Strong communication skills and an eye for detail are imperative to Suzi McIlhatton’s role as General Manager at The Malone Hotel, Belfast.
Read all about her career journey
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I was 15 years old when I started in hospitality, I was making coffee at St George’s market for a local coffee company with a very passionate owner and that’s what ignited my love for the industry. I then worked in hotel bars and restaurants whilst studying for my degree before moving to London for five years with luxury boutique hotels brand, Firmdale Hotels. I found my feet in front office and reservations roles which I pursued when I returned home to Belfast in 2015. I started working for the Fitzwilliam Hotel as its Revenue and Reservations Manager before moving on to The Malone in 2016. A couple of years later, the opportunity arose to take on the General Manager role at The Malone and I thought ‘why not?’ and went for it!
What was your favourite subject at school?
History and English – I loved to write!
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so, what did you study and where?
I studied Entrepreneurship and Hospitality Management at the University of Brighton.
How did you get into your area of work?
While working for Firmdale Hotels in London, I completed a graduate programme which involved working in every area of the hotel in the first year: reception. housekeeping, washing dishes – I did it all. This taught me a great lesson of understanding how every position is critical to the success of the guest experience. I then took on two placements at supervisor level – one in Food and Beverage and the other in Rooms. It gave me a great grounding for the future and I ended up preferring the rooms division side of hotels. So, I worked my way up from there managing reception, reservations and housekeeping as well.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
Pretty much yes. I’ve never done anything other than hospitality. For a while, I wanted to be a chef and even spent some time training for an NVQ when I was 18. However, once I got the hotel bug there was no going back!
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
I would never have gotten the chance to do the graduate programme at Firmdale without the degree, but a lot of managers in hospitality don’t have a degree and have worked their way up so it’s definitely not essential. Strong interpersonal skills, the ability to multi-task, adapt and an eye for detail are the best qualities in this industry. Everything else can be learnt on the job.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
To get to General Manager level, you really need to have a good track record in hotels – the hotel world is a different beast to stand-alone restaurants, bars and clubs. Having said that, I’ve worked for some great departmental managers with a variety of experience in other sectors, but never at General Manager level.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Adaptability, patience, strong communication skills, detail orientated, organised and empathetic.
What does a typical day entail?
Honestly, it’s a cliché but every day is usually different. On an average day I could be dealing with operational issues, reviewing forecasts, meeting new staff, spot-checking service, catching up with my departmental managers, reviewing maintenance lists and taste-testing food!
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
I’m a naturally organised person, so the amount that needs to be coordinated within a day plays to my strengths. I also just love working with people and you get to meet so many different people from different walks of life. To understand what makes people tick and try to create an exceptional and memorable experience, you must really get to know your guests and engage your staff -thankfully, I love doing just that.
Hospitality skills shortages and the bad reputation the industry has gotten over the years can make it tough to recruit the right people and to recruit at all. We have really tried to address staff turnover and skills shortages by investing more time and energy into the induction and training process as well as the employee benefits and wellness programmes. When you get it right, it’s incredibly rewarding. Our vision is to create somewhere that’s a truly great place to work. We want to re-frame the perception of hospitality as a career by not forcing our team to do long hours for low rates of pay.
Why is what you do important?
People want to and should be able to spend their hard-earned cash on an experience that goes above and beyond. The role of the GM is essential in making sure all the components can come together to make this a reality. I also want to make sure that for our team, we continue to provide a great environment for them to work and flourish in. It’s important to me that they feel how much they are a key part of the success of the hotel.
What is your salary band?
£50,000+
How has Covid-19 impacted your business/role?
Covid was indiscriminate in how widely it affected the industry, from large chains to small independents. We can’t currently say when restrictions will be lifted in hospitality so it’s hard to understand and prepare for when we’ll be back to normal operations. We’ve just tried our best to adapt to the new normal and keep everyone safe in the building, while still doing our best to provide a high level of service.
What adjustments have you had to make?
Limited capacities in the bar, restaurant and functions such as weddings affect our guests but also potential revenues. Increased costs for deep cleaning and sanitising across the property. Hiring and retraining staff as well as restructuring internally.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Generally, those that are successful in hospitality are never afraid to get stuck in. Those with a ‘that’s not my job’ attitude don’t tend to last. Don’t be afraid to spend time learning the trade and growing from your mistakes in a trusted environment; it’s always a shame to see people with great potential jumping ship for promotions they aren’t ready for. Hospitality is an ever-evolving industry, so be open to everything, use your initiative, listen and engage with people, and figure out your place in the team.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you like to do?
I’d be still working with people, possibly in a training role.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions to gain clarity – no question is a silly question in the beginning, especially if it means you gain the right information to do your job well.
Describe your ideal day off.
Friends and family round at ours, sitting out the back in the sun with my daughter playing, having a barbecue and a nice cold cider.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Thoroughly research a company beforehand to make sure it’s the right fit for you, especially culturally. Ask questions during the interview to find out about the role, the expectations and the company values – that process should be as much about you choosing a company to work for as it is them choosing you to be part of their team.
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