The Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) toasted Paul D. Thompson, CHA, who serves as managing director for the Lyford Cay Club, as its Hotelier of the Year at the 9th Annual Cacique Awards ceremony held in Grand Bahama this past weekend.
Mr. Thompson joins a list of outstanding hoteliers selected by their peers to receive this national annual honour since it was established by BHA in 1987.
“We are pleased to present Paul with this well-earned distinction” stated BHA President Earle Bethell. “His commitment to operational excellence is a benchmark for all of us in the industry. He has served the industry and the broader community well, recognising that important link between the success of his hotel, and his connectivity to the community. For that we are most appreciative” added the BHA president.
Mr. Thompson has held the position of managing director for the Lyford Cay Club since 1983, having brought with him extensive experience in hotel management at properties in his native Canada, as well as in Jamaica.
In 1990 he became a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), a credential awarded by the American Hotel & Motel Association to those with the experience and proven ability to excel at the senior management level.
Commenting on his longstanding love of the industry, Mr. Thompson stated “Ever since I entered The Hotel Business 35 years ago I have loved it with a passion, hospitality is in the very core of my being. I believe the enjoyment of this business is in my blood because my grandfather’s family owned and operated an Inn in England which was build in 1734 and it is still operating so I suspect it is just a part of me. The most exciting part of the industry is the people ﾗ the team you get to work with, the leaders and guests you meet from throughout the world, and the interaction you get with your colleagues and the community.”
As managing director for the exclusive Lyford Cay Club, Mr. Thompson oversees an 88 room property with cottages that includes 16 food and beverage outlets, an 18-hole golf course, tennis operation, yacht harbour and facilities, a beauty salon and spa, fitness centre, IT department and the Club has its own reverse osmosis, sewage treatment plants, and irrigation system.
Strong emphasis is placed on providing guests at the members-only facility with the highest standards of service. During his tenure Mr. Thompson introduced Total Quality Management to all departments, trained staff in each area to offer the highest level of benchmarked international service, and in the process moved the property to a five-star level.
His commitment to service extends well into the community, to Rotary where he is an honorary member of the West Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. For four years he served as chairman of the Red Cross Fair. His professional affiliations include directorships on the boards of the Bahamas Hotel Association, where he currently serves as senior vice president and on the board for the Bahamas Hotel Employers Association.
He is a member of The International Relations and membership task force for Club Managers Association of America, a member of the Cornell Hotel Society Board of Directors, a life member and on the board of the International Association of Business Leaders, and deputy chairman of the Consultative Committee ﾖ Western Division of the Royal Bahamas Police force. He also serves as Vice Consellier Culinare Honary of Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs.
Hotelier of the Year Paul D. Thompson, C.H.A., proudly displays his Cacique Award with Raquel Horton, Miss Bahamas. The Bahamas Hotel Association Award was presented at the Ministry of Tourism’s recent 9th Annual Cacique Awards ceremony in Grand Bahama.
