From the Press

Setting new standards

By DAISY SAMPSON daisy.sampson@theresidentgroup.com

For decades, the Hotel Garbe in Armação de Pêra has been a popular destination for holidaymakers in the region and has played an important part in the local foreign community, hosting events, raising money for charity and acting as a meeting place for residents.

Now the hotel is entering a new era as the Holiday Inn Algarve and while standards are being raised, the heart of the hotel and its staff remain as committed to the services they provide as always.

The hotel officially became the Holiday Inn Algarve on July 1 and has joined the global hotel chain, with the hotel being part of a 20-year franchise agreement whereby it benefits from the support and other advantages of being part of an international group, but keeping the management, administration, responsibility and ownership of the hotel.

So far, works to the hotel have included the refurbishment of 66 rooms, including upgraded beds and bedding, complete rebranding of logos, updated computer systems and a new gym, while the furniture in the bar areas will be replaced by August.

Priority Club
Managing director of the hotel Stuart Hardy told the Algarve Resident: “This is a great and challenging time for us here at the hotel and the staff are all highly motivated to make improvements and to be able to represent the brand professionally in the Algarve.”

He added: “By becoming part of the Holiday Inn group we are able to offer our clients the chance to join the Priority Club, which sees guests accumulating points when they stay in a Holiday Inn hotel. Already we have a booking for clients who are using their points to come to us for the first time and we hope this will be a good way to reward existing clients while attracting new customers to both our hotel and the Algarve as a destination.”

Meanwhile, new safety standards are also being set in the hotel with the 17 members of staff recently completing a Fire Life Safety course.

“We have reviewed all our safety procedures and crisis management within the hotel and are now at a level higher than would be usually found in Portugal,” said Stuart Hardy.

With all the changes taking place, the hotel’s management are keen to stress that by keeping all the staff, the friendly atmosphere of the hotel will remain.

Vicki Good from the hotel said: “We will still be working closely with the community hosting Royal British Legion events, exercise classes and other community activities, and we would encourage people to give us a call if they would like to organise something as we would always be willing to help where we can.”

For further information about the Holiday Inn Algarve, please visit their new website at www.hialgarve.com (available in English) or call 282 320 260.

Staff at the newly branded Holiday Inn Algarve remain the same as previously. Photo: DAISY SAMPSON.

Source: Algarve Resident