Dennis BeMent, Named Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association 2005 Hotelier of the Year
GM of the Holiday Inn SunSpree
ORLANDO, FL, December 17, 2005. The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association hosted the 2005 Hospitality Gala at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. Over 1,000 hospitality executives attended this event.
Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the evening's proceeds were distributed to "A Gift for Teaching" and many of the attendees further brought school supplies which were also being collected that evening for the charity.
Following the evening's charity check presentation, CFHLA presented its annual awards; the CFHLA Hotelier of the Year, the CFHLA Allied Member of the Year, the CFHLA Engineer of the Year, and the prestigious Charles Andrews Memorial Hospitality Award for Community Leadership. The Charles Andrews award is named after the first CFHLA Chairman for his commitment to hospitality and the community. This year, the Charles Andrews award was presented to Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty. Mayor Crotty was very appreciative of the award and further thanked the industry for all its contributions to our community.
The CFHLA 2005 Hotelier of the Year award was presented to Dennis BeMent, General Manager of the Holiday Inn SunSpree hotel, for his dedication and devotion to CFHLA programs and events.
The 2005 Allied Member of the Year award went to Debra K. Ray of The Florida Mall, for her dedication and support of CFHLA programs and committees.
The 2005 Engineer of the Year award was presented to Steven Bukoski of the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, for his commitment and support of the CFHLA Engineers Council programs, to his hotel and for his engineering expertise.
These long honored awards are kept confidential and are complete surprises to the CFHLA membership until the night of the Gala. Photos from the 2005 Hospitality Gala can be viewed at the CFHLA website: www.cfhla.org within the next few days or may be obtained by contacting the association.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
