way, they are evaluating hotel service in difference categories such as hotel contents, hygiene, services provided by personnel, etc.

According to Mr. Kirk Kinsel, the President of IHG Group for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), IHG is dedicated to supporting and developing hotel staff because hotels are outstanding only if people who work in them are outstanding.

According to his words, the aim of that hotel group is to provide the employees with good working conditions, support and inspiration, in order to enable them to show their talent in the best light possible. These awards are the result of their quality.