Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) has held its sixth edition of awards to celebrate the hardworking hotels and hoteliers in the tourism and hospitality industry at the Labadi Beach Hotel. The awards night is instituted to reward member hotels and individuals of the Ghana Hotels Association in good standing who have distinguished themselves in various aspects of their hotel operations. Dr Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr., President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) during the awards said the objective of the awards was to improve hotel service delivery. On the theme 'Sustaining the Hotel Industry in Ghana Post-COVID-19', he said it was conceived to focus attention on the tested ways to players in the hospitality industry to ensure the financial, environmental, social, technological and political survival of hotels after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said digitalisation and by extension online or virtual transactions had become prominent in their scheme of operations and had gained a lot of currency during the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed that for the Ghana Hotels Association to enforce the digitalisation drive, they introduced some form of it [digitalisation] in the selection of awardees for the sixth GHA Awards. The member hotels in good standing were allowed to nominate themselves through an online portal for one or more of eight departmentalised awards namely; Conference and Banqueting Team of the Year, Front of House Team of the Year, Green Hotel of the Year and Hotel Restaurant of the Year. The rest are Housekeeping Team of the Year, Most Customer Oriented Hotel of the Year, Most Digitalized Hotel of the Year and Most Hotel of the Year. He said only a few of their member hotels responded to the online self-nomination approach to the selection of awardees. 'Those few confident, adventurous, and courageous hotels are the ones we are about to celebrate tonight, and as we do so, let me assure you that we have done everything possible to protect the integrity and credibility of the GHA A wards since its inception and this 6th Edition is no exception', he said. 'Every GHA member who mounts the stage this evening to receive an award on behalf of a GHA Hotel does so on merit and therefore well deserved. We are proud of your efforts to keep the quality of hotel services high in Ghana', he added. The sixth edition of GHA Awards night saw the following members of the Ghana Hotels Association member hotels and hoteliers receive awards; Nim Avenue Hotel (One-Star) Northern Region won Conference and Banqueting Team of the Year and in the three-star category, Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Greater Accra won the Conference and Banqueting Team of the Year. Under the five-star category, Labadi Beach Hotel, Greater Accra won the Conference and Banqueting Team of the Year. Front of House Team of the Year under the One Star category went to Best Lodge, Northern Region and under the Two Star, Hunters Royal Hotel, Greater Accra won the Front of House Team of the Year, while Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Great er Accra under the Three Star category won the same award. Tang Palace Hotel, Greater Accra under the Four Star category also won Front of House Team of the Year and Kempinski Hotel won the same award under the Five Star category. Green Hotel of the Year under the One Star category went to Camp Martin Hotel, Ashanti Region and Green Hotel of the Yea under the Four Star went to Accra City Hotel, Greater Accra. With the Hotel Restaurant of the Year in the One Star category, Hotor Hotel, Volta Region won it and Royal Basin Hotel, Ashanti Region in the Three Star won the same award. Meanwhile, the Housekeeping Team of the Year under the One Star went to Traveller's Paradise Hotel and Hunters Royal Hotel, Greater Accra in the Two Star category won the same award. Oak Plaza Hotel in the Three Star category won the Housekeeping Team of the Year and Tang Palace Hotel under the Four Star category took the same award. Most Customer-Oriented Hotel of the Year in the One Star category went to The Haven Boutique Hot el, Ashanti Region, Red Mango Hotel and Apartments, Western Region in the Two Star category won the Most Customer Oriented Hotel of the Year; while, Ridge Royal Hotel, Central Region under the Three Star won the Most Customer Oriented Hotel of the Year and Accra City Hotel, Greater Accra in the Four Star category won the Most Customer Oriented Hotel of the Year and Labadi Beach Hotel was crowned the Most Customer Oriented Hotel of the Year Most Digitalized Hotel of the Year under the One Star went to GRNMA Hotel, Central Region, Mendiata Hotel, Greater Accra under the Two Star won the Most Digitalized Hotel of the Year and under the Four Star category, the Most Digitalized Hotel of the Year went to Tang Palace Hotel, Greater Accra. Labadi Beach Hotel in the Five Star category won the Most Digitalized Hotel of the Year. Most Secure Hotel of the Year in the One Star category went to the Best Lodge, Northern Region, while, Raybow International Hotel, Western Region under the Three Star category won the Most Se cure Hotel of the Year. Most Secure Hotel of the Year in the Four Star category went to Tang Palace Hotel, Greater Accra and Labadi Beach Hotel, Greater Accra, in the Five Star category won the Most Secure Hotel of the Year. One Star Hotel of the Year was awarded to Best Lodge, Northern Region, while Two Star Hotel of the Year went to Hunters Royal Hotel, Greater Accra and Three Star Hotel of the Year went to Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Greater Accra. Tang Palace Hotel, Greater Accra has been crowned the Four Star Hotel of the Year and the Five Star Hotel of the Year went to Labadi Beach Hotel, Greater Accra. However, Mr Seth Laryea, Director of Leisure Hour Hotel was awarded with Ghana Hotels Association Honorary Award for his contribution to the progress of the hotel industry in the country and the Ghana Hotels Association Long Service Award was given to Mr Tom Kuenyefu, Managing Director of Vicabamba Hotel. Ghana Hotels Association Regional Branch of the Year went to the Central Regional Branch and Ghana Hotels Association Hotelier of the Year went to Sir. Cosmas Alhassan, C.E.O., Nim Avenue Hotel, Northern Region. Dr Abraham Ato Ahinful, Chief Executive Officer, NAATOA Hotel, Central Region was awarded with Ghana Hotels Association Award for Significant Contribution. Mr. Sajid Khan, General Manager of Tang Palace Hotel was acknowledged with the Ghana Hotels Association Lifetime Achievement Award for his 50 years of experience in the hotel business in the country. Source: Ghana News Agency