Accolades for Margate resort and manager

LA COTE D'AZUR IN MARGATE bagged two major awards from Resorts Condominiums International - Africa.
KRISSI BANZON REPORTS.
LA COTE D' AZUR, a timeshare holiday resort in MARGATE, is in the top 10 gold crown resorts of 2008, according to RCI - Africa.
Its general manager, Petra Meyer, was also named by RCI-Africa as resort manager of the year (2008).
"RCI rates the resort according to guests' feed¬back, as well as RCI representatives themselves, who stay in the resort,"-explains Mrs Meyer.
"We don't have any warning as to when these mystery guests will come to rate the resort, so it keeps us on our toes."
Mrs Meyer says that earning the award has been the fruit of many years of hard work for the resort's staff. She has been in the hospitality industry for the last 16 years, 11 of which she has worked at LA COTE D' AZUR.
"About 18 months after I took over, the resort achieved gold crown status, the highest rating a timeshare resort can earn from RCI. We have maintained that status for the last 10 years."
In the end, Mrs Meyer says that it is about giving guests what they need, entertaining them, and, above all, giving them their money's worth.
"These days, going on holiday is a luxury, so you have to give your guests value for money. You have to go back to basics, give your visitors a warm welcome and make them feel at home.
"It is the small things that make a difference. Treat guests like they are the most important people in the world. You've got to wow people. And of course, it helps if you love what you are doing. That is what hospitality is about, and sometimes people forget that."
Mrs Meyer admits that it is a huge chal¬lenge to be consistent, and staff are continu¬ously trained to make sure that they exceed people's expectations.
"We have plenty of work ahead of us this year. We have just completed our refurbishment and we are consistently upgrading everywhere we can. You've got to stay motivated and dedi¬cated in this industry, something I pass along to my STAFF."
LA COTE D' AZUR, which has been in business for more than two decades, has a four-star grading, according to the Tourism Grading Council. At any given time, almost 60 staff members are in Mrs Meyer and her manage¬ment team's capable hands. Throughout the year, occupancy at the resort is never less than 90 percent