Where to start? I am writing this introduction whilst on a British Airways flight from London to New York, sat in economy class and enjoying all of the challenges of technology – in flight Wi-Fi is down, the seat selection options failed me miserably and the power supply in my seat is out of action. The perfect start to beginning a blog about travel and a behind the scenes glimpse of working for one of the worlds most luxurious hotels.
That being said, it does set the scene for my introduction rather well. I have worked in the travel industry for more than 20 years and started out with no particular direction ion mind. I was not even all that excited about traveling. Upon visiting a recruitment agency at the age of 18, I was put forward for a role working as a travel agent. The company was nothing particularly fancy, a family run business and certainly not one of the big players, however, to date it was the most fun I have had in my career, which says a lot considering what my role is presently.
My time as a travel agent gave exposure to the world of hotels and an understanding of how the industry operates. I enjoyed trips all over the world, experiencing hotels and resorts which I could never personally afford whilst learning the expectations of travellers and how to put all the pieces together. Time was on my side and I spent 5 years travelling the world and working my way up the ranks to take ownership of the top accounts the company worked with – even winning some of my own. Then came the big choice, did I want to continue my journey as a travel agent or did I want to transition to the world of hotels?
I made the choice to move into hotels. I had always enjoyed my time spent exploring, learning and being hosted in hotels and resorts around the world – mostly I enjoyed the food, drink and entertainment – and I thought to myself “how do I get to do that job?”. So at the age of 23 I interviewed with the two leading hotel companies in the world. I was fortunate enough to be offered both roles, however one was “above property” aka a corporate role, and the other was on property at a 4 star hotel in London. I went for the latter as I believe, and still do, that the experience of working in a hotel would be more beneficial to my career growth overall.Fast-forward to today and I represent a property at the top of it’s field as an ultra-luxury leisure destination. The property is a consistent winner in all of the majory luxury awards (Condé Nast, Travel and Leisure, and everything in between) whilst maintaining it’s status as a Forbes Five Star hotel and partnering with some of the most exclusive brands on a global stage.
It has not been in the ultra-luxury space that the majority of my learnings have taken place. I have been a sales person in many different hotels and destinations and held the majority of sales roles that the hotel industry has to offer. From events and wedding planning to implementing continent specific sales strategies everything in between, and I have cross trained in front of house and housekeeping. What I can tell you is that no matter how high you climb up that luxury hospitality career ladder, we, the people making the magic happen, rarely live the experiences of our clients who can afford to spend $10,000, $50,000, $100,000+ per night on their accommodation. Although just sometimes we do get a glimpse behind the five stars and get a taste of the ultra-luxury lifestyle.
And so I circle back to sitting on this plane, traveling to New York for a week of dinners, lunches, brunches, breakfasts and trade shows all planned out with some of my favourite people – the people who kindly place their trust in me to ensure that either their own or their client’s stay goes entirely to the letter. In fact, it must go above and beyond satisfaction in order to truly have delivered in the ultra-luxury market. If the hotel team does not utterly delight on every level, in this arena where some guests will spend more than $1,000,000 for their stay, then we have failed, and failure is not an option.
I have always considered myself somewhat of a story-teller and with so many stories to tell, I thought it about time to put pen to paper and share some of my experiences and learnings with you, the reader. I will be focusing on two angles, the first being tricks, tips and learnings for travel – whether that is for business, of which I travel extensively across the world, leisure, of which I do with my wife and young child, and things I have learnt along the way from some of the world’s most experienced travellers – a bonus of working in the travel industry. The second direction will be focused on travel insudtry insiders as well as navigating the world of ultra-luxury hotels and a road to getting there.
If along the way I come across products, whether that is a brand, a useful piece of kit to make life easier whilst on the road (or in the air) or perhaps even the tools I use to get from A to B, and sometimes Z, then I will be pleased to share here, at Behind The Five Star.
Behind The Five Star