The Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh - First in ultimate service

Travelers in over 120 countries voted online in favor of The Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh as the leading hotel in the Middle East, offering outstanding levels of service.

The awards were announced at the keynote lunch of the International Hotel Investment Forum. This was held in Berlin in March, 2002, hosted by Becky Anderson, business link of CNN, Award co-sponsor, with American Express and Taylor Nelson Sofres Hospitality and Leisure.

Votes were called for via a 30-second commercial on CNN banner advertisements on CNN.com and through American Express which targeted frequent hotel visitors via direct mail.

The 307 room Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh was ranked the top hotel in the Middle East region with more than 3000 votes.

Taylor Nelson Sofres Hospitality and Leisure and Bournemouth University Market Research Group, found that the majority of voters (65%) gave service and staff attitude as their main reason for voting. This reinforces the belief that the ladies and gentlemen of Ritz-Carlton hotels are key to the satisfaction of guests in the hospitality and service industry. Having said that, Food & Beverage was singled out as the overriding factor by 13.5% of all voters.

On Saturday, April 20th, 2002, in an elegant cocktail reception at The Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh, Ricco DeBlank, General Manager, will receive the award: A stunning laser-drawn crystal sculpture from Villeroy & Boch.