(20 May 2015 – – Florida): Monday night hundreds of hoteliers, suppliers and key industry insiders raised their glasses to David Morgan-Hewitt, Managing Director of The Goring in London, as he was awarded Top General Manager of the Year Worldwide at the 2015 Luxury Travel Advisor's Awards of Excellence, recognizing the top luxury suppliers in the travel industry.
Every year, the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence advisory board, an invitation-only panel made up of influential travel advisors who have graced the cover of Luxury Travel Advisor, hand-selects the nominees across a range of products that deliver outstanding experiences and provide top-notch service around the world. The nominees then go out to the readers of Luxury Travel Advisor to determine who is most deserving of being named an Awards of Excellence finalist.
David Morgan-Hewitt and The Goring saw off stiff competition from a glittering list of nominees that counted in it such iconic names as The Peninsula and The Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong; the Plaza Athenée and Le Meurice in Paris; The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles – and The Connaught in London.
David Morgan-Hewitt said:
"It's such an honour to win this award, especially in such a special year for The Goring. The hotel has just been re-opened in March, by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, having been closed, for the first time ever, for the completion of a major refurbishment by four top British interior designers. The event, on 2nd March, also marked our 105th birthday. We now have what is being hailed as the most ravishing Front Hall in London – as well as a new fleet of five handsome footmen, one for each of the hotel's suites. Other hotels and homes have butlers, however, only the grandest establishments have footmen. They are far more extravagant and luxurious."
David has been at The Goring since 1990 and became Managing Director in 2006. Working closely with CEO Jeremy Goring, he has been a fundamental force in The Goring's continuing success. The judges admired David's innate understanding of The Goring's impeccable 105 year pedigree and his ability to make that heritage relevant to the future, in order to seamlessly maintain the hotel as an international market leader. His inspirational character, together with his commitment to both his industry and the hotel's staff as well as his dedication to charity work, were also commended.
David and Jeremy's hard work has paid off with a plethora of impressive awards for this privately owned 69 room hotel: over the past few years The Goring has won several Cateys, including 'Hotel of The Year – Independent' and 'Manager of the Year' (David Morgan-Hewitt); 'Top Concierge Worldwide' at the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence (John Andrews); 'No.1 hotel in Europe' in the Travel + Leisure magazine's World's Best Service Awards; 'Hotel of the Year' in the Virtuoso Best of the Best Awards; 'Independent Hotelier of the Year' (Jeremy Goring); 'The 2013 Top London Afternoon Tea Award' from the UK Tea Guild – and last but by no means least, in 2013 The Goring became the first ever hotel to be granted a Royal Warrant by HM The Queen.
Jeremy Goring said:
"David has lived and breathed The Goring for over twenty years. He is that rare combination – a real host, but also a smart operator. One thing is for sure – there's only one David!"
