MDL’s three Hamble marinas strike gold again

All three of MDL’s Hamble River marinas have retained their Five Gold Anchor status following recent three-yearly inspections by The Yacht Harbour Association.

Port Hamble Marina, Hamble Point Marina and Mercury Yacht Harbour are just three of the fifteen MDL’s marinas which hold this prestigious award.

“We are delighted and very proud to have our Five Gold Anchor accreditations confirmed again,” says Kerry Marriott, MDL’s Head of Operations (Central and Chichester). “The criteria for the award are focused on customer centric services and we are so pleased that we’ve been recognised for all the hard work we put into providing the best customer experience for our berth holders and visitors.”

Strong environmental awareness across the marinas was highlighted, with all three marinas scoring 100% in Environment Management and Practices. The marinas also did particularly well in the On-Shore Facilities sections with Port Hamble Marina earning 93%, Hamble Point achieving 97% and Mercury Yacht Harbour 94%, showing the importance of MDL’s continual investment in its amenities.

The marinas were praised for their atmosphere and the quality of services, with the assessor noting “excellent customer feedback on customer service and staff attitudes”. The marinas were rated highly by customers across all survey questions.

Mercury Yacht Harbour

Globally recognised, the Gold Anchor scheme has been developed by the marina industry to raise standards and assist marinas to position and differentiate themselves. From a consumer perspective, the Gold Anchor accreditation helps them to select a marina that is right for them.

“As a berth holder survey was part of the accreditation process, it means we have been awarded the Five Gold Anchors based on our customers’ feedback too, showing that we are delivering on an ongoing basis across our marinas rather than just at inspection time,” Kerry adds.

“We recognise the importance of the marina team in delivering the best customer experience and upholding the TYHA high standards and, to ensure that this continues, we are delighted to announce some internal staff changes to our Hamble marinas’ teams.

“Long standing MDL employee, Colin Jefferies, returns to the helm of Mercury Yacht Harbour while also looking after our Riverside Holiday Park next door. Bertie Marsh has been promoted and brings his 5* experience from Ocean Village Marina to Port Hamble Marina where he will join the team as Manager.

“Hamble Point Marina also has a new manager, Martin Bowman, who was previously Duty Manager at Mercury Yacht Harbour. Martin will be ably supported by Shona Brooks who has been made permanent Assistant Manager following a very successful secondment into the role over recent months. We wish everyone the best of luck in their new positions.”