I joined the ibis and ibis budget Bordeaux Centre Mériadeck in March 2018 when I was 17 and an intern learning how to be a receptionist. At the time, I had just finished a professional baccalauréat specialising in electrical engineering.

In June that year, I signed a contract to become a receptionist and subsequent to that, I took a flexible receptionist role in June 2019. In 2022, I was promoted to a reception leader at the ibis Budget and more recently, I became assistant manager of reception, which I have been doing since March 2024, still with the same hotels.

For me, Accor’s strong engagement with client loyalty makes it stand out, especially through a variety of programmes. And the tools at our disposal such as Resaweb, ACDC or Accor Distribution make our daily tasks much easier, and the ready availability of people at Accor head office is a great bonus.

Hospitality as a profession is driven by passion and no two days are the same, which keeps routine at bay – it is one of the great appeals of the sector.

To be a Heartist® is to be the architect of each client’s stay in our hotels and to give satisfaction. It is essential to work from the heart but also to know when to take a step back. Empathy and the ability to put yourself in a client’s shoes are the key to guest satisfaction.

After seven years at the ibis hotels, it is difficult to choose a highlight in my career, but I am most proud of knowing how to maintain a high level of client satisfaction, even in difficult circumstances. For example, during a recent boiler breakdown when we had no hot water, we all kept our sense of humour, ensured clients understood the problem and we kept them smiling.

My advice to new arrivals would be to follow Accor’s procedures carefully, which are at the heart of the group’s standards. It is equally important to be an ambassador for customer loyalty in your hotel.