dedication would get me the keys. In 2007 I was awarded the golden keys by the Society and, after 20 years of not working with him, I received congratulations from Christopher. Another person who had an impact on my career path was Rohan Manning. He was the Chief Concierge at Hilton Sydney when I was Assistant Concierge. He showed me that hard work and determination will get you where you want to be. The two of us were very different, yet we made a great team by balancing each other. My focus was front of house with the guests and he kept the department operating. I learnt from him that everyone is different and has their own valuable contribution to the team and you need to embrace these differences and success will come.
“I believe that a good front of house person must be approachable, friendly, organised and have the ability to think outside the box.” WHAT MAKES MT LOFTY HOUSE SPECIAL? Mt Lofty House is a beautiful old home which offers old-world charm with more history than most buildings in South Australia. We welcome guests into our home as if they are friends or family, here to celebrate their special occasions with us. With a small number of rooms, we are able to offer personalised service throughout each individual stay. It is great being able to know who guests are, as I Back to Contents
typically will meet them on arrival, host them at the nightly House tour, and see them at breakfast the following morning and help make their plans for the day. This could be lazing by our pool with a cocktail whilst looking at the spectacular views of Piccadilly Valley or sitting by the fireplace in the library whilst playing a game of chess. I believe what makes Mt Lofty House so special is the passion and vision that stems from our two owners, David and Malcom and General Manager, Jesse. In my opinion, they have the most luxurious accommodation offering in South Australia, if not the whole country and they are personally involved and very invested in many decisions made that shape our guest experience. I think their approach and attitude towards finding the right people to join the MLH family is the reason the house is where it is today. With core values of old-fashioned hospitality, and teamwork at the forefront, the team has been able to deliver the most memorable guest experiences, which has led to the success of the team and resulted in the house being rated #1 on Trip Advisor in the entire country. WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS OR HIGHLIGHTS YOU HAVE FROM WORKING IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY? After thirty years working in the hotel industry, I have serviced celebrities, world leaders and even royalty, however, the most memorable moment was from my time at Mt Lofty House. A couple, who were both blind, arrived at the House. They mentioned on checkin that it had been on their bucket list to stay at Mt Lofty House. They did not have a carer with them and were happy to spend their stay in their room and be serviced by room service for their meal options. I did not accept this and told them that they would experience the House in its entirety.
They taught me how I needed to interact with them for the experience to be comfortable and familiar to them. For example, a nudge to the left indicated that there was something in the way and they needed to veer in that direction. I arranged for them to come on the House tour, enjoy breakfast in the Piccadilly Restaurant rather than the room and go for walk through the expansive gardens of the property. To coordinate this new level of service meant working with all departments to make sure our guests were supported – for example, arranging a team member to be at their door at a set time to escort them to breakfast. I was delighted with their grateful comments on departure, they were overwhelmed with their stay and promised to come back again. It didn’t take the team or myself too much effort to make such a difference to this couple, however, it definitely meant everything to them. WHAT IS A HOTEL YOU HAVEN’T STAYED AT BUT IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST – AND WHY? I have two hotels on the top of my list that I would like to visit, both of which I admire for different reasons. The first one being Atlantis on the Palm in Dubai. It is a magnificent resort and I find it mind blowing that it has been built on an artificial island where water once was. As a father of two girls, it has everything that is needed to keep a family amused without the need to leave. Top end luxury with every detail thought of and executed and none missed. It offers the best of everything that you could imagine and didn’t know that you needed. The second hotel on my bucket list would be Hayman Island in the Whitsundays. A private island experience that offers refined service and every luxury imaginable, in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. A prestigious offering of exclusivity.
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