The skills to succeed

Five years after its inception, the Queenstown Resort College has grown from a modest operation catering for 11 students to a fully fledged tertiary institution with a student population of just under 300. Joe Dodgshun this week spoke to graduate Lucy Gain (22), managing director of boutique Queenstown hotel, the Spire.

Lucy Gain and her 24-year-old sister Amelia formed the company Le Due Sorelle - in Italian, the two sisters - and purchased the the Spire late last year.

In her role, Lucy is responsible for the management of the hotel, which includes guest bookings, juggling staffing requirements, restaurant and bar management, and marketing, as well as making time to have first-hand involvement with guests.

Amelia, who is in charge of accounts and IT as director, is completing her IT studies at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.

"My sister and I work in every department of the hotel to ensure we gain an understanding of how it is best run," says Lucy.

"The best part of the job is meeting the wonderful range of people from all over the world, making them welcome to our hotel, formulating packages to enhance their stay and looking after their every need."

When Lucy graduated from the QRC with a diploma of hospitality management in 2008, she travelled to Europe to hone her hospitality skills and gained the position of chief stewardess on a 65m yacht based in Cannes for the Saudi royal family.

"I was the youngest of the seven stewardesses, but as I had the skills and training from the QRC I was promptly promoted."

After a second six-month season based in Monaco working on a 50m yacht, she returned to New Zealand. Together with Amelia she saw an opportunity to improve the existing Spire operation and position it in a niche market.

She said QRC had taught her all the necessary skills to run a business, including the ability to handle the expectations of guests in a top quality hotel.

"Throughout the course there is an emphasis on grooming, manners and excellence in every aspect of running an operation like the Spire. The QRC training gave me the skills to operate in very demanding roles overseas. It is equally applicable at our hotel." Lucy said their prime focus was to promote Queenstown as a destination by utilising all the various local operators.