Award given by HSMAI for employee relief fund auction
PINEHURST, N.C. (May 14, 2021) – Pinehurst Resort has received a prestigious “Best Practice Gold” Adrian Award, bestowed by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for its “Pinehurst Auction,” which raised nearly $300,000 for furloughed employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A winner in the “Corporate Responsibility” category, the success of the auction enabled the resort to continue covering employees’ insurance premiums through May 2020. It also assisted in supplementing weekly care packages with additional food and essentials, which were given away once-a-week for over three months in the Carolina Hotel parking lot.
“We’re honored to be recognized by HSMAI and overjoyed to have been able to help the people who are the lifeblood of this iconic resort,” said Pinehurst Resort President Tom Pashley. “We’re also extremely appreciative of our internal team, who orchestrated and curated our once-in-a-lifetime auction items, and the media who helped spread awareness and amplify its impact.”
Since the phased reopening of its three hotels and 10 dining facilities began in May 2020, Pinehurst Resort has welcomed back more than 800 employees who were temporarily laid off, including some who were permanently laid off for a time.
Long-known for their genuine hospitality and outstanding service, additional team members are returning to the “Cradle of American Golf” as North Carolina continues its phased reopening of hotels, restaurants and bars.
“This year’s Adrian Awards honor best practices, innovation, community and the hospitality leaders who have shown that through crisis, innovation emerges,” said Robert A. Gilbert, president/CEO of HSMAI. “While the past year isn’t one that any of us anticipated, you’ll see from the award recipients and honorees that this crisis has only underscored the resilience, creativity and commitment to service that define our industry.”
The Adrian Awards gather and share these best practices and innovations that empower recovery in new and traditional categories. Pinehurst Resort was one of six winners in the Corporate Responsibility category, which also included Marriott International, MGM Resorts International and Karisma Hotels and Resorts.
For 63 years, the Adrian Awards have spotlighted excellence in hospitality advertising, digital marketing and public relations. This year’s Adrian honorees were selected from more than 600 entries by senior industry and media experts. HSMAI’s four new focus categories include corporate social responsibility, crisis communications/management, recovery strategies and talent and leadership development (an HSMAI Foundation honor).
Established in 1895 in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club is a 2,200-acre property featuring nine outstanding golf courses, The Cradle nine-hole par-3 short course, 75,000 square-foot putting course (Thistle Dhu), 16 clay tennis courts, an award-winning spa, other recreation and social activities for families, and elegant accommodations across one hotel, two inns, villas and condos.
Pinehurst Resort offers 80,000 square-feet of formal indoor function space, and with 18 different outdoor options, it continues to adapt to a new convention climate, customizing experiences that serve the many needs of our guests while at the same time being safe.
Widely known as the Cradle of American Golf, Pinehurst hosted more single golf championships – including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and PGA TOUR Championship – than any other site in North America.
Golfers enjoy layouts designed by the game’s greatest architects, including Donald Ross, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Gil Hanse, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio and Ellis Maples.
Pinehurst Resort, in concert with the United States Golf Association (USGA), was recently selected as the first U.S. Open Anchor Site and will host the championship in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.
The resort is slightly more than an hour from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 90 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport and only a half-day drive from many East Coast cities. To book tee times and golf packages: www.pinehurstresort.com.