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Achievements in Jamaica Hotel Operations

Mr. Kevin Hendrickson he began his foray in the hospitality industry in 1981 as General Manager of the then, Courtleigh

Hotel, located on Trafalgar Road, until 1995. He also made headway into the baking industry, heading up Yummy Bakery

(now Baking Enterprise) in 1988. He continued his career in the tourism industry with the purchase and opening of The

Courtleigh Hotel & Suites located at 85 Knutsford Blvd. in 1997. In the ensuing years, he has steadily expanded his

operations to include The Ruins at the Falls in Ocho Rios, in 2001, The Knutsford Court Hotel, in 2002, The Holiday Inn

Resort Montego Bay, in 2008, The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in 2011 and most recently the acquisition of the former

Wyndham Kingston (300 rooms).

Kevin Hendrickson as a local investor has a strong belief in tourism and its ability to contribute to the economic and

social development of Jamaica. The hotels have committed to developing products that either meet or surpass the

guest’s expectations. There has been a continuous investment in up-grading the physical product and development of

team members. The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel stands as a testament as this property has recently undergone major

refurbishing, once again making it one of “Kingston’s Preferred Hotel”. The former Wyndham Kingston is currently under

extensive remodeling and expansion with the goal of transforming it into one of the more popular business and

conference hotel in Jamaica. The hotel is scheduled to re-open in 2017.

Food & Beverage Management:

The group of hotels operated has earned a stellar reputation in the area of Food & Beverage service. Island-wide it

operates over twenty food and beverage outlets across four properties, showcasing the best local talents with a strong

focus on using local foods and flavours and creating a culinary experience. This has resulted in properties earning several

accolades over the years.

Some of these include:-

• 2016: Taste of Jamaica: Winning 6 Gold, 25 Silver and 15 Bronze medals. With the Jamaica Pegasus team

taking home the coveted Senior Team Champion title. Many of the hotel team’s members have earned a place

on the Taste of Jamaica National team to the Taste of the Caribbean Competition where they were also

successful in gaining recognition and coveted awards.

• 2015: Taste of Jamaica: : 28 Medals & 7 Trophies including Senior Chef of the Year, Senior Pastry Chef of the

Year, Bartender of the Year, Cheese Cake 1st

Place and Senior Team Hotel 1st

Place

• 2014: Taste of Jamaica Awards : Gold & Silver medals – Fruit & Vegetable Carving; Bronze Medal – Pastry Chef

of the Year; Silver Medal – Wedding Cake; Silver Medal in the Beef Category and 5 Bronze medals for Beef, Pork

& Seafood; 2 Gold medals, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal in Bartender categories

• 2014: Jamaica Observer Food Awards for Best Café (2014) - 24 Seven Café: The Jamaica Pegasus

• 2013: The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Awards for Best Place To Lunch (2013) - The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 2009: Winner: U.S. Meat Export Federation for Best Use of Certified Angus Beef (2009) - The Courtleigh Hotel

& Suites

• 2009: Winner: Jamaica Road Food Competition for Best Soup (2009) - The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 2007: Listed as one of the 10 Hottest Places to Dine: The Gleaner January 21, 2007 - The Courtleigh Hotel &

Suites

• 2003: Nominee: Jamaica Observer Table Talk Awards for Best Sunday Spot (2003) - The Courtleigh Hotel &

Suites

• 2003: Bronze Medal: Master Chef: Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Competition (2003) -

Alexander’s Restaurant

• 2002: Nominee: Jamaica Observer Table Talk Awards for Best Service (2002) - The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 2002: Nominee: Jamaica Observer Table Talk Awards for Best Bar (2002) - Mingles

• 2000: Nominee: Jamaica Observer Table Talk Awards for Chef of the Year (1998,2000) - Alexander’s Restaurant

• 1999: Silver Medal in Team Event: Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Competition Alexander’s

Restaurant

• 1998: Winner: Jamaica Observer Table Talk Awards for Best Décor (1998) - The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 1990: Winner: Best Fish Dish: Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Competition (1990) - Alexander’s

Restaurant

Local Events: The hotels are home to number of weekly Food and Beverage events These include Jerk Night and

Friday Grill Night at The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites; Tuesday on the Grill and Sunday Brunch at the Jamaica Pegasus

and Friday Grill Night at The Knutsford Court Hotel. The Holiday Inn Resort in Montego Bay has daily and nightly

entertainment as a major part of the hotel offering. In addition the hotels has been hosting a number of annual

events such as, The Culinary Federation of Jamaica’s – Chefs on Show, Jazz in the Gardens, Observer Table Talk

Awards, and The Jamaica Food & Drink Festival , just to name a few.

Marketing & Sales:

The hotels have garnered many accolades as a result of their commitment to excellence across all departments. The

hotels punch about their weight and achieve annual occupancies not less than eighty (80) per-cent.

(Kevin Hendrickson with members of the Management team of the Kingston Hotels

Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association

Awards

• 2016: Expedia Best of +VIP Access Hotels : The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 2016: Hospitality Jamaica Personality of the Year: – Kevin Hendrickson

• 2016: Hospitality Jamaica Conference Hotel of the Year – The Jamaica Pegasus

• 2016: Hospitality Jamaica: Best E.P. Hotel – The Jamaica Pegasus

• 2016: Lifetime Achievement Award: The Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association – Kevin Hendrickson

• 2016: TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence : The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 2016: MLT Vacations Quality Assurance Award: The Holiday Inn Resort

• 2015: Certificate of Appreciation from the White House Communications Agency presented to The Jamaica

Pegasus regarding the visit of President Barack Obama : The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

• 2015: Expedia Top Partner Hotel: The Holiday Inn Resort, Montego Bay:


• 2015: Booking.com Certificate of Excellence : The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites



• 2014: Booking.com Certificate of Excellence : The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites


• 2014: Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Nomination for Best of Chamber Large Enterprise (Jamaica Pegasus)

• 2013: The Office of Children’s Registry, Ministry of Youth & Culture – Certificate of Appreciation for

contribution to their “Contribution to Child Participation Programmes”: The Holiday Inn Resort

• 2013: West Jamaica Conference of Seventh Day Adventists – Awarded “Religious Liberty Award”: The Holiday

Inn Resort

• 2013: Jamaica Association of Guidance Counselors in Education– Recognized for Outstanding Support: The

Holiday Inn Resort



• 2012: Jamaica Observer Business Leader Corporate Award – The Hendrickson Group of Companies


• 2011: Travelocity Excellence Award – Recognized as a top Travelocity hotel: The Holiday Inn Resort


• 2011: Tourism Service Excellence Awardee : The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

• 2010: Travelocity Excellence Award – Recognized as a top Travelocity hotel: The Holiday Inn Resort

• 2009: Tourism Service Excellence Award – The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

The Jamaica Pegasus has traditionally been the hotel of choice for dignitaries visiting Kingston including all

Caribbean Heads of States and is one of the preferred caterers at Kings House for State Banquets. Recently the

hotel has hosted:

• Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and the Countess of Wessex

• Mr. Louis Farrakhan, Million Man March and Nation of Islam Leader

• Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF

• Luis Alberto Moreno, IDB President

• Barack Obama, President of the United States of America

• David Cameron, Prime Minister of Britain

• Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan

• Princess Anne, The Princess Royal

The hotels in the Courtleigh Group continue to expand their market presence through various methods:

• High visibility on social media platforms such as TWITTER, FACEBOOK, FLICKR, INSTAGRAM. Placement of special

packages, showcasing a dish of the week, and of course regular giveaways of tickets for events/ parties e.g.

Sumfest, Digicel Rising Stars, Shaggy and Friends just to name a few

• Website: Consistently upgrading websites with new technology and features. In 2015, new websites were

launched for The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites, The Jamaica Pegasus and The Holiday Inn Resort.

• The hotels operate an in-house Digital Marketing team responsible for all on-line strategy.

• The hotels participate in Sales Blitzes and FAM trips along with JHTA and the Jamaica Tourist Board to promote

not only products and services but also Brand Jamaica. Recent blitzes include: Canada, United Kingdom and

Bahamas. Major shows include JAPEX, CHTA Marketplace, Jamaica Bridal Expo, World Travel Market, ITB Berlin

and shows organized by all major Tour Operator partners.

• Corporate Engagement: The management of the hotel maintains strong relationships with its corporate clients

on an ongoing basis and regularly engages members of the business community and its corporate clients at

hotel hosted social events and networking forums.

• The Group continuously supports and sponsors various events including Digicel Rising Stars, Caribbean Fashion

Week, Style Week, International Test Cricket, Shaggy & Friends in Concert, Caribbean Premier League T20

Cricket, Jamaica Jazz, Appleton Grill Off, Bacchanal Jamaica (Carnival) The JHTA Kingston Chapter Kingston City

Run, Montego Bay City Run, to name a few.

Staff Training and Motivation:

“The backbone of our business is our loyal team members!”

The Courtleigh Group recognizes the value of its team members and promotes the sharing of ideas and suggestions both

at its daily and/or weekly department briefings.

On-going training and personal development is encouraged. Team building exercises take place within each department

on a quarterly basis. These include: customer focused selling; the dos and don’ts of the hotel industry, body language,

and handling complaints.

In order to improve efficiency, employees are cross trained. This has provided the means by which team members can

develop their skill set and promotion from within can take place.

Programmes include:

TEAM JAMAICA TRAINING: This enhances team member’s knowledge of customer service, Brand Jamaica product

knowledge and increases environmental awareness.

ORIENTATION: All team members undergo annual mandatory orientation program. The topics include: Customer

Service, Handling Guest Complaints as well as Inter-personal development skills

MANAGEMENT TRAINING GUIDE: All new Managers undergo a Policy and Procedures Training Session. The topics

include: Health and Safety, Training and Development, Emergency Management and Procedures.

Health, Investment and Personal Development Fairs / Workshops:

Various strategic partners are engaged to speak on topics such as Health and Well being, Investment, Grooming and

Personal Development. Additionally, free services are offered including Blood pressure checks, personal grooming, free

dental and vision check-ups, vaccines etc. These are conducted at the total expense of the hotel in an aim to ensure

team members are looked after on the job and also in their personal lives.

SAFETY AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: The hotel consistently imparts knowledge by conducting annual training that

includes:

• Emergency drills for fire and earthquakes

• First Aid and CPR training

• Hurricane Emergency training

• HACCP Training

• Health / HIV / AIDS Awareness Training (including one-on-one talks with our nurse and regular blood pressure

checks)

• Bi-annual web internet training for the sales team to learn new ways to maximize visibility through electronic

media.

This investment has paid off with several team members being recognized at the National level for the quality

of their work and service. Some of these awards include:-

• 2014: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association Hotel Manager of the Year - Marcia Morris, Executive

Housekeeper (Jamaica Pegasus)

• 2013: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association Hotel Manager of the Year - Maurice Bryan, Sales Manager

(Courtleigh Hotel and Suites)

• 2010: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association Hotel Worker of the Year - Andrew Gillings, Duty Engineer

(Jamaica Pegasus)

• 2009: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association Hotelier of the Year - Kevin Hendrickson

• 2009: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association Hotel Manager of the Year Award - Cecile Hyatt-Reynolds,

Operations Manager (The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites)

• 2006: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association President’s Award - Nicola Madden-Greig (The Courtleigh

Hotel & Suites)

• 2002: Winner: The Gleaner Honour Award for Excellence in Business - Kevin Hendrickson

• 2001: Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association Hotelier of the Year - Kevin Hendrickson

• 1999 Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association Hotel Worker of the Year - Clan Johnson, Bartender


• 1994 Winner: Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association Hotel Worker of the Year - Owen Codlin, Engineer


THRIFT CLUB: This club allows team members to reach their financial goals. Monthly deductions from members, along

with participation from the hotels, are placed in an investment account, and at the end of the year accumulated savings

are distributed to members.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH: Each month the best team player is recognized and awarded at a quarterly party. The

winners are showcased publicly which acts as a motivational tool for the team

BIRTHDAY CLUB: We celebrate our staff at the quarterly Employee Awards event, where all persons with birthdays are

serenaded with songs and join together to cut a celebratory cake.

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET AND AFTER PARTY:

Each year team members and their guest are treated to a formal banquet and premium live entertainment, followed by

an after-party. The highlights of the night are the awards that recognize the team member/departments for excellence

in service, team participation and for “just being great”. Team members are also recognized with token gifts as well as

cash prizes in several different award categories.

SMILE CAMPAIGN: A unique and innovative approach adopted by the management team to promote genuine, friendly

guest interactions. Team members are rewarded by the management team whenever they are observed smiling and

being helpful to guests. A Smile Ambassador is selected who “reigns” for a year and is included in promotional efforts.

INTRANET: This allows employees to keep abreast of current ‘happenings’ at the properties and supports the belief that

communication is essential to good service and allows team members be in the know. Moving apace with technology

the employee handbook, guidelines, staff pictures and hotel contact sheets can be found on their intranet.

COMMITTEES:

Employees at various levels are given the opportunity to join various committees whether related to organizational

structure and/or operations. These include Annual Staff Banquet Planning Committee, HACCP Committee, Revenue

Committee, Emergency Management/Hurricane Planning Committee, Staff Newsletter Committee, and Environmental

Committee.

EMPLOYEE TEAM SPORTS: The hotel supports employees in external pursuits including team sports including the

Business House 6-A-Side football competition, Running Clubs which participates in a number of the 5K, 10K and

marathon events.

Environmental Management Practices:

All properties are operated to use environmentally friendly chemicals and products from reputable suppliers in their

operations. Continuous training of team members is conducted to sensitize them to proper usage of proper use of

chemical.

The hotels have in place a comprehensive EMS policy which covers the procedure to be followed in the event of a fire,

earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters. Drills are periodically carried out to ensure that staff members are

familiar with these procedures. The hotels are fully compliant with all the safety requirements to meet the regulatory

standards.

All the properties are constantly reviewing and implementing the most efficient and environmentally friendly

equipment. These measures have resulted in much success in operations. The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites has received

JPS awards for Best Use of Energy on two occasions.

As good stewards of the environment, participation in the Annual International Coastal Clean-Up Day is crucial as the

group recognizes the importance the environment and its overall global impact.

The group is also a member of the Jamaica Environmental Trust and assists in the implementation of programmes as the

“Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica” campaign.

Members of the Staff at International Coastal Clean

The organization promotes environmental awareness through an active process among clients, staff and the wider

community.

Notices are created to advise our valuable customers of environmental awareness tips. These are placed in all public

areas of the hotel and in the staff canteen and department bulletin boards.

The hotels in the Group are committed to doing their part in energy conservation.

To comply with industry regulations as it relates to health and safety environment and quality, there is a HACCP

committee in place to self regulate and ensure total compliance. There is a sub-committee under HACCP focused

on food and general safety. This team continuously monitors and improves the day to day operations of the

food department and overall hotel operations.

To help save the environment there are various recycling programmes implemented across the group for

waste oil, paper, glass and plastic.

TheCode:

The hotels are all signatories to TheCode. The Code (short for “The Code of Conduct for the Protection of

Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism”) is an industry-driven responsible tourism initiative

with a mission to provide awareness, tools and support to the tourism industry in order to prevent the sexual

exploitation of children. The hotels have been members since 2014.

Exceptional Service towards the Development of the Industry and Impact on the Tourism Industry

All the hotels in the Group partner with the tourism industry to ensure the success of the general industry mandate.

They provide continuous support by hosting regular travel agent FAM trips, participating in Brand Jamaica Expositions,

JHTA, CHTA, JAPEX, and Kingston Metropolitan Resort Board. Several members of our team are members of the JHTA –

current President and councilors

The hotels strategically align themselves to grow the sports tourism sector of the industry. This is done by offering

special room and package rates in order to showcase our Brand Jamaica product to new prospective clients and

untapped market segments.

Cultural and Entertainment Tourism is also a strong focus. The properties partner annually with Caribbean Fashion

Week, Pulse and Saint International Style Weeks, Shaggy & Friends, Bacchanal, Jamaica Jazz & Blues, Reggae Sumfest,

and sporting bodies like WICB, JFF and JAAA

.

Achievements in Community Affairs Involvement, Both Local and Regional Level

A philosophy of philanthropy is one of the core values of the group. Giving back to the community demonstrates in a

tangible way that community development is crucial to the success of our country.

While the various hotels undertake numerous Charity Projects independently, the Group also supports joint charity

programmes where the hotels will contribute and employees can participate in the charity drive. This engenders a spirit

of community throughout the organization and facilitates giving back to those in need and supporting numerous

charitable organizations, such as:

• Mustard Seed Communities

• Missionaries of the Poor

• Jamaica Cancer Society

• Maxfield Park Children’s Home Choir

• Jamaica Christian Boy’s Home

• The Salvation Army

• Alpha Boys Home

• Reddie’s Place of Safety

• West Haven Children Home

• St. Patrick’s Primary School

• Campion College

Combined Hotel team at the Kingston City Run 2016

The group of companies has participated in many annual events geared to provide support such as:

• Kingston City Run

• Montego Bay City Run

• Hurricane Relief

• Operation Love

• CB Group/ UWI 5K

• Shaggy & Friends: Platinum Sponsor (2013 and 2015).

• RuJohn Foundation

• Culinary Federation of Jamaica

• Straight Caribbean Spine Foundation

• Nova Southeastern Medical Mission

• Erma’s Jamaica Hospital Appeal Annual Fundraising Gala Ball

• West Haven Children Home

Welcoming the JFF Football team

The hotels host numerous medical missions providing medical clinics to inner city communities. The hotels have

supported annually for over ten (10) years the Rujohn Foundation. The mission of the RuJohn Foundation is to provide

the necessary educational tools for rural schools throughout Jamaica and select U.S. cities.

The group participates both as a corporate body and through the team members who are encouraged to contribute

clothing, books and food for the respective homes. The last 2 drives were a success as the hotel promoted a raffle for an

American Airlines ticket to any destination and ALL proceeds went to the Golden Age Home.

Operation Love fed over 500 homeless people in Kingston Jamaica. This project was spearheaded by one of the

Courtleigh Sales Managers and was strongly supported by the Courtleigh family. Team members contributed food and

cash which purchased hygiene products and t-shirts for the homeless. The hotel also sponsored the project by cooking

the meals for this very worthy cause.

Another way of providing support for community development is by participating in career talks hosted by UWI and

UTECH to students studying hospitality and tourism. This allows them to hear real experiences and facilitates a very

interactive question and answer time.

The Human Resources team has also displayed the properties at the various career expos to enlighten the young minds

of Jamaicans and give them assistance towards the path of their future.

The Group actively participates in an internship programme which has become highly sought after by hospitality

students from various institutions. The hotels take interns for the summer period and this facilitates great on-the-job

training so that they can relate to the modules taught in school.

The West Haven Experience:

West Haven Children’s Home is the Group’s main Charity Project in the West.

There are seventy five (75) wards at this facility; ages three (3) and older. The children are accommodated in cottages,

which are fully operational. Four of which are available at this facility. The initiative by Holiday Inn Team Members

allows them take a direct role in the life of the children they choose to sponsor. Contributions in the form of services and

kind, has enabled the children to live a better life, as well as allow access to opportunities that would otherwise be

unavailable to them.

Reddie’s Place of Safety:

The Jamaica Pegasus hosts an annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Invited guests and staff are asked to donate

gifts which are given to the children housed at the Reddie’s Place of Safety.

Attached is a file with just a few of the letters of commendation and gratitude received from various beneficiary

organizations

Level of Involvement with National Hotel Association and Regional:

Mr. Hendrickson’s contribution to tourism, the hotel industry and Jamaica goes way beyond the direct management of

the hotel properties. He is an active member of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association and has been appointed to a

number of boards over the years. His tenure includes:

Jamaica Reservation Service - Director

Jamaica Vacations Ltd - Chairman and Director

Tourism Linkages Council - Co-chair and Member

Jamaica Tourist Board - Director

- Chairman Finance/ Audit Committee

Kingston Metropolitan Resort Board - Member

Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association - 2nd

Vice President

- Councilor

- Past Chair of the Finance Committee and current member

- Membership and Recognition Committee member

- Advocacy Committee member

- Past Chairman of the Kingston Chapter JHTA and current

member

He works with the National Hotel Association in the execution of annual events such as the Annual General

Meeting, Annual Speed Networking events and The Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX). He has actively

supported the industry as a member of the JHTA.

Other active affiliations include:

• Campion College Alumni Association - Hall of Fame Inductee

• St. Leo University (Florida) - President’s Council

• Caribbean Hotel & Tourist Association

• Jamaica Chamber of Commerce

• American Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica

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