Karen Bassett became general manager of the Macdonald Francis hotel in Bath last month, and, after 22 years of service there, she certainly knows its ins and outs.
Bassett started in housekeeping after studying catering at Southampton College because she needed a job during term-time and it sounded like a good choice. "It's a product that you can turn around to a good standard," she says. "It's either clean or not, and you can be proud of your work."
Apart from brief spells after college at the Forte Wessex hotel in Winchester and the Royal Crescent in Brighton, Bassett has worked only at The Francis. "I just flicked through the AA hotel book and stopped on hotels less than two hours from where I lived. I applied to a few and ended up here," she says.
Bassett stayed at the hotel because she loves the location and there are lots of regular guests with whom she has built a rapport over the years.
She started in 1984 as assistant housekeeping manager before being promoted, two years later, to head housekeeper. In 1998, she moved up to senior departmental manager, then operations manager in 2000.
She admits this move was the biggest culture shock of her career. Despite previously helping on reception, running breakfast and lunch shifts was a "baptism of fire".
In the 22 years since she joined the 95-bedroom hotel, the family-friendly atmosphere and the general feel haven't changed much - but the staff structure has.
Bassett says: "There used to be a much firmer hierarchy but, about 10 years ago, it all flattened out, with the hotel's managers having their own departments and working more closely together."
She also thinks that the guests have changed. "Guests have become more demanding and have greater expectations," she says. "Staying in a hotel is no longer such a treat, and they expect modern technology."
Bassett admits to making the odd management mistake along the way. "I like giving people opportunities but have occasionally made some wrong decisions," she admits. "When you try to make decisions based on tightening up the budget, you sometimes maybe don't pick the right person for the job."