Copthorne Hotel Durham Street Christchurch wins Excellence in Training Award

16/07/09

Copthorne Hotel Durham Street, Christchurch has won the Excellence in Training Award for Workplace - Accommodation in the National Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) annual awards.

The awards organised by the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI), recognise the country’s top players in hospitality training.

Copthorne Hotel Durham Street, Christchurch is a member of Millennium Hotels & Resorts (Millennium, Copthorne and Kingsgate Hotels - MCK), New Zealand’s largest owner and operator of hotels. Millennium Hotels & Resorts was also recognised at the HSI Awards for their winning nomination in the Excellence in Training Organisation category.

Featuring 161 modern rooms including conference and training room facilities, Copthorne Hotel Durham Street, Christchurch has a unique family atmosphere mixed with business clientele.

“With employee numbers ranging from 80 to 95, we have recognised that the success of the hotel hinges on structured, well delivered training programmes that focus on the needs of the hotel,” Copthorne Hotel Durham Street Hotel Manager, Paul Parrant says.

“Copthorne Hotel Durham Street have openly and enthusiastically embraced all the MCK nationally accredited training programmes. In the last year the hotel has reached significant milestones with high numbers of HSI National Qualification completions, both in Customer Service and Departmental National Certificates,” says Jo Simpson, Regional Human Resources Manager.

Traineeships are provided for operational training at entry level, progressing through to supervisory and management training. In 2008, Copthorne Hotel Durham Street employees attended an average of 100 hours off job training each month, which was among one of the highest amounts for any individual hotel within the company.  Within the hotel, staff have access to the hotel’s four specifically designed training rooms available for off-job training.

The HSI Excellence in Training Awards were part of the 7th Annual HSI Training Conference 2009. The awards were presented at the conference’s gala dinner on Monday 6 July 2009.