Michael Ryan - Hotel Manager, New York
I’VE ONLY been in New York for three-and-a-half months. Prior to this I was managing a hotel in Miami for five years.
I’m from Churchtown in Dublin originally but I’m an army brat so have lived all over, from the Middle East to Limerick. I left Ireland in July 2005 and I think having had such a peripatetic childhood makes you very sociable and well able to get on with all sorts of people, which is perfect for the hospitality industry.
I started my hotel career in the Clarence in Dublin, which I loved. At the moment I’m living with a friend I used to work with in the Clarence who is now an actor.
I work five days a week, 12 hours a day. A 60-hour week is the norm in this business and it goes in a blink.
This is without a doubt the busiest hotel lobby I’ve ever come across, both in terms of volume and because of the sheer speed at which people move in New York. It’s just such a fast-paced city and service expectations are extremely high.
I’ve a team of 30 people and we are the ambassadors for the hotel, the first faces you meet and the last you see, so those impressions have to be good ones. Most of my days are spent with six or seven hours on the front desk followed by four or five hours in my office doing paper work.
The paperwork could be anything from managing VIP guest schedules to billing or payroll.
The hotel was only open three weeks when I arrived and it has made a huge impression in the city because it’s got everything, including a spa, gym and roof top pool, and yet it’s right on Park Avenue.
The recession doesn’t impact on a city like New York as it does in other places. Here hotels typically have 85 per cent occupancy rates year-round.
Possibly because it’s so busy, I rarely get out to eat lunch. If I’m lucky I’ll grab a coffee across the road but what I really like to do is get out for 20 minutes just to stretch my legs. Then it’s back to business.
I’m still getting used to the weather here, it’s a shock after Miami but I’ve settled in well otherwise, I think. On my time off I’ll go see a movie or catch some sports. My favourite activity is to indulge in some fine dining and there are plenty of options here. I love the Spotted Pig and the Breslin in particular.
I’m enjoying the city and right now I can’t really see myself returning to Ireland, unless perhaps the general manager spot becomes available at the Clarence, or maybe Dromoland Castle or Sheen Falls. It’s unlikely though.
* In conversation with
SANDRA O'CONNELL