Officially gold standard

“Our aim is to provide a home away from home.”

That simple mantra from Comfort Inn The Lakes manager Tamara Rothall has seen the Mount Gambier accommodation facility recognised among top performers in the Choice Hotels Asia-Pac 2024 Gold Awards.

Comfort Inn The Lakes is among a select group of 20 hotels across Australia and New Zealand, to receive an accolade as a top-performing property for 2024, earning a prestigious Gold Award in recognition of its outstanding performance and dedication to delivering exceptional guest experiences.

“I’m ecstatic that we’ve received the Gold Award,” Tamara said. “Guest satisfaction is something we’ve been focused on and we’ve implemented a number of strategies to boost the customer experience.

“Being a small team, many of our return guests know us, and we know them, which gives us the opportunity to provide a personalised experience.”

More than half of the rooms have been recently refurbished, including all of the smaller standard rooms and a number of the family and spa rooms, with plans to continue this upgrade in the future.

The Choice Hotels Gold Award serves as a benchmark for excellence within the Choice Hotels network – a testament to the property’s dedication and performance throughout the year.

Winners are determined based on a range of rigorous performance metrics, including guest satisfaction, service quality, sustainability initiatives, and operational excellence.

Choice Hotels Asia-Pac CEO Trent Fraser said the Gold Awards recognise the efforts of their top performing franchisees across their five brands in the Asia-Pac region – Ascend Hotel Collection, Clarion, Quality, Comfort and Econo Lodge.

“They go beyond operational performance, recognising the hotels that are leading the sector when it comes to customer service, sustainability, and embodying the Choice brand values,” Mr Fraser said. “Comfort Inn The Lakes’ achievements over the past year have been exceptional, and we’re delighted to present this award as testament to the dedication of the entire hotel team in creating memorable experiences for guests each and every day.”

The 2024 Gold Award-winning properties are entered into the Choice Hotels Asia-Pacific Hotel of the Year Awards, which will be announced next month.