The Mövenpick Beach Resort Al Khobar recently won its second consecutive Seta award for ‘Best Specialised Accommodation’ at the Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards ceremony in Riyadh.

The category is open to resorts, holiday villages, golf clubs, equestrian centres, marinas and hotels offering specialised recreation or accommodation facilities.

Turki Al Muhaisen, a company representative, said: “This is a fitting tribute to the tremendous efforts of the entire team at the Mövenpick Beach Resort Al Khobar. Collecting a second award within two years of our opening is a firm acknowledgement of our team’s commitment to quality, excellence and personalised care for our guests.”

“Winning the award twice in a row while only in our second year of operation is a confirmation of the trust our guests and business partners have in us,” said Markus Marti, general manager, Mövenpick Beach Resort. “The award underlines the success of the excellent services and facilities provided at the Mövenpick Resort Al Khobar which are extremely well received by our guests.”

“We are very grateful to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities for this recognition and we will continue to serve our guests to the highest standards of Swiss hospitality.”

Among 600 contestants at the 2013 Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards (Seta), only 27 received awards this year after more than a quarter of a million online votes were cast. The number of contestants has more than doubled since the first event in 2011, a statement from the hotel said.

A high-profile panel with nine members, headed by Khalid Al-Sedais who is partner and audit head at KPMG, officiated as the judges for the awards programme. The judging process included the number of votes received and review of the detailed information packs submitted by the short-listed contestants.

This was followed by extensive deliberations after which mystery shoppers visited the final shortlisted contestants. The rigorous selection process in a fiercely competitive field highlights the increasing importance of the awards in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector.

“Having won the award last year, we started our preparations even earlier this year,” said Markus Marti. “The sales and marketing team made detailed plans and several discussions with the different teams at the property were carried out.  Everyone contributed their ideas and efforts to ensure we delivered a well-prepared and winning submission for this prestigious award.”

In their short history the Setas have become established as a credible and well-managed programme that recognises the exceptional effort by companies and individuals in the Kingdom’s travel and tourism industries.

Staged under the supervision of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), this year’s programme included over 40 categories for nominations. The Kingdom’s tourism industries are an important element in the diversification of Saudi Arabia’s economy and a significant opportunity for expanding the national workforce.

“The Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards is another step in our continuous objective of responsible development of our country’s tourism offerings,” said Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, president of SCTA. “The Setas are aimed at recognising not only category winners, but everyone who had contributed to the development of our tourism industry.”

Nestled along the eastern shoreline of Saudi Arabia and located on Half Moon Bay, the Mövenpick Beach Resort Al Khobar features 36 modern duplex villas, a private lagoon beach and marina.

Two luxurious royal villas offer additional spacious living rooms with magnificent sea views. Landscaped gardens welcome guests to a host of facilities including elegant restaurants, meeting facilities, a well-equipped retreat spa and wellness centre, a large free-form swimming pool, water sports and supervised kids club. – TradeArabia News Service