Restaurant Dignità and Boutique Hotel de Leijhof win Lightspeed Hospitality Awards 2024

Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (NYSE: LSPD) (TSX: LSPD), the complete checkout and payment platform for thousands of ambitious entrepreneurs worldwide, hosted the second edition of the Lightspeed Hospitality Awards at The Anthony Hotel in Utrecht on Tuesday 24 September 2024. With the Lightspeed Hospitality Awards, the company recognises leading entrepreneurs in the hospitality and hotel industry for their unique vision, sustainability initiatives, innovation and digitalisation. The big winners of the evening were restaurant Dignità in Amsterdam and Hotel de Leijhof In Oisterwijk.

From the numerous hospitality businesses and hotels that applied, seven concepts were nominated for the Lightspeed Hospitality Awards. They were allowed to pitch their concept and vision to the audience and professional judges during the awards show. The nominees in the "Restaurant" category were: Pata Negra (4 locations), Copper Branch (4 locations), Jackies NYC (Deventer) and Dignità (4 locations). The nominees in the "Hotel" category were: Conscious Hotels (Amsterdam), The NOX (Utrecht) and Hotel de Leijhof (Oisterwijk). In the end restaurantDignità and Hotel de Leijhof walked away with the grand prize; the Lightspeed Hospitality Award, a free one-year subscription to Lightspeed Restaurant and more great prizes.

The jury was represented by four objective hospitality and hotel professionals, each with a unique perspective and link to the hospitality and hotel sector: Habiba Bougrine, Account Manager at EPSON Europe; Maarten Pluim, Sales Manager Sport, Hospitality and Culture at AFAS Software; Stef Driessen, Sector Banker Hotels & Leisure at ABN AMRO and Sarah Dierick, Editor-in-Chief Belgium at HOTELVAK.

The public and judges were asked to judge the seven concepts based on sustainability, innovation and digitalisation. The voting itself was via Lightspeed's online ordering and payment platform, Order Anywhere. 

Dignità is a brunch restaurant with a unique concept with three locations in Amsterdam and one in The Hague. As part of the foundation "Not For Sale" Dignità is committed to providing perspective to people who have had few or no opportunities in their lives, women and men who have found themselves in vulnerable situations for various reasons such as prostitution, human trafficking and victims of domestic violence.

Toos Heemskerk of restaurant Dignità: "It's great to highlight in this way the importance of our work with people who have been victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, among other things. How special it is that we as a company can give something back to society, partly thanks to companies that support us with software. This allows us to invest in what really matters: training our employees. It is an honour to receive this award."

At Hotel de Leijhof in Oisterwijk, they stand for personal attention. Cooking with organic vegetables and herbs from their own greenhouse, their own botanical garden and the so-called Sensation Suites. Instead of windows, these rooms have large LED screens that can be controlled by an iPad. So you can choose to set your view to the exotic jungle or bustling Paris.

Mara van den Oetelaar of Hotel de Leijhof: "We are extremely proud that as a small Boutique Hotel, and not part of a chain, we can take home this award. With only nineteen rooms, we manage to make so many people happy, offering them a piece of luxury with an eye for detail, personal attention and lots of warm Brabant cosiness."