Hotel Assn. of NYC celebrates excellence in hospitality with 2025 Big Apple Stars Awards

New York, NY The Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) made known the winners of the Big Apple Stars Awards, an annual program that brings well-deserved recognition to the exceptional professionals who make New York City’s hospitality industry the best in the world.

This year’s awards celebrated excellence across four prestigious categories, honoring hotel employees who deliver outstanding guest experiences, operational excellence, and leadership. A record 124 hotels submitted 496 nominations, and nearly 1,750 attendees gathered at the Javits Center on October 3, 2025 to celebrate the winners.

The 2025 Big Apple Stars Award winners are:

• Full-Time Hourly With Guest Contact: Ryan Lettier, concierge, The Peninsula New York

• Full-Time Hourly Without Guest Contact: Mahmut Idrizi, maintenance mechanic, The Peninsula New York

• Full-Time Room Attendant: Larissa Mikhailova, room attendant, JW Marriott Essex House

• Managerial Below General Manager: Tomasz Milewski, director of loss prevention – engineering operational manager, JW Marriott Essex House.

Each category winner received $500 and a crystal trophy, along with qualification for the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Annual Stars of the Industry Award. The overall winner of the evening was Idrizi of The Peninsula New York, who received an additional trophy and cash award.

The judging process included 60 first-round judges — all hotel professionals — along with three finalist judges:

• Sean Hennessey, CEO, Lodging Advisors

• Dr. Jukka Laitamaki, clinical professor, NYU School of Professional Studies – Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality

• Dr. Seungyun Park, hospitality management undergraduate director, St. John’s University.

Vijay Dandapani, president & CEO of HANYC, said, “New York’s hotels are the city’s front door to the world, welcoming tens of millions of visitors annually from across the country and around the globe. Hotel employees are the biggest contributors not only to enjoyable stays but to the overall health and vitality of the industry. We applaud the nearly 500 nominees, a record number, and offer our sincerest congratulations to the winners for making New York City’s hotels the best in the world.”

The Big Apple Stars Awards not only shine a light on excellence across the hotel industry but also serve as a pipeline to national recognition, furthering the careers of New York City’s most dedicated hospitality professionals.

Established in 1878, the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC), Inc. is one of the oldest professional trade associations in the nation. Today, HANYC is an internationally recognized leader in New York City’s $7 billion hotel and tourism industry, representing nearly 300 of the finest hotels with over 80,000 rooms and approximately 50,000 employees. Learn more at www.hanyc.org