In 2020, Brooklands Hotel was due to celebrate ten years since first opening its doors to guests but all plans to mark this milestone were abandoned due to the global pandemic. As we start 2022, we have come back even stronger through the challenges the pandemic has thrown our way. This is no mean feat given the challenges the hospitality industry has faced. One key factor in the way we have bounced back is our team. We opened in 2010 and in 2012, we launched our ‘Make It Happen’ ethos to staff or ‘Team Players’ as they are known. As an independent hotel, we offer a unique experience and wanted to capture our values as brand standards.

We believe that a hotel can be well balanced and versatile, like a person and define ourselves as personable and aspirational yet accessible, luxurious yet ‘down to earth’. These attributes are what gives us our uniqueness, along with our Team Players.

Marco Gervasoni, General Manager, was responsible for opening Brooklands Hotel in 2010. “Opening an independent hotel with no head office is very challenging as all decisions are based on experience and knowledge gained throughout your career” says Marco. Marco’s philosophy for running a business is all about longevity; do people enjoy their work, do guests enjoy a great experience and do investors continue to invest in the business as they make money. He believes that you should never compromise on any of these three but instead try to find a balance between them.

Who else is responsible for making it happen at Brooklands Hotel? We meet some of Marco’s team to find out more.

Shane Kelly is the Make Your Day Manager and has been at Brooklands for 8 years. He is responsible for the Reservations and Reception Team; the people guests first experience when making a booking and arriving at Brooklands Hotel.

Davide Minnozzi is the Guest Relations Manager and has been with Brooklands for 9 years in a number of different departments so he knows the hotel inside out. He works very closely with Shane and together they are responsible for making sure that we really do ‘Make It Happen’ for our guests whilst at the hotel. There is a dedicated ‘Make Your Day’ button on telephones in guest rooms and the team can organise anything from a chilled bottle of Champagne to be delivered to your room to filling a guest room with balloons and rose petals in preparation for a marriage proposal. And if you forget your phone charger, they can help with that too!

Giulio Carnevale has been Food & Beverage Manager in 1907 restaurant, bar & grill for the past nine years. 1907 restaurant, bar & grill has been awarded two AA rosettes for the past nine years which reflects both the food & service delivered in the restaurant. Giulio is the Master Sommelier, considered to be the highest & most prestigious title available to sommeliers around the world, for Brooklands Hotel. Giulio knows that pairing a dish from our menu with the right wine can turn a simple meal into a memorable dining experience. Wine is all part of the occasion of dining out and Giulio’s extensive knowledge of wine will ensure guests enjoy their experience in 1907 restaurant, bar & grill.

As well as 131 bedrooms and suites, Brooklands Hotel also features extensive meetings & events facilities, with nine meeting rooms in a separate wing on the ground floor of the hotel.

Nicole Martin is the Meetings & Events Sales Manager, who along with Georgia Goodyear and Sian Hayward, look after all types of events; from birthday parties and wedding celebrations to large scale conferences and board meetings. Dalia Doval and her team, Piotr & Jonalyn, ensure that all events run without a hitch at Brooklands Hotel. Nicole, Georgia & Sian have been at Brooklands Hotel a collective 7 years and Dalia & her team have been part of Brooklands Hotel for 17 years collectively.

In answer Marco’s question of ‘do people enjoy their work?’, the proof is in the length of service the Team Players have at Brooklands Hotel. These are the people guests will be in contact with before arriving at the hotel and whilst guests are in-house so they can have confidence knowing that whatever the reason for visiting Brooklands Hotel, the team have the experience to Make It Happen.