A TRUE asset to the tourism industry. This is the description given to Maradona Scantlebury, beach ambassador at Elegant Hotels Group’s Turtle Beach and this year’s Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Outstanding Industry Employee Of The Year.Scantlebury, who captured the title at the recently held BHTA’s President’s Awards Gala, was also described as a professional who demonstrated that being outstanding in the industry involved not only doing your job well, but also going the extra mile to exceed expectations.These sentiments were shared by Elegant’s management team during a recent cocktail reception in honour of Scantlebury at Turtle Beach, when general manager Charles Maynard thanked Scantlebury for making them proud:“Today we want to celebrate Maradona and what he means to us. He is a powerhouse and a star. Every guest that encounters this young man talks positively about him and obviously by extension Turtle Beach. It is employees like Maradona that separates us from our competition.”Adding to this, Howard Friedman, chief executive officer (CEO) of Elegant Hotels Group, noted that Scantlebury’s achievement was indicative of what the Group stood for: “With employees like Maradona and our other finalist in that category, Stephen Jackman of Crystal Cove, this is how we make a difference.“This is how you become the premier product. We could have the finest hotels in the world. We could have the best facility, but without employees like Maradona we would be nothing. So congratulations. We are very proud. Thank you for all your hard work. This is a well deserved reward.”A soft spoken Scantlebury, who is still coming to terms with his win, noted that he was very happy: “I knew in my heart that I had a good chance and felt great when the announcement was made. ”He added that the most rewarding aspect of his job was knowing that he had a part to play in ensuring that guests staying at Turtle Beach and in Barbados, had a memorable time: “They come to Barbados from miles away to have a good time. If I can be a part of making their stay all they dreamed it could be or better, then I have done my job.”Scantlebury, who started in the industry in 2003 as a waiter at Turtle Beach and was promoted to his present position a year later, explained that his mother, who also worked in the industry, was the one who encouraged him along his career path.“After school I did a three month Computer Maintenance course at the Polytechnic. After that I was at home and my mum told me she thought I should get into the hotel industry because I have the personality for it. I did a three-month waiter course and the instructor Mr Benskin recommended that I apply to Turtle and the rest is history,” he explained. (PR)
