Chiara Gambin, our Guest Relations Manager, gives us insight into a day in her life at the hotel during lockdown.
13th April 2020
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Chiara was raised in Florence and moved to England to live with her father ten years ago. She became part of The Athenaeum family when she was just 19, so very much thinks of it as another ‘home’. Chiara has risen through the ranks from Apprentice Receptionist, to Supervisor, Guest Services Manager, to her current role of Guest Relations Manager.
Her usual day-to-day activities include taking care of our VIPs, arranging surprises for special occasions, looking after The View and assisting the Front of House team. However, during lockdown these duties have changed ever so slightly, read below to see what a ‘normal’ day looks like now.
A (FAR FROM) AVERAGE DAY
6am – Wake up in one of The Athenaeum’s wonderful bedrooms and draw back the curtains to a very tranquil Green Park
7am – After a Nespresso (or two), enjoy an hour’s workout
8am – Complete a full hotel fire walk (this is something that’s done multiple times per day)
9am – Handover with the Night Manager
9.30am – Check in with guests to ensure they have everything they need
10.30am – Pick up all emails from the Switchboard, Front of House and Reservations inboxes
11.30am – Enjoy an early lunch with the team, courtesy of our fabulous Sous Chef, Isabella
12.30pm – Liaise with couriers to arrange the safe delivery of parcels for the hotel and guests (every single parcel is painstakingly disinfected!!)
1.30pm – Head out to the supermarket to pick up any products requested by guests that cannot be delivered to the hotel
4pm – Empty the bins, sort the recycling and take the bins out for collection (it isn’t glamorous, but it’s a necessity and we’re all doing our bit)
5pm – Liaise with Uber to arrange transportation for any of the lockdown team who need to go home at the end of their shift
6pm – Clean the lobby, hoovering, mopping and ensuring all handles are thoroughly disinfected
7pm –Head to The View to enjoy dinner (albeit from a safe distance) with one of our long term residents, for whom The Athenaeum is home and the team are like family
The toll coronavirus has taken on individuals, communities and businesses has been significant and, in some cases, devastating. But if there’s been one silver lining to the global pandemic, it’s the extraordinary love and support shown by so many.
From facilitating community support to adapting the hotel’s operations based on the daily briefing, Joanne gives us a peek into a day in her life at the hotel during lockdown.
