5 Minutes With… Alison Hewitt

Alison Hewitt joined the Adare Manor team in August 2018, and has been working in not only one, but two departments, in both The Boutique and The Pro Shop amongst 16 other colleagues combined. A recent graduate of Product Design from the University of Maynooth, Alison has had opportunities to work on design projects for her departments, further bringing tremendous value to her team.  It is because of this, Alison was nominated and further awarded Employee of the Month for her continuous hard work in front of house. We caught up with Alison to discuss her experience in working at Adare Manor and what are some of her favourite memories of her time here.

Can you tell me about yourself and your career so far?  When did you join the team at Adare Manor and how has your experience been?

“I am 23 years old and I’m from Cavan. I graduated from Maynooth University in September with an honours degree in ‘Product Design (Marketing & Innovation)’ I am a creative thinker and have carried out various design projects since leaving college. I joined the Adare Manor team in August, and I have never looked back.”

Can you describe to me what it is like to work in your department?

“I am lucky enough to be one of very few people who happen to work within two different departments here in the Hotel. When I am in the Manor, I work in Boutique & I work in the Golf Professional Shop in the Carriage House. I love working in both departments, the Boutique team is all girls & the golf team is mainly all boys, with the exception of the ‘A team’ – Aoife & April & myself. It’s nice to have a mix of both!”

What is a typical day at work for you? What are some tasks you do each day?

“A typical day for me between my departments involves opening & closing the Boutique/Pro Shop, checking in golfers, processing vouchers, selling retail items & most importantly guest facing. I love speaking to our guests, often they have travelled a great distance to stay with us, in a lot of cases this is their first trip to Ireland; its really interesting to hear what they think of Ireland & the Manor.”

Are there any standout moments you have experienced since working here?

“I was working in the Boutique one day and got speaking to a guest (who will remain nameless) she was such a lovely lady and we had so much in common. After chatting for a while, we found out her anniversary & my birthday were both in a couple of days’ time. She asked me what I was doing for it and I told her I was staying in the Manor for the night. During my stay I ate in the Oak Room where I was presented with a voucher from the lovely lady in question with a note saying to put it towards our meal – I was so shocked by her kind thoughtful generous gesture.”

What do you enjoy most about being a part of the Adare Manor team?

“I love how passionate everyone is about making a stay at Adare Manor an experience that our guests will never forget. Its great to work with people who are so genuinely enthusiastic about their jobs – and it really shows in the feedback we get as a hotel.”

What is one of your favourite parts of your job?

“I love having the opportunity to be creative and innovative within my roles – Listening to guests wants and desires and thinking of ways I could help make them a reality.”

Is there anything exciting happening or upcoming in your department?

“I recently got the opportunity to redesign the course guides & score cards for the Golf Course I was really excited to be involved in this project as I have always had a keen interest in design work. I was extremally happy with the finished products – a keepsake for all our golfers for years to come.”

What would surprise us about you?

“Not many people know this but around three years ago I was babysitting for my cousin and I twisted my spine lifting her two-year-old baby into her cot. I based my thesis in University about this and designed an entirely new baby cot that catered to the needs of the adult as well as the baby. As well as that, I was also lucky enough to win a brand-new car last year – so when you see a fiat 500 bopping around the hotel, that’s me!”