Pictured above: Back row: James Whitchurch - Duty Manager, Lana Weller - Barista, Daniel Keane - General Manager, Natalie Howson - Meetings & Events Sales Manager, Front Row: Gemma Needham - Leisure Assistant, Dawn Woods - Housekeeper, Karen Birch - Housekeeper, Nohmer Castillo - Sous Chef

Thistle East Midlands Airport has launched onto the world stage after achieving 'world-class' status from Hospitality Assured, the quality standard created by the industry's professional body, the Institute of Hospitality. Having surpassed the strict assessment criteria, Thistle East Midlands Airport has been awarded an outstanding score, making it the only hotel in the region to receive this prestigious mark of approval.

The accolade further cements the region as a key centre for UK business and leisure travel, providing local companies and travellers with a quality, full service hotel that they can guarantee will deliver outstanding hospitality and service levels, whatever their needs.

The Hospitality Assured mark of approval takes into account the unique characteristics of the industry. It is measured by independent, experienced quality assessors who critically analysed the Thistle East Midlands Airport against ten customer-related steps, including: customer research, operational planning, standards of performance, training, development and customer satisfaction improvement. 

These ten steps are broken down into 49 criteria that explored how Thistle East Midlands Airport customer experience is devised, implemented, delivered and improved upon. In order to achieve accreditation, each of Thistle's hotels had to score at least 60% overall and a minimum of 50% for each step. The group greatly exceeded this standard, with a quarter of its properties marked with the Institute's exceptional 'world class' grading by achieving a score of 70% or higher. 

Daniel Keane, General Manager, Thistle East Midlands Airport adds: ''We are extremely thrilled to have been recognised by the Institute of Hospitality and awarded the Hospitality Assured 'world- class' accreditation. This is fantastic news for local business and reassures our regular customers and future guests that they are in very safe hands when they stay with us!''

Thistle East Midlands Airport is one of 33 quality, full service hotels in the Thistle portfolio, all of which have been given full Hospitality Assured accreditation.