The Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association recently held its premier awards event that acknowledges the industry’s top employees, supervisors, and managers in the hotel, casino, restaurant, and allied partner categories throughout the island. The event was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Condado Plaza Hilton Hotel.
During the ceremony, winners of the Member of the Year Award, the top award granted by the PRHTA were:
- Allied Member of the Year- José Rossy – Ecolab Manufacturing
- Restaurant Member of the Year- Chef Raúl Correa, San Juan Water Beach Club
- Hotel Member of the Year – Dermot Connolly, El Conquistador a Waldorf Astoria Resort
The Chairman of the Board Special Recognition, acknowledging the awardees for their collaboration in working with the President, was granted to:
- Noel Vera, SVP and Assistant General Counsel LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels
- Sam Basú, General Manager of the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino
- Ismael Vega, General Manager of the Casino Metro at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino
In addition, awards for initiatives in environmental protection and conservation were granted to:
- Most Improved Green Hotel of the Year- Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real
- Green Small Hotel of the Year- Rainforest Inn
- Green Large Hotel of the Year- The Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel Spa and Casino
Similarly, winners in the Casinos category are:
- Yuriel Marrero, Embassy Suites San Juan- Employee of the Year
- Mithdalia Silva, Hilton Ponce Golf and Casino Resort- Supervisor of the Year
- Hector R Colom, Casino Metro at Sheraton Puerto Rico
In addition, the winners in the Restaurant category are:
- Carlos Ríos, Sheraton Old San Juan- Employee of the Year
- Argelia Rodríguez, San Juan Water Beach Club- Supervisor of the Year
- Gianlucca Carletti, St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort- Manager of the Year
The winners in the Hotel category are:
- Amarilys Rivera, San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino- Employee of the Year
- Jennifer t. Quíles, Combate Beach Resort- Supervisor of the Year
- Jorge Ruíz, El Conquistador a Waldorf Astoria Resort- Manager of the Year
- Mirem Ubarri, The Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel Spa and Casino- Area Manager
The winner in the Allied category was Yarimil Figueroa, Puerto Rico Museum of Art- Employee of the Year. The event culminated with a party by the group Sin Pausa during which all the attendees, nominees, and winners greatly enjoyed a full-filled evening full of camaraderie.