Ciaran Molloy
From keeping an eye on how The Hotel Britomart is tracking on its sustainability goals to hosting guests who stay in the hotel’s premium Landing Suites, Ciaran Molloy pairs a high level of attention to detail with a love for creating a great experience.
The Hotel Britomart Ciaran, can you tell us a little about what you do here at The Hotel Britomart?
Ciaran Molloy: These days, I am the operations manager of The Hotel Britomart. What that entails is oversight of all day-to-day operations, which is both guest-facing, such as front office, food and beverage, and behind the scenes in key areas such as maintenance, upgrading of equipment, and housekeeping.
You've been with The Hotel Britomart for a few years now, haven't you?
CM: In August 2024, it will be three years. When I first started, I was running The Libraries and overseeing conferences and events held in these spaces. That was a collaborative role where I would be running The Libraries Lounge and hosting in-house guests, but also running conferences and events for corporate clients or guests who were holding a wedding, a dinner or something like that. I moved into the guest relations manager role about eight months later. This is a key focus area for us: looking at guest sentiment, guest feedback, where we could improve, and how we could tell our stories well. The role also had a big focus on looking after guests in The Landing Suites, our five luxury guest suites.
As guest relations manager, what sort of feedback did you most commonly receive from guests? What do guests say they love most about the hotel?
CM: Guests love the fact that we're able to tell a story around being uniquely New Zealand owned and operated. As a proud Kiwi myself and a proud Northland boy, it's really great to share those stories and explain the little things like the bluestone table that's down in the lobby or the Shane Cotton artworks in The Libraries.
In terms of your operational work, is overseeing the hotel’s sustainability practices a big part of that?
CM: Sustainability is a big part of it. Clinton, myself and a few of the other heads of department get a report each day that shows all the hotel’s wastage, for example, so we can keep a close eye on that, right down to how much is coming off plates at kingi or how much plastic is coming into the hotel from our deliveries. We actively refuse to accept single-use plastic wherever possible. We are proudly New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel but it doesn't stop there, we need to be constantly looking for ways to improve.
As the person who's also responsible for overseeing The Landing Suites, what do you think really makes them stand out from other offerings within the Auckland hotel market?
CM: The way The Landing Suites are designed, not only are they elegant and stunning and all those superlatives, but they're each so different. The Landing Suites offer something different to each individual. You have some that are a little more open plan, some that have separate bedroom and living spaces. Three of them have balconies with beautiful fireplaces that people can relax by on a winter evening with a nice glass of red in hand and a blanket wrapped around them. But what makes them different is also very much about our team and the service we provide. We really want our guests to be able to get off a plane at Auckland Airport and start their luxury journey around New Zealand as soon as they land in Tāmaki Makaurau.
And then we’re basically always available to suite guests 24/7, which sets us apart from other five-star suites in Auckland. If they want one point of contact, they have that from start to finish from the moment they arrive, and then they can head on to The Landing or another luxury property in New Zealand and feel that they received that same level of service.
As somebody who's very familiar with the five different Landing Suites, are there any particular details that you just really love and really stand out for you?
CM: I really love the control panel that we have in the rooms because it puts the functionality of the entire room in one singular place for our guests so they don't have to search for anything. They've got availability to turn on the air, lower their blinds, dim the lights if they want to, or turn on the fireplace in three of the landing suites. Another detail I love about our Landing Suites is the overall aesthetics. They’ve got that really beautiful lodge feel, a lot of woods all through the different suites. Some are in lighter tones and some are in darker tones, but the timber makes you feel like you're constantly warm and like you are at a home away from home. It feels very intimate. They just feel like they’re designed exclusively for you and your guests.
And as somebody who does do a lot of hands-on guest care, you must often be asked for recommendations about what to do and see in Auckland. Are there any particular things that you really love to recommend from your own experience?
CM: From my own experience as a man who loves a red wine, Waiheke’s always a fantastic option for our guests. I’m also an avid sailor so I really like to try and get guests out on one of the wonderful yachts that do the America's Cup racing, especially if you can get it on a good day where they're sending out both boats and you can actively participate in a true match rate. But in Auckland, we're very lucky. We've got literally everything in our own backyard. You can go to the Waitakare Ranges, for a lovely bush walk, or you can get a helicopter to view the city from above, walk the harbour bridge, jump off the southern hemisphere's second tallest building. We've got everything very much on our doorstep. I don't think a lot of people, especially Aucklanders, realise how much we have to offer.
I take it from what you just said that at the times when you’re not on the clock, you can be found out on the Waitemata Harbour?
CM: On a Friday, I have been known to partake in a few rum races as they're called, where it's a kind of friendly match race against six or seven other boats. I definitely don’t do it as much as I'd like to, but when I go home to the Bay of Islands, I often try and hire out a Hobie Cat and head out on the water by myself. I love that. So yeah, from time to time you can catch me out on the Waitemata… you might even be able to spot me out there from a few of the buildings in Britomart.
