Wolgan Valley Excels At Prestigious Industry Awards

Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa team at the 2010 HM Awards. L-R: Dwane Goodman, Rosanna Barthelot, Andrew Adams-Smith, Maryann Romeo, Joost Heymeijer.

Wolgan Valley Excels At Prestigious Industry Awards

With a one year anniversary just around the corner, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa has even more reason to celebrate, after receiving the most hotel awards at the 2010 HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence.

As Australia’s first conservation-based luxury resort, Wolgan Valley was honoured with six awards including Winner in Unique Accommodation, Best New Hotel, Regional Property, Hotel Chef, and Environmental Program with a Highly Commended in the Resort category.

Now in its eighth year, the annual HM Awards recognise the leaders in hospitality and honour the achievements of excellence in a wide range of categories in the accommodation industry.

With a record 1,300 entries received this year, the highly competitive awards span across Australia, New Zealand and selected South Pacific nations.

Joost Heymeijer, General Manager, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa said: “This is an outstanding achievement for a resort that has been in operation less than one year. These awards recognise the efforts of the entire Emirates Wolgan Valley team who strive for unparalleled service and superior standards every day.”

“To date Wolgan Valley has been a great success and has introduced a new era of luxury to Australian and international travellers. Now as we reach our first anniversary we look forward to continuing setting the benchmark for excellence within the industry,” said Mr Heymeijer.

A scenic three-hour drive from Sydney, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is nestled between two of Australia’s most prominent national parks and borders the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Occupying just two per cent of a 4,000-acre conservancy reserve, Wolgan Valley combines the expectations of the high-end traveller with a commitment to conservation of threatened and endangered wildlife, ecological and environmental sustainability.

Since its opening in October 2009, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa has also been awarded the following accolades:

• Conde Nast US and Conde Nast UK “Hot List” (Spa and Resort categories).
• National Trust Heritage Awards – for its work in restoring the original 1832 farmhouse. 
• Luxury Travel Magazine – Gold List Awards. (Voted by readers “Most desired new resort to visit in the world”)
• Australian Hotels Association (NSW) Accommodation Awards for Excellence for Best Environment Initiative, Regional Deluxe Accommodation of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Tourism.
• Conservation Award Winner, with Emirates Hotels & Resorts, in the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2010 “Tourism for Tomorrow” Awards
• Travel + Leisure’s “It List 2010”
• 2010 Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism Awards for New Tourism Development

The resort was the first hotel in the world to achieve carbon neutral certification from CarboNZero, an internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme.

Wolgan Valley is also a proud member of Leading Hotels of the World, the world’s largest luxury hospitality organisation, representing more than 450 of the finest hotels, resorts and spas around the world; and is a founding member of Luxury Lodges of Australia, an association launched in May to promote the uniquely Australian breed of luxury experiential lodges, domestically and internationally.