The Comwell Group has just held its annual Team Player of the Year Day, where selected staff and trainees from all Comwell hotels and the head office gathered in Horsens. The aim of the day is to strengthen social cohesion, celebrate the strong team spirit and recognise those employees who go the extra mile for their colleagues, guests and the internal working culture.
Every year, all Comwell hotels and the head office select the ‘Team Player of the Year’ and the ‘Trainee of the Year’. It was these local winners who gathered for the celebration, where strong collaborative relationships and professional recognition were the central themes of the day’s programme.
Strategic focus on social sustainability and recognition
For Comwell, Team Player Day is an important investment in the company’s culture, values and employee well-being. HR and Sustainability Director, Mai-Britt Jensen, emphasises that employees’ daily commitment and inclusive collaboration form the foundation of the group’s success.
"Our employees are the heart of Comwell, and today is all about recognising them. It is a tribute to the tremendous effort our employees put into their work every single day. We have an incredibly strong culture at Comwell, where seeing, embracing and valuing one another is the very foundation of our culture. Although we are celebrating a select few today, we are incredibly privileged to have so many talented, passionate and committed employees across the entire group,” says Mai-Britt Jensen.
Teamwork and social relations in a historical setting
Today’s professional and social programme began at Comwell Bygholm Park in Horsens and continued at the former Horsens State Prison. Here, the participants were first given a tour of the old prison and then mixed in groups across the hotels for the team-building activity ‘Prison Break’. The tasks in the prison setting placed high demands on the participants’ communication skills, strategic thinking and ability to solve problems collectively.
The afternoon featured a personal talk by a former biker, who spoke about his journey out of 20 years of substance abuse and imprisonment. His story spoke directly to the importance of social responsibility, breaking patterns, and how professional support, inclusion and human understanding helped him take responsibility for his life and build new relationships.
“It’s been brilliant fun and lovely to get together with colleagues. We don’t work together on a daily basis, of course, because we’re at different hotels. But there’s still a real sense of camaraderie when we meet on a Team Player Day like this, so it really makes a difference to meet across hotels and roles,” says Pia Thrane, who works at Comwell Kongebrogaarden in Middelfart, where she has also been named Trainee of the Year.
Group management announced the overall winners
Team Player Day concluded with a gala dinner at Comwell Bygholm Park, which was also attended by Comwell’s group management, who paid tribute to the staff for their efforts and contributions to the strong team spirit at Comwell.
Here, from among the locally selected Team Players of the Year and Trainees of the Year, an overall Comwell Team Player of the Year and Comwell Trainee of the Year for the entire group were announced.
“In fact, it could have been any one of the locally selected nominees who took home the overall title this evening. The standard is exceptionally high, and every employee is thoroughly deserving of the award. It is a welcome opportunity to extend a huge thank you to the entire staff across the organisation. It is the employees’ daily dedication that keeps the unique culture and special warmth of the Comwell spirit alive, and it is precisely in the sense of community, collaboration and mutual recognition that our true strength lies,” says Mai-Britt Jensen.
About Comwell Hotels
Comwell is a Danish family-owned, nationwide hotel chain with hotels throughout Denmark, as well as ODEON in Odense and Centralværkstedet in Aarhus. For over 55 years, Comwell has been operating meeting and conference hotels and has won numerous awards over the years for its meeting, service and dining concepts.
Comwell was the first to introduce Danes to the modern meeting package back in 1969. Today, this remains Comwell’s core business. Comwell also caters for training and course programmes, workshops, job interviews, board meetings, exhibitions and events, and has over 2.500 rooms and 320 meeting and conference rooms at its disposal.
Kathrine Brinkløv is Venue Manager at Comwell Centralværkstedet, where the high ceilings, train tracks in the floor and rustic charm have already made the venue a favourite for conferences, meetings and events. Kathrine brings with her an international career and a high level of ambition - both for the venue, guests and future events.
21 February 2025 marks a very special milestone for Frederik Jelstrup, Hotel Manager at Comwell Bygholm Park and F&B Director at Comwell Hotels. He has been part of the Danish-owned hotel chain for a quarter of a century, and his journey in the group has been characterised by a desire to create change and a steadfast belief that when the hotel, employees and guests smile, everything comes together.
Creative thinking and a shared understanding that everyone must work towards the same goal are some of the key ingredients in Comwell's ongoing efforts to reduce food waste in the kitchens of Comwell hotels and venues around the country. And this is no exception at the chain's popular city hotel Comwell Copenhagen Portside. Here, the right workflows and strong teamwork skills play a crucial role in the fight against food waste - even when challenges arise in relation to specific workflows, guest needs and legislation.