The Orchards wins prestigious Guesthouse of the Year award
Image courtesy acomsa.
The Orchards Executive Accommodation went up against some serious competition, but came out on top to claim the prestigious Guesthouse of the Year award at the 5th annual awards dinner of the Southern Sun Book-A-Guesthouse programme.
The guesthouse is owned by Salome Tshungu, and in recognition for her superior product, service and attitude, she received the Crystal Trophy, an all-expenses-paid holiday to Southern Sun the Cullinan in Cape Town and a hamper from Nestle, among other prizes.
“Sustainable tourism growth and enterprise development remains the focus of Southern Sun Book-a-Guesthouse, and the ongoing expansion of the programme, first launched in 2005, has attracted widespread industry acknowledgement and approval from quarters as high as the Minister of Tourism,” said Managing Director of Southern Sun Hotels, Graham Wood, at the awards dinner.
Image courtesy staysa.
Situated in Glen Austin in Midrand, The Orchards’ 13 en suite bedrooms are each dedicated to the chief of a different South African tribe to combine traditional culture with modern comforts and amenities. The guesthouse also offers a conference facility and wellness centre for spa treatments and pampering.
Beyond recognising Salome’s superior and innovative product, this award also acknowledges that her establishment has been run in compliance with the programme’s criteria, and displays proven product innovation, constant enhancement and improvement, an innovative marketing strategy, participation in training programmes, positive attitude, team work and leadership qualities.
Cliff and Salome Tshungu, owners of The Orchards Executive Accommodation. Image courtesy Explore Mpumalanga.
Certificates awarded during the evening included those for new members enrolled in the programme in 2011, recognition certificates for members who completed their first year in the programme and those for graduates of the University of Cape Town-accredited online guesthouse management course.
The awards dinner represented the culmination of the 2012 annual conference, when Southern Sun brought the Book-A-Guesthouse enterprise development programme’s 62 members and staff from all corners of South Africa to Sandton to attend the event at the Sandton Convention Centre this past weekend.
Over the past seven years the programme has grown to include more than 60 guesthouse and bed and breakfast establishments in four provinces in South Africa – Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.