Celebrating the staff who have also made it to 10 years at Future Inns

Sep202019
Celebrating the staff who have also made it to 10 years at Future Inns

This year, in 2019, we are celebrating 10 years of Future Inns in Bristol. The city has grown, we welcome new guests daily, and new and exciting events are planned annually, but some things have not changed.

Meet the team

The following team members were part of the opening of Future Inn Bristol back in 2009. They are still with us today – honestly, we couldn’t do it without them. Find out more about their role and how their lives have changed over the last ten years, and see their before and after photographs:

Adele Jones 

 

Starting as a Room Attendant, Adele’s daily duties when the hotel opened included cleaning and servicing guest bedrooms and baths. Plus, any additional guest requests throughout the day. Adele is now the Assistant Housekeeping Manager and is responsible for staff members, supervising the cleanliness and the appearance of guest accommodations and public spaces. 

There have been tough days over the years; including having a full hotel and not enough staff members to cover all areas. This put a lot of pressure on the remaining team members to meet guest needs.

Personally, her life has changed too. Last year Adele got married, and she has also had two children – Frankie aged 6 and Jimmy who’s 3. When asked why she enjoys working at Future Inns, Adele said, “The company is very understanding when my children are ill or if I need to leave early. The team help me swap days around, so we can make sure the rota is covered. When returning from maternity leave, they were also very flexible.”

Aaron Miller

 

 

Now our Meeting and Events Co-ordinator, Aaron’s expert knowledge of the hotel helps make bookings for a conference or Christmas party go smoothly. He started his career at Future Inn Bristol as the Night Duty Manager, progressing to a senior role within the team, but now enjoys working more of a 9 till 5. This allows Aaron to spend more time with his best friend, who he now lives with in the suburbs, rather than the fast-past city centre life. He is also into personal fitness and has helped several friends achieve their body goals. 

Working nights, at times, were difficult. On-shift in 2011, the infamous Bristol Riots took place, in which 160 police officers from 12 different forces were involved. Aaron witnessed the rioting and looting first hand, including Cabot Circus directly across the road from the hotel. Luckily, staff and guests were spared from the trouble, but it was a worrying evening nonetheless. 

However, there are some fantastic memories too.  “I coordinated the wedding of a lovely couple a few years ago. They had been through some tough times in the past and were excited to be celebrating their love; with their daughter, family and friends. It was a pleasure each time I met with them to discuss their wedding plans, and I was glad I could contribute to their special day. I was especially thrilled to be mentioned in their speeches!” 

Mira Reece

 

 

Unlike some of the other members of staff Mira’s role has remained the same, she is the Reservations Manager at the hotel. However, she has also worked at our sister hotel, Future Inn Cardiff, as a Reservations Supervisor. She said, “I can still remember walking into the hotel wearing safety boots and a helmet before opening to the public.”

Daily Mira will help guests book their stay and work with local businesses to set up accounts and group bookings. One of her most challenging days was when the reservation systems changed, and the transferring of data had to be done manually. This needed to be painstakingly double-checked, making sure guests were booked on the correct day, in the correct month for the right amount of nights.  Over the last ten years, Mira has been busy outside of the office too, she got married, has had two children, they have a dog and have moved house.

Alicja Berthon

 

When the hotel opened in 2009, Alicja was the Food and Beverage Manager covering staffing, service and ordering for Chophouse Bar & Restaurant and all of the conferences and events hosted at the hotel. In 2013 she was promoted to General Manager and is now responsible for all aspects of the hotel and the wellbeing of guests. Job roles are not the only thing to change, at home, her toddler has now grown into an 11-year old high schooler, and the family are getting ready to move into their brand-new home. 

“I have a lot of good memories of the staff. Many of them have been working for us for years, and we spend long hours together every day, making them my extended family. Everyone is always sociable and supportive; always helping each other out. I’m very proud of my team and am always very grateful for their hard work. It is lovely to see them grow and progress personally as well as in their careers.”

“I have always worked in hospitality. I love meeting new people and new challenges, as no day is identical. It’s great to speak to our regular customers, I get to meet some remarkable people with amazing life stories. I also enjoy working for a small, independent chain of hotels. I can speak to directors as and when needed and work closely with our small head office team. The other General Managers are always on hand to listen, support and offer advice too. I think great people make this business a fantastic place to work.”

As much as the team supports each other, there are often demanding days. A few years ago, during a big dinner dance, snow and bad weather caused a lot of disruptions on the road, including food deliveries. At the last minute, after many frantic phone calls and calling in favours, the team managed to get produce and ingredients from elsewhere. The chef cooked and dished up a different menu to the guests, allowing the event to go ahead without any delays.


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