Bea Tollman, president and founder of the family-run boutique Red Carnation Hotel Collection, was inducted into the British Travel & Hospitality Hall of Fame this week during a ceremonial dinner in London.
In a career spanning more than 60 years, Tollman has built a collection of five- and four-star boutique hotels in the UK, Ireland, Geneva, Florida, and South Africa. Particularly noteworthy properties in the collection include the Ashford Castle in western Ireland, the Oyster Box Hotel in South Africa, London’s Hotel 41, and the newly five-star rated Rubens at the Palace, which overlooks the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace.
Tollman is passionately involved in every aspect of the business from listening and personally responding to guest feedback to overseeing every aspect of design and working with her team of chefs on every menu, showcasing her signature dishes in each hotel. Her service ethos—“no request is too large, no detail is too small”—is highly credited for Red Carnation Hotels’ numerous awards and accolades, and is the reason that the properties are among the top rated hotels on TripAdvisor.
Each year, the British Travel & Hospitality Hall of Fame event honors the highest achievers in travel, hospitality, tourism and leisure, each having led their businesses to remarkable success while shaping the industry as a whole.
“This wonderful award means the world to me, it’s quite overwhelming and I’m so appreciative of the kind words. The hotel industry is very competitive and you can only be a success if you’ve got your staff and teams working with enthusiasm and passion, and I do try to inspire them and show that I am always there to help them in any way I can,” Tollman said as she received her award. “Thank you to everyone, and in particular my husband, with whom I started on this journey together over 60 years ago. He is as passionate about this business as I am, and is my constant inspiration and guide.”
For more information about the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, visit redcarnationhotels.com, and for tips on how to sell in the luxury travel segment, click here.
