Hotel manager reveals best way to get a discount and 'most shocking' thing taken from a room
If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like. Today we speak to Leighton Reid, hotel manager at Horwood House in Milton Keynes.
A typical salary... varies hugely from around £45,000 for smaller or limited-service hotels, up to double that for large resort hotels with facilities such as a spa, golf course and more.
Working hours? You have to roll with the punches in this job... You never know what challenges even the best-planned day will bring, so you take time back when you can. If you manage to work a week of less than 50 hours, you count it as a good week.
But you do get discounts... at the hotel or group you work for, plus free stays as a reward for long service. If you're an event hotel, corporate clients will sometimes leave fantastic, branded gifts as a thank you.
People take more things from rooms than you'd believe... Branded mugs and water bottles are the latest trend, so hotels must have a way to recover those costs from guests. I've seen a few expensive fans go missing over the years, but the most shocking was at a previous hotel, when someone removed a large TV from the wall and took it home. Don't forget - most hotels have CCTV everywhere!
Little things make a big difference... If just 1% of rooms leave a tap running for a few hours, that adds up to hundreds of pounds in extra costs. We'd much rather put that money into the hotel, our staff or extras for our guests.
People remember moments more than hotels... This could be a personal interaction with a team member who remembers your name from your last visit. Fewer people remember the thread count of the linen or the amenity brand; hospitality is about connection.
The biggest mistake people make when booking is... not booking directly with the hotel. If you do manage to find a cheaper rate elsewhere, a hotel will usually match it - and booking direct often comes with extra flexibility or perks.
The cheapest night of the week is... Sunday if you're after a great deal - you can often haggle for an upgrade too.
We offer free upgrades... This can be a perk of booking direct or for a special occasion. My advice: always ask nicely, never demand and call on the morning of your stay. We're always hoping to sell our nicest rooms, so an upgrade further in advance isn't usually guaranteed, but on the day, we can be flexible - and if it's not entirely complimentary, there's often a deal to be done.
Grace periods for checking out depend entirely on occupancy... If we're full that night, we need guests out in time for the next arrivals. At the same time, we can't clean every room at once - so if enough guests depart early, most hotels are happy to offer others a later departure, though charges can apply.
Things the other hotels do that annoy me? Charging for Wi-Fi or for parking at a hotel outside the city centre or near an airport.
Every hotel now has to publish its tips policy... which has helped ensure tips and gratuities are shared fairly across staff.
The best way for people to complain is... always at the time - don't wait until you leave to raise something. Hoteliers always want guests to have the best possible experience and value the chance to put things right in the moment. I don't enjoy complaining myself, and I know it can feel awkward in person, but if we know you're not happy with something, we'll do our very best to fix it straight away. Some of the best feedback I've had has come from situations the team turned around for a guest during their stay.
You're in the wrong business if...you find guests frustrating. As hotel manager, if you find any of the team frustrating, it's your job to change that.
Online reviews are... actually very important. Not only because future guests see the good, the bad and the ugly, but because feedback is genuinely a gift. It gives us the chance to understand if we got something wrong and put it right for next time. More than 90% of the feedback hotels receive is usually positive, so it's just as important to thank guests for that and make sure the team knows what a good job they're doing.
If I could change one moment in my career... it'd be when I was having a tough time in a senior role at a hotel I loved - and still do - which I eventually decided to leave. I strongly believe everything happens for a reason, but I wish I'd given it a few more months to see if I could have turned it round.
Hospitality only cares about attitude and hard work... No matter your education or background, there's no ceiling on progress in any department, as long as you apply yourself.
Source: Sky News
|
|
|
|
