I helped launch the first combination ibis & Mercure Budapest Castle Hill in Hungary as an Assistant Front Office Manager. The problem was not launching it as a combo, there was already one in Poland, but as far as we know, this was the first one with a single entrance and one team operating it. At first, my colleagues and I did not think much about it; there is the same number of rooms before the brand transformation, but we had to realise that from then on, it was legally two hotels so, for example we needed two fire alarms and two PMS (property management system). If someone moved from the third floor to the fourth floor, it became a hotel transfer and one hotel invoiced the other; there were two night audits, every task is touched by it. There is just one cashier for both hotels but we bank revenues into two accounts.

I love challenge and puzzles. I did not know this, but front office is usually ideal for a problem solver. I enjoyed doing it and thankfully, I was not bad at it; then I started pushing. I like to do my job with energy; it has to mean something.

I was surprised at how much I love this job. It was not my first choice of career, but when I turned up at the hotel, it was love at first sight – and that love becomes stronger day by day. I am very happy that I was given the opportunity to move from Assistant FOM to Assistant General Manager. I like the variety of my work, people have to have an open mind about the problems and situations that arise.

Music is very therapeutic for me. I write electronic music and DJ with it at weekends. I think everyone finds time for things that are important and it can be reality check if people do not find time to do something they enjoy.

To someone who is newly in the sector, buckle up! Nowadays, there is a shortage of workforce in every department. In my experience, this career can only be done with love and a confidence. Hospitality demands a lot of time, energy and sacrifices, and doing it without that dedication will not work.

To someone who is looking for work, I was a race car mechanic and navigator as a hobby and wanted to become mechatronics engineer but there are much more opportunities in the hospitality industry. If someone is willing to put in their all, the sector opens doors for people, it gives them opportunities and acknowledges their strengths; it is a positive environment. Friends who give as much as I give in other industries do not find it as rewarding which is a very humbling experience for me.