Her Story
About Bridget
I've dedicated 8 years to the hospitality industry, where I currently work as a front office manager at a business-focused hotel in Manhattan. My typical day revolves around ensuring my front desk team can provide guests with exceptional experiences. I start by reviewing our daily arrivals, checking for special occasions like anniversaries or birthdays, and making sure all deposits are taken care of. I monitor pending messages from upcoming guests to ensure they're all situated, handle any special requests for their arrival dates, and coordinate package deliveries to make sure everything is properly labeled and ready. I've worked in both tourism-based and business-based hospitality settings, and while they're different, I've found that you can really find your niche in all aspects of hospitality. What I find most rewarding about my work is the guest interactions. My biggest accomplishment isn't something that can be easily tracked, it's when guests tell me they had a good experience and a memorable trip. I love when my team and I are able to give them an experience they'll always remember, especially considering how expensive everything is travel-wise. Sometimes this could be someone's only trip to New York, and I love that we can provide an experience that they feel was worth their money and their time, while also reflecting positively on the hotel.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Bridget
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the support from my friends and family, and to my own personal work ethic. I've always had that drive, and that's just sometimes something you really can't teach.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to genuinely give it 110% every day. Find your niche, find what speaks to you, and really try hard every day. Give every day 100%, because you always want to give yourself more opportunities. That's going to allow you to grow and have the option of opportunities.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice for any young women entering hospitality is to definitely get some tough skin. It's a more male-dominated industry. I would say to trust your instincts and trust the experience that you would want to receive on the other end. You know, everyone's been to a restaurant or passed through a hotel at some point. You know the feeling of what good customer service can give you, so I would focus on that when you're trying to curate that experience for another person or a family.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is the political climate, because that does affect tourism when airports get shut down and things like that. The economy is definitely affecting the way people are able to travel and how they're choosing to travel, and that affects the day-to-day operations and how we're doing at the hotel, as well as how other hotels are doing from other people I know in the industry.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is the most important value to me, both morally and professionally. People's time is important, people's money is important, and their feelings are really important. That's really what hospitality brought out to me - providing a really good feeling. You might not know certain things about your customers, but you just know how you feel, and that is the most important thing. Feeling good is what matters.
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