King of all she surveys

Stepping from smog-choked Kensington Road into the lobby of the Milestone hotel is a calming experience. As the door shuts on the roar of the London streets, the panelled walls seem to soak up the stresses of the outside world as open fires invite you and comfortable sofas demand to be collapsed into.

Similarly, general manager Caroline King exudes calm, yet the experience of running Red Carnation's flagship hotel must be anything but low-key. Behind the well ordered scenes, she clearly runs a tight ship, overseeing 90 staff, 45 bedrooms, 12 de luxe suites, six two- and three-bedroom apartments and the restaurant, Cheneston's. Occupancy is maintained between 70% and 80%, refurbishment is a continuing process, and last year the Milestone won Johansens‘ Most Excellent Hotel award.

In addition, King gets up at 6am, works out each morning, plays golf, runs half-marathons and manages to maintain a social life.

It's not a life suited to the stay-at-home. As one of a handful of female general managers in London, Australian-born King believes that equal opportunity isn't a problem in the hotel industry - but she does accept that her job takes priority at this point in her life. "It's never crossed my mind that I haven't been given equal opportunities in my career, but it is time-consuming," she concedes. "I don't have a family, but if I did it would be hard. With family, people's priorities change, so maybe that's why there aren't many female general managers in London."

King came to the Milestone in 1998, having joined Red Carnation as food and beverage manager at the Montague on the Gardens in London's Bloomsbury in 1996. She says that her energy comes from the passion she feels for the hotel and her job. "I enjoy getting out of bed in the morning and I am immensely proud of this property," she says. "I also love the variety of my job - one minute I'll be in the chiller room, the next I'll be up on the roof, the next booking theatre tickets or training staff."

Yet, when she first arrived in the UK in 1990, King hadn't planned on staying, much less forging a career. At 27, she was halfway through a backpacking tour of Europe when she ran out of money. Her sister lived in London, so she moved in and got a job at Harrods in the bridal gift list department.

Within a year, however, she was managing the Richoux restaurant in Piccadilly, and by early 1994 found herself at the Athenaeum hotel, setting up the food and beverage department following a £12m renovation.

At this point she realised she wasn't going home. "I ended up falling into a lifestyle here," she says. "I didn't get homesick - I'm not the type - and ended up staying. Although the dark days of winter drove me insane - they still do - I wanted the international experience that London could give me. It's a vibrant city. There's lots to do and discover."

Although settling down in London wasn't something King planned, her career in the hospitality industry was no accident. Hotels are in her blood, as her grandparents owned two hotels in Launceston, Tasmania, and it was through them that she fell in love with the business. At 19, she studied hotel operations and catering in her home town of Melbourne, then won a scholarship to hotel school in Switzerland. She went on to work for Hyatt in Melbourne and Queensland before deciding to travel the world.

But her great opportunity presented itself when Beatrice Tollman, founder of Red Carnation, asked her to join the group in 1996. She began as food and beverage manager at the Montague on the Gardens, then became deputy general manager before being asked to become general manager for the Milestone. The hotel had been acquired by Red Carnation from Al-Sane hotels and was about to undergo a £4m refurbishment.

The Milestone has since become a testament to Tollman's creativity and style, says King, who cites the founder as her greatest influence and mentor. "Mrs Tollman has breathed life and her experience into the industry," she says. "She has amazing insight into people and what they need, and a true passion to work alongside staff."

Is that, then, the secret of being a good manager? In 2000 King was named General Manager of the Year for the Red Carnation Hotel Collection - but, as far as she's concerned, her success with the Milestone is all down to her team.

She believes in her staff and gets a kick out of training them and watching them grow. "Sure, I orchestrate the operation here," she says, "but it's down to my staff and them believing in me to put in the extra. I put in the extra and I hope that trickles down."

For the moment, King is very much at home in England, but would she ever go to back to Australia? "Well, that's the $64m question, but at the moment I can't see myself moving away," she says. "I love this property. I feel a lot of myself is in the Milestone, in the attitudes of our staff to what the guest experiences, the warmth, the friendliness and the genuine drive to take care of people. I get a buzz from it."

Caroline King

General manager, the Milestone Hotel and Apartments, London
Age: 39

1986: Assistant manager for banquet service, room service and restaurant at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne, Australia
1989: Restaurant manager at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, Australia
1990: Banquet sales executive at the Rathdown Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
1990: Travelling in North America and Europe
1990: Bridal registry consultant, Harrods, London
1991: Restaurant manager at Richoux restaurant, Piccadilly, London
1994: Food and beverage services manager at the Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments, London
1996: Deputy general manager at the Montague on the Gardens, London
1998: General manager at the Milestone Hotel and Apartments, London
1982 to 1986: Certificate of catering, and diploma in hotel operations and catering, William Angliss College, Melbourne, Australia
1988: Certificates in creative food and beverage control and food and beverage marketing at Washington State University and at Hotelconsult C‚sar Ritz Colleges, Switzerland
2000: British Association of Hospitality Accounting examinations at Bournemouth University
Hobbies: golf, running, roller-blading, cooking for friends, listening to music, theatre, scuba diving, reading

What's your favourite hotel in London? "I think the Ritz-Carlton is doing things well. I also like the individuality of the small boutique hotels and their personalised service, like the Colonade in Little Venice and the Eton Town House collection."

What's your favourite restaurant in London?
"I love Asian food because of its lightness, so Nahm at the Halkin, Eno in Notting Hill and the Blue Elephant in Fulham Broadway."

The Milestone Hotel and Apartments

1 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL
Tel: 020 7917 1000
Founder: Beatrice Tollman
General manager: Caroline King
Bedrooms: 45 (plus 12 suites)
Staff: 90
Occupancy, 2001: 70% (2002 projected: 75%)
Rack rates: £250 to £800
Current average achieved room rate: £300