Her Story
About April
I didn't really come across hospitality as something that was going to be my career. I got pregnant and needed a job that was going to be consistent, so I started at the front desk at a Courtyard Marriott 20 years ago. I just fell in love with hospitality, being able to get to know guests and being able to provide special experiences. I started climbing the ladder as if this was going to be my career. I've worked several different types of positions in the hospitality industry, and it's really been in-the-role kind of learning about leadership and hospitality in general. I work at a boutique hotel now at the front desk as a manager in downtown Fort Worth. I wanted to get into seeing how that side of the hospitality industry works because it was the only type of hotel I had not yet worked. It has been very different from my other roles, but I've also learned a lot and it's been very special. Select service is still my favorite because you get to see people from all types, walk of life, but boutique is just a fun, different type of guests. My main area of expertise is operations. A typical day is always busy downtown - you never know what's gonna happen. When you come in, it's always looking at what the inventory is for the day, what are arrivals, departures, any special guests, getting with the front desk, making sure that they're aware and ready, making sure we have everything we need to make sure every guest that comes in has a great experience.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with April
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it's the support. I think having really good support from senior management - when they kind of understand the struggles of what's going on in the day, how you're like 'how do I make this happen,' and getting that support. On top of that, the people who you work with every day, the staff who reports to you - if you didn't have them, it would be really difficult to be able to do your job or be able to do my job in the manner that we're able to do and make people happy. That's really, truly what it is. When someone pays over $200, $400 for a room night, they're expecting that experience, so that really starts at the front desk to make sure that everybody's happy as they're walking up to the door.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think that you really do have to have a lot of patience and grit, because this industry is not easy. There's so many changes, but if you have a passion for helping people and making people happy, this is definitely a great career.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Hiring new people and finding good talent has been definitely difficult for us and throughout the industry. Specifically the front desk, because it seems to be that hospitality is growing and tourism is such a big thing, but people who are really passionate and have that drive in hospitality, it just isn't the same as it was before COVID. I'm seeing a big revolving door when it comes to specifically the front desk. Retention is an issue - finding people to work a 24-hour position. We're open all the time, so it's really a hard position to fill.
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