I was first alerted to today's guest as she featured in the 2021 Acorn award winners, celebrating 30 people under the age of 30 to look out for.

She then very kindly agreed to be a panelist at the inaugural Rooms101 event later that year and I knew then that I totally needed to get some time with Amelia Harper, Director of Communications for Rosewood London (https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/london).

We cover off so much as always including:-

• The suites at the Rosewood
• Living above a pub
• Pineapple hedgehogs
• Getting a start at Harrods
• Moving into events
• Rebranding
• Manifestation
• People vs buildings
• Marketing
• Respecting the operation
• Creating cookery books
• Afternoon tea
• Working for the George Clooney of the hospitality industry
• Why Hospitality is AWESOME
• Making mistakes

And so much more. Amelia is absolutely a rising star and a shining light for this industry and our chat is full of golden nuggets and humour.

Enjoy!

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

00:00.00

philjstreet

ward winner just last year in: 2021

00:38.88

Amelia Harper

Hello. Ah my Phil. Yeah I'm good. How are you Yes, yes, absolutely um, well, you know this isn't my office. That's for sure. That's you know the the nicer parts of the hotel are saved for our our clients and guests. But I'm in um, our manor house suite.

00:56.42

philjstreet

What a shame.

01:06.56

Amelia Harper

Which ah is our presidential suite and it even has its own postcode. It's that big. So um, yeah, and I'm just hanging out in the living room here chatting to you this morning as you do a day in the life.

01:11.67

philjstreet

Wow.

01:17.66

philjstreet

As you do on a Thursday morning. It's a Thursday it's a Thursday morning isn't it.

01:24.52

Amelia Harper

It is yeah I'm kind of I don't know what day it is anymore and and we're only in February supposedly um, but yeah, it's ah it's back business is back. That's for sure.

01:28.88

philjstreet

Yeah, well, which is allegedly a quieter month.

01:39.93

philjstreet

Yeah, absolutely well I think we've now all with covid's obviously done that's in the past. But now we've got one eye on what's going on in Eastern Europe but we're not um, we're not going to get into that today. Yeah, absolutely. But that no you definitely win the prize for the most opulent setting.

01:44.88

Amelia Harper

Um, yes, yes, we'll save that for another time with plenty of I call. Thank you, Thank you.

01:58.37

philjstreet

For anybody who's been on the show so far. So there's a challenge to everyone make sure you're sitting in opulent surroundings. But um, no, that's great. Um, so yeah, well let's just get straight to it and and heads all the way back to the beginning of your career.

02:04.90

Amelia Harper

And.

02:13.59

Amelia Harper

Yeah, oh Wow Well I maybe do I give you the long I it or the flame. Well believe it or not I was born in a pub.

02:15.26

philjstreet

How did you get into hospitality in the first place.

02:22.40

philjstreet

Absolutely the long. Yeah yeah, let's go along and see what happens.

02:30.38

philjstreet

Um, literally.

02:31.95

Amelia Harper

And so so yes, so hospitality is in my in my Dna if you like and my family have always run ah pubs in the in the midlands. Um, not anymore that they're retired from that. But um, that was really I mean where i.

02:36.92

philjstreet

Um, yeah.

02:51.84

Amelia Harper

Started in terms of the most like fundamental level of of hospitality and um, yeah I lived above a pub for like a good like 15 years of my life which was really fun and you know oh yes, yes, a lot of a lot of live. Um and you know like.

02:59.87

philjstreet

Um, Wow God You must you must have seen some life. Yeah.

03:11.67

Amelia Harper

From collecting glasses to like helping the cleaners when I'm like 9 years old to helping my mom do pineapple hedgehogs for a buffet. You know it's I know I don't do remember those? um.

03:23.49

philjstreet

Ah, like God play up or hedgehogs. That's oh my God yeah.

03:30.30

Amelia Harper

So Yeah I like I kind of that's where my story began and then um I didn't really intend to go into hospitality in the way that I I am in now I Um I studied marketing so that was definitely always a passion. Um, and I actually ended up in Hard's in the beginning um of my career. Definitely not a bad star I knew I wanted to be in luxury I probably because I wanted to get away from those pineapple Hedgehogs. Um.

03:51.75

philjstreet

Okay, that's not a bad start.

04:07.39

Amelia Harper

But yeah I had ah I had an appetite for luxury and I didn't know what that was yet and I went to um work with Herod's on their kind of like graduate interngraduate scheme which meant that I I was able to um work across a lot of different departments as part of that. That scheme. Um, it was an amazing intense training for me into that world and into that life and um I ended up in events actually and helping in that area and I really loved it. I really loved that side of things and.

04:28.10

philjstreet

Yep.

04:44.70

Amelia Harper

I Met someone who was a consultant for not just events but also luxury hospitality and um, he just said you know if you ever want a job call me and I was kind of ready to move on from Harrisd and so I ended up in intercontinental westminster. Um.

05:01.90

philjstreet

Okay, yeah.

05:03.45

Amelia Harper

Which is now Conrad London St James so it doesn't actually exist anymore. But um, that was right in the heart of the political area and you know lots of exciting things going on um in the hotel. Yes.

05:15.67

philjstreet

Once again I bet you saw some life. Ah which you don't need to discuss? yeah.

05:21.48

Amelia Harper

And what the politicians get up to I'm now very aware of that. Um, and so yeah I kind of started there and I loved it and um and I met some great people one of them being Andrew Kony who is the general manager of the Harry and he yes I know.

05:36.47

philjstreet

Yes, on ah and a friend of the show.

05:41.64

Amelia Harper

He's been. He's been on with you and he's a great friend and mentor to me as well. Um, and so amazing and we'll work together for a few years on all of the you know, wonderful things that we were doing over there and.

05:45.37

philjstreet

Um, and has a wicked sense of humor.

05:56.73

Amelia Harper

He went over to this boutique hotel in belgraver and I was like what are you doing and he was like I think you should come over and see what what's going on here and so I went from something very corporate to something very lifestyle and boutique which was a real amazing lesson because um, you know in a corporate hotel business. Everything is done for you actually like your creativity can only go so far in the sense of like you know they are there. There are established guidelines and and ah protocols and things that come with a ah brand like the size of Ihg or hilton.

06:16.12

philjstreet

Right.

06:32.10

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah.

06:34.30

Amelia Harper

Um, so to then go to a boutique hotel where I was ah a oneman band and we were taking it from I don't know what what is my problem with rebrands but I went to um, intercon rebranded and then I moved to bellgraves as it was. It was a ah ah hotel. Um.

06:47.48

philjstreet

Of course. Yeah, yeah.

06:52.48

Amelia Harper

And then I had to rebrand that the owner decided that he wanted to create his own brand and and so the Harry is named after his father his his late father and so we kind of had to rebrand that and bring that to life and create all of this mischief that comes with.

07:10.59

philjstreet

I Was gonna say you've definitely got the right general manager from mischief.

07:11.46

Amelia Harper

Mr. Koney but also with the Harry and listen yeah um, this boutique. You know this this this kind of bo boutique ah energy that you know it is a boutique hotel and you can be playful with that and you can um you know the. Really bring out the team's personalities and um, you know I think that ah Andrew not to talk too much about him and give him too much attention on this but his his his business card that I made for him was like chief mischief maker or something like that. You know we just had.

07:39.29

philjstreet

Definitely not nope.

07:44.54

philjstreet

Right? Yeah, but that also sounds like there's a there's like it's a really lovely story around the Rebrand as well because like there's there's some family heart and connection to to that.

07:48.15

Amelia Harper

Ah, fun with it and and that was really really cool and then. Yeah, where it is a a it's a fair It's a ferry it's ah it's a jewel in the owner. He's a he's ah ah he lives in Hong Kong but this is his his baby and he has a lot of different hotels under different brands. But. It was about kind of bringing all of that. Ah personality to life but also in such an eccentric british area like Belgravia the characters that are in that kind of on those streets in mockham street and Elizabeth Street and

08:22.80

philjstreet

Now.

08:31.60

Amelia Harper

Um, it's just it's really whimsical and playful and fun and everyone's totally eccentric and it was really great. Fun to launch that but also the ambition of that was to bring in that community into the hotel and really. Make them feel as as if it's an extension of their businesses and their homes and but we did that for a little while um, right, all and dogs in very interesting outfits. Yeah.

08:51.70

philjstreet

Yeah, lots of people with dogs in bags. Yeah, and um, um, I mean that I don't mean that in an inhumane way by the way it just. Yeah, but little heads poking out of handbags.

09:08.85

Amelia Harper

Yeah, yes there there are and and in fabulously dressed outfits which always seem to amaze me. Um the dog well and owners. Yes, but both both and so yeah, that was a good.

09:16.68

philjstreet

The dogs you're talking about here and they one us. Yeah.

09:26.16

Amelia Harper

Little stint for me and then I was kind of ready to go to something bigger and um, weirdly I I was having lunch on the terrace at Rosewood London with my friends and I said imagine if I worked here and they were like you'd be great here and. You know this? this is like the purest form of manifestation because I didn't have any kind of idea that I would actually work. Um for rose with London but then a marketing manager position came up and I applied and got the job and I've been here for 5 years now.

10:01.46

philjstreet

Wow Yeah, ah that that's really cool like I mean to to have that kind of like you're not even saying I want to work here. You're just saying God Imagine if I I did and you've just thrown that out. Um.

10:03.15

Amelia Harper

And so yeah.

10:12.49

Amelia Harper

Yeah I mean it was a dream. Yeah, yeah, it it was it was ah it was a real kind of you know Wow I mean the building. The property is stunning. Um, the team here. Are you know the industry's best and so it's it's. It was just a kind of a dream to be able to even think that I would I would work here and say yeah it came up and I was like that's odd, let me just apply because I think you get to a stage in your in your career where you know what brands you want to work for you know like you really know that.

10:46.34

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah.

10:50.27

Amelia Harper

Um, and definitely rosewood London and and the group as well was something that I I was aligning to um, yeah, and that was five years ago now and I've been here ever since.

11:01.65

philjstreet

So you started as marketing manager but you've obviously you're now director of communications. Um, how does how does that evolve from from marketing manager into director of communications.

11:07.64

Amelia Harper

Yeah.

11:14.26

Amelia Harper

Yeah, absolutely. Um, well I came out on board as marketing manager and I with a real I'm I'm kind of a bit of a geek I like digital as well as all of the other fun partnership Pri things. But. Um I like money I like numbers and and and I like to be able to show that as Well. You know I like to be able to show what marketing can do and the revenue it can produce especially through digital marketing and so that kind of was where what my expertise were.

11:34.49

philjstreet

Fair enough.

11:52.26

Amelia Harper

Coming into the role. Um and within two years of kind of implementing everything here I I actually had the amazing opportunity to become area marketing manager for Europe so really taking what we'd done and best practices in this property and. Going to hotel decreon in Paris but also our gorgeous property in tuscany castelian de bosco and really bringing the teams up to speed with digital marketing and best practice and how that they can implement and you know. Working with them. So then that continued for another couple of years um and then eventually kind of post covid our team changed and things grew and and evolved and um, then the the opportunity of being director of communications arrived and. And yeah, I've stepped into that role now which is amazing. So I'm kind of doing all of those things. Um from digital to pr ah to social media to branding and partnerships and just having a lot of fun along the way what we can do on this property.

13:00.97

philjstreet

Yeah, but.

13:05.26

Amelia Harper

Which is it's it's it's the best actual transition from the Harry is that you know I went from corporate style luxury to betite style luxury and actually this is best of both in a way because it's that real elevated luxury but with so much. Soul and ability to do things that are outside of the box. Um, you know we're not encouraged within the rose of brand to kind of play safe. It's about um, being creative and doing really creative things and luckily here we have ah. And amazing Md Michael Bonser who is all on board for all of those things and we have a great product that allows us to be playful and fun with with the bar like scarves bar and gerald scarf's caricatures and and his um. His energy and his personality to bring that to life is is really amazing. So there's lots of ways that we can do that.

14:05.20

philjstreet

Yeah, and is it's almost all roads lead here really in terms of your career so far like you you've taken pieces of the the corporate life the boutique life and now they're kind of coming together and I don't I definitely don't want to Mark Rosewood as our corporate.

14:10.75

Amelia Harper

Now. Yeah now. Absolutely what? yeah.

14:23.94

philjstreet

Ah, organization in any way. But you know they are a very well known brand around the world. Yeah.

14:26.41

Amelia Harper

Yeah, and they're established in that sense. They they have that you know that the sizable um infrastructure underneath. So yeah, it kind of yeah, it's supposed to both? Yeah yeah, yeah, oh yeah, it's its.

14:35.39

philjstreet

Yeah, you got support but freedom. Um, which is um is what we all want isn't it. Yeah, ah yeah, absolutely so just um, ah just a question really around when did you kind of know.

14:43.81

Amelia Harper

A dream. Yeah I cannot complain.

14:55.32

philjstreet

That marketing was what you wanted to kind of get into and and go for and and how did that come about.

15:01.21

Amelia Harper

Oh that is a really good question. Yeah.

15:04.71

philjstreet

I Told you it would be like a job interview.

15:12.85

Amelia Harper

You know back to those those pub days I think I mean my sister and I are both in marketing Now. She's in l'real and working over there and we used to do the craziest things in terms of like a bit say. Z Like so we'd Create. We'd make cakes that were awful by the way and then we would sell them to the to the to the to the guests of the pub who would kindly give us the money and then decline the cake which just shows that we aren't going on bake off anytime soon.

15:34.82

philjstreet

Okay.

15:43.74

philjstreet

Right. Yeah,, that's fair.

15:50.86

Amelia Harper

Um, and you know we used to like so resell our Mcdonald's toys so that we could go and get like you know sweets from the sweet shop and stuff I think there was a bit of that kind of entrepreneur entrepreneurial. Um. Spirit sales spirit. But I think sales for me wasn't the that that fit like that natural fit I also had really magical childhood and my mom is the best storyteller that is on this planet I mean um. Things that we used to like the the way that she used to make the hardest situations into such a magical situation I think the sales piece and the storytelling piece actually equates to that marketing part. Um and selling that dream and and I think that's where.

16:34.19

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah.

16:40.13

philjstreet

For sure I can see that. Yeah.

16:46.73

Amelia Harper

I Soon knew you know events wasn't for me. Sales wasn't for me, you know I could see that happening around me because sales events and marketing will sit in that in the similar departments within hotels. Um, and I soon saw. Okay, you know I see what they're doing and that's not quite quite for me and. You know as it evolved and um, yeah, creative ideas coming out and and and executing them. It just Solidified. You know I Really love this and and you know I I looked around you know outside of the industry. Um, like we all do you know is there is the grass greener and. You know I Just I think it's also the people as well being able to tell people's stories that are as talented as the people that we work with you know I was looking outside of the industry and I was like. But am I going to leave all of this behind these people that I'm you know celebrating and um, really kind of like lifting up and elevating is what what would my life be without that and then that kind of made me say and I continued my journey. You know so.

17:45.50

philjstreet

Yeah.

17:56.69

philjstreet

Yeah I think it's such a massive part of hospitality though right? I mean you know ultimately, what is okay, okay, let's let's talk about the fact that you are sitting in one of the most beautiful buildings in London but the building's absolutely nothing right.

18:00.73

Amelia Harper

Um, my.

18:15.58

philjstreet

Without the the people that that create the experience. Yeah.

18:16.19

Amelia Harper

Right? I mean everyone has a beautiful building. You know like we are. This product is beautiful. The standing. The hotel is stunning. The property is amazing, but everyone has a gorgeous marble. Lobby or a bathtub or you know visually we can create that whereas the people are what makes this place which gives it soul I mean you could even identify that in throughout the pandemic I mean when the building is empty. It's so sad.

18:41.95

philjstreet

Yeah.

18:52.35

Amelia Harper

You know it's the people. The team that bring this place to life and they keep people you know our guests coming back. Um, it's them that really the people are are here for um so yeah.

19:02.16

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, absolutely and I think actually marketing within that whole context for me marketing is always such a wonderfully positive part of the business because yeah, yeah, indeed you're in the right place.

19:12.66

Amelia Harper

Yes, and I have a sunny disposition so home My amps Wast a positive person. Um, so I yeah it fits me very very well on that side.

19:21.20

philjstreet

Ah, so. Yeah, and but because it's all about I suppose at the end of the day. It's it's about like we have We have a product or we have something that's that we think's going to be of interest for people to come into our space and experience. Um Yo That's just that's positive like I mean that's.

19:36.83

Amelia Harper

Ah.

19:42.58

philjstreet

What do we do to make sure that the world knows about that. That's um, that's effectively um, and and I suppose you can then apply that logic to most things in life. Um, there's always a positive and a negative outlook on something um and but marketing always is.

19:43.91

Amelia Harper

Yeah, yeah.

19:52.85

Amelia Harper

So yeah, yeah.

20:01.82

philjstreet

The the one that puts a positive spin on things.

20:03.33

Amelia Harper

It does it does and everyone says that in the hotel they're like how do you remain? You know we're a happy little bench in the in the communications team and ah but what do we have to you know I'd rather look at the positive side of life and how we can make things better. Um. And so yeah, but we're sunshine and rainbows especially today I feel out there but like yeah.

20:24.15

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, yes, that's lovely. Yeah, the sun keeps shining directly on my eyes. But um, um, yeah, how does that work then in terms of I suppose your. Wonderfully sunny and you come up with you know, a wonderfully sunny idea where you think yeah this will this will get people coming into our spaces and then you go to the operations team. Um, and they go your your mental. What? what? What are you doing to us does it. Ah.

20:46.88

Amelia Harper

Yes.

20:52.51

Amelia Harper

Ah, yeah, that happens a lot. Yeah, it does happen a lot. Um, well we're we're exceptionally close to the operations team. Um, we just I mean it's so important.

21:04.30

philjstreet

I Suppose you have to be don't you.

21:12.43

Amelia Harper

To build that relationship. Um, from the get go and and you know even when my team started they spent time in departments you know in housekeeping cleaning rooms. Um, you know, giving back actually because we're exceptionally privileged in our role right? Like we don't. We aren't on the front line as you say you know at the front desk and and working with clients on a day to day and handling all the challenges that come with that that in-person service and the demanding service that is required for for a luxury property like ourselves and um, so.

21:43.27

philjstreet

Yeah.

21:51.70

Amelia Harper

We have to begin to appreciate that I think that's the fundamental um part and then by building those relationships and working together. Um, we are able to go to them with crazy ideas and say we want to execute this and then that they are on board. Because they know they know that we're doing it to benefit the hotel and to benefit the the positioning and the growth of business and things like that. But also that we have actually spent time to appreciate their roles and we respect their roles and um seem stupid. But even like you don't book a meeting with a chef.

22:22.52

philjstreet

Um, yeah.

22:30.94

Amelia Harper

At 1 pm I mean you know it's even just fundamentally down to those smaller things that we respect the operation and um, we'd we'd spend time building relationships with the team so that then when we need to pull our favors.

22:45.40

philjstreet

Yeah.

22:47.97

Amelia Harper

That the operational team are you know are on board and up for the challenge.

22:50.62

philjstreet

Yeah, and well that's that's the secret of a great team right? is all pulling in the same direction and at least them giving you the forum to unleash your hairbrained ideas to them and yeah, yeah, we'll think about that that's fine and yeah, we'll come back to you in in seven weeks

22:54.16

Amelia Harper

Yeah, excuse and take yeah yeah, yes, but right that.

23:10.56

philjstreet

Um, yeah, that's probably an indicator that that's not an idea to pursue. But anyway, um, but yeah I think the other elements that I find interesting about your role is that um you obviously you've been involved in production of our an award-winning cookery book. Um.

23:13.46

Amelia Harper

Um, think yeah.

23:26.64

Amelia Harper

Yes.

23:29.24

philjstreet

As well and I'd imagine that falls under your remit to kind of facilitate and and make happen What does that process involve because I I don't care if anybody doesn't find this interesting I find this interesting.

23:33.30

Amelia Harper

Everyone.

23:41.75

Amelia Harper

Um, yeah is I mean it's incredible. It's it's It's really exciting to launch a book and that was actually my first book launch that I've ever done which very proud ah of um, you know what? I always think in.

23:50.69

philjstreet

Right.

23:59.20

Amelia Harper

Ah, marketing is that you need to things have to be authentic to the person you know Callum is our is our pastry apiking as we call him um a pastry expert and you know that is his passion.

24:11.90

philjstreet

Yeah.

24:18.80

Amelia Harper

And so being able to bring that book to fruition was easy in a sense because it all obviously there was lots of blood sweat and tears and tight deadlines and but it comes from him naturally like we don't create ideas also without um. That collaboration you know I think it's it's really important to ah ensure that there is that authentic, um, willingness and and um, wanting to do that book and Callum was really driving that I mean we we were. His cheerleaders on that side. You know like he really led that and and and it was hugely successful because he wanted to do it and it came from his heart and his soul to do so and that allowed us to tell this amazing story of the pie room and um, create his first cookbook and.

24:57.43

philjstreet

Yep.

25:14.11

Amelia Harper

And our first cookbook for the property and yeah, but it yeah it's it took a lot a lot of his work and a lot of collaboration and and launches and eating. You know that's a big hard hard pia day. Not so not so good for the but.

25:22.87

philjstreet

Oh God Yeah, okay, yeah, oh well, that's fair, Yeah, that's that's definitely a few extra hours in the gym then isn't it to um to work that off. But.

25:33.65

Amelia Harper

Right? exactly? But no, it's it's it's ah it's a I I believe you know it's a bit like ah, a pastry hour art afternoon tea concept I don't tell I don't dictate what Mark Perkins wants to do for his. Concept he comes to us and says I want to do I want to create cakes inspired by Kusama or you know because he's passionate about it I think it and then that's when the real magic comes out because they're leading it.

25:58.45

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah.

26:09.37

Amelia Harper

From their heart and that and that they are really passionate about creating that and then that means that our storytelling is incredible and performs so well because it's really from them and it's what they want to do you know right? yeah.

26:18.15

philjstreet

Yeah, and it's also coming from their passion and their hearts and that's easy then I suppose for you to translate into you know something that that works for the eye and for ah for the way that you read it and all of these sorts of things and I've actually experienced.

26:32.34

Amelia Harper

Yeah.

26:37.41

philjstreet

Afternoon tea. Um in the roseswood and Jeff brand does that that was like November last year I think it was um and one of course it's a beautiful space of course. But um, but yeah there'surre ingenuity in the in the offering. Um.

26:42.13

Amelia Harper

Why.

26:48.49

Amelia Harper

Yeah.

26:57.10

philjstreet

Service was amazing. The whole experience was exceptional. You know and at the end of the day I think you're probably 1 of the most expensive afternoon teas out there but the sense of value that you get from that is is phenomenal.

26:58.79

Amelia Harper

Thank you? Yeah, that's a great time then.

27:10.92

Amelia Harper

Yeah, well, it's there's depth to it right? The the concept is we stay true to the art concept and so the research behind um the you know the detail in the pastry. So. It's not Mark doesn't just look at Kusama and. The artwork that she created but where did she live? What was her life like there's japanese influence in there. There's influence from when she lived in different parts of the world and so that our team from a service I can tell that story to to the guests and so I guess aren't just getting like a beautiful cake. They're actually getting like.

27:37.20

philjstreet

Ah.

27:49.71

Amelia Harper

An Immersive experience where it's educational. It's Cultural. It celebrates the artist. It showcases the amazing work. The pastry team can do um and you know even down to the to the to the stand. It's not a 3 hree-tier cake stand that you see. So regularly. It's you know we've designed that table where where you place the cakes inside because it it actually frames the cakes like a piece of art. You know it's It's art afternoon tea and so there's there's a lot of thought behind all of the all of the pieces to create that concept.

28:16.00

philjstreet

Yeah.

28:24.87

philjstreet

Totally and you know, ah afternoon tea is 1 of the most successful parts of a uk hotel business right? I mean when you get it right? Um, and but it's it's absolutely ripe for innovation because that 3 tier.

28:32.65

Amelia Harper

Yeah, yeah.

28:40.90

philjstreet

Cakestand that you just mentioned is one of the most insociable things to put in the middle of a table. Um, yeah, but um, but anyway that's ah that we're not here to talk about afternoon and B but um, although I could actually talk about afternoon tea for a very long time but um, but not and now I want after and tea. Yeah.

28:42.30

Amelia Harper

Um, street So true me it's It's a topic is it is a topic in itself.

28:59.71

philjstreet

Absolutely But um, no I mean I Yeah I think probably one of the other elements that ah you know you've probably got one of the the most famous famous general Manager Slash Mds in the business. Um as well and you know I mean if you follow him on.

29:10.22

Amelia Harper

Oh yes.

29:16.49

philjstreet

And so I'm not talking about you I'm just talking about anyone if you follow him on Instagram and that man likes to travel but he also I feel like he has such wonderful hospitality energy that it must be. It must be quite easy to get up and go to work.

29:17.21

Amelia Harper

Yes, yes.

29:27.87

Amelia Harper

Yeah, he's incredible.

29:34.10

philjstreet

For somebody like that.

29:36.36

Amelia Harper

Hugely I mean he's exceptionally passionate. He's an amazing ah face for the property and for the brand. Yes, you read that the other day. Um, yeah, that that was a that was a huge comment.

29:42.64

philjstreet

The George Clooney of the hotel industry I'd held. Ah yes.

29:53.00

Amelia Harper

Print screened it and I was like okay all hail Michael Bond said like that was a really great. Great commentary. He was very thankful for that. Um, no I mean he's he's had an amazing career. He's also super young in his you know in his outlook and and his age to be in the position. He's in.

29:56.94

philjstreet

That.

30:12.51

Amelia Harper

Um, and he's just incredibly dedicated and so it's really and he's open to ideas all the time. Um, and so it's really fun to be able to um, create those things for him and work together.

00:00.00

philjstreet

Right? We're back and yeah, so what's something I wanted to ask you around was the fact that obviously you work for 1 of the most famous m ds in the industry certainly in the yeah uk um, that is obviously Michael what it must be quite.

00:11.81

Amelia Harper

Yes, yeah.

00:19.21

philjstreet

Easy to get up and come to work for somebody like that because hey his energy always the way that he portrays himself is so he's such a hospitality person.

00:23.29

Amelia Harper

yeah yeah yeah I mean he really is and I think we were talking saying who wouldn't want to work for the George Clooney of hospitality I mean yeah, very amazing comment.

00:34.77

philjstreet

The George Clinic yes that's ah, that's a recent tag isn't it.

00:42.71

Amelia Harper

Um, he's like an industry Titan right? like he's he is hospitality through and through um, he's had an amazing career. Yeah, he's really young and he he has um.

00:49.54

philjstreet

And he's only about twelve years old as well isn't he yeah, he's done quite well.

00:59.25

Amelia Harper

He's done incredibly well and he has this amazing energy and get up and go and dedication. But he really cares. It's not you know he's an amazing um marketeer and and kind of face for the hotel but the way he cares about the team. Um, especially you know the the. 2 years that we've been through now. Um and his dedication and his commitment to the team. Um is really you know makes it easy to get up and and come to work when you have leadership like that. So yeah, we're very lucky to have him. He's a content king so he.

01:27.42

philjstreet

Yeah.

01:35.38

philjstreet

Is he never stops.

01:37.30

Amelia Harper

He's ah he never stops. He's incredible is really great at it and he has such a great following and people love seeing what he's up to and where he's going next and um, yeah, he he's ah a real asset for us from a calm side as well.

01:54.60

philjstreet

Yeah.

01:56.51

Amelia Harper

Because he knows it so well you know he he's had some incredible um, an incredible journey in some incredible hotels and um had a lot of experience on that side. So it's great for me to be able to learn from him. Also.

02:07.72

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah I Do he is also a great asset for hospitality I Think that's that's really really key. Um, your you guys.

02:16.40

Amelia Harper

Yeah, yeah, and he's really champion championing that as well. Um, right, Especially right now you know we we need to. They don't tell you about hospitality at school. They really don't kind of paint any sort of picture that is room like.

02:22.87

philjstreet

Yeah.

02:30.19

philjstreet

Um, no I know.

02:36.80

Amelia Harper

Remotely attractive. Um, and with the recruitment crisis that has been and and is is currently um, we need to be ambassadors of the hospitality industry and Michael is really really yeah, fronting that. Um. In order to ensure that people know all of the wonderful things about working in this industry. Um, you know so he's doing an amazing job at that and um, petitioning for things and and but it's really from the from the grassroots level that we need to.

02:57.45

philjstreet

Yeah.

03:10.45

philjstreet

I Could not agree more I mean you know I was talking to somebody just about this I talked to lots of people about this very subject all of the time and you know somebody told me once that they were um at school and they went to their careers advisor didn't know what they wanted to to do.

03:10.86

Amelia Harper

Inspire that younger talon.

03:16.61

Amelia Harper

Yes, yeah.

03:30.21

philjstreet

Thinking about going into hospitality is what they said and the careers advisor said you should probably set your heights a little bit higher than that you know and you think what this.

03:35.31

Amelia Harper

Right? Yeah when when you know what I think is ah incredible about hospitality is that you can really come in as like base level and grow so quickly and there's so much more. Mobility. There's so much career progression. Um that you really the skill set is so transferable between different departments and positions and um, you know and and also the the travel aspect of it if you want to travel.

04:08.20

philjstreet

Yeah, well just just follow Michael on Instagram to get a sense of of what's possible.

04:13.70

Amelia Harper

But right and you know he's worked very hard and has also done all of the positions that may not be deemed as undesirable but you know the people that you get to work with and the the passion and ah that people Carry. You know as hospitality people it's It's funny because I always say you know I I was in retail in harrids and I was you know had done little retail jobs um throughout University and there's no the reason why I moved to hospitality is because it's all heart like there's no heart In. In Retail I find like it's It's very kind of real. Yeah, it is and whereas hospitality is all about the heart. It's all about kind of welcoming people into your home and having that same like ethos around around that and ah I think you know.

04:52.71

philjstreet

It's a bit more transactional. Yeah.

05:09.38

Amelia Harper

People looking for a career out there and and looking at what they can do and and things they think hospitality absolutely is that 100% somewhere that that allows for all types of people as well. You know it's so inclusive. Um, and yeah, he's a great.

05:20.33

philjstreet

Yeah. Yeah.

05:28.25

Amelia Harper

Ah, great ambassador for what we're all trying to campaign for right now which is getting people to fall in love with the industry.

05:30.90

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, and you know there's a lot to fall in love with as well and actually this come this probably comes back to marketing at the end of the day like you know how often did you read for a time there that you know it's the.

05:40.66

Amelia Harper

Yeah, yeah.

05:46.41

philjstreet

Greatest staffing crisis in the history of the world and you know, but actually if you just put a reverse positive fluffy marketing spin on it. There's never been a um, a greater opportunity to join in terms of how yeah and the the progress you can make um.

05:47.20

Amelia Harper

You know? yeah.

05:57.22

Amelia Harper

Right? I mean the jobs are there and yeah.

06:05.60

philjstreet

And if anybody's in any doubt about the importance of this industry just imagine what happens if you take this industry away from people's lives in terms of the going out for foods that you know exactly.

06:13.23

Amelia Harper

Yeah, which is what happened for 2 years and how people were you know reason why we're seeing such a surge is people want to be out and about and and experiencing um all of what hospitality has to offer.

06:29.94

philjstreet

Yeah.

06:32.14

Amelia Harper

And because they've been deprived from it. They know what that feels like.

06:34.35

philjstreet

Absolutely So yeah, ask not what hospitality can do for you but ask what you can do for hospitality because there is no more honorable profession in the world I think in terms of may creating things that make people feel special.

06:41.51

Amelia Harper

Right? Yes's good. Yeah agree. Yeah, solve it.

06:53.68

philjstreet

There We are solved it right there? Yeah great. We can go now that's fine. Um now um a question I ask everyone Hopefully you're ready for this and I appreciate actually asking this question to somebody who's a director of communications where.

06:58.20

Amelia Harper

Ah, and.

07:03.36

Amelia Harper

Yeah.

07:11.62

philjstreet

Putting the right communication on things is very very important. But do you have any funny stories from your career that you can share with us that don't get you into trouble. Oh great. Oh you set that up. Well.

07:13.71

Amelia Harper

Yeah.

07:19.20

Amelia Harper

Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's good. It's a goodie um well, there's a couple of there's a couple of ones I think my marketing fail. You know you learn from your failures right? and.

07:32.91

philjstreet

Okay, for sure.

07:37.49

Amelia Harper

I went to ah um, my sister's university graduation and it was University Of Surrey and they had some speakers there that were speaking to the newly graduated people big big people. A guy from Google um, and a you know that kind of caliber. And this guy is a Mark was a marketing guy and and he was saying you know this has been my career and thiswipe john and he was super young and really impressive and this was a a good few years ago now. But um I remember him saying you know, but I have had failures too and you know to humanize it a little bit that he hasn't had all this success. And he he he said. Ah you know one time I I sent out a campaign that you know was completely wrong and went to all the wrong people and it but this was like to hundreds of thousands of people and everything I was thinking oh my god that's awful like who would ever do that? Me? ah.

08:30.15

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, well I also have a story similar so we'll come to that in a minute.

08:35.38

Amelia Harper

Oh and and and in that moment when I did that in my young marketing manager life that was the end of the world for me like I punished myself so much and you know you learn from these things but it it was.

08:49.40

philjstreet

Yeah.

08:55.10

Amelia Harper

It was. It was definitely like 1 of those moments where you're just like this isn't for me I'm not good enough like and you know I had to really reassure myself that and and rebuild my confidence again and I was like that guy that you watched speak about that did exactly the same to. Way more people and he's like top in Google in his career. So you know it's okay to make mistakes and and you know it's not ideal but it also now in the grand scheme of things feels like a very small thing that happened.

09:18.87

philjstreet

Yeah, fourth. Yeah.

09:30.40

philjstreet

Yeah.

09:33.29

Amelia Harper

And I'm sure a lot of other marketeers can relate in terms of moments like that that that they've had but ah yeah, you know we're human, but ah, right.

09:39.96

philjstreet

Yeah, mistakes are inevitable right? I mean we we it doesn't matter I I would imagine that Michael makes mistakes despite the fact that he looks like George Clooney but yeah indeed actually doesn't look like him does he he just carries himself like.

09:47.80

Amelia Harper

You yeah, we all like that's that's even though he is George Queenney of hospitality. Um, yes.

09:58.64

philjstreet

That's that's probably what it is but anyway, um, no I have ah ah I've never been a marketeer but I um I have one of the things that you learn as ah as a recruiter is lots of little bits about lots of little bits and one of the things that that we used to do is.

10:11.34

Amelia Harper

Um, yeah, yeah.

10:18.14

philjstreet

Going back many many years and I was actually out of industry At this point I was working for an accountancy recruitment firm and we used to do a candidate mail shot which is something I hate by the way as a recruiter but when I was working for this company. You had to do what you were told. Um.

10:27.53

Amelia Harper

Yeah.

10:35.85

philjstreet

And so you'd put together a list of I don't know 5 to 6 candidates who were available now this was the background and all of that and on one of those candidates I put down um has 4 years of accounts experience and blah blah blah or whatever and sent it out.

10:41.89

Amelia Harper

Yes, yes.

10:54.94

philjstreet

Ah, to to this and and I got within I don't know 10 minutes of sending this out I got one of my closest clients at the time sent my backs and you might want to just check line 4 um under that candidate and i'd.

11:06.38

Amelia Harper

Oh no.

11:11.71

philjstreet

Let's put it this way I'd missed out a letter in accounts which made it sound like something else that letter. Yeah, that letter was all um and yeah, honestly, you feel know that kind of oh my God yeah.

11:15.20

Amelia Harper

Oh no, yeah oh yeah, you just want the ground to swallow you up. You know, like it's the worst feeling because we're perfectionists in our.

11:32.50

philjstreet

Yeah, and actually what you said ah about kind of ah not I mean I don't think I've ever hated myself. But at in that moment you're like oh my God You are so useless like it just take a minute.

11:33.82

Amelia Harper

Role right? and and you know in communications. That's what we do.

11:44.78

Amelia Harper

Yes, I was like this. It's over I'm gonna get fired I was literally like this is you know I'm never coming back from this you know.

11:51.43

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, um, yeah I weirdly I actually won a lot of business on the back of that because it was ah an an interaction point. Um, you know, yeah totally. But um.

12:03.51

Amelia Harper

Right? It actually starts people talking. Yeah, it's ah it it was ah it was a terrifying one which was you know the daily challenges of our lives. Yes, it's how and I think what's really important is it's how you come.

12:15.50

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

12:22.32

philjstreet

Absolutely.

12:21.67

Amelia Harper

Come back or go through those things you know like the most successful people have huge resilience and you know you don't get defeated by moments that you feel like oh God that really wasn't my finest hour. It's about how you you move forward from those things and learn and.

12:34.40

philjstreet

Um, beunce back? Yeah, absolutely Well I mean there's a cliche and I can't as normal listeners of the show will understand that I can't get through a show without a cliche being thrown in but um, they do say that if you.

12:41.57

Amelia Harper

And grow riches.

12:54.32

philjstreet

Think it might have been Richard Branson that said this if you want to be successful double your feel rate you know because you there's lessons in every and all of these things. Yeah apps.

12:57.68

Amelia Harper

Right? Everything? Yeah, you really? yeah, it's it's and and you know with my team as well I encourage them to feel like they could they can make mistakes because.

13:14.18

philjstreet

Yeah.

13:17.32

Amelia Harper

That's where creativity comes From. You know if you're playing safe all the time and you're always staying in in the lane. Um, you're never pushing the boundaries and you're never testing anything and and it it is all about that in order to be a good good marketeer. It's it's about pushing and. Testing and trying and um because also in this digital world. Now you can just delete it or remove it or take it down or you know if it doesn't work which is the beauty of it. So um, yeah, it's just important. It's hugely important own it. Yeah.

13:44.91

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah, and own your mistakes as well like that's yeah, that's that's a ah great piece of advice from your uncle Phil um, great stuff. Um.

13:55.53

Amelia Harper

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. But.

14:02.48

philjstreet

What's ah, what's in store for the for the year ahead for for you and for for rosewood.

14:06.22

Amelia Harper

Wow. Well it's it's a biz is already looking crazy busy. Um, which is really exciting. Events are back. You know the buildup of weddings. There's a huge amount of of weddings on the books travel is coming back. We've got the jubilee.

14:22.65

philjstreet

Yeah, yeah.

14:25.62

Amelia Harper

So we're doing lots of fun things around that in the courtyard because we have such a special space there to do a really nice celebration. Um, there's gonna be new afternoon tea launches so you have to come down again to have some of those cakes scarves bars.

14:36.43

philjstreet

Oh goodness.

14:43.15

Amelia Harper

Gonna have a really amazing new menu. Um, we're growing as a team and and building that team back up again which is amazing and and yeah I'm also back out supporting europe again which is great. So off to our new property in madrid next week

15:00.70

philjstreet

Fantastic.

15:02.20

Amelia Harper

Help the team over there and and support them as well. So we have Vienna opening very soon to this year and yeah, we're just we're you know we're rolling with the openings I think for rosewood London we're just you know we're we're getting up to our gonna be tenth year

15:06.90

philjstreet

God Oh go.

15:21.41

Amelia Harper

So soon? Um, so we're really maturing in that in that sense. Um, and ah, we're we're going through a soft refurbishment at the moment. So all the rooms are getting and a nice refresh which is going to be great. Um.

15:33.97

philjstreet

Step.

15:36.98

Amelia Harper

few years so society yeah in: 2024

15:43.37

philjstreet

And that.

15:48.87

philjstreet

Fantastic and another property coming to London as well right isn't it. Just yeah I've I've walked past it.

15:56.71

Amelia Harper

So we've got a few years yet but that's going to come around super quick. Um, the footprint is amazing. I mean we have an incredible piece of of of the the pi is search over in Mayfair. So that's really exciting that we're over there as well. So yeah, we'll be opening that sister property. So lots of things to do lots of things ready to do so we're ramping out. We're getting started. So yeah, it's exciting. It's just really good feeling to be back. You know we're back and we're in and you know proper. Yeah because that's stopping and starting.

16:19.69

philjstreet

Um, fantastic, yeah properly. Yeah, yeah, that's that just a no and you can't.

16:35.10

Amelia Harper

Is no good for anyone. It's a really strange feeling to continue that. So um, yeah.

16:39.31

philjstreet

Filled up any momentum can you with the with that. No, that's great I mean that all sounds wonderful. You've had a ah great career so far um, feels like you're kind of almost just getting started as well like you've got it. Um.

16:48.23

Amelia Harper

Thank you? Oh yeah, yeah I am just I've arrived this is this is ah now for the next few years. That's my my focus. So um, but yeah, lots more.

16:57.81

philjstreet

Yeah.

17:04.13

philjstreet

But it definitely. It definitely feels like you're you're somewhere that agrees with you greatly and you know that that comes across and and you're we've not known each other for very long. Um, but you're you're always at a happy go lucky demeanor. Um, and that's difficult to be happy. Go lucky if you're not happy in your work. Um, so.

17:06.78

Amelia Harper

Um.

17:16.91

Amelia Harper

The thank you light.

17:23.82

philjstreet

Um, yeah, no I I salute you and the work that you guys are doing. You're you know, such an aspirational property for this industry I think a lot of companies look to you guys to see what you're up to next? Um, and but yeah I wish you guys all and you the very vest.

17:25.90

Amelia Harper

Thank you.

17:35.48

Amelia Harper

Thank you.

17:41.97

Amelia Harper

Thank you so much Phil it was really great to talk. Thank you? Ah, yeah, exactly exactly no thank you so much for your time and yeah it was really good to.

17:43.20

philjstreet

Going forward. No problem at all. Yes I'm glad we got there in the end. It's um, it's ah that's what happens when people get busy right? Schedules are tricky. Um.

18:00.18

Amelia Harper

To talk through all those things.

18:02.80

philjstreet

Likewise if people want to get ahold of you to learn about you or rosewood. What's the the best method for them to do that.

18:07.60

Amelia Harper

Well I'm normally running around in in the hotel so you'll find me there. Um or on a photo shoot with a go to something really random. You know you never know what what we're doing over here. Um, but yeah, you can just you.

18:11.30

philjstreet

Right? Ah, excellent. Yeah, as yeah, that's ah, that's ah, a life tick box done isn't it photo shoot with goat done right.

18:25.18

Amelia Harper

Photo shoot with rabbits goats and kids was definitely a a wild one that we did like a few years ago um but I'm you can always find me on property here at Rose with London um, or of course on Instagram and things like that. So I'm around.

18:31.62

philjstreet

It sounds like it.

18:41.98

philjstreet

Yeah, wicked great stuff. Thank you so much for sharing your Story Emilia and wish you a very pleasant day ahead. Take care bybye bye.

18:45.30

Amelia Harper

Thank you so much. Thank you, Thank you.