Welcome to EW‘s weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
This week we chat to the General Manager of Hotel Indigo Downtown Dubai, Laura Eggleton. Originally starting her career in hotels in the United Kingdom, Eggleton eventually relocated to the Middle East to Oman to become the first female general manager for IHG in the region in 2015.
In our interview with Eggleton, she talks us through where it all began, the trials she’s had to go through and what exactly inspired her to enter into the world of hospitality.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I didn’t have a favourite subject at school per se, I loved the subjects where the classes were full of my best friends! I was fortunate that I loved all stages of my education, I loved school, I loved college and I loved university. It wasn’t until I went to college that I was studying subjects that I felt would impact my future. Having started my Saturday job at a hotel whilst at school, I chose to study travel and tourism at college, knowing it was what I wanted to do later in life.
What was your first job?
My first “job” was as a Saturday girl working as a waitress in a small family-run hotel. I worked all throughout my studies – a few evening shifts here and there and every weekend. I was addicted to working and always wanted to be “at the hotel” – I never called it “work” as I loved it (and still do!) so much.
What inspired you to work in hospitality?
As my Saturday job evolved into a more regular thing, I finished school and knew I wanted to work in hotels as my career choice. I chose my subjects at college- all relating to travel, tourism and hospitality and then went onto university to study International Tourism Management.
In the UK, we write a “record of achievement” when we finish school, and in mine I had written that when I was older, I wanted to manage a big hotel! It was always the goal, and I feel so fortunate that I found my passion at such a young age- in the first job I ever had!
What are the key elements of your role?
My role is so varied and I think that is what I love about it most. Currently, I am tasked with the opening of the Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, a lifestyle boutique hotel operating under the IHG family of brands. This is the first Hotel Indigo to open in the GCC, so I’m responsible for the successful launch of the hotel and getting everything ready for opening. This includes hiring the leadership team, and then overseeing the hiring of their teams etc, setting up all the systems that we need to operate, overseeing the Sales, Marketing and PR plans for the hotel, arranging all of the required business licenses, ensuring the hotel is compliant with all of the requirements of both the Hotel Indigo brand, as well as of course accepting the hotel from the contractor. Of course, this is a huge task for which everything needs to be carefully planned to ensure the critical path is followed and everything happens in the correct sequence in order for everything to happen at the right time. Whilst it’s a big job, I’m motivated by being busy so I love the pace of everything- especially now with so few days until opening!
Talk us through your daily routine.
I get up most days around 6am and try and head to a group exercise class or use the gym – I always feel much better about getting my daily exercise done in the morning as I never know what time I can expect to finish work! I arrive at the hotel for about 9 and then have a team huddle with my team at 10 and we all run through what the day ahead has in store for us all. I then make a start on my emails and catching up with my team members on where we’re at with various subjects and tasks. Now we’ve got a full team on board, I like to try and ensure I go to the colleague cafeteria for lunch so I can get to know the team better. I’m really intrigued by people, so love to have conversations with the newbies. After lunch, I always find myself mooching around the hotel looking at all of the new design items that keep appearing- there is always something new to look at!! It’s great to see the finishing touches coming together. I then head back to my office where I continue with my “to-do list” for the day before finishing up about 7pm. I live close to the hotel, so get home and have something to eat before chilling on the sofa, engrossed in my phone (yes, I am one of those phone addicted millennials!) scrolling Instagram checking out what’s new, catching up with my friends at home and then finishing up with a quick read before bed.
I’m really looking forward to the hotel opening so that I can work from our Neighbourhood café – Open Sesame where we’ll be serving the most amazing single-origin coffee in association with our coffee partner, Café Rider. I don’t think I’ll spend any time in my office once we’re open, there’s too much I want to enjoy in the hotel public spaces!
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
I have five top tips. Be yourself, trust yourself, educate yourself, believe in yourself and make time for yourself. There is one common theme running through my tips- and it’s you. Don’t rely on anyone else, it’s about you!
Which fashion brands can we find in your work wardrobe?
I’m such a creature of comfort, the majority of my wardrobe and my absolute failsafe brand is Ted Baker! No matter how much I try to diversify and change my style, I always gravitate back to Ted Baker! It’s actually a bit of a joke between my friends- no-one has to ask where my dress is from as they already know the answer! That said, I am also interested in supporting sustainable brands. I love the Net Sustain section on Net-A-Porter and I’m looking forward to seeing more brands share what they’re doing to support to become more sustainable. I’ve actually reflected my own personal values on sustainability throughout the hotel operation. We’re proud to have partnered with local businesses wherever possible – not just because it’s part of the brand ethos but because it’s the right thing to do.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is “to always be yourself” and I really think it’s true. I had such imposter syndrome at the start of my career where I was so young and just wanted to look older (sad but true!) that I always tried to dress older- I never liked my work wardrobe as it just wasn’t me! As soon as I began to relax and accept, I wasn’t a typical hotel GM and there was nothing I could do to change that, I really began to feel comfortable. I tried so hard to blend in, whereas now I really appreciate my individuality and embrace who I am as an allrounder- there’s no difference at all as to who I am in my personal life as to who I am in my professional life.
And what is the worst?
The worst advice (and it pains me to write it!) is always from my Mum! I’m very fortunate that I’ve only ever worked for great people, and if I had taken my Mums advice, I’d still be in my first job, working for the same hotel owner as whom I started out with. My Mum is really scared of change, and when I float the idea of changing hotels and of course, leaving the great environments that I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy, she’d automatically tell me to “not fix what isn’t broken”. The truth is, it’s never been broken- I’ve only ever left jobs that I’ve loved until the day they finished. I’ve loved each and every hotel I’ve worked in throughout my career more than the last, and the change has always been positive- so for me change is a good thing! I think it’s important to keep on moving, keep on challenging myself and indeed growing as a person and taking risks in new environments, and of course, working with new people along the way.
What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
I think I’m actually in the midst of my biggest challenge. I’m tasked with opening a hotel during a global pandemic, when global travel is heavily restricted. I’m an incredibly driven and determined person (I’m so driven it irritates me!) and I’m absolutely fanatical about making the opening a huge success, but of course, I cannot ignore external factors beyond my control that make it the biggest challenge of my professional life yet!
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