The Grand Hotel Europe has been awarded the highest honour of 'World Level Perfection' from the Seven Stars and Stripes organization, an international system of awards for the hospitality industry. The award was presented to the general manager of the Grand Hotel Europe, by Seven Stars and Stripes President Thorsten Buehrmann, in the presence of the hotel's management and staff as well as honorable guest Christian Kremer, the President of “BMW Russland Trading” company. It is the fifth time that the Grand Hotel Europe has been awarded the honour, confirming once again a 2005 verdict. An award for outstanding culinary skills was given to the hotel's executive chef, Anatoly Ivanov, the first Russian chef in the history of Grand Hotel Europe.
The standards of service in various hotels do not always correspond to the requirements defined by the existing star classification system. The Seven Stars and Stripes awards help travellers to choose truly outstanding hotels from a huge number of already acclaimed establishments.
Representatives of the Seven Stars and Stripes organization carefully examine the quality of all the services provided by hotels all over the world, including room service and the quality of the food and service in the restaurant. Only the best of the best are given this award.
The classification system is very simple:
World Level Perfection – 7 Stars and Stripes
Society – 6 Stars and Stripes
Extraordinary – 5 Stars and Stripes
Merit – 4 Stars and Stripes
Hotels and restaurants which obtain 4 or more Stars and Stripes are included on the American Dream List.
Winners of the award must show every year that they continue to deserve the honour, so experts from Seven Stars and Stripes assess the level of service in hotels once a year.
The award is given on the basis of the results of a two-day inspection of hotels, which includes visiting the hotel's restaurants and sampling the menu, and assessing the comfort of the rooms and additional services offered to guests.
In the words of Thorsten Buehrmann, the Grand Hotel Europe astounded him with its impeccable hotel and restaurant service. However, it was the hotel's cuisine, prepared under the leadership of executive chef Dominique Ferchaud, that left the most unforgettable impression on him. Dominique was presented with a separate Seven Stars and Stripes award for his team's culinary skills. "You are culinary geniuses," Mr. Buehrmann told the kitchen staff.
In his acceptance speech, a spokesman for the Grand Hotel Europe thanked the Seven Stars and Stripes organization for its appraisal of the hotel's work, and warmly thanked the staff and management of the Grand Hotel Europe present at the ceremony.
Inspection reports by the Seven Stars and Stripes organization from previous years about the Grand Hotel Europe can be found at:
http://www.sevenstarsandstripes.com/magazine.asp?city=St.%20Petersburg
The Grand Hotel Europe is currently the only holder of this prestigious award in St. Petersburg.
Other recent awards won by the hotel include the following:
In 2005 the hotel was included in the top twenty business hotels in Europe. In 2006, it was included for a fourth time in the T+L 500 list, a list of the best 500 hotels and resorts in the world compiled by Travel+Leisure magazine. In 2007 the hotel was included on the Gold List, a collection of the best 700 hotels and resorts in the world compiled by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
In 2008, the Grand Hotel Europe was named the best hotel in Russia by Afisha World magazine.
