Hospitality wasn’t my first career choice. I studied clinical psychology, and my journey into this industry began almost by chance when a college friend invited me to an employee discovery night. I spent the day with her at Novotel Kraków Centrum, met the team, and experienced hotel life from the inside. 

That day became my first step into Accor. By the end of it, I was invited to a job interview—and during that conversation, I was very honest with my General Manager. I told him I would give my very best for two or three years and then return to my originally planned career. I had no idea, at the time, how much that plan would change. 

I started by combining my studies with work as a receptionist. Very quickly, though, I became fascinated by what our Guest Experience Manager was doing. I began helping her with small tasks, and she introduced me to the Guest Experience (GX) platforms. Before long, I found myself working night shifts and preparing little surprises for guests for the days ahead—moments designed to make them smile. 

About six months later, I was promoted to Guest Experience Specialist. I’m deeply grateful to my manager for recognising my potential and trusting me with that opportunity. It was also the moment I moved into full‑time work and fully into the world of hospitality. 

I will finish my degree this year, and since stepping into Guest Experience, I’ve realised that what began as a short-term experience become a natural extension of my academic path, a space where the two worlds merge, allowing me to use my psychological background in environment, where understanding people, emotions, and expectations plays a central role. Along the way, I’ve met inspiring colleagues from Guest Experience teams in Poland and France. Sharing ideas and learning from each other has helped me grow and understand the role more deeply. 

That was the second time I fell in love with hospitality. I realised how this role resonated with me, and I set myself a long-term goal: to one day become a master in Guest Experience. At the same time, a dream of working in Paris emerge. That vision keeps me motivated. I actively take part in skills training, cross‑training, and webinars, and I’ve started learning French, so I’ll be ready when the moment comes. 

What I love most about my job is working with people. I’m lucky to be surrounded by open‑minded, kind, and supportive colleagues—people who make time for you, who listen, and who help you grow, both personally and professionally, no matter how busy they are. 

I’m also inspired by the strong women leaders at Accor. They are the role models we need. Hospitality shapes you in many ways: it teaches empathy, adaptability, and how to truly connect with others. And even if hospitality isn’t your lifelong destination, it gives you skills that stay with you wherever you go. 

This industry moves fast, which means no two days are ever the same. Every guest, every colleague, and every shift brings new challenges. You learn to think on your feet, be creative, and stay curious—and I know that even 15, 20, or 30 years from now, I’ll still be learning. 

Being a Heartist® and a Guest Experience Specialist means bringing joy wherever you go and creating something special, even in the middle of a busy day. It means being genuinely interested in people and their stories, staying authentic, and supporting one another. Heartists are problem‑solvers and team players—and that’s something we practise every day. 

I’ve been lucky to experience many proud moments so far. One of the first was a Guest Experience game I created, which was later launched worldwide on the Customer Experience Platform. That experience showed me my own creativity and reminded me how important joy and playfulness are at work. 

Early in my career, I also helped host the Nations League—an unforgettable experience, especially as a big basketball fan. I was the ambassador responsible for the players. We created a chill‑out zone for them and partnered with a Polish energy drink company to offer something local. Over two months, I coordinated arrivals and departures and built strong connections within the basketball community—some of which I still cherish today. 

More recently, I worked with our marketing team on a project to raise sustainability awareness among children. It even led to us adopting a turtle at the Kraków Zoo, named Tadeusz after the street our hotel is on. Meeting the zoo keepers—and Tadeusz, of course—was something I never imagined hospitality would bring me. Experiences like this are exactly why I love this industry: it always finds new ways to surprise me. 

My advice to newcomers is simple: take every opportunity you can. Do the training, join meetings, and don’t be afraid to take on extra challenges—even if you don’t feel completely ready yet. There will always be people willing to help. Be bold, dream big, and go for it, because you never know who is watching. That’s how my journey started—something local that grew into something much bigger. At Accor, the sky truly is the limit.