Job Title: General Manager
Years at The Zetter: 3 years
Accolades: Brilliant Bars (Boutique Hotelier)- The Parlour at The Zetter Marylebone, Top 50 Boutique Hotels UK
Career highlights: Acorn 30 under 30 2023, Top 25 Brit List Hoteliers of 2023
When did your career start in hotels and was it always a goal of yours?
My career in hotels started in 2016, I actually studied law, the initial career goal was to become a family and child lawyer. I did a stint in a law firm, and it was quite intense and a little bit overwhelming, so hacked it all in and got a job as a glass wash which started my career in hospitality.
I loved it. I was so enthralled by the people and the energy and the vibrancy of it all. One night when working a Christmas party someone handed me a business card and said ‘you need to come and work for us’, and it turns out he was part of a hotel group. I joined there as a bar back in 2016 and my career took off from there.
What do you enjoy most about your industry?
It's a beautiful industry and it's so simple, yet so complicated. There's so much behind it, from dealing with commercials and rebranding to legal requirements of new buildings and everything that is dealt with that you don't see day-to-day.
We make memories out of moments for some of the most outstanding people. There's a reason that our industry exists and it's to create an experience and to give people memories that they take home and that live with them forever, regardless of what they're staying for or what they're visiting for. It's an honour to be able to provide that for people.
What’s your biggest achievement to date?
There's two. Winning the Caterer’s 30 under 30 was a personal goal as a woman from a minority background, being able to achieve such an accolade was insane, and I remember getting the call telling me that I'd won, and I was like ‘they must have got the wrong person’.
For the hotel group, honestly, I think being listed in Top 50 Boutique Hotels says a lot about who you are because there's so many hotels in the UK, endless hotels opening daily and to be able to not only be on the list for both of our properties but also maintain a spot on that list, shows the continued work for me. It's pride for what my team are doing and the efforts that my team are putting in to maintain the consistent level and standard of care that we do. It's a huge win because it's a win for them as well.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start working in a hotel?
Do not stop asking questions. Heed advice from every and any angle, that doesn't mean take it, but remember that you learn as much from people's mistakes as you do from the good things that they do.
Make yourself uncomfortable, if you're not uncomfortable, you're not achieving enough.
Where’s your favourite place to stay in the UK?
For getting away from it all, and a digital detox I have to give a shout out to Lucknam Park. From their General manager Sakis, to Jessica, who runs the spa, it’s just an outstanding group of people. They are the epitome of why our industry is so beautiful.
What’s something you pride yourself on at The Zetter?
The guests. Creating a feeling of being a home away from home, in everything we do across all touch points. We create an experience with so much comfort, so you feel like you're at home but with an added a luxurious experience within it.
For the team, something that we do at the Zetter Group beautifully is advancement and development. It's something that's done so naturally. The second someone shows a willingness and a want to progress we will spearhead that with every single opportunity and resource that we have within the business. We do it so seamlessly and it's such a beautiful thing and I think it's the luxury of being independent.
What can we expect to see from The Zetter in the future?
The Zetter Group is expanding, we are currently working on our assets in Bloomsbury and are looking to get out further into Europe very soon. There's going to be some outstanding things done with the brand and with the people within the brand. There's going to be so many more accolades to come, which is from the achievements of our teams.
As ever, we're going to keep doing the charity work that we do, that doesn't stop, we will accelerate that from here on out. But there's going to be some exciting changes coming soon.
