Coco Reef hotelier wins award

The awards are voted on by the readers of the award-winning Caribbean World Magazine.

Jefferis, who developed and owns the Coco Reef property in Tobago, said, “I am exceedingly honoured to have been voted the Premier Hotelier of the Year at the International Caribbean World Awards. I am living my dream of developing and owning hotels in the Caribbean.

My success is due in part to the incredible team at Coco Reef - Tobago, whose professionalism, hospitality and efficiency have ensured that guests from all over the world have the time of their lives when they stay with us.” Jefferis has won countless accolades and awards throughout his career, including: Bermuda Hotel Association’s first “Bermuda Hotelier of the Year” in 1989; The Caribbean Hotel Association’s “Caribbean Hotelier of the Year” in 1991; EY’s “Caribbean Entrepreneur of the Year Award” in 2000; Caribbean World’s “Lifetime Achievement Award in Tourism and Travel” in 2008; and International Caribbean Life’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2014.

In 2015, Jefferis celebrated 50 years in the hospitality industry and was inducted by the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Association into the Tourism Hall of Fame – one of only two people to be inducted.

For the past 13 years, Jefferis’ Coco Reef – Tobago resort has won the World Travel Award for the Caribbean’s Leading Hotel.

Jefferis is a past President of the Bermuda Hotel Association and a past member of the Bermuda government’s Tourism Board and Marketing Committee.

Other previous recipients of the award were Butch Stewart from Jamaica and Professor Kevin Morley from Barbados.