MONTEGO BAY, St James – For the second time in six months, the 75-room Hotel Gloriana in Montego Bay has won a prestigious international European tourism award.

This time, it is from a French business and hospitality industry conglomerate, Otherways International Research and Consultants (OIRC). The Paris-based conglomerate has named Hotel Gloriana a recipient of its 2005 “Golden Five Continents Award For Quality And Excellence” for what they described as “top quality customer satisfaction standards”.

Eugennie Minto, the owner and managing director of Hotel Gloriana, will travel to the French capital to receive the award at a reception gala on July 11, as part of a three-day convention of worldwide tourism and other business officials.

Otherways International, with membership in over 35 countries, promotes international business links. The group’s Five Continents Award has been created as part of their promotion, networking and marketing thrust throughout the worldwide business community.

In January, Minto was given Spain’s distinguished 2005 Publishing House/Trade Leaders’ Club Golden Trophy for meritorious service to world tourism, and was hailed by local tourism leaders as a beacon in Jamaica’s tourism industry.

Minto has in the interim described her second award as “a signal achievement,” and praised her staff for having made it happen. She added that it was a credit not only to her hotel but also to Jamaica.

The hotelier, who describes herself as being from humble beginnings, last year released a book entitled Glory to Gloriana in which she detailed her life story. Hotel Gloriana has been operating since 1994, and offers a wide variety of facilities, including a whirlpool-styled swimming pool, live entertainment and tours across Jamaica.