Bisham Abbey retains Hospitality Assured Premier Status

Hospitality Assured is the quality standard organisation created by the Institute of Hospitality specifically for customer-facing business. It carries out nine-step inspections every two years with an interim review in between.

In December, the Sport England-owned Bisham Abbey achieved an outstanding Hospitality Assured assessment successfully achieving premier status and achieving second place overall in the Leisure Sector for the UK, outscoring a number of prestigious destination venues.

The top spot for the UK was taken by another Sport England National Sports Centre, Lilleshall in Shropshire. Both Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall have now retained their Premier Status for six assessment cycles in succession.

The nine inspection steps which form the Hospitality Assured assessment include, staff training and development, business delivery and customer satisfaction. The average score across all industries is 72%, while for comparable leisure sites it is 71%.

Steve Nelson, Partnership Director for Serco Leisure’s National Sports Centres said:

‘I am extremely proud of achievements of the Serco team at Bisham Abbey. To be awarded Premier Status for six assessment cycles on the trot is an amazing achievement and testament to the outstanding customer service we offer visitors to the facility.”

Trisha Bennett, Director for Hospitality Assured said:

‘There exists at Bisham Abbey a strong desire to achieve high levels of excellence with a customer centric focus in all that is implemented.  The team go above and beyond and work collaboratively, with tenacity and passion to serve its extensive community including Olympians. Allied to the drive for excellence there is a mindset of creativity and innovation, including a duty of care to the ecosystem, that ensures an ethos of growth and continuous improvement that permeates throughout.’

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England Executive Director, Place said:

‘It is great to hear that Bisham Abbey has achieved Hospitality Assured Premier status once again! This prestigious accreditation is testament to the dedication and hard work of the site teams at the National Sport Centres. Their commitment to providing diverse service offerings and exceptional support to a wide range of customers, including National Governing bodies, elite athletes and local community members, is truly commendable. It is clear that these world class, multi-facility estates provide a unique environment for all, and their ongoing success is well-deserved.”