Settlers Hospitality Receives Local, State and National Honors

Leadership. Excellence. Heritage. Settlers Hospitality is honored to receive a number or recent recognitions from industry peers and community organizations. These distinctions were bestowed on multiple businesses in a variety of categories demonstrating Settlers Hospitality’s strong commitment to its core values across all of its holdings.

Settlers Hospitality CEO/Owner Justin Genzlinger was named Business Person of the Year by The Chamber of the Northern Poconos in its 2021 Community Awards. Each year The Chamber salutes outstanding business leaders in appreciation for their enhancement of the region as a great place to live and work. “I’m honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” says Justin Genzlinger. “After an unprecedented year of challenges, it’s especially meaningful to me to be named Business Person of the Year. Weathering the uncertainties of COVID-19 was no easy task, but I think we’ve come out of it stronger as a company and even more connected as a community.”

Historic preservation was a founding principle of Settlers Hospitality. That commitment remains steadfast today with four heritage properties among its collection of hotels. Therefore, it was a privilege to be selected as a finalist in the 2021 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence in seven categories! The program recognizes and celebrates the finest historic hotels and hoteliers from across the United States and around the world. To be chosen as a finalist among hundreds of nominees represents the pinnacle of this very select group. Historic Hotels of America (HHA) bestowed its highest honor on Founders Jeanne and Grant Genzlinger. During the recent awards ceremony and gala in Kohler, WI the couple was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Each year HHA recognizes individuals whose lifelong passion has resulted in the preservation and celebration of the history and stories of a legendary historic hotel. The Genzlingers were honored for their 40-plus year career in the hospitality industry and an enduring legacy of historic preservation that has transformed the Lake Region of the Pocono Mountains.

Settlers Hospitality was also chosen as a finalist in multiple categories including a nod for Best Social Media for The Settlers Inn, Sustainability Champion for Ledges Hotel, Best Small Historic Inn for The Sayre Mansion and Best Historic Resort for Silver Birches. Additionally, CEO/Owner Justin Genzlinger was nominated for Historic Hotelier of the Year and Founders Jeanne and Grant Genzlinger were also nominees for Steward of History and Historic Preservation.

Hotel Anthracite in Carbondale, PA was recently honored with the 2020 Heritage Tourism Award from the PA Route 6 Alliance. Each year the organization honors one group, organization or project from the 11-county PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor that promotes economic development and stimulates tourism while still respecting the heritage and cultural resources of the corridor. Nominees hail from throughout the Keystone State, from Pike County in the east to Erie County in the West. Hotel Anthracite celebrates Carbondale’s rich coal mining past in its name, décor and historical exhibits.

When the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce announced its list of 2021 SAGE Award nominees, The Settlers Inn was delighted to be included. The annual event recognizes the outstanding efforts, talent, creativity and innovation in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Settlers Inn was singled out as a finalist for the 2021 Impact Award- People and Culture. The category acknowledges a business or organization that has gone above and beyond in response to the COVID-19 crisis to ensure the well-being of its employees.

“We are truly honored by each and every recognition,” states Genzlinger. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole staff. The awards are an excellent opportunity to showcase the efforts of everyone at Settlers Hospitality.”

Chamber Announces Fall 2021 SAGE Awards Finalists

Today, we announced the finalists for the Fall 2021 SAGE Awards, the Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence. The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. The winners will be announced on Friday, November 12 at the Chamber Gala, a black-tie optional event held safely at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center and presented by Fidelity Bank.

More than 80 applications were received for this year’s awards and 50 community leaders and professionals volunteered to review applications and select finalists. The Chamber is proud to honor businesses that are making valuable contributions to the region and contributing to our overall quality of life.

The finalists, in each category, are:

BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Pioneer Construction Company Inc.
• Posture Interactive
• Scranton Area Community Foundation

BEST PRACTICES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE
• Center City Print
• Hilton Scranton & Conference Center
• theKIMMY

BEST PRACTICES IN MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
• Fidelity Bank
• Horizon Dental Care
• The Honesdale National Bank

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
• FNCB Bank
• Golden Technologies
• Posture Interactive

HOMETOWN STAR
• Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA
• Scranton Jazz Festival
• Scranton Tomorrow

IMPACT: COMMUNITY OUTREACH
• Friends of the Poor
• NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania
• The University of Scranton

IMPACT: PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• Golden Technologies
• Hematology & Oncology Associates of Northeastern Pennsylvania, PC
• The Settlers Inn

IMPACT: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
• Friends of the Poor
• Montage Mountain Resorts
• One Point, Inc.

NEW AND EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
• CTB Studio
• Epic Revenue Consultants
• Reed Advisory Group

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR
• Agency for Community EmPOWERment of NEPA
• Miller-Keystone Blood Center
• Treatment Court Advocacy Center of Lackawanna County

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
• Center City Print
• Noteology
• Quest Studio

Congrats to all finalists!! The recipient of each award will be announced on Friday, November 12 at the Chamber Gala, a black-tie optional event held safely at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.

In addition, all award finalists can also win the People’s Choice Award, where the winner will be chosen by a community wide online vote on our website from Monday, November 1 through Friday, November 5.

Chamber Celebrates 2021 SAGE Award Winners at Chamber Gala


We hosted its Chamber Gala this evening, presenting the 2021 SAGE Awards – the Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence. This year’s event was a hybrid celebration with SAGE finalists and award sponsors joining us at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, while other guests enjoyed viewing parties from home via Zoom.

Chamber president, Bob Durkin, and Chamber board chair, Patrick Fricchione, opened the ceremony thanking all finalists, award sponsors, and Gala sponsors for their dedication to the NEPA community. Our emcee for the evening was Thom Welby, with musical entertainment provided by Lexington Entertainment.

The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. This year, the awards were enhanced to honor and recognize the innovation our local businesses employed due to COVID-19.

The Chamber congratulates all finalists and winners of the 2021 SAGE Awards. The winners in each category are:

BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Coal Creative

BEST PRACTICES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Maternal and Family Health Services

BEST PRACTICES IN MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
• Posture Interactive

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
• Fidelity Bank

HOMETOWN STAR
• Food for All Campaign at The Settlers Inn

IMPACT: COMMUNITY OUTREACH
• DePietro’s Pharmacy

IMPACT: PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• Penn Foster

IMPACT: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
• Woodloch Resort

NEW AND EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
• Space Time Mead & Cider Works

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR
• Keystone Mission

PEOPLE’S CHOICE
• Hematology & Oncology Associates of NEPA

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
• United Sports Academy

2021 SAGE Finalists Announced

The Chamber announced the finalists for the 2021 SAGE Awards, the Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence live on Zoom. The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. The winners will be announced on Friday, March 19 at the Chamber Gala, a hybrid event held at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center and live via Zoom.

This year’s SAGE Awards have been enhanced to honor and recognize the innovation our local businesses employed due to COVID-19. In addition, we created the new IMPACT Award for 2021, which includes three categories: Community Outreach, People and Culture, and Products and Services. 

Close to 100 applications were received for this year’s awards and nearly 40 community leaders and professionals volunteered to review applications and select finalists. The Chamber is proud to honor businesses that are making valuable contributions to the region and contributing to our overall quality of life.

In addition, all award finalists can also win the People’s Choice Award, where the winner will be chosen by a community wide online vote from Monday, March 1 through Friday, March 5.