Windmills Hotel wins best wedding venue award

Held on a provincial basis, the ABIA Bride's Choice awards are held each year to recognise the best wedding suppliers in South Africa. All judging for the event is done by brides who have been married in the 12 month period prior to the awards (June 2011 to July 2012). They are invited to nominate their wedding suppliers online and rate them on the quality of product, service, value and staff. The winners are those suppliers who score highest across all categories.

The result of hard work

According to The Windmills Boutique Hotel general manager Andre Schoeman, the award is the result of 18 months of hard work. "To be the winner in the ABIA Bride's Choice Awards is certainly an amazing accomplishment as these awards reflect the experience of the brides," explains Schoeman. "Our entire team is dedicated to making every wedding the perfect occasion so the fact that we came out tops with our brides speaks volumes for our product and service delivery. This award is an achievement that belongs to everyone in our team as we all play a role in ensuring that our brides really do have their perfect day."

The Windmills Boutique Hotel has undergone a transformation over the past 18 months with extensive refurbishment, upgrades and landscaping projects. "In order to become a player in the highly competitive wedding market, the property has had a complete face-lift. These changes have struck the right cord because, in our first year, our wedding venue hosted 75 wedding receptions. This is virtually unprecedented as it normally takes a new venue up to five years to secure more than 40 bookings per year. In addition, we are hosting our first Bridal Fair in September and the response has been amazing," says Schoeman.

Focus now on conferences

The goal for The Windmills now is to add the title of leading venue for conference and corporate events in the Midlands to its illustrious accolades. "To ensure that we stay ahead of the game, we attend local and national expos and workshops to remain on trend with our offerings and to research what is on offer in the market place," says Schoeman.

To appeal to the broader market whilst also improving facilities even further, more upgrades are currently underway at The Windmills. Eight free-standing lodges are being upgraded to self-catering units and work is also progressing on a marquee area with the capacity to host 500 guests.

For more information and updates on The Windmills, go to www.thewindmills.co.za.