Stillorgan Park Hotel Awarded Optimus Service Excellence

The Stillorgan Park Hotel has recently been awarded of the Optimus Service Excellence Award. Developed by Fáilte Ireland, Optimus is a multi-tiered programme to support tourism businesses in becoming more efficient and more competitive. The industry is challenged by rising costs and consumers are comparing what Ireland can offer with increasing international alternatives. For many in the industry, Optimus is welcomed as a lever to regain competitive ground. “The hotel has been rigorously tested and judged to exceed the expectations of its guests and to make the best use of its resources,” said Tony Lenehan, Head of Industry Standards and Quality, Fáilte Ireland. “Increasingly consumers will choose Irish hotels that have the Optimus standard and that must be good news for hotels like this.”

The hotel achieved the Optimus award following a deep-rooted review of service and guest satisfaction. “It’s probably one of the most rewarding journeys a business can make,” says Daragh O’Neill, General Manager of the Stillorgan Park Hotel. “For nearly a year we questioned everything we did and tested it against what is known to be excellent service in other countries, quite systematically and always with the customer as the starting point. Standard of Procedures were put in place for all sectors of the business and constant training and re-training of our team has been implemented to accurately measure how we were performing against the best in the field. The effect on guests and staff has been considerable and the Optimus award will flag this achievement to the market.”

For global travellers, hotels displaying the Optimus symbol will offer an assurance that superior service and value for money expectations can be met. For individual hotels, like the Stillorgan Park Hotel, achieving the new standard will have significant marketing and profit advantages. At the heart of Optimus is the customer - and an ongoing tracking system which measures customer satisfaction and identifies areas of improvement. A similar system monitors the commitment of employees to the company’s goals and identifies ways in which to increase morale.

Pictured (Left to Right): Aidan Pender, Fáilte Ireland; Magda Fras, Optimus Coordinator Stillorgan Park Hotel; Redmond O’Donoghue, Chairman Fáilte Ireland; and Daragh O’Neill, General Manager Stillorgan Park Hotel.