Exceptional Service Recognized in the

Olde English District

Essie Cunningham Wins the Region’s Hospitality of the Year Award

The OED is excited to announce the recipient of this year’s Hospitality of the Year (HEY) Award: Essie Cunningham, breakfast server at Hilton Garden Inn Rock Hill.

The HEY Awards, an annual program coordinated and co-sponsored by the South Carolina Area Tourism Regions (SCATR) and the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), seek to celebrate and honor front-line staff who exhibit exceptional service within the tourism industry.

“When Miss Essie is working, all of the management team can trust without hesitation that she is putting the hotel’s best foot forward,” Emily Wade, Senior Sales Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Rock Hill, wrote in Cunningham’s nomination. “She goes above and beyond to create a connection and relationship with the guests she interacts with, making them feel cared for and seen, no matter if it’s her first time meeting them or her fiftieth.”

Essie Cunningham epitomizes the core values of excellence, integrity, and hospitality that define the state’s tourism industry. Her commitment to delivering exceptional service, coupled with her ability to inspire and collaborate with others, makes her an asset to the region and a deserving recipient of the OED’s Hospitality of the Year Award.

As the regional winner, Essie’s nomination will now be submitted for statewide competition for the South Carolina Hospitality Employee of the Year Award. The recipient of this prestigious statewide honor will be announced at the Governor’s National Travel & Tourism Week Press Conference in Columbia.