DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Nov. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mrs. Beatrice Tollman, President and Founder of the luxurious Red Carnation Hotel Collection, has been awarded 'Hotelier of the Year' at the European Hospitality Awards 2012.

Bea Tollman has been recognized for continuingly unparalleled levels of service, excellence and luxury across all of the collection's five- and four-star properties in Europe, which include flagship The Milestone Hotel in Kensington, Guernsey's only five-star property, The Old Government House Hotel and Spa and the famed Hotel d'Angleterre in Geneva.

Scooping one of the biggest awards of the evening, Bea Tollman said: "I'm humbled and honored to have been recognized for doing something that I truly love, each and every day. I thank the judges, the fantastic teams at all of my hotels and of course my wonderful family, many of whom are involved in the business too. My driving passion is to make every stay memorable for every single guest, to make them feel truly welcomed and special, and I believe having this at the heart of everything we do is what has led to this award and many of the others we are lucky to have received."

Summarizing their verdict, the judges said: "Personifying the value of having a genuine hotelier running the show, Beatrice Tollman has never lost sight of the guiding principle of hospitality: service. After five decades in the industry, Beatrice's ongoing involvement on the front line of her hotels is an inspiration, setting the standards for the next generations to follow."

Jonathan Raggett, Managing Director of Red Carnation Hotels added: "Mrs. Tollman really is an inspiration. She has an innate sense of what it takes to make the guest experience truly exceptional and she cares deeply about this and also about the staff that deliver this experience daily in each of our properties. We are very lucky to have her at the helm challenging and encouraging us to be the best that we can."

The Hotelier of the Year award from the European Hospitality Awards is the latest in an array of recent accolades for the collection, which includes recognition from Condé Nast Traveler for '41,' The Rubens at the Palace and The Chesterfield Mayfair as the "Best Hotels for Business in London," top five rankings from Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards, Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor across all hotels in the collection and a debut in 2012 into the Sunday Times "Best Companies to Work For."

Established in 2010, The European Hospitality Awards recognizes the best in the hotel industry across the continent, and judges include Ted Tang, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World, Peter Bierwirth, President of the Hotel Managers Association and Claus Sendlinger, CEO and President of Design Hotels.

About The Red Carnation Hotel Collection

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is an award-winning collection of five- and four-star family-run boutique hotels in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, Florida and South Africa. Each property has its own individual character and unique location that reflects the local environment, culture and cuisine. They all share the qualities that win Red Carnation so many prestigious awards – splendid luxury, generous hospitality, inventive and traditional cuisine, private art collections, passionate service and loyal staff committed to creating richly rewarding experiences for all their guests. For more information about these award-winning hotels and the rest of the Red Carnation Collection, please go to www.redcarnationhotels.com.

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is a luxury award-winning collection of five- and four-star family-run boutique hotels:

LONDON: The Milestone Hotel near Kensington Palace;

'41' Hotel by Buckingham Palace's Royal Mews;

The Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge;

The Rubens at the Palace opposite Buckingham Palace;

The Montague on the Gardens adjacent to the British Museum;

The Chesterfield Mayfair in the heart of Mayfair

DORSET: Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Evershot

GUERNSEY: The Old Government House Hotel and Spa in the Channel Islands

The Duke of Richmond in the Channel Islands

GENEVA: Hotel d'Angleterre overlooking Lake Geneva, Switzerland

PALM BEACH: The Chesterfield Palm Beach in Florida

SOUTH AFRICA: The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town

Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat in the heart of the Cederberg Mountains, Western Cape

The Oyster Box in Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu Natal

About TreadRight

TreadRight is a not-for-profit foundation established by The Travel Corporation to encourage sustainable tourism within our own family of brands, and in the places we visit. To date, TreadRight has donated more than USD 1.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide, and encourages industry best practice by annually supporting the World Travel & Tourism Council's Tourism for Tomorrow awards. To learn more about the many projects TreadRight is funding please visit us at treadright.org.

Red Carnation Hotels - Because we care

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A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=15592

CONTACT: Arnelle Kendall
         Vice President of Public Relations
         The Red Carnation Hotel Collection
         110 East Atlantic Avenue Suite 325
         Delray Beach, Florida 33444
         T: 561.330.0850
         E: arnelle.kendall@travcorpusa.com