Progressive Wellington hotels awarded for business excellence and commitment to accessibility
CQ Hotels Wellington, part of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, has taken home the Team Gold award at the Wellington Gold Awards
held at TSB Bank Arena on 30 June, in recognition of its business’ investment in its people, HR and wellness programmes.
The Wellington Gold Awards celebrate the excellence and enterprise of business in the Wellington region. The adjoining
Comfort Hotel Wellington and Quality Hotel Wellington (CQ Hotels), based in central Wellington on Cuba Street, was
commended for holding regular team bonding events and mentoring programmes to promote a sense of unity among team
members.
Olivier Lacoua, General Manager of CQ Hotels Wellington, was also recognised earlier in June by Wellington City Council
for his leadership in accessibility at the Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian awards. These civic awards are a symbol
of the Council’s appreciation for Wellingtonians who have made a significant contribution to their community.
Olivier is pleased for CQ Hotels to be recognised for its ongoing commitment to both HR best practice and accessibility
of the hotels.
“Our vision is to provide an excellent workplace culture for our team members as well as a great experience for
absolutely every guest that stays at CQ Hotels Wellington. Community is everything for us, and we are proud to be held
up as a best practice example of this for the hotel sector,” says Olivier.
CQ Hotels has been working with social change enterprise Be Accessible since 2012 on improving its accessibility,
resulting in the introduction of braille menus and sign language in its restaurant, specialised evacuation facilities
and an internship programme for youth with disabilities. The property also offers nine fully-accessible rooms that allow
wheelchair users to have complete independence, something less common in many hotel properties.
The hotels encourage upskilling and community involvement, with many of its staff involved with organisations like
Cystic Fibrosis and the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.
Trent Fraser, CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, says that Choice Hotels is incredibly proud of Olivier and his team at the
CQ Hotels Wellington for their recent achievements.
“Olivier and his team have dedicated themselves to providing an outstanding service to each and every customer that
walks through the doors at CQ Hotels Wellington. We are honoured to have such an excellent team led by an inspiring
individual be a part of the Choice family,” says Fraser.
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