General Manager of Sandals Barbados, Ferry Zievinger (left), handed the MVP award to Sheldon Squires.
Director of Finance, Glenford Campbell, congratulated Shahida Goddard with the Standing Ovation Award.
The People’s Choice Award went to Raymond Harewood.
RATE FAIRLY GOOD
Tue, 05/24/2016 - 12:00am
Sandals at 75% occupancy
Winding down from a bumper 2015/2016 winter season, Sandals Barbados is maintaining a “respectable” occupancy rate of 70 to 75 per cent.
General Manager, Ferry Zievinger, stated that as with all the islands, business was beginning to slow down at this time, but remained optimistic that these numbers would be higher during the Crop Over season.
Zievinger said that the staff had hit the ground running since its January 2015 opening, with the 280-room hotel recording almost full occupancy throughout the winter season.
“From December until the end of April, it was very busy for us. It was really busy for the team, but looking back it was very successful and I am very proud for what the team has done,” he said.
The General Manager made the comments during an interview with the media during the inaugural Sandals Barbados Prestige Awards Ceremony held on Saturday night at the St. Lawrence Gap establishment.
It was like Christmas during the event as members of staff and management were awarded for a job well done in the plant’s first year with the presentation of several gifts, some which included trips, hotel stays and electronics.
According to him, the hotel remained committed to hiring locals first.
“We are looking for local persons, because for you to work in a country and for you to manage local people, who better?
Why do you have to look outside?” he said.
Admitting that it was not always successful in sourcing such individuals here, he explained that in these cases, managers from other Sandals properties were brought in to train the local team, and often one of these individuals was then selected to fill the supervisory/management position.
“It is about development,” he insisted.
With a staff complement of just over 570, he highlighted that there were currently 20 staff positions open from management to kitchen staff level, which would be advertised in the press this week. (JMB)