AN AIRLIE couple have taken out a prestigious award.
Stuart and Nicole Morris have run the Azure Sea Whitsunday Resort Airlie Beach for the past one-and-a-half years, after moving to the Whitsundays from the Gold Coast.
Following some ups and downs in their early tenure, the couple have now been rewarded for all their hard work.
They have just taken out the national award for ‘Resident Manager of the Year, Short Stay’ for the best managed holiday resort, in Australia, in the Australian Resident Managers Association of Australia (ARAMA) Awards.
The ARAMA Awards – which were held on the Gold Coast, in July – celebrate the professional skills, experience and opportunities in the management and letting rights industry, and recognise excellence among leaders.
Success sometimes follows heartache, and the couple’s first few months at the resort were hectic.
“When we arrived, two swimming pools were falling apart. There were glass shards we had to pick out,” Stuart said.
“We conducted a refurbishment of a 255-litre pool and a spa in six weeks, when it should normally take three months!
“We did it between August and September so we could avoid school holidays. The pool was being completed and filled with water the day before school holidays started!”
Since then, things have calmed down and the couple have worked hard to really make a difference.
“We love the guests. They come happy ready for a holiday and, when they leave happy as well, it’s the best feeling,” Nicole said.
“Our welcome letter says: There are no strangers, just friends you have not met yet. This is genuinely how we feel.
“We are very conscientious individuals and desire to make a difference. We are part of a community and we have created a community newsletter. We hope it will rub off on people who come to visit us.”
More information at www.azureseawhitsunday.com.
