Tuscaloosa Area Hospitality Stars Honored With Awards

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Several notable faces in the Tuscaloosa hotel and hospitality sector were recently recognized by Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports at its annual Tourism Bash.

Click here to subscribe to our free Tuscaloosa Daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

TTS President and CEO Don Staley presented four individuals with the distinction of being Tuscaloosa County Hotel Champions of the Year award recipients, along with three award categories; General Manager of the Year, Hotel Sales Professional of the Year, and Hospitality Trailblazer.

• General Manager of the Year: Huey Harris of SureStay Hotel by Best Western.
• Hotel Sales Professional of the Year: Traci Channell of Triad Properties.
• Hospitality Trailblazers: Alvin Niuh, has been a part of the Hospitality Management program at The University of Alabama for over 30 years and the late Jean Archibald with Travelodge.

As TTS closed the evening, it was also announced that the Hospitality Trailblazer Award would be renamed the Archibald-Williams Hospitality Trailblazer Award, in honor of Archibald and the late Lester Williams — a 30-year Hotel Capstone employee who passed away in 2020.

“It is an exciting honor to be able to show appreciation to these hotel partners, and to all of our hospitality partners across Tuscaloosa County,” Staley said. “As we have witnessed over the past two years, these individuals are incredibly resilient and dedicated and I am so proud of their efforts to help make Tuscaloosa County a great place to live, work, and visit.”

Additionally, the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association (ARHA) also awarded its 2021 Stars of the Industry Awards

The local award recipients were:

• Hospitality Department Manager of the Year: Taylor Liles of Hotel Indigo.
• Small Hotelier of the Year: Toby Wilson with Wilson Hospitality Management, Inc.
• Humanitarian Award: Matt Hood with Hotel Capstone

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.