Clinton Farley
With almost three decades working in hotels, resorts and luxury lodges in New Zealand and around the world, Clinton Farley feels right at home at The Hotel Britomart.
MELINDA WILLIAMS So Clinton, what drew you into hotels and where did you first start your hospitality career?
CLINTON FARLEY That's an interesting question. I like to save this one for an intro to our new team members, however I’ll share a short snapshot. Like many high school students, I wasn't sure what career path to take. As I approached the end of my 6th form year, with 7th form on the horizon, I discussed with my parents the possibility of applying to university. We agreed that if I was accepted, I would complete school a year earlier. I ended up completing three Diplomas: Travel and Tourism, Hospitality Management, and Information Systems and Technology. Developing multiple skills through these three diplomas provided me with a strong foundation for how my career would eventually unfold.
Just before starting university, my late aunty suggested that I might enjoy working in hotels. Inspired by her advice, I crafted a resume based on my jobs growing up—mowing lawns, distributing circulars and working at a fruit and vegetable shop on Auckland’s North Shore. I distributed my resume by hand to what seemed like every hotel in the CBD. Only a couple responded, one of which was Pan Pacific Auckland, New Zealand's largest hotel at the time. Not long after, I started as a porter and worked there for many years, gaining experience in every department. These valuable experiences paved the way for my journey to becoming a General Manager.
What do you enjoy most about working in the tourism and hospitality industry?
CF: Tourism and Hospitality is all about creating happiness. It's an industry focused on crafting memorable experiences for every guest, adding to their life journey and becoming cherished memories. This is what I love most about the industry. I enjoy being part of someone's life story, whether it's a team member, a guest, a supplier, or someone from the community we engage with.
I've had wonderful experiences working across Australia and New Zealand and have worked for global brands and small independent hotels, resorts and lodges. What I love most about running an independent hotel is the freedom it gives our team to be themselves and focus on creating unique guest experiences, rather than a cookie-cutter approach that could be replicated anywhere in the world.
The Hotel Britomart is coming up on its fourth birthday later this year. What are the successes you’re most proud of so far?
CF: Building one of New Zealand's top hotel hospitality teams, which has grown to around 110 members across all departments, has been an incredible journey. We have consistently delivered strong financial results, high guest and team satisfaction, and received numerous awards for guest service, design, operations, and sustainability. From scratch, we developed a proudly New Zealand owned and operated independent brand that is now globally recognised and considered a must-stay hotel in Auckland.
How about the greatest challenges? Obviously launching in the middle of a pandemic gave you major challenges to deal with right from the start.
CF: Those first couple of years were a real challenge as we were creating a new brand. International borders were still closed and slowly started opening. We had the challenge of opening a restaurant as well, kingi, on the ground floor. And then following that, the excitement when we launched The Libraries spaces, our meetings and event spaces. It was a huge challenge to launch a hotel over that period. But it also allowed us the opportunity to really refine what our brand was and what that brand experience was, really drilling down into our values and culture and why The Hotel Britomart was created.
As the hotel goes into its fifth year, what are you most excited about coming up?
CF: The opportunity to continue developing new offerings. As I said, we're not a typical stock-standard, cookie-cutter hotel that has lots of do's and don'ts of what we can do or get involved with. As an independent hotel, we have the flexibility to really focus on our guest journey and experience. A great example of something that we took outside the box this year is our Nourishing Nature regenerative travel experience, which was a New Zealand first. Those are the types of things that I really love to create with our team. Really thinking outside the square and challenging status quo of what the typical hotel offering is, whilst also holding true to one of our core focuses, which is sustainability.
How do you keep yourself engaged in the wider industry and what do you do to keep learning?
CF: Much like my early years working across every department in my first hotel, I enjoy engaging with the broader industry and community. Over the years, I’ve served as a committee member and director on local tourism boards and organisations across New Zealand and Australia, as well as on boards covering business, arts, health, and social good. These roles have connected me with people both within and beyond the industry, offering valuable insights into running successful businesses and fostering relationships that open doors and create opportunities.
Let me share a funny story: I often hear from people who claim to know me, even when we've never met. A few years ago, I was on a jam-packed bus heading to work. At the last stop before crossing the harbour bridge into the city, a passenger boarded and made her way down the aisle to stand next to my seat. She asked, “Excuse me, are you Clinton Farley?” I replied yes, and she said, “I know you! I follow you on LinkedIn and love what you do!” On LinkedIn, I enjoy sharing our business journey, industry updates, and best practices, while also learning from others who are leading change in the industry.
And just taking your work hat off for a moment, on personal level, what is the experience at The Hotel Britomart that you most enjoy?
CF: What I most enjoy about The Hotel Britomart is that the hotel is part of a wider neighbourhood. I left Auckland for more than 20 years, and during that time, I wasn't aware that the Britomart development was underway. Many guests at the hotel, including agents who haven't been to Auckland in a long time, express surprise, saying, "Wow, we had no idea it had changed this much." What I really appreciate is coming to Britomart every day for work and feeling like I'm in the most beautiful part of Auckland's CBD. It's incredibly safe, impeccably clean, bustling with activity and offers so much to explore.
Another aspect of our offering that I absolutely love is our Landing Suites, which set The Hotel Britomart apart from any other hotel in Auckland and likely New Zealand. This offering goes beyond a typical hotel experience where you pick up your key at reception and settle in. It's a fully curated experience, akin to a luxury lodge.
