Cambridge Beaches President Michael Winfield has been named this year's Bermuda Hotelier of the Year.

Mr. Winfield's was presented with Bermuda Hotel Association's top prize - based on a poll of his peers in the industry - at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Saturday by Director of Tourism Judith Hall Bean.

The presentation was the culmination of the annual Visitor Industry Partnership Tourism Appreciation Week.

Accepting the prize, Mr. Winfield said: "This award is not about an individual, it is about so many people that have helped me achieve what I've been able to do.

"The Cambridge Beaches team is a quite extraordinary team of 120 people that are just without equal who have worked for years to make the property what it is today and to them the award should go and I take it on their behalf."

He thanked BHA and the public/private sector Bermuda Alliance for Tourism (BAT) for their support throughout the year.

And to those who doubted whether BAT would succeed, he said: "you ain't seen nothing yet".

At the ceremony, Mrs Hall Bean said: "One of the hoteliers who has been really, really helpful has been Mike Winfield."

She joked: "He gets up first thing and as he goes to the bathroom he takes his laptop with him and sends emails all over the place.

"I get in at 8 a.m. and there's a helpful, suggestive email from Mike. He deserves the award and I wish him all the best."

Last year's winner of the prize, which was started in 1989, was Fairmont Southampton Princess vice-president Norman Mastalir.