22-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Award for long-serving Royal Oak Hotel staff member
A long serving staff member of Welshpool's Royal Oak Hotel has been awarded two accolades by the hotel's parent company.
Heidi Benbow, a Front of House Supervisor and a familiar friendly face at The Royal Oak Hotel in Welshpool has dual reasons for celebration has she was recognised twice over by the Coaching Inn Group.
Her colleagues voted her their Hotel Hero of the Year and she was also awarded the coveted accolade for the whole award-winning Coaching Inn Group, who also operate thirty-four other hotels and inns in market towns across the country.
Heidi, who has worked at the hotel for twenty-three years said it was 'wonderful' when her name was announced at the group's annual black-tie awards ceremony attended by some three hundred colleagues and staged at The Engine Shed venue in Lincoln.
'It was wonderful to receive such a vote of appreciation from all my close colleague, but to go on and win the group award was totally unexpected.'
Heidi, who was accompanied by her husband Neil, a former General Manager at the hotel, and a group of colleagues said she felt like part of the furniture after such a long spell at The Royal Oak, but still got a huge buzz from welcoming all the regulars and guests from all around the world.
Hotel General Manager Laura Hindle added that it was great to know that she always had Heidi's long experienced back-up support at all times during her time at the Royal Oak.
Coaching Inn Group Chief Operating Officer Adam Charity said: 'It's clear that Heidi played an invaluable role at The Royal Oak and that she is a most worthy winner of their Group Hotel Hero of the Year Award.'
