Birmingham’s Staying Cool at the Rotunda has won a Silver Award at the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013 Ceremony.
(l-r) Kim Richards (Rotunda manager), Paul Taylor (co-founder), Tracey Stephenson (co-founder and managing director), Gavin Burns (sales and marketing manager), Janie French (public relations)
Kim Richards, manager of Staying Cool at the Rotunda, said: “We were the only Midlands company in the running out of 67 finalists. We are extremely proud to have brought Silver home to the region.”
The Silver Award is one of the highest accolades in tourism in England. Staying Cool was presented with its Silver Award at a glittering awards ceremony held on 20 May, 2013 at Lancashire County Cricket Club, Manchester.
Staying Cool penthouse
Commenting on the Award James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, said: “The quality of the 320 applications we received this year was extremely high. Winning silver was therefore a considerable achievement. Staying Cool has achieved one of the highest accolades for excellence in tourism. I warmly congratulate them”.
Wendy Halliday, Property Operations Director, The Hoseasons Group, sponsors – as Cottages 4 You – of the Self Catering Holiday of the Year Award said: “As an established company, with over 30 years’ experience within the self-catering holiday industry, we are very proud to be this year’s Self Catering Holiday of the Year Sponsor. It is a fantastic achievement by Staying Cool to gain their prestigious Award and we look forward to their continued success”.
“The Visit England awards are the equivalent of the Oscars for the tourism industry,” said Tracey Stephenson, Staying Cool’s managing director. “This is a huge honour – we have been a regional winner before, which was wonderful, but we have never made it to the nationals and to bring silver home felt great.”
Staying Cool sees this shortlisting as a defining moment in the history of the serviced apartment sector in the UK. Tracey Stephenson commented, “I am incredibly proud of our team in Birmingham. This is the first time that a city-centre operator has been placed in Visit England’s self-catering category, which I think also reflects the growth and status of the sector to the visitor economy in Britain.”