Twenty-four team members were honoured at a ceremony at Midlands Park Hotel, Jessop Street, Portlaoise, last Monday (15th April), commemorating service milestones of five to 20 years.

Among those recognised were four staff, Elena Kuzurova (Accommodation), John Rainsford (Kitchen), Paul McPherson (Stores) and Kirsten O’Neill (Food & Beverage), all of whom have enjoyed an impressive 20 year career to date at the popular four-star hotel. Twenty other employees celebrated tenures from five to 15 years, including the hotel’s General Manager, George Leahy who joined Midlands Park Hotel five years ago, along with Director of People & Culture, Jennifer Emerson, who also joined in 2019.

The ceremony and celebratory dinner held in the hotel’s impressive O’More Suite takes place annually to recognise and celebrate employees reaching long service milestones. There are now 86 team members, working across all departments, who have been with Midlands Park Hotel for five years or more. 

The long tenure of staff is testament to the importance placed on employee experience at Midlands Park Hotel, which has officially been recognised as a great employer in the hospitality industry. Recent awards include One of Best Workplaces for Women in Ireland, Best Medium Place to Work, and The Storytelling Award at the Best Workplace Awards 2023. Midlands Park Hotel has also earned Great Place To Work Certification for 2022 and 2023 and was named Employer of The Year at the Irish Hotels Federation Awards 2022.

Colm Neville, owner of Midlands Park Hotel, was thrilled to host the event, saying: “Every year I am humbled to see how many team members are dedicated to the business, and who are committed to providing the very best service and the warmest of welcomes to our guests. I count myself incredibly fortunate to have such a hard-working team and am delighted that we get to recognise and reward their outstanding service.”