Talking Stick Resort Wins Coveted Award From Meeting Planners

Publication's Platinum Choice Award Given for Exceptional Service and Amenities

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Feb 23, 2011, 09:00 ET

SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY, Ariz., Feb. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The $350 million Talking Stick Resort, which opened last spring, has been awarded the coveted Platinum Choice Award by Smart Meetings Magazine for its exceptional service and amenities. Award winners are selected by the publication's readers who are comprised of professional meeting planners from the western United States, Canada and Mexico.

According to Marin Bright, founder and publisher, Smart Meetings Magazine recognized Talking Stick Resort for excellence on several fronts: ambience, amenities, facility quality, guest services, meeting space, restaurant and dining facilities, staff attitude, technical support and recreational activities.

Bright noted, that the award-winning resort "demonstrated superior effort in a challenging economic environment, which set it apart from its competition in the marketplace." She said while thousands of resorts annually submit entries in the competition, only 100 reach the elite Platinum Choice status.

Dennis Leong, president and CEO of Talking Stick Resort said, "To receive this prestigious recognition before our property is a year old is a real tribute to the planning and training our dedicated staff and management put forth in the build up to the opening. They were ready to 'hit the road' running when we opened. I am very proud to receive such recognition from a very knowledgeable and important peer group."

The 15-story Talking Stick Resort is the Southwest's newest luxury resort. It houses 497 deluxe rooms and 15 luxury suites, a 240,000 sq. ft. casino, 750-seat showroom, a spa, a spacious conference center, 25,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom, six entertainment lounges and five restaurants/eateries.

It was developed by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRP-MIC), a sovereign tribe with 9,000 members, located in Scottsdale, Ariz. Its name pays tribute to the rich culture and history of the tribes. It refers to a "calendar stick", a long piece of wood maintained by several tribal members, on which records of significant events were recorded by mnemonic emblems such as water signifying a flood or a sun and moon denoting an eclipse.

Smart Meetings, the industry's premier resource for meeting professionals, is published monthly, in print, digitally and online by Bright Business Media, a multimedia company based in Sausalito, CA.

SOURCE Talking Stick Resort