Winner of Spirit of Care Award - Exceptional Employee

1. Today I interviewed Michael Wong, a team member from the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Chelsea. Michael was nominated to Hilton Worldwide for a Spirit of CARE Award by his General Manager Anthony Barrett. He won the award for the month of May which is a great accolade.

The criteria for nominations is -

Who on your team consistently exceeds expectations, lives our brand pillars, and positively impacts guests, the hotel, and/or the community? The award is our brand’s highest form of individual recognition.

Michael is a very hard-working , committed, willing and genuine person – he exudes the Jurys Inn values and is really proud of working for Amaris hospitality. Here is his story -

How long have you worked in hospitality?

Approximately two years, with experience working in restaurants as well as hotels. I have worked in the DoubleTree by Hilton, Chelsea for just over 12 months as I am on a placement from Oxford Brookes University where I am studying Hospitality Management.

I am from Hong Kong and have always wanted to work in the hospitality industry – I moved to the UK to attend University so that I could follow this career path.

What did it mean to you to win the Spirit of CARE award?

I felt really happy, being part of a Company that continually rewards and recognises employees is amazing. It has really motivated me to keep going, to work hard and enjoy what I do because I know that it is recognised. When I first joined the hotel I found it really difficult to learn all aspects of the role but the team stuck by me, supported and helped me to gain the experience and knowledge that I needed and I really appreciate that. The food and beverage team and the whole management team in Chelsea have been amazing.

Why do you think you were selected?

One of the things that I have really learnt in this role is attention to detail and I believe that is what has got me noticed. It is about ensuring the guest has the best experience and you can only do that if you have a strong attention to detail. People skills are important but it is about thinking about the guest experience and how you can enhance it – supervising the breakfast buffet and ensuring that it always looks the absolute best, that is replenished and fresh and the customers therefore have a good experience.

What do you enjoy about your role?

Being part of the team – Chelsea is a small hotel and it is great to feel part of this team, to share experience - everyone is amazing, it is a great place to work, I enjoy the guests too, communicating with them, helping them and providing recommendations, giving help during their stay so that they have a great experience.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I would like to be a Food and Beverage Manager in the future and want to work towards that goal over the next two years.

What would you say to people considering a career in hospitality?

Hospitality is a great industry because you really do get out of it what you put in – it is all about you and the effort you are prepared to put in – you can achieve anything. It is important that people are patient with themselves – take the time to learn the role, listen to feedback, grow and develop and you will reap the rewards.

What would you say to people who wanted to join Amaris hospitality?

It’s a great Company to work for – there is great recognition for hard work and commitment, there is plenty of guidance and support provided so that you get the opportunity to develop and grow, there is a great closeness with the team so that you feel part of the Hotel. It is different to other places that I have worked and I really love it.

What is important to you about recognition?

The financial aspect is less important than the personal thanks and recognition – the monetary side will come later as you get promoted. It is about being recognised for your input –that is truly motivational and increases your confidence so that you do a great job.

Is working in a hotel what you expected?

It is better, as I have said the family feel but also the variety of the work and the level of responsibility – it is really enjoyable and I love working in DoubleTree by Hilton, Chelsea.

Michael is a great employee who has our core values and who is not afraid of working hard to develop his career in hospitality. Whilst he has been working in Food and Beverage, the scores on SALT for Breakfast (the Hilton customer satisfaction tracker) have improved by 9.9% - that is an excellent achievement which is down to the Food and Beverage team and the customer care that they consistently deliver.

We are very proud of Michael for winning this award and of the whole team at Chelsea who have supported Michael on his journey with us to become an exceptional employee.