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Innisbrook Off To A Quick Start With Award For Excellence

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: October 3, 2007

PALM HARBOR – Only two and a half months removed from entrepreneur Sheila Johnson's high profile purchase and takeover, Innisbrook Golf Club and Resort last week received the 2007 Corporate and Incentive Travel Award of Excellence.

Corporate and Incentive Travel is a monthly publication that caters to business people who travel and plan out-of-town meetings.

It is the 13th time Innisbrook has won the award, and fourth year in a row.

Criteria assessed in the magazine's ranking consist of: staff service, facilities, smoothness of set-ups and functions and location convenience.

"As a repeat winner of this prestigious award, we believe this demonstrates our continuous commitment to always improve our service levels throughout the resort while creating a sense of ease for our meeting planners from pre-function planning to the flawless execution of their entire program," said Jim Bullock, corporate director of sales and marketing at Innisbrook, in a press release.

Media relations spokesperson at Innisbrook, Romona Hurley, said the award is a "good example of the move forward" that the resort is taking since Johnson and her Salamander Hospitality company took over.

These steps forward largely consist of a flurry of improvements being made all over the 900 acre property.

Only a day after Johnson – co-founder of the Black Entertainment Channel – announced her initial purchase, crews were getting ready to renovate the golf club's picturesque Island Course.

Hurley said the course still is set to its goal to re-open the links in time to host the Golf Channel's Amateur Tour National Championships, starting Oct. 7.

Following the championships, the Island Course will officially reopen after a Nov. 9 ribbon cutting, snipped personally by Johnson.

At the ceremony, Johnson and other officials will formally present the next rollout of improvements on the active docket.

Future restorations and additions include revamping all 65,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, repairs and changes to the tennis and fitness facilities, and the resort's first full-service, luxury spa, Hurley said.

According to a Corporate and Incentive Travel FAQ sheet, Innisbrook will receive an engraved plaque, an invite to the annual Award of Excellence Gala in New York and the opportunity to advertise in a special section within the magazine.

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