Lily Hitchcox, Reservations Agent at The Connacht Hotel: “My Job is Really Fun and Rewarding!”

As part of our Employee Stories series, we’re finding out why people enjoy working across the Connacht Hospitality Group. This time, it’s the turn of Lily Hitchcox, one of The Connacht Hotel’s dedicated Reservations Agents…

Lily’s job involves dealing with customer queries, helping prospective guests with their reservations, and providing people with the information they need to get the most out of their stays. One of the main areas Lily oversees involves handling group reservations and updating booking requests through booking agents.

A Fulfilling Role

“The role of a Reservations Agent can be very fulfilling. It feels great to see good reviews coming in from people and families that you have booked into the hotel. It’s also really motivating when you see those reviews coming in,” says Lily.

“So, I’m over The Connacht Hotel, mainly. I’d deal with tour groups, hens and stags, people making regular bookings through Booking.com, and our own website,” Lily explains before adding that a typical morning could see her arrive in to over 200 emails 6that need to be actioned or responded to.

“We’d deal with a lot of email enquiries. A lot of people will call us or email us, and we’ll send them a big email with price breakdowns per day. It’s good – the day goes by really quickly because there’s a lot to be done and you’re definitely never bored!” Lily adds.

Career Journey

Lily started her Connacht Hotel journey as part of the Reception team. She enjoyed her time as part of the front-of-house operation, greeting guests and getting to know the inner workings of a truly customer-facing role.

After a year as part of Reception, Lily decided it was time for a change, and she applied for a position with the crucial Reservations team. As Lily says, it’s fantastic to work as part of an organisation that gives you the chance to wear different hats and try new roles.

“It’s good to know that you can move around in the same company and do something different,” she explains.

Moving teams always comes with new challenges – learning systems afresh, settling in, and getting to grips with workloads are just some of the many. But Lily says that her friendly colleagues in Reservations were the difference in turning a challenge into a rewarding learning experience.

“My supervisor, Anna, is there with us in the office all the time – she’s there to help, and she has no problem doing that. The training is really good as well, you get trained in so quickly. I think everyone builds it up so much in their heads before changing teams…but it’s good to be able to prove to yourself that you can do it,” Lily explains.

The Reservations team provide a crucial function to the operation of The Connacht Hotel, and their office is a hive of activity with dedicated pros who love making sure reservations are made efficiently and with the customer’s best interests at heart. For Lily, the reason they work so well is because of the comradery and team spirit – two of her favourite things about her current role.

“That, and the fact that we’re always getting chocolate down to the office!” Lily jokes.

“There’s not a week goes by that we don’t have a massive box of chocolates. I don’t know who’s bringing them. I think it’s the tours to say ‘thank you’!”

Positive Attitude

Lily adds that she is genuinely taken by the togetherness and positivity around The Connacht Hotel and chalks her love of her job down to the upbeat nature of the whole hotel’s many, many supportive and hard-working teams.

“It’s really fun and rewarding. Everyone’s really nice. It’s just a good atmosphere, it’s really positive – everyone says ‘hi’ to each other when walking through the hallway. It’s really easy to get support as well if you feel like you need advice, or if you feel like your workload is too much, or if you feel unsure of something, you can always ask someone and everyone is always really happy to help,” Lily says.

If you’d like to be like Lily and join The Connacht Hotel team, make sure you keep an eye on the Connacht Hospitality Group’s Careers page to see what new roles pop up.