September 10, 2021
Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. (NASDAQ: PLYA, “Playa”), a leading owner and operator of all-inclusive resorts across Mexico and throughout the Caribbean, announced today that Darling Mendez, Club Manager at Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana has been awarded the 2021 Caribbean Rising Star Award presented by the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) during the 2021 Caribbean Hotel & Investment Summit (CHRIS) on August 31, 2021 at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
This is the eleventh year the ISHC and CHRIS have partnered to recognize young leadership in the Caribbean and marks the third consecutive Caribbean Rising Star win for a Playa associate. The award, which recognizes an emerging leader age 35 and under, currently living and working in the Caribbean, was presented in 2019 to Playa’s Paola Gomez Lopez, then Director of Sales for the Hilton La Romana in the Dominican Republic and in 2020 to Creasha-Dine Thompson, then Event Planning Manager at Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall.
“Darling continues to inspire and impress her colleagues and represents the very DNA of Playa with a Service From The Heart approach day-in and day-out,” said Dayna Blank, Playa Hotels & Resorts Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “With seven career advancements during the last decade, Darling approaches each new role with enthusiasm, pride and the understanding that the future is unlimited at Playa Hotels & Resorts. We are all celebrating with Darling today and even more excited for what her future holds.”
This is not Mendez’s first time being recognized during her hospitality career. She has received Employee of the Month, Courtesy Service Award of the month on three different occasions and the Courtesy Service Award of the Year 2013 for her warm hospitality, responsibility and discipline.
Mendez was nominated for the Rising Star Award by Pedro Tomas, General Manager of Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. “Darling has the ability to transform work settings into environments full of harmony and productivity,” said Tomas. “Her work ethic, integrity and positive attitude make her so deserving of this impressive recognition.”
Mendez graciously accepted the award in person, thanking her family as well as her mentor Tomas. “It hasn’t always been an easy journey, but it has always been a wonderful and extremely rewarding path for me. And it well warrants the hard work,” explained Mendez.