GOA FOOD & HOSPITALITY AWARDS HONOUR THE STALWARTS OF THE GOAN INDUSTRY
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The first Goa Food and Hospitality awards were organised by Goa Tourism and Saffron Synergies at JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Goa. The event began with the ‘Green Hotel Conference’ that took place during the day and the evening saw the presence of prominent members of Goa’s hospitality industry as the first Goa Food & Hospitality Awards were given away.
A special guest gracing the occasion was the newly appointed Union Minister of State (MoS) for Tourism and Culture, Shripak Y. Naik, along with Dilip Parulekar, Tourism Minister of Goa. While addressing the gathering the MoS said,“My primary focus will be on improving the international tourist arrivals to India by taking steps to facilitate visa-on-arrival and introducing e-visas. I will also be concentrating on improving the tourism infrastructure within the country, while giving special attention to Goa, especially with the approaching exposition.
The awards was supported by Goa Tourism, GCCI, TTAG and organised by Goa-based Media Promotions Pvt Ltd and Saffron Synergies Pvt. Ltd from Mumbai.
A total number of 15 awards were presented in different categories.
Best Hotel (Luxury): Radisson Blu Goa Resort, Best Hotel (Mid Market) Lemon Tree Amarante, Best General Manager (Luxury): Thomas Abraham- Park Hyatt, Best General Manager (Mid Market): Pankaj Dubey - Golden Tulip Goa, Best Local Independent Hotel (Luxury): Cidade de Goa, Best Hotel for MICE: Grand Hyatt Goa, Best Local Independent Hotel (Mid Market): Ocean Palms, Best Restaurant of the Year: Simply Grills - Goa Marriott Resort, Best CSR Initiative: Heritage Village Club, Most Innovative Eco-Initiative: Aldeia Santa Rita, Best Heritage Hotel: WelcomHeritage - Panjim Inn Best Time Share Resort: Royal Goan Beach Club- MonteRio, Best Spa: Sereno Spa- Park Hyatt, Best Executive Chef of the Year: Chef Chandra Shekhar Pandey – (The) Lalit, Best New Restaurant of the Year: Sunset Ashram.
Two special recognition awards were presented by the Guest of Honour, Minister for Tourism Dilip Parulekar.
The first Special Recognition Award conferred by Goa Tourism to the 4 promoters & founders of Mandovi Hotel Late Anant Visvanath Quenim, Late Purxotoma Ramanata Quenim, Late Dr. Vamana Visvanath Quenim, and Late Dattatray Ramnath Quenim of the Mandovi Hotel, in Panaji, Goa’s first luxury hotel set up in 1952, was received by Ramnath Quenim (Babu) and Narcinva Quenim (Prashant) Managing Directors of Mandovi Hotels Pvt. Ltd
Special Recognition Award was also conferred by Goa Tourism upon Padma Bhushan Late Captain C. P. Krishnan Nair for starting Goa’s first 5 star luxury hotel- The Leela, in Cavelosim which put south Goa prominently on the tourism map of the state, which was received by Rajiv Kaul, Group President – Leela Hotels & Resorts.