Media Release. 20 May 2010. Mossel Bay Protea Hotel

Mossel Bay Protea Hotel Team
IMAGE: The team from the Mossel Bay Protea Hotel and Café Gannet celebrate winning Best Full Service Hotel in the 2010 AA Travel Guides American Express Accommodation Awards. Back from left: JJ Moorcroft; Ronel Breytenbach; Nazlee Petersen; Roche Petersen; Monica van der Vyver; Ronel Theron. Seated: Janine Shippen; Gareth Shippen; Karen Bús.

Mossel Bay Hotel’s Award ‘Great Reward’

The Protea Hotel Mossel Bay has been named Best Full Service Hotel in the 2010 AA Travel Guides American Express Accommodation Awards, which were announced during this year’s South African Tourism Indaba in Durban.

“It’s a real vote of confidence from our guests, and a great reward for our team, who worked hard at keeping everything going as smoothly as possible under difficult conditions during our recent upgrades,” said the hotel’s owner, JJ Moorcroft.

Mr. Moorcroft said that the reconstruction of the Protea Hotel Mossel Bay’s Café Gannet Restaurant had positioned it amongst the chicest in the country, but emphasised that, “Whilst the décor is cutting-edge-modern, our only job is to make our guests as comfortable as possible – which means that friendliness and good service remain our most important priorities.”

He said that staff training was vitally important when it came to delivering on this promise.

“Our training programme is an ongoing affair – although, of course, new members of our team join us because of their natural friendliness and love of people.”

He believes that this – coupled with the Hotel’s easy access to the attractions of Mossel Bay, and particularly to the neighbouring Dias Museum Complex with its Post Office Tree and Maritime Museum – is the reason why the Protea Hotel Mossel Bay drew so many votes in the AA Awards competition.

“It’s the guests who vote for the Awards, so this is a total vote of confidence. We’ve won two AA Awards before – for the best Small Hotel – but we decided this year to enter into a much bigger category, so the competition was a lot stiffer,” he said.

But the Protea Hotel Mossel Bay and the Café Gannet don’t cater just for overnight guests. “When we extended the restaurant, we also built an intimate private dining room, and the Ochre Barn Conference Centre – both of which open directly onto the street and the parking area adjoining the Museum,” said Mr. Moorcroft. “So we’re ideally situated for entertaining tour groups as well as small and large functions.”

Restaurant Manager and Chef Gareth Shippen said that the Hotel prided itself on employing as much local talent and using as many local ingredients as possible.

“Our seafood food is always fresh from the Ocean, and our wild Mossel Bay Oysters are the best you can get,” he said. “Our vegetables are locally grown, and meat and dairy products locally produced.

“The result is a typically South African menu, but one that focuses on Mossel Bay and the Garden Route and Klein Karoo in particular.”

Hotel Manager Karen Bus said that, although the plaque at the front door has three stars, the rooms and self-catering suites at the Protea Hotel Mossel Bay are decorated to 5-star standards.

“The original building is one of the oldest in Mossel Bay – it was built in 1846 – but the furniture and appointments are as modern as today,” she said.

“The result is a great hotel that stands out for its unique spirit, style, service, and location.”

ENDS

More Information

Protea Hotel Mossel Bay and Café Gannet Restaurant
Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex,
Corner Church & Market Street,
P.O. Box 349, Mossel Bay, 6500, South Africa
www.oldposttree.co.za
Telephone: +27(0)44 691 3738
Fax: +27(0)44 691 3104

Marketing: karen@oldposttree.co.za

Hotel Reservations: book@oldposttree.co.za
Café Gannet Restaurant: gannet@oldposttree.co.za
Banqueting and Conferences: janine@srtfunctions.com
Skype: café gannet
Facebook Group: Café Gannet Restaurant Mossel Bay
MEDIA RELEASE BY BarefootClients | MARTIN HATCHUEL Barefoot Writer
martin@barefootclients.co.za
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