The Hermosa Inn, a historic luxury hideaway, has taken the Silver in the Best Boutique Property in the Southwest Region category in the prestigious Fourth Annual Stella Awards from Northstar Meetings Group.
The Stella Award is the finest symbol of excellence for suppliers in the meetings industry. The program distinguishes suppliers from around the globe who consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and event professionals. Winners include the very best hotels, convention centers, conference centers, convention and visitor bureaus, destination marketing organizations, destination management companies, airlines and cruise lines.
“We’re thrilled to be a winner for the second consecutive year, as being acknowledged with a Stella Award is a seal of excellence, signifying that we help deliver an exceptional meetings experience,” said Stephen Ast, The Hermosa Inn’s Managing Director.
Winners were recognized for achieving overall excellence, superb food and beverage, professionalism of staff, technology innovations, and other critical aspects of the meetings and event experience.
This year, nearly 7,000 votes were cast from around the world for the 553 destinations, hotels and service providers nominated in 17 categories in six regions in the United States and worldwide. There were a total of 255 total winners and finalists for 2020.
After nominations closed in 2020, finalists in each category were determined by meeting planners during an open voting period during which nearly 7,000 unique votes were tallied. Winners were then selected by an expert panel of judges overseen by the editors of Northstar Meetings Group’s leading brands, Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings.
“Congratulations to the distinguished Stella Award winners for 2020,” said Loren Edelstein, vice president and content director for Northstar Meetings Group. “All of the Stella finalists and winners represent excellence in the meetings and events industry as suppliers, and we’re thrilled to honor the best of the best – especially in a year when the industry has been impacted so significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to the winners for supporting meetings and events planners around the world, and thank you for your commitment to quality, service and innovation.”
To celebrate the 2020 Stella Award winners – as well as the people and places that make the meetings and events industry great – Northstar will present the first annual Stella Awards Virtual Showcase, which will be streamed live on Dec. 2, 2020, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST. The Stella Awards Virtual Showcase – a fun, big-hearted “live” program with contributors from around the world – will feature the 2020 winners across all categories and provide perspective on the industry’s shared future. The event will also feature special surprise guest appearances from celebrities and industry influencers. In addition, the program will support the Above and Beyond Foundation, which is providing urgent aid and grants to hospitality workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’re looking forward to focusing on the future, having some fun and raising money for a good cause, while also celebrating the best-of-the-best in our industry,” said David Blansfield, executive vice president and group publisher of Northstar Meetings Group. “The Stella Awards Virtual Showcase will present a range of perspectives, with one common thread: Everybody misses meetings, events and gathering together. We appreciate everything our industry represents now more than ever. We’ll celebrate and give voice to that.”
To discover this year’s Stella Award winners, click here, or to learn more about the awards program or to register for the Stella Awards Virtual Summit, click here. In addition, all Stella Award winners and finalists are featured in a special section in the November/December 2020 issues of Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings.
