A woman who has dedicated 22 years of her life as an `unsung hero` of the hospitality industry has been honoured by the AA.
Rachael Park, head housekeeper at the private hotel Rudding Park in Harrogate, beat 60 other nominees to win the title Housekeeper of the Year 2009.
Park, who started her career in 1977 as a trainee housekeeper at a hotel in London, earned the title by impressing the AA with her high standards in housekeeping and her dedication to her team of 12 staff.
Giovanna Grossi, AA Hotel Services group area manager, said, “Rachael was selected as the overall winner not only due to her housekeeping standards, which are consistently of the highest quality, but to her commitment to her team of staff and her dedication to her frequently demanding role which she manages with admirable efficiency.”
Runners-up for the awards were Sara Meek of Hartwell House Hotel, Restaurant & Spa in Buckinghamshire and Amelia Lawrence of Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair, London.
AA Hotel Services introduced the Housekeeper of the Year award in 2008, in partnership with Northmace & Hendon, manufacturers of specialist products for the professional hotelier, to recognise and reward the most diligent and outstanding housekeepers in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Michael Plaut, managing director of Northmace & Hendon, said: “Dedicated and professional, housekeepers are the unsung heroes of the hotel sector. We are delighted that Rachael, Sara and Amelia have had their hard work and professionalism recognised through these prestigious awards”.