Enjoy walking around Fermanagh

Red Squirrel Week and Fermanagh’s Walking Festival
Florencecourt, Sliabh Beagh & Castlecoole , 08 Oct - 10 Oct 2011

FERMANAGH WALKING FESTIVAL 2011

8th - 10th OCTOBER 2011

2011 will see the 5^th annual Fermanagh Walking Festival taking place and we want you to come out and enjoy the fantastic Fermanagh countryside. Fermanagh District Council is planning a diverse FREE weekend walking programme based at a number of beautiful locations around the Cuilcagh, Florencecourt and Sliabh Beagh areas of the County. This is an opportunity for all to come out and enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of Fermanagh’s landscape.

The variety of walking available in County Fermanagh makes it is an ideal venue for walkers. Its vast array of terrains, mountains, forests and castle walks ensure that there is a walk to suit people of all strengths, abilities and interests. The locations for this year’s walking events will be carefully selected to provide walkers with an opportunity to experience some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in County Fermanagh.

The Fermanagh Walking Festival includes a weekend walking programme with different grades of walk taking place at different locations in both East and West Fermanagh. It is envisaged that on each of the days three grades of walk will be available; these are a Family walk, Intermediate walk and an Advanced walk. An Inclusive walk on Monday 10th October at Castle Coole Estate is also planned as part of the festival. Therefore, regardless of your level of fitness or ability there is sure to be a walk that will cater for you allowing you to explore the spectacular landscapes of County Fermanagh.

To find out more informaiton please email grainne.oconnor@fermanagh.gov.uk or call 028 66325050

Register on this link for the Fermanag Walking Festival...

How do managers protect their Hotels?

Over the last number of years for a number of reasons we have had to introduce a credit card preauthorisation policy at the Belmore Court & Motel. Thankfully 99% of people respect their hotel bedroom and pay their bill before they leave.

Unfortunately a few people have caused damage or noise distrubance to other guests - although we try to deal with this as best we can at the time of a compliant the better thing to do is to try and avoid these problems happening at all. The way some people have left their room is disgraceful.

At the Belmore Court & Motel we have invested £2.5 million in our new rooms and are looking at investing £150,000 in our standard rooms over the next 12 months. we need to ensure that we protect these rooms and avoid any disturbances to other guests.

In 2006 we introduced a credit card preauthorisation policy to help reduce these situations. Many other Hotels around the world have a similar policy. This involves;

• A credit or debit card number should be provided when booking the room. This card may be pre authorised for the first nights stay and/or and address check verified. A confirmation email or letter will be sent stating the booking details and terms and conditions.
• Our standard cancellation terms are 3pm - 2 days prior to the day of arrival. This means that if you have booked for a Friday night; There will be no cancellation fee if you cancel before 3pm on Wednesday. Any cancellation after this time or a non arrival would mean the first nite will be charged for and the booking released.
• On arrival a swipe of the credit/debit card is required to preauthorise and amount for the balance owing, plus £50 for any additional charges - telephone, breakfast, noise, damage, etc. At this stage nothing has been debitied from card but a hold has been placed for this amount. This may result in you being unable to access this amount for the 5-7 working days. it may also show on your statment.
• Only on checkout do we complete the credit/debit card for the final amount after discussing it with the card holder.
• For those people who do not have or use a credit/debit card we can accept a cash deposit for the same value which is returned on checkout.

These procedures have helped reduce the number of complaints from guests regarding noise and disturbances from other guests. There have been very few instances where we have had to charge additional costs to these preauthorisations for any problems arising.

We are committed to ensuring that our guests have a safe and enjoyable stay and that all guests should respect the rooms and are staff.

If you have any comments about the above it's would be great to hear them/

A Greener Belmore Court & Motel

BELMORE COURT & MOTEL BECOMES THE FIRST INDEPENDENT BUSINESS TO ACHIEVE SILVER AWARD FROM GREEN TOURISM BUSINESS SCHEME

Belmore Court & Motel has achieved a Silver award under the Green Tourism Business Scheme, for demonstrating excellence in environmental practice and promoting sustainable tourism.

The locally owned Belmore Court & Motel in Enniskillen is an award winning Guest Accommodation and was opened originally in March 1991 with 30 rooms and relaunched with an additional 30 bedrooms in March 2009. 

The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the leading sustainable tourism certification scheme in the UK. The scheme honours establishments that demonstrate high levels of commitment in protecting the environment and promoting sustainable tourism with bronze, silver and gold awards. Award winners are scrutinised on over 145 separate measures by qualified advisors before being appointed the relevant award.

Terry McCartney, Manager commented: “Through a dedicated ongoing maintenance programme, waste reduction, use of local suppliers and continuing commitment to greener options in the motel, we aim to become an industry leader in environmental management and contribute to demonstrating that being green is attractive to the consumer as well as vital for all our futures.”

Belmore Court & Motel offers comprehensive range of accommodation to suit all needs and  is unique, successfully combining the Motel, a distinctive terrace of houses, and the splendour of the new Belmore Court.

Guaranteed a Great Reception

The 2011 Hotel and Guesthouse Receptionist of the year brought further success for the Belmore Court & Motel who were runners up it the Team Category. The property recently was awarded the title of the Best Housekeeping Team in the over 60 bedroom category has gone from strength to strength since its undergoing major development in 2010. Terry McCartney, Owner of the property said “Our aim is to provide excellent facilities and services at reasonable prices to all customers and becoming runner up in the category show that we are well on the way to achieving this goal. I’d like to thank all the team at the Belmore Court & Motel who have worked hard over the last couple of years to make the accommodation a great place to stay and work. ”

The competition is in its eighth year and had a record 95 entries this year from hotels across Northern Ireland. The event is run by the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and its President, Eugene McKeever said, “There is no doubt in my mind that reception staff have a unique role to play in the operation of a successful hotel. They are our eyes and ears providing the main point of contact for guests. A smiling face at reception and a pleasant greeting over the phone is what makes customers want to come back. As the industry body, the NIHF is delighted to be able to recognise the important role that receptionists have in the hotel sector.”

Industry partners, Coca-Cola HBC NI, Avvio and the Northern Ireland Tourist board, support the competition. Eugene McKeever highlighted the importance of these partnerships saying, “the hotel industry is all about teamwork and without a great team of sponsors we would not be able to stage competitions like this. We are indebted to all those who have helped us with the competition and thank them for their commitment to the industry.”

Pete Snodden, Cool FM DJ, compered proceedings at the awards dinner, which was held in the Holiday Inn Belfast on Thursday 14th April. Sponsors, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Coca-Cola HBC NI and Avvio joined with hundreds of hotel receptionists and their managers for a night of celebration.

Winners 2011

Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Appletiser

Winner: Elaine Harkin, City Hotel Derry, age 38

Runner-up: Rachael Kaye Crossey, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast, age 22

3rd Place: Kieva Jewell, City Hotel Derry, age 22

Most Promising Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Avvio

Winner: Sarah Brown, Strangford Arms Hotel, Newtownards, age 27

Recognising those in the role for less than one year.

Hotel & Guesthouse Reception of the Year sponsored by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Winner: Radisson Blu Roe Park Resort, Limavady

2nd Place: Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen

Recognising the achievements of the whole reception team.

Other Finalists 2011

Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Appletiser

Orla Lee, Galgorm Resort & Spa, age 27

Gail Lindsay, Holiday Inn Express Antrim, age 23

Martina O'Hare, Malone Lodge Hotel & Apartments, age 23

Melanie Peachy, Bushmills Inn Hotel, age 30

Adriana Szczodrowska, Park Inn By Radisson, age 25

Anna Toriola, Benedicts Hotel Belfast, age 29

Most Promising Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Avvio

Paul Andrews, Hilton Belfast, age 23

Leanne Kerr, Everglades Hotel, age 22

Jarmila Slugocka, Jurys Inn Belfast, age 24

Hotel & Guesthouse Reception of the Year sponsored by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Bushmills Inn Hotel

City Hotel Derry

Radisson Blu Hotel Belfast

Stormont Hotel

Tara Lodge

Background

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation successfully re-launched the competition in 2004. The event has been very well received within the sector and currently recognises excellence in three distinct categories.

The competition aims to recognise the attributes and skills of the reception function and has been reinstated after consultation with the sector and keen interest from the hotel trade. The competition also seeks to recognise international standards and competitiveness within the hospitality sector.

This award previously ran for over 20 years and was recognised as a leading accolade within the hospitality sector. The last eight years have seen the award receive significant attention from the public, press and industry including applications from over 95 hopeful contestants.

More Information

For further information please contact Janice Gault, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation:

Tel: 028 9077 6635 Mobile: 07799711960 Email: janice@nihf.co.uk

Free WiFi or Not free WiFi?

A device that has WiFi enabled, like a laptop, iPad, smart phone, etc, allows the user to connect to the Internet without wires. This is becoming an integral part of everyday life.

Most hotels have provided a Wifi service which is available for purchase such as BTOpenZone or BitBuzz. At the Belmore Court & Motel seven years ago we started to provide a Wifi service through BTOpenZone and Surf2Go. Voucher could have been bought on a hourly or daily requirement.

After 2 years we found a demand for Free Wifi and so I setup our own network for Free Wifi. This involved installing 12 routers throughout the building o ensure all rooms were covered. We manage this technology ourselves. On the whole this has been very positively recieved - even though we need to reset the routers as and when a customer notices the connection has failed.

We are soon coming to a cross road. If we upgrade to a more relaible & efficient external system there is an initial cost for equipment purchase and almost £200/month including newer SuperFast broadband lines to keep a very reliable connection and an excellent support service. I'm not keen on charging customers to use the Wifi but also with the current economic recession I can't build it into the room rate for all guests. All other costs are increasing dramatically and I can't absorb this extra cost.

There are a couple of options:

1) Stay with the current system; Free but not as reliable as it could be.

2) Install new system and charge £8/hour and/or £12/day. Offers excellent reliability and support service.

3) Install new system and give 1st half hour free and the charge rates as per above. Offer excellent reliability and support service.


I would be interested in hearing your thoughts and/or suggestions.

Thanks.

Terry

Belmore Court & Motel cleans up at the NI Housekeeping Awards

The winners of the Hotel & Guesthouse Housekeeping Awards 2011 were announced at a gala evening in the Wellington Park Hotel on 9th March 2011. The awards were hosted by Pamela Ballantine and supported for the second year by the Bunzl Group and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The competition, which is organised by the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, was launched last year to recognise and reward housekeeping staff and to raise the profile of their important role in the industry.

The winner of the under-60 rooms category was the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel from Bangor. Delighted housekeepers, Giarcarla Giovannoli and Janice Boyce, scooped the top prize with judges commenting on the exceptional standards at the hotel.

The top prize in the over-60 rooms category went to the Belmore Court & Motel in Enniskillen. The property has undergone a major refurbishment including the opening of 30 new bedrooms and the judges particularly noted the superb bed making skills of Romana Sinekovaite and Diana Kalukanova.

Eugene McKeever, President of the NIHF said, “This is the second year of this venture and it has been a real success for the Federation. It has been very well supported by our members throughout the Province, and it is great to see two such worthy winners. We felt it was important to recognise the vital role of housekeeping within the hotel industry and reward those at the top of their game. The support of our key sponsors ensures the continued success of this event and their valued partnership allows the Federation to run initiatives like this on an annual basis.”

The competition involved a team assessment day followed by a surprise on-site inspection for the ten shortlisted finalists. The judges were looking for cleanliness, attention to detail and overall guest impression. One of the objectives of the competition is to raise standards in the industry whilst recognising the superb job that housekeepers perform on a daily basis.

BC&M Housekeeping Team shortlisted for Award

The Northern Ireland Hotels' Federation annually run a Hotel & Guesthouse Housekeeping Competition for its members. This year the Housekeeping team at the Belmore Court & Motel decided to enter the competition.

Housekeeping is an extremely important part of the accommodation busy. The housekeeper cleans the room your enter, makes the bed you sleep in and santises the bathroom you wash in. Overall the guest has more direct contact with housekeeping that any other department.

Last Tuesday the Housekeeping Supervisor, Romana and Housekeeper, Diana, travelled to Belfast to particiapte in the assessment day at the Wellington Park Hotel. There were two sections; less than 60 rooms and 60 or more bedrooms. The Belmore Court & Motel were in the larger section and were competing with 21other hotels.

The session began with an ice breaker which Diana won and recieved a bottle of champagne. After this the group was divided into 4 sub groups. Each group then had to participate four different tasks.

These tasks included making a bed, finding delibrate mistakes in a room inspection, sorting a basket of bathroom utensils & giving advice to a family looking for local information.

At the end of the day the two ladies had really enoyed the whole experience and were told to visit the NIHF website the following evening to see the shortlist. On Wednesday evening when we checked we were over the moon to find that our team had been shorlisted along with:

Hilton, Belfast
Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen
La Mon Hotel & County Club, Belfast
Park Inn, Belfast
Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast
Slieve Donard, Newcastle

On Friday a judge arrived unannounced to inspect a number of bedrooms to help the panel make their final decision.

There is a Black Tie Ball on Wednesday 9th March in the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast were the winners will be announced.

Good luck to all participants but extra special luck to the Belmore Court & Motel team.