Hilton Country Estate & Spa plays with the big boys
27 June 2008
Hilton Country Estate & Spa, a luxury boutique establishment in the Midlands, has been recognised as one of the top four resort/hotel spas in the country at the Les Nouvelles Esthetiques South African Spa Awards 2007, proudly bolstering KwaZulu-Natal’s status as a world class luxury getaway destination.
The only finalist from outside the Western Cape, Hilton Country Estate & Spa was up against industry heavyweights the ArabellaSheraton, the Cape Grace and Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa with Pezula taking the final honours on the evening, recently held at the Sandton Sun in Johannesburg.
“I feel very privileged to have made it to the final four,” said Mandy Hilcove, owner of Hilton Country Estate & Spa. “This is a very special day for us and I hope a great day for Kwa-Zulu Natal and South African tourism. To be attracting both local and international guests further a field than the Western Cape – which is exquisite – is important, because the rest of our country is exquisite, too.” Mandy’s personal contribution to the Spa industry was also recognised on the evening as she was nominated by her industry peers as one of six finalists for the Spa Ambassador of the Year award.
Hilton Country Estate & Spa was established in 2004 as an 8 room luxury boutique hotel but it was only in October 2006 that their R3 million spa was completed, making their presence at these awards that much more impressive. Having been short-listed from more than 100 entries country-wide, judges visited each of the short-listed candidates and assessed them on the following criteria: buildings’ exteriors and interiors; treatment rooms; gym; dining area; spa cuisine; spa treatments’ effectiveness; efficiency and staff general demeanour; marketing material and strategy; and overall impression of the spa experience.
The judges obviously took a liking to Hilton Country Estate & Spa’s elegant, eclectic interior - which is something to behold – as well as the exemplary Estate cuisine. The state-of-the-art equipment and furnishings found throughout the spa and the gym, which boasts the latest Technogym offerings including a Kinesis wall, no doubt helped their cause as did the abundance of treatments, world class skin and body care products, fragrance, make up, health care products and unique clothing lines available from the spa’s exquisite boutique.
“Over and above our world class environment, I know our staff’s personal approach to each estate guest, ensuring they experience the lavish, luxury, life of Hilton Country Estate & Spa is what secured our place in the final four,” says Mandy. “Congrats to Pezula for winning – your establishment is stunning. But exciting things are happening in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region so watch this space!”