Best Western Plus All Settlers Motor Inn crowned Motel of the Year: A testament to team excellence
AccomNews spoke to Greg Johnstone, owner of the NSW Motel of the Year about the honour of receiving the 2023 NSW Accommodation Award
At the 2023 NSW Accommodation Awards for Excellence, Best Western Plus All Settlers Motor Inn was recognised as the Motel of the Year.
The motel, located in Tamworth, features spacious guest rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and flexible function spaces available for events and meetings.
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However, for owner Greg Johnstone, it’s his team that ensures the motel stands out from the crowd.
After the awards ceremony, AccomNews spoke to owner Greg Johnstone about what this honour means to BW Plus All Settlers Motor Inn.
“It feels incredibly humbling to win Motel of the Year – like everyone in our industry, we work as hard as we can to be the best team we can be and to offer excellence in accommodation,” he said.
“I think the special thing about the BW Plus All Settlers Motor Inn is our team. I am fortunate to lead a dedicated team who are flexible and committed to delivering the best possible guest experience. All staff help out other staff as required- we see hospitality as a whole of team effort.”
Like other regional hubs throughout Australia, Tamworth has benefited from the regional travel boom.
Mr Johnstone said there were a number of amenities that made Tamworth a “must visit” regional destination.
“Tamworth is a major regional city with a strong connection to agriculture but also a thriving business community,” he said.
“It has first-class sporting facilities with the Australian Livestock and Equine Centre, Tamworth Mountain Bike Park, rugby, soccer, and hockey fields as well as the Tamworth Gymnastics Club with Olympic standard equipment.”
“Tamworth is a wonderful place to live and visit, with a wide range of activities to enjoy.”
While BW Plus All Settlers Motor Inn has a number of attractive amenities, Mr Johnstone highlighted his two favourite areas.
“I love the bar lounge area and the pool area,” he explained
“The bar lounge is just lovely with its mahogany features and timber floorboards. There’s nothing better than being able to sit back in the lounge and watch the big-screen TV while enjoying a drink or a meal.
“And in the warmer months, the saltwater pool amongst the private gardens is the perfect way to escape the summer heat.”
Reflecting on the award win, Mr Johnstone was honoured to be acknowledged after a tough few years for the industry as a whole.
“I want to offer my best to everyone in this industry,” he said.
“We all endured so much during COVID- it was devastating for staff and management and now post-COVID we are battling staffing issues, interest rates and supply chain issues.
“However, hospitality is a team sport and I would really like to thank my team once again for their commitment to helping us win this wonderful award.”
Sarah is a freelance journalist with experience across print, digital and audio. After working for Multimedia Publishing as a contributing writer, she has recently joined the team in a part-time capacity for School News AU and AccomNews.
