New York (January 15, 2008): On Monday, January 14, 2008, two of the most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry, IN New York magazine’s Hotel Experience Awards and WHERE New York magazine’s Silver Plume Awards, were united under the umbrella of the Hotel Excellence Awards (HEA). This glamorous 500-guest gala was produced and presented by the nation’s leading visitor publisher MVP/NY (the parent company of IN New York and WHERE New York) in cooperation with the Hotel Association of New York City. The event, co-hosted by MVP/NY President and Publisher Merrie L. Davis and Senior Vice President Paula Cohen, and covered by NYC/TV (Time Warner Channel 25 and Cablevision Channel 22, to be aired on February 18, 2008), was held at the New York Marriott Marquis.

IN New York readers (hotel guests) voted to select Hotel Experience Award recipients. Winners among hotels with 500 rooms or more: The Waldorf=Astoria for “Best Concierge Service,” Jumeirah Essex House for “Best Room Amenities,” The New York Palace Hotel for “Best Hotel Restaurant,” Grand Hyatt New York for “Best Family-Friendly Hotel,” New York Marriott Marquis and InterContinental The Barclay New York (tie) for “Best Business Services” and “Best Overall Hotel Experience” went to the W New York. Winners in the 500 rooms or less category: The Pierre, A Taj Hotel tied with The St. Regis Hotel, New York for “Best Concierge Service,” The Benjamin, “Best Room Amenities,” Trump International Hotel & Tower, “Best Hotel Restaurant,” the Michelangelo Hotel New York, “Best Family-Friendly Hotel,” Mandarin Oriental, New York and The Carlyle tied for “Best Business Services” and The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, “Best Overall Hotel Experience.” In addition, the venerated “Lifetime Achievement Award” was presented to Tom Lewis, President of Gray Line New York Sightseeing by Cristyne Nicholas, President of Nicholas & Lence Communications.

Silver Plume Award winners (Concierges and General Managers) were chosen by a panel of their peers and included: Maurice Dancer, The Pierre, A Taj Hotel for “Chef Concierge of the Year” and Ivette Munroe, also from The Pierre, who took home the “Concierge of the Year” award. Rounding out the trio of winners, The New York Palace Hotel’s Vito Trezulli tied Eric Long from The Waldorf Astoria for “Best Supporting Manager of the Year.”

This year’s list of sponsors and presenters includes AP Graphics, Bermini Custom Tailors, BICE Ristorante, Bloomingdale’s, Chopra Center & Spa at Dream, Circle Line Downtown, Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, EmpireCLS, the Empire State Building, Evian, Graphic Lab, Gray Line New York Sightseeing, Dr. Jan Linhart, John Barrett, M & V Limousine, Ltd., Madame Tussauds, Martha Clara Vineyards, NYC & Company, NYC TV/NYC Media Group, p.i.n.k. Vodka, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, The Shops at Columbus Circle, SNS Staging, Starbright Floral Design, Stella Artois, SuperShuttle, Times Square Alliance, Top of the Rock, Wall Street Entertainment, Wempe Jewelers and William Grant & Sons, USA.

Entertainment included magician Michael Chaut, The New York Saxophone Quartet, East Coast Band and the cast of Grease on Broadway. A Silent Auction of more than 100 donated items benefiting four charities (Les Clefs d’Or Foundation, the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges’ Charitable Fund, the Hotel Association of New York City Scholarship Fund and the ITM Hospitality Fund) was also part of the festivities.

About MVP/NY

Morris Visitor Publications New York (MVP/NY) is a division of Morris Communications Company. MVP/NY’s market-leading visitor publications include IN New York and WHERE® New York magazines, QuickGuide: New York Itineraries, WHERE GuestBook® New York and IN New York Maps. Reaching every segment of the visitor market—from leisure and family to business and luxury travel—MVP/NY products appear at more than 220 of New York’s most distinguished hotels, visitor centers and high-traffic attractions, private clubs and upscale corporate housing, and generate annual readership in excess of 26 million. For more information, log onto www.mvpny.net, MVP/NY’s comprehensive visitor’s Web site.

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