Active Hotels recognised as Top UK employer by Sunday Times

Cambridge, 8 March 2004: Active Hotels, Europe’s leading online hotel reservations provider, has been declared by the Sunday Times as one of the Top 50 ‘Best Small companies’ to work for in the UK. Matthew Witt, Chief Operating Officer and Rebecca Sims, Marketing & Communications Manager, accepted the Investors in People award at a high-profile awards ceremony at the London Hilton Hotel on 5 March 2004. Rebecca Sims, stated: “Not only do we pride ourselves on creating a dynamic, challenging and fulfilling environment for our employees but also on providing the best possible service by listening and responding to our partners and customers needs. This recognition is a great accomplishment and I thank all our employees that voted for us. Their effort and dedication have been paramount to our success.” Active Hotels gained particular recognition in the ‘employee well-being’ category which examines stress, pressure and the balance between home and work life. Statistics revealed that 74% are in complete control of their workload, and 88% are able to take all their holidays. These factors combined with a profit related pay of 10% of salary ensured that Active Hotels scored highly on the employee satisfaction scale. Building on the success of the Top 100 guide, the Top 50 SME’s ceremony, recognises the achievements of companies with 50 – 249 employees. Compered by newsreader Mary Nightingale, the evening attracted over 450 attendees from the short-listed companies. Active Hotels is based in Cambridge and employs 80 people. The company is experiencing rapid growth throughout Europe and predicted to process over €200 million worth of bookings for hotels in 2004.