Emdad Rahman
We visited Bournemouth recently for a fun packed few days and chose Travelodge as our place to stay. The team at Travelodge make the place tick and their warmth and hospitality really stood out. The whole family complimented staff on the service and welcome we received throughout our stay and this prompted me to approach one frontline member and request an interview.
Dan Stooks is based at Travelodge Bournemouth seafront. He has worked at Bournemouth Central, Portsmouth and St Austell in Cornwall and has been working with Travelodge for five and a half years in total. Dan thoroughly enjoys his job, especially meeting the array of people who visit Bournemouth. “The best part of my job is easily the interaction and relationship I share with our visitors,” he said. “I love making a positive difference to their experiences. I also like to see my team exceed expectations with excellent performances in the line of their profession. We have ten front of house members and a further twelve cleaning staff – they are an amazing bunch.”
In his position Dan meets numerous personalities from all walks of life. He said: “Yes, we have a few celebrity visitors too: Matt Baker from The One Show stayed here a little while back. Sue Pollard and Cannon & Ball have also stayed at this hotel. Bands who perform locally also rock up and spend their free time at our hotel too.”
Dan believes that motivation is key to great performance in his field. “I wouldn’t expect any of my team to do something I am not prepared to do myself. At Travelodge, Bournemouth Seafront we achieve very good results. We make sure that all feedback is discussed, disseminated and put into practice.
“Recognition is very important for staff and we go above and beyond to praise all achievements and good practice. I personally get lots of satisfaction from seeing my team doing really well as a whole and head office are always supportive with reward and recognition gestures.
“It’s a simple process really: we keep customers at the forefront of each thing that we do here. Everyone from the Chief Executive down to our front-line team here at the hotel is of the same mindset and we always strive to provide excellent customer services.
“On the product side Travelodge has invested millions to make and constantly keep the product perfect and lots of our customers are regulars who return and grace us with their company. They often request bookings for the same rooms too. I am confident that it is our genuine warmth and service levels which keeps bringing them back.
“New or old, the customer focus is always the same and it’s a big philosophy of our company. We always aim to provide the best, consistent services and our sincere approach helps keep us at the front of our patrons’ thoughts. Travelodge is not just about convenience, but quality as well.”
Dan adores living and working in Bournemouth. “It’s a great town,” he said. “It used to be a retirement village, with a prominent senior demographic – but things are changing now. There’s a thriving arts culture with two local world class institutes. Due to this we have an influx of young people coming into the town. The council is forward thinking and has really come on board, with a clear vision and really forward looking philosophy. There are lots of awesome events happening, like the Wheels Festival and the Air Festival in late August. Bournemouth hosts a world class arts event – The Arts by the Sea festival, rated as one of the top three in the country. The beach and lower gardens are immaculate and the place is really moving forward. There are plenty activities and lots of free stuff taking place for kids and families.
“Summer is the busiest period for us and the place is heaving with smiling faces. It doesn’t just end there though, and there is still plenty of stuff taking place in the town come November and mid December due to arts festivals and business conferences. As a resident I wouldn’t want to move anywhere else. I have a five year old. My wife and I have discussed the future and agreed that we want to stay here forever.”
Dan would love to develop and become ingrained into Bournemouth life while enhancing his career. “I want to keep developing. We are happy, I want to work hard and hopefully work in a bigger Travelodge hotel in this town. I want to really extend and push myself and see where the journey takes me. This really is a great company to work for. Travelodge is supportive of development and if you have ambition and qualities then you can really go places. I really hope we will have bigger and more hotels in Bournemouth in the future.”
With a superb coastal location, the Travelodge Bournemouth Seafront Hotel is an ideal place to stay for those who want sun, sea and sand. The seafront is only 200 yards away, with Bournemouth Pier less than half a mile’s walk. As such, this is a great location for seaside holidays and anyone who wants to experience the coast from up close.
•Travelodge Bournemouth Seafront Hotel West Hill Road, Bournemouth BH2 5EG Tel: 0871-984 6431 Fax: 01202-291 552