This honor recognizes outstanding performance of an independent hotel in the areas of customer service and community relations; Winner to be announced at ILES in May in Las Vegas

Award submission participants receive one FREE registration.

[Phoenix – Sept. 21, 2016]With registration now open for the 2017 InnDependent Lodging Executive Summit, show producer IBC, a division of InnSuites Hospitality Trust [NYSE MKT: IHT], is accepting submissions for the event’s Excellence in Hospitality Award. The honor recognizes a property for providing superior service to guests and maintaining an exemplary reputation within the community it serves. Participating properties must be designated as independent and be a user of the IBC hotel management platform that delivers managed distribution, advanced CRS, and soft brand benefits to more than 6,000 hotels worldwide.

“Registrations for ILES 2017 are pouring in, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Pamela Barnhill, founder of the InnDependent Lodging Executive Summit and president and chief operating officer of IBC. “This year we are attracting new attendees, including some hoteliers in the soft brands niche. All hoteliers regardless of market segmentation are welcome.

“Nominating and submitting a hotel for the Excellence in Hospitality Award holds significant weight,” she said. “To be singled out from among the prestigious and growing IBC family is quite an accomplishment. The winner – who must be present at ILES to receive the award – will not only have bragging rights in the local community, but they can proudly display the award logo on their website and in promotional materials for national and global exposure. In addition, IBC and ILES will promote the property on our website as the 2016 award recipient.”

The 2016 IBC Excellence in Hospitality Award was presented to Jeff Durham, owner of The Redwood Fortuna Riverwalk Hotel. As the independent hotel of choice in Fortuna, Calif., The Redwood strives to give its guests a boutique hotel experience with exceptional hospitality. The hotel proudly reflects Humboldt County’s independent spirit, and it operates with a philosophy that “the heart of hospitality is not the amenities, it’s the service.”

“If your independent hotel is exceeding guest expectations and extending the true essence of hospitality beyond the four walls of your hotel to the local community, we want to hear your story,” Barnhill said. “To be considered for the Excellence in Hospitality Award, click here. Companies contributing an award submission will receive one FREE conference registration, valued at $995.”

Idea Exchange and Marketplace

ILES will focus on the hottest trends impacting today’s independent and soft brand lodging operators. The event is co-produced by the Independent Lodging Assn. (ILIA), and for the first time, Hotel Interactive will host BITAC® ILES simultaneously. BITAC ILES will bring together pre-qualified buyers from prominent independent and soft brand hotels and pair them with sellers via arranged meetings. A 50-exhibit tradeshow of products tailored exclusively for the independent/representation/soft brands market also will be presented. ILES and BITAC ILES will be held May 15 to 17 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. To register for ILES, click here.

Lodging is available at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas at the ILES 2017 group rate of $105 per night; including event shoulder nights (2 days before and 2 days after). For more information on the 3rd Annual InnDependent Lodging Executive Summit, call (602) 944-1500 or email [email protected].