Maureen Fletcher
I live in Rockland County, about one hour outside the city of New York, and I get up very early, at about six o'clock in the morning. The first thing I do is jump in the shower, and then I either go for a walk or use the cardio equipment I have in my house. I then jump in the shower again, and have a cup of tea, because I'm a big tea drinker. I'll also have a healthy breakfast cereal bar and then, after that, I'm ready to head out.
It takes me anything from 45 minutes to two hours to drive in to work so I plug in my cellphone, make calls and organise my day on my way there. I use my car as my office because, when I get to the hotel, I am very busy and I don't have time.
First jobs Depending on the length of the commute, I generally arrive at the hotel somewhere between 8.30am and 9am. One of my first jobs of the day is to attend a 9.30am meeting with all the other managers at the hotel, just to find out what will be happening that day.
I then go to the fitness spa to check our bookings for the day and to check on the staff, to make sure everything is in place. From then on, I'm either running to meetings, organising seminars or answering guests' queries.
I'm in charge of running the hotel's spa and I'm also a reference point for guests. This means I answer any fitness-related questions they might have.
At the hotel, we have a lot of people who work out in the mornings, so I tend to spend time with them, making sure they are OK and that they know how to work the equipment. By noon, the spa usually quietens down, but we do have a few people who come in to use it during their lunch hour.
When it's quiet, that's when I grab some lunch. If I've got time, I like to go out, just to walk and get some fresh air. For lunch, I usually have a salad, because I'm vegetarian.
In the afternoons, I spend my time holding consultations with guests who are looking for something specific in the city. Most of the guests who come to me are looking for somewhere that they can go running. If a guest wants to go out for a run, the first thing I do is I find out what kind of scenery they like and where they want to go.
I might also get people coming to me looking for healthy eats in the city, such as where they can find a good vegetarian restaurant. Or they might want to know where they can go swimming.
My day continues into the night because a lot of people come to the spa after work. I also run wellness seminars in the evenings. These can be on any issue related to health, such as how we nourish ourselves.
My days are always busy but I don't get stressed out because, even if I get tired, I try to keep things in perspective.
On a good day, I leave the hotel somewhere around eight o'clock at night, and it takes me about 30 minutes to get home. When I get home, I love to cook, and I'd rather do that than go out to eat. Dinner usually consists of me grilling some veggies or some fish outside.
After I've eaten, I try and catch up with any paperwork that I have to do and I try and get to bed by 11pm. n
Interview by Louise Bozec
Factfile
Affinia Dumont
150 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
Tel: 00 1 212 481 7600
Web: www.affiniahospitality.com
Facilities: 241 bedrooms, Barking Dog restaurant, meeting and banqueting facilities, fitness spa
Rates: from $380 (£227) to $720 (£431)
Just a minute…
What do you like most about your job?
I really like the feeling that I am helping people to make a difference in their lives.
What is the best hotel you have ever been to?
I went to the Banyan Tree hotel in Indonesia last year. I had a wonderful spa experience, and I felt the level of care I received from the people there was very special.
Who would you most like to have dinner with? I would seriously like to have a meal and chat with Oprah Winfrey, just because I think she is amazing. She has made a difference to so many people's lives.
