Coconut Grove Regency Hotel Honors Outstanding Staff at Annual Celebration

The Coconut Grove Regency Hotel has held its annual Staff Dinner and Dance Night to celebrate staff excellence and honour outstanding employees in the past year. The ceremony, which took place last Saturday on its premises in Accra, recognised outstanding performances for each of the 12 months, with awardees coming from various departments. One employee, Desmond Adu Gyamfi, received the Overall Best Employee of the Year award for 2025. The night was filled with music, dancing and dining, as staff celebrated their achievements, with management spelling out upcoming developments at Coconut Grove Regency Hotel. Event The event was attended by the founder and Chairperson of Groupe Ndoum, Dr Papa Kwesi Ndoum, and the Executive Chairperson of Coconut Grove Hotels and his wife, Yvonne Ndoum. It also saw attendance from the President of Groupe Ndoum Ghana, Dr Nana Kweku Ndoum; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Ralph Ayitey; the Director of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority, Bright Asempa Tsadidey; members of staff and their family members. Commitment, initiative In an address, the CEO of Coconut Grove Hotels, Ralph Ayitey, commended the staff of the hotel, whose commitment and professionalism sustained the hotel’s performance over the past year. Mr Ayitey described the awards as part of a broader effort to motivate staff and reinforce a culture of service excellence. The CEO highlighted Coconut Grove’s long-standing commitment to local sourcing and Ghanaian enterprise, which he said had guided operations for more than three decades. “The owners insisted that we use only locally raised chicken 32 years ago,” Mr Ayitey said. “We are ready to champion the cause of using Ghana chicken, and we have led by example for the last 32 years,” he added. He said the hotel had consistently used locally grown rice and fresh, homemade fruit juices rather than imported brands. “I would not be standing here if I were serving imported juices,” the CEO said. “We encourage the local farmer by using our homemade juices.” He added that the hotel had adopted Ghanaian textiles for curtains, bed linen and tableware, which reflected a deliberate policy to support local industry. Mr Ayitey also urged the government to strengthen skills development in the hospitality sector through the creation of a dedicated hotel training institute. “It is very important to consciously set up a hotel training institute that will churn out supervisors and managers to fill the vacancies that exist,” he said. Mr Ayitey also explained that the hotel had thrived because it went beyond accommodation and entertainment to play an active role in nation-building. “We are not just a hotel chain that checks guests in and out. We are a hotel that has grown to actively and assertively participate practically to make Ghana the best place for us to live in,” the CEO said. Leadership, people-centred culture For his part, the President of Groupe Ndoum Ghana and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Coconut Grove Hotels, Nana Kweku Ndoum, described the hotel as an institution defined by its people rather than its physical assets. “I have had the privilege of seeing Coconut Grove not just as a business, but as a living, breathing institution. Hospitality is not just about beautiful rooms or fine dining. It is about service, consistency and making every guest feel welcome, valued and at home," he said. Dr Ndoum praised staff across all departments, stressing that excellence did not depend solely on customer-facing roles. The president also reaffirmed the Group’s commitment to investing in both the hotel and its workforce, describing the night as both a reward for dedication and a reaffirmation of the hotel’s people-centred values within Ghana’s hospitality sector.