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T +64 9 300 9595

E reservations@thehotelbritomart.com

29 Galway Street, Britomart

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THE BRITOMART GROUP7352 | The Hotel Britomart
THE BRITOMART GROUP7352 | The Hotel Britomart
THE BRITOMART GROUP7352 | The Hotel Britomart

Moneeta Nadan

MELINDA WILLIAMS Hi Moneeta. How long have you been at The Hotel Britomart now? 

MONEETA NADAN In August 2024, I'll reach four years. I'm celebrating my time here around the same time as the birthday of the hotel. The hotel opened in October 2020, and I started in August 2020 as part of the pre-opening team.  

 

MELINDA You started out as head of housekeeping, and when did you move to become the guest services manager? 

MONEETA It's been a while. I know it was September, in 2022, or… It's '22. September '22. 

 

MELINDA What does the guest services manager role encompass? 

MONEETA  I am responsible for day-to-day leadership and providing supervision across Front Office, Housekeeping and Maintenance to ensure the departments consistently exceed expectations. I see that the team is well-versed in our brand and that they are providing exceptional guest service every time, along with using our brand behaviours and brand philosophy.  

And when the line managers are away, I oversee the operation of those departments. My role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. On certain days, when the line managers are present, I focus on tasks such as checking in, handling administrative work, reviewing, and optimising rosters for cost-effectiveness, and updating standard operating procedures. Essentially, my job involves overseeing the operations of three departments to ensure they are being carried out in accordance with our expectations. 

 

MELINDA It’s quality assurance, really! As the head of front of house, when a guest walks into the hotel, what do you like their experience to be? 

MONEETA We really want to be New Zealand's number one hotel. From my point of view, the moment a guest arrives at the hotel entrance, they should experience a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We emphasise to our team the importance of attentiveness at the door, as it serves as the initial point of contact for every guest. A positive first impression sets the tone for the rest of the guest’s stay. Therefore, it is crucial to meet, greet, and welcome guests, give them a hand in bringing their luggage inside, and then taking them to a guest service agent to do the check-in process.  

For first-time guests, we aim to provide a personalised experience by having our team conduct room tours. Our goal is to offer a service that makes guests feel at home, creating a welcoming environment where they do not feel like strangers. We don't want to be a cookie-cutter hotel where we have a step-by-step way to do things. That's why we don't have name badges. We want the team to interact with the guests and introduce themselves. This allows a genuine connection leading to a memorable experience that guests may share in online reviews.  

 

MELINDA If you're giving that level of personal attention, it takes a lot of people, especially during busy times. Do you have a large front-of-house team? 

MONEETA It does take a lot of people and yes, the majority of days we have more than enough people in front of the house, so we can give that personalised service to our guests, where we take them to their room and show various features such as touch panels, the drawers, the sliding door separating the bathroom and bedroom, and other little hidden amenities that enhance the guest experience. So, they know the room rather than having to call us to ask, “Where is the in-room dining menu? I can't see the mini bar prices…" All these things make a big difference, and the guests appreciate it when they are escorted to their rooms.  

 

MELINDA When you are recruiting staff for the front of house positions, what qualities are you looking for in a potential team member? 

MONEETA For front of house, potential candidates should have qualities like willingness to learn, being a good communicator, flexibility to work different rostered hours and a good personality. If people have these skills when I am interviewing them, I know that the person will be great with our guests and team. 

 

MELINDA You’ve just had the busiest season for the hotel yet; how did the front-of-house team do with that? 

MONEETA The new team did well. I'm proud of achieving what we are supposed to achieve. It can challenging during busy times because we have a lot of arrivals coming in on back-to-back days. But the team did marvellously well. Yeah, I’m very proud. 

 

MELINDA What do you enjoy most about working at The Hotel Britomart and the work you're doing here? 

MONEETA The most important thing that makes me enjoy working here is meeting and greeting new people daily. Sharing stories about the hotel with our guests. Furthermore, working in a hotel that is owned and operated by New Zealanders.  

 

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