Kempinski Malta gets hat trick of awards

Malta San Lawrenz property gets the Gold Award by Travelife to add to national ecocertification and Expedia awards

The Kempinski San Lawrenz in Malta has now been awarded a gold certification by the Travelife certification scheme to add to its other awards.

The hotel managed to achieve over a 90% score, and this high result determined the achievement of the Gold Award.  This is an impressive accolade for the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz in Gozo, as it is the only hotel on the island to be presented with Travelife accreditation, as well as its pinnacle award.

This is the second accreditation for this hotel and it is currently first and only certified hotel in Gozo achieving Eco Certification from the Malta Tourism Authority.

The driving force behind Kempinski San Lawrenz's successful application was Mr. Noel Attard, General Manager of the Hotel. Asked for his comments, Mr. Attard said: "We have been passionate about implementing environmental and social management strategies. It is extremely satisfying to achieve such a prestigious award.”

“This award would have definitely not been possible without the contribution of all the team at the hotel where we endeavour to make the holiday of all our guests a remarkable experience.”

“Gozo has a lot to offer and we must continuously underlie its potential as an eco island, promoting it for its richness in history, culture, traditions, tranquility, its people and the environment. All in all this is what sustainable tourism is all about".

The Malta Eco-certification is a voluntary scheme that is managed by the Malta Tourism Authority. Hotels displaying the eco certification logo are complying with a detailed set of criteria that are designed to improve their environmental performance, such as environmental and waste management, procurement of energy and water, air quality, noise, building and green areas, local culture and information dissemination.

Mr Attard continued: “Being the countryside resort that we are, an environmentally friendly approach to tourism comes naturally. We want to concentrate on having sustainable tourism, which blends in perfectly with the vision of Eco Gozo. Sustainable tourism is not just about reducing energy, water and adopting a waste management system but it is mostly about offering the guests visiting the Maltese Islands the authenticity, culture and heritage which Malta and Gozo stand for.”

The Kempinski has been concentrating increasingly on the marketing of the island’s ecological aspects, such as offering country walks and rides, and experiences at local farms where guests are encouraged to partake in the daily routines, showcasing agro tourism, and introducing innovative vacation concepts such as painting holidays on the islands.

The hotel has also announced that they were recently chosen as an Expedia Insiders’ Select hotel, an annual award which recognises the very best hotels, as judged by the experiences of customers of Expedia, the world’s leading online travel company.

The Expedia Insiders’ Select programme is in its third year and includes just one percent of all hotels offered on Expedia.

Criteria on which the award is based include consistently superior service, exceptional guest experience and notable value. "We are delighted with this award. Today the quality of service that travellers receive ranks high among the most important aspects of their holiday. Receiving this kind of recognition by one of the world’s largest online travel agencies proves that Kempinski, which as a management group of luxury hotels has been focussing a lot of its energies on staff training and development, is going the right way," said Noel Attard, General Manager of the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz.

Mr Attard reiterated that "your people are the single most important asset if you operate in the service industry. You can have the best property but that alone will not keep your guests happy, at the end of the day, it’s the service given by your staff that your guests are likely to remember! So obviously we are very pleased that Expedia’s clients have awarded our efforts, and in turn we will endeavour to further improve our guests’ experiences at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz."

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011, special offers HERE