Newcastle hotel staff among the winners at the NEHA awards

Around 400 people from the region's hotels packed The Fed in Gateshead for the North East Hotels Association Excellence Awards, The Northern Echo reports. Eleven awards went out, and most of them were for individuals and teams rather than buildings.

The people who won - Service Excellence: Katrina Spiteri, Hotel Indigo Newcastle - Support Services: Emma Kiddell, Hotel Indigo Newcastle - Warmest Welcome: Abby Elliott, Jesmond Dene House - Sales Excellence: Malissa Charlton, Malmaison Newcastle - Cleanliness: Sandra Hay and the housekeeping team, Mercure George Washington Hotel - Rising Star: Clinton Douglas, Maldron Hotel Newcastle - Newcomer: Kylie Carruthers, Bailiffgate Hotel Alnwick - Inspirational Leader: John Lambourne-Richardson, Hampton by Hilton Stockton

The Grand Hotel Gosforth Park took Culinary Excellence, INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle won the sustainability award and Hampton by Hilton Stockton also won the Community Award.

NEHA, founded more than 30 years ago, represents around 50 hotels across Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham and Northumberland, and a panel of industry judges picks the winners.

Worth knowing: awards like Rising Star and Newcomer exist for people in their first years in the job. If you work in a member hotel, ask your manager how people get put forward next year. If you run a shift, put forward the person your guests mention by name.