Paul Bayliss MBE General Manager of Carden Park Hotel was elected unanimously by the membership as Chair of their Hoteliers Association. Annie Brown GM of The Park Royal was voted in as Deputy.
Chairing a Hoteliers Association is a position that Bayliss knows well having lead Manchester’s Hoteliers Association successfully for two years from 2014 to 2016. He increased membership significantly and helped to enhance the city region’s reputation on a national stage, speaking about tourism and hospitality in the Houses of Parliament during his tenure.
On his appointment Bayliss said, “It’s a fabulous honour, as it was the last time, to be appointed to lead an industry association that encompasses everything we do so well whilst people enjoy and luxuriate themselves.”
“For me, Cheshire has some of the very best hotels and resorts, large and small, in the UK hospitality industry and a rare mix of city centre and country properties. Our region is seen as the place to go to for leisure and conferencing in pleasant surroundings by our friends in the metropolis.”
Having worked in Manchester, and as a son of the city of Liverpool, Paul also feels it’s a great opportunity to bring the Hoteliers of the North West closer together, to the benefit of both hospitality and tourism.
“You hear daily about growth and the innovative ideas from within hospitality with new hotels, bars and recreational spaces being announced all the time. It amazes me why more youngsters don’t see us as the go-to industry if they want to travel the world and rub shoulders with the rich and famous, whilst learning to run a dynamic and ever-changing business! There’s no other industry where you’re asked to be critical about how you can exact even more enjoyment for a guest’s experience. For me, it’s getting people to understand what we do, and where this amazing industry can take you. I genuinely believe we beat every other working environment when it comes to life-changing opportunities.”
At the hoteliers meeting held at The Story House, Chester, Bayliss spoke about his commitment as Chair centring on supporting Cheshire’s marketing arm to enhance and improve the tourism offering, so that visitor numbers continue to increase. From a business perspective, he pledged to link members to the wide range of world class science and pharmaceutical organisations – all of whom require more and more accommodation because of the international business they attract.
At the top of his agenda however, is recognition and reward for a hardworking workforce of thousands of hospitality professionals that spans the whole of Cheshire and, of course, helping others through charity work.
“Like most Associations we hold an annual dinner so that our people can get together and let their hair down. This year as part of our commitment to our supporters we’ve introduced awards that we feel any General Manager in Cheshire can access easily, and nominate any member of their team for an award that marks them out as exceptional. People love to be told they’re doing a great job or that their efforts are appreciated”.
“Getting dressed up in your best frock or black tie and attending a gala dinner, and then knowing you have a chance to win an industry award ahead of an outstanding peer group says a lot about how special this recognition is.”
The Cheshire Hoteliers Awards Gala Dinner will be held at Carden Park on Friday 13th October 2017 and will be attended by over 300 guests.
“This year we are supporting Hospitality Action as our industry charity. We’ve been extremely well supported by our suppliers and we’re planning an amazing evening for everyone.”
“I do hope by getting members enthused and engaged that the Association will grow. Whilst big brands and large scale properties like ours get lots of exposure, it’s the smaller hotels that can really benefit from the actions of a Hoteliers Association by multiplying their ability to access marketing and tourism resources or business sales opportunities. We also offer a supplier list that allows hoteliers to assess their current costs against other suppliers, which made a significant difference to my Manchester businesses, and which is vital when profit margins are so important.”
