Our Stories
Our Stories
We know that Hand Picked Hotels is a great place to work, but don’t just take our word for it.
- “Hand Picked Hotels has always had a family-like culture within the team – I have always loved this.”
- “The best thing about Hand Picked Hotels is you are a person and not just someone on the payroll. You really are supported by everyone and it's that family value again.”
Did you always know you wanted to work in hospitality?
No, I never knew what I wanted to do and felt really pressured when all of my friends were going to university and I had no idea. I think when you are younger, you never see Hospitality as a career.
I soon realised I absolutely loved it and knew I could make something I loved so much into a career. I knew I loved people – whether being around people, talking to people or looking after people.
What attracted you to Hand Picked Hotels?
I first applied for Hand Picked Hotels in 2017 as a 17-year-old just looking for some casual work whilst at college.
What’s the best thing about working with Hand Picked Hotels?
I think Hand Picked Hotels has always had a family-like culture within the team – I have always loved this.
Although we are a luxury brand, I have always felt empowered and encouraged to put my own personality on things – the service is not robotic. The family culture hopefully transpires to the guests.
Not to forget that all the properties are so beautiful as well – I feel really lucky to be working here.
Where would you like to get to, and is your plan supported?
Eventually, I would love to be a General Manager, I would love to be a General Manager by the time I am 30, actually. I think this would make me the youngest General Manager in Handpicked or at least close, I think Mr Wiseman was the youngest!
I have six years to get there! I do feel very supported within the company, I think the transformation it is on just makes my journey even more exciting – I feel very lucky I have been able to experience this within my career.
Did you always know you wanted to work in hospitality?
Pretty much, most family members worked in hospitality so it felt like it was always in my blood. And once you’re in, you’re in – I don’t think people really leave the industry after starting.
From the age of 16, I have been in hospitality, my first ever role was making tea and toast for guests in a hotel in York.
I had a mixture of roles from Food & Beverage, Conference & Banqueting, band events and outdoor catering until I went to Leeds Beckett university to study Hospitality Business Management.
What attracted you to Hand Picked Hotels?
I had tried out a lot of areas within Food & Beverage, and thought about trying Reception to gain experience. I needed set hours at the time due to also being at university, every other employer in the area was offering 0-hour contracts which just wouldn’t work, I needed a stable income.
I saw Hand Picked Hotels was recruiting, and they were also paying more than a lot of the other companies, so I took the leap and I’ve never looked back.
The role was sold to me as a ‘company with family values and development opportunities’ which was and still is very true.
What’s the best thing about working with Hand Picked Hotels?
The best thing about Hand Picked Hotels is you are a person and not just someone on the payroll. You really are supported by everyone and it's that family value again.
I’ve witnessed some really old school ways of management whilst working in hospitality, and some very dated behaviours from General Managers, however, Hand Picked Hotels really isn’t like that.
Previously, or maybe even still in other companies, the General Managers will sit in their office and delegate a lot of the work and all management really is done through the Heads-of-departments, very much dictators.
At Hand Picked Hotels, everyone looks after everyone and General Managers will be on the floor and very hands-on with their team. Doesn’t matter what position you are in, the General Managers will know all of the staff and the operations of the hotel
