GOLD’s Judy Gutierrez Wins Stars of the Industry Award
More than 30 years of warm, friendly service and hard work earns the morning server recognition as Employee of the Year
Tucson, AZ (12/14/11) – Known as the “Soul of the Southwest,” Westward Look Resort combines historic charm with modern luxury and unsurpassed Southwestern hospitality. That warmth and friendliness has once again been recognized with a Stars of the Industry Award. On December 9, Judy Gutierrez, an employee at Westward Look for 32 years and GOLD restaurant’s morning server, was awarded the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AzHLA) Employee of the Year Award at the association’s annual Stars of the Industry luncheon.
“Judy is genuinely representative of Westward Look’s Southwestern charm with her warm, gracious hospitality and her hard work, dedication and loyalty,” said Craig Waterman, the resort’s General Manager. “Every time she welcomes guests to breakfast at GOLD, she makes them feel like family members and ensures each individual starts his or her day with a smile.
“I was very surprised and ecstatic to receive this award,” said Gutierrez, who started working for Westward Look in the Grounds Department when she was just 19 years old. She soon moved into the Food & Beverage and Banquet departments before ultimately finding her niche as a server for the resort’s Four Diamond Award-Winning GOLD restaurant, where she has worked for 26 years. Gutierrez has since become “the smiling face of breakfast for thousands of guests in GOLD,” according to her award nomination.
Gutierrez was nominated for Employee of the Year, a designation for hourly, nonmanagement personnel, due to the warm family atmosphere she creates for every GOLD guest. Whether they are local regulars, repeat out-of-state visitors, or new guests, she strives to make them feel at home. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by the guests, the staff, or the AzHLA.
Through the Stars of the Industry awards program, started 40 years ago by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the AzHLA honors local lodging properties and staff who best represent outstanding quality service. In June 2011, both the AzHLA and the AH&LA recognized Westward Look Resort on both a state and national level. The AH&LA awarded Westward Look the Stars of the Industry Award for Guest Relations, Large Property, during their Summer Summit awards luncheon in June.
A long-standing resort and vacation venue in Tucson, the 244-room Westward Look Resort continues its tradition as Tucson’s finest resort with the addition of this latest honor. This year alone, Westward Look and GOLD each earned the AAA Four Diamond Award. Additionally, the resort was recently voted “Tucson’s Best” in four categories by AZ Foothills Magazine readers: Best Place to Stay in Tucson; Best Spa, The Sonoran Spa; Best Resort Pool; and Best Lobby. To learn more about Westward Look Resort, please visit www.westwardlook.com.
ABOUT WESTWARD LOOK RESORT
Westward Look Resort is set in the foothills of Tucson's Santa Catalina Mountains on 80 acres of pristine Sonoran Desert. It offers 244 suite-sized rooms, two award-winning restaurants, a chef's garden, the Sonoran Spa, eight tennis courts, desert hiking trails, on-site stables for horseback riding and multiple pools. Since 2010, the resort has been named an AAA Four Diamond Award® recipient each year, which honors the hotel for its commitment to excellence throughout the entire property, including GOLD restaurant, the resort's extensive array of amenities, guest services and attention to detail. More information is available at 1-800-722-2500 and www.westwardlook.com.
ABOUT RIVER HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
River Hospitality Management is a hospitality management company that strives for successful management partnerships through offering a unique blend of integrated disciplines, experienced leadership and multiple resources. A focus to improve guest service quality, inspire staff performance and ignite revenue production creates a sustainable model for increased profit margins and enhanced asset value under a variety of ownership structures. www.riverhospitality.com.
