Derry’s ‘hotel heroes’ from DaVinci’s, The Everglades and White Horse honoured at hospitality awards
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John O’Doherty from Da Vinci’s Hotel, Soulef Bounaaja from Everglades Hotel and Derek Wylie from Best Western Plus White Horse Hotel each won a Hotel and Hospitality Hero Award
Taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on October 12 and 13, the awards were part of a two-day conference offering a cocktail of analysis, advice and support for the hotel and hospitality industry following what the organisers said was “possibly the most challenging period in recent history”.
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Hide AdOrganised by the NI Hotels Federation (NIHF), the 2021 event had three central themes: Reflect, Recruit and Restore. The programme considered the previous success of the sector, the challenges of staffing in a new era and how to restore trading to its £1bn pre pandemic levels of spend. This year’s high-profile and experienced speaker line-up ensured that delegates got practical guidance with insights covering this year’s three themes.


Stephen Meldrum, President of the NIHF, said: “People are without doubt our greatest asset. In many ways, they are the unique selling point for local hotels, helping visitors to discover a collection of new and unique Northern Ireland experiences. The role that employees play is integral to the success of the business and the sector as a whole. The Federation recognises this and that is why staff were the star of the show at Hospitality Exchange 2021.
“As part of this year’s event, we asked employers to nominate a person who has made an exceptional contribution to the sector, or gone above and beyond the call of duty, for a Hotel and Hospitality Hero Award.
“Over the last eighteen months, the mettle of staff has really been tested. I am immensely proud of the contribution they have made in helping the sector on its road to recovery,” he added.
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Hide Ad“Hospitality Exchange 2021 is very much about looking to the future. Our plan is to acknowledge the challenges and impact of COVID-19, while looking at solutions and learn how businesses are addressing them and moving forward”.


The hotel and hospitality sector has a wealth of talent. These awards shine a light on the hard work being done within the industry and help to showcase the talent and diligence of those working within the industry.