Hospitality has always been my first career choice; I’m a huge fan of travel and exploring different cultures. I chose hospitality as my major at university and was lucky enough to be selected for an exchange programme in Thailand. There, I interacted with students who were also studying hospitality management, which reassured me that this was the career I wanted to pursue.

I started as a Receptionist at another company four years ago, when I moved to the UK from Hong Kong, and gradually began to learn about operations. I also had the opportunity to help in other departments, such as F&B and Housekeeping, which gave me valuable insight into how a hotel should work operationally. I am now a Reservations Coordinator and am discovering areas such as how the back end of a hotel runs, as well as Sales and Revenue Management. It is an endless learning curve and gives me many opportunities to understand hospitality; it is stimulating.

I love the diversity at Accor and the freedom I have in my work. During lockdown, I graduated from a different university, and most of my experience in Hong Kong involved interacting with local guests or colleagues from the same culture. When I moved to the UK, I had the chance to meet people from many other countries; it was a huge and very welcome change. I love it here!

It’s not just about working in the hotel and interacting with the people there; it is also an opportunity to connect with people from other hotels in the area through Accor activities. For example, during Heartist® training, we meet people from other hotels, which gives me a sense of community. We also meet people from Accor properties in other countries; it’s the diversity I love the most.

I love travelling, and I want to share that passion with all the guests I interact with. I want to bring them happiness and enjoyment throughout their stay. Moving to the UK enriched my passion for hospitality by giving me the chance to meet people from different cultures.

Hospitality is for those who are willing to take risks — and with great risk comes great reward. It has opened up many possibilities for me. The industry not only gives you an edge professionally, but also enriches you personally because you meet people from different backgrounds. It is for those who love to challenge themselves. If you want to build a career with new challenges, this is the industry for you.

For me, being a Heartist® means making sure every guest you meet leaves with a smile on their face; it means following your passion wholeheartedly to serve your guests. Internally, it also means sharing your passion with colleagues, because working in a hotel is a team effort and you cannot get everything done by yourself. Give 100% when working with your team and go the extra mile, because they would do the same for you.

My proudest moment was when I started this job. The first time I managed a large conference group, the Metropolitan Police, I didn’t have much experience and had to process more than 100 rooms. I was nervous, so I put in 200% to make sure everything went smoothly for the guests and the Front Office team. It was nerve-racking, but we made sure it went well; the guests were happy and the Front Office team had no trouble navigating the operational side. It gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

My main advice is: do not be afraid to start anew; the beginning is the most difficult part of anything. Hospitality brings different challenges every day. The most important thing is the approach you and your colleagues take to overcome problems with enough endurance. Give yourself time to learn how to do that, and you will take many things away for your career development. I come from a different background and still manage to do quite well; the hospitality industry is open to anyone who is willing to try.