My time with City Lodge Hotels began as a General Manager candidate in the Accelerated Development and Deployment Programme (ADDP). It was quite challenging at first, but not without its benefits. This was one of the best experiences of my career in the hospitality industry. The hardworking staff members in all the roles I have trained in have truly humbled me. Training within the group is exceptional – you can pick things up quickly, largely due to the Standard Operating Procedures that have been put in place. I appreciate the various coaching styles too, which have allowed me to get the most out of all the hotels I have trained in. Within three years with the company, I reached my goal of becoming a General Manager at the age of 28. I was appointed General Manager at Road Lodge Kimberley on 1 September 2018, and later General Manager at Road Lodge Pietermaritzburg. What a journey! This has been possible largely due to everyone’s belief in me and their ongoing support. I feel truly privileged to have this opportunity and look forward to the many years ahead with CLH, facing the challenges and the great times to come. 'The secret is to blossom – every opportunity in life is there only for you to blossom.' Sirshree

Looking back on my 22-year career journey, I realise how far I have come and how much I have learned along the way. Through hard work, dedication, and the assistance of mentors, I have been able to grow and build a successful career that I am proud of. One of the most significant things that I learned early on was the importance of seeking out mentors who could guide me. Various mentors have helped me take on new opportunities, provided me with valuable advice, and supported me as I navigated my career path. I also learned the importance of taking risks and stepping outside my comfort zone. I took on challenging roles and sought out new responsibilities as I progressed through various positions within the group. While these roles were not always easy, they helped me grow both personally and professionally. Overall, my career journey has been a learning experience filled with ups and downs, and I am where I am today thanks to the support and guidance of like-minded colleagues and leaders around me. I am excited to see where my career will take me next and look forward to continuing to grow and develop, and apply what I learn along the way.

I am currently General Manager: Operations at support office. I started my career with CLH in 2002 as General Manager of Courtyard Hotel Sandton. Two years later I moved back to my home town of Pretoria as General Manager at Courtyard Hotel Arcadia. I worked at Courtyard Hotel Arcadia for more than 10 years and during this time, got married and had two beautiful children. My career advancement slowed so that I could be both a career woman and a new wife and mother. A highlight was successfully rolling out an emotional intelligence course to managers within the group. When my kids were a bit older, I reignited my professional aspirations and was ready to take the next step in my career journey. I joined City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood in 2014 as General Manager, a steep learning curve as this is a big, busy property. There I cut my proverbial teeth as General Manager and honed my skills. Four years later in 2018, I was ready for the next step and successfully applied to join the City Lodge Hotels operations team at support office, where I am today. I oversee the operation of 12 hotels and am also responsible for all rooms’ division matters for the group. In addition, I formed part of the team that rolled out an organisational culture change initiative during and post the Covid pandemic. My job challenges me daily and is truly fulfilling. City Lodge Hotels allowed me to plan my career at my own pace and gave me the space and opportunity to fulfil different priorities at different times of my life. Not many employers give women this opportunity and I will always be grateful to the group for allowing me to satisfy both those needs.

I joined City Lodge Hotels on the Graduate Intern Programme (GIP) in 2017. The work environment, relationships I have established, and the opportunities for development I have had are the things that make me want to come to work and grow more. City Lodge Hotels has shown how people are valued and cared for, which creates a happy and healthy work environment. I strive to be the best leader I can be and have worked with the best management teams and staff in general. There has always been a quality to attain and I learn from everyone. My journey started at City Lodge Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport, where I trained in each department – this has been the foundation of my development. I started the ADDP, and grew from graduate intern to General Manager, gaining experience by working in 11 hotels. I have learned to be flexible and understand diversity and different cultures. It has been an exciting, emotional, and challenging journey. The programme structure allowed me to immediately put into practice knowledge gained, and accelerate my performance. Ongoing coaching has helped me improve my skills in hotel operations and develop my unique leadership style. A stretch assignment at Road Lodge N1 City as Acting General Manager was an educational experience, following which I was appointed General Manager. Without CLH’s drive to develop upcoming leaders, staying humble during my journey, and all the teachings from young and old, this would have not been achieved. I am proud to say that I work for an organisation that puts its people first. The journey does not end here. I am looking forward to future endeavours.

I started my career with City Lodge Hotels over two decades ago as a Night Auditor at Town Lodge Menlo Park. I was eager to pursue a career in the hospitality industry after working for Walt Disney World Resorts in the United States, and the dynamic culture displayed by City Lodge Hotels appealed to me as a young, aspiring hotelier. The group offers great development opportunities to learn and grow, and throughout my career, I have enjoyed working in our various hotel brands. This has afforded me the opportunity to work alongside some of the most wonderful, warm, and caring people in the industry. I have had the pleasure of working with passionate employees that share a love for hospitality and display a true caring nature towards our guests. I have witnessed the group evolve over the years by being innovative and keeping up with industry trends. The group has helped me to develop my skills and through opportunities that have arisen, I have obtained various internationally-recognised qualifications. My journey with the group has exposed me to different departments and segments of the hospitality industry, and looking back, I can comfortably say that we offer world class service and products. My career with City Lodge Hotels has taken me to great locations around our beautiful country. We cater to different markets by offering a product known for its cleanliness and affordable pricing, at great locations, and accompanied by superior service. To me, these are the foundation of a great hotel experience and that is why I am still a loyal City Lodger after all these years.

Pursuing a career in hospitality is truly an ‘easier said than done’ undertaking. However, with leaders who are willing to invest time in you, success becomes achievable. My journey with City Lodge Hotels has been exactly that. I have been fortunate to work with leaders who are passionate about developing their teams and sharing their experience and knowledge. This, in turn, has instilled in me a commitment to training, coaching, and mentoring the next generation of hoteliers. With a focus on developing its people and a commitment to the company’s values, City Lodge Hotels fosters a culture of good faith, transparency, and integrity. These qualities have helped me overcome challenges, even in tough situations, and through teamwork we’ve achieved consistently positive results. The company has allowed me to thrive in various roles and responsibilities. While there have been times when we faced setbacks, these were viewed as opportunities for learning and growth. Through it all, there is an unwavering ambition to keep growing, both personally and for those who look up to you.

I joined City Lodge Hotels on 1 April 2021, and no, that’s not an April Fool’s joke. It has since been one of the most exhilarating experiences of my career. The job was a huge challenge, one that I believed both the company and I needed. Change is scary, but for me, I didn’t need to change who I was. Instead, I just needed to adapt to my new surroundings and bring all my years of knowledge to the new dining room table. I spent six months traveling around the country visiting our hotels, exploring possibilities, understanding infrastructure, and assessing skill levels. We then implemented our new strategy without adding costs. Once the idea for the new food and beverage journey was conceived, I received full support to embrace this new norm. The journey began and we haven’t looked back since. Road Lodges and Town Lodges were the first to receive food and beverage facelifts, and the menus were warmly accepted by both staff and guests. Now, our guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner at both brands in our hotel restaurants. Once we gained confidence from the positive reception of the new offerings, I focused on enhancing the menus at our Courtyard Hotel and City Lodge Hotel brands. This proved more challenging to conceptualise until we introduced our new intelligent Rational ovens, which have made a tremendous impact on our kitchens. We now offer incredible meals, cooked from scratch and served with love and care. These projects have brought me immense joy in seeing the positive change in both our staff and our paying guests. There is a renewed sense of pride among our teams, offering more relevant meals for today’s guests, and that alone is worth more than any gold medal I’ve ever achieved in the Culinary Olympics.

Growing up in Bloemfontein, I studied N.Dip Food Services Management at the Free State Technicon in 1995. My career with CLH began in August 1996, joining the front office team at City Lodge Hotel Bloemfontein as Receptionist/Night Auditor, and later Food and Beverage Supervisor, and Front Office Coordinator. In 2000, I was appointed General Manager of Road Lodge N1 City, where I spent three years learning business ownership, resource management, and accountability. In March 2003, I was promoted to General Manager of City Lodge Hotel GrandWest. My 12 years there began with managing a low-occupancy unit for the Chinese market, then overseeing a 56-room expansion, and finally recovering from a life-changing bicycle accident. The later years were especially rewarding, as we formed close relationships with many guests, embodying our 'People caring for people' ethos. I learned that trust and respect among colleagues directly influence guest satisfaction, with openness, honesty, and leading by example key leadership principles. In March 2015, I was part of a General Manager swap at City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront, where I completed a Certified Hotel Administrator course. Managing a larger team allowed me to grow my leadership skills and positive impact. In late 2018, I became General Manager of Fairview Hotel and Town Lodge Upper Hill in Nairobi, Kenya. These two fulfilling years offered growth opportunities through managing diverse cultures, international travellers, and political delegates. I also oversaw operations at City Lodge Hotel Two Rivers Mall, part of CLH’s expansion outside South Africa, and mentored two local staff who became General Managers. In December 2020, I was promoted to General Manager: Operations at support office, where I now share my experience with current and new General Managers. I enjoy my role as a coach, guiding staff through complex challenges and fostering a can-do attitude.

City Lodge Hotels has great values, like our ethos of ‘People caring for people.’ I have always felt cared for and part of a bigger family. The group invests in its people and allows you to be yourself, while providing a platform that ensures career growth. The company has always provided me with great leadership and that has been the cornerstone of my career development. They have created a platform that allows you to make decisions freely with a good balance of accountability. In July 2013, I was appointed Receptionist/Relief Night Auditor at City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood. It was always explained to me that you need to start at the bottom and work your way up. I held this position for 10 months and was then promoted to Front Office Coordinator, and later promoted to Junior Assistant General Manager at City Lodge Hotel Hatfield. A year later I was promoted to Assistant General Manager at City Lodge Hotel Fourways, where I worked for two years. I was selected to move to Kenya to take up the position of Assistant General Manager at Fairview Hotel and Town Lodge Upper Hill in Nairobi and assist with implementing the group’s ‘DNA’, our culture and operating systems. Two years later I returned to South Africa as my first son was born, taking up the position of Assistant General Manager at City Lodge Hotel Fourways before being promoted to General Manager at Road Lodge Cape Town International Airport. After three years in Cape Town, I was promoted to General Manager of Road Lodge Sandton. I truly feel appreciated working for this company and look forward to seeing how we grow even larger and more successful.

My journey with the group started in 2009; I was fresh from college when I was appointed Receptionist/Night Auditor at City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Katherine Street. In early February 2010, I applied to be part of the opening team of City Lodge Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport. I was excited about the 2010 FIFA World Cup and in awe of the team and management’s professional paths and personal stories that were valuable and significant in contributing to the opening of the largest hotel within the group. I pride myself on belonging to an organisation that is passionate about identifying, growing, and encouraging leadership and dedicated to making a difference at every level. I joined the ADDP and had the opportunity to experience great leadership by moving across 11 hotels within the Gauteng region, holding different management positions, including Front Office Coordinator, Junior Assistant General Manager and Assistant General Manager. In 2017, I was part of the General Manager succession pool. I was appointed General Manager at Road Lodge Durban in February 2023 and it has been a very interesting and humbling journey. There are days when things are great, and there are days that are challenging, just as with any other job. I am glad I chose a company that always gives support and helps us overcome obstacles. I have grown and advanced within the company’s diverse culture. Having integrity, being loyal and trustworthy became even more important to me as these are my personal values. There isn’t a reason for me to look elsewhere when I can look within, especially with plenty of support and opportunities around me. I hope to continue learning, leading, and absorbing new skills, moving ahead and climbing to the highest rung of my professional ladder.

My journey with City Lodge Hotels started as a Room Cleaner at Town Lodge Sandton. I was fortunate that management gave me the time to receive front desk training after my shift ended and I had finished my daily tasks. They recognised the potential in me and pushed me to seek a career as Receptionist. I joined the CLH development programme with the City Lodge Hotels Academy and enrolled in National Qualifications as well. During my tenure, I had the good fortune to work with some of the best mentors one could hope for. They all encouraged me and had faith in me. After completing my studies at the International Hotel School cum laude, I began my management career at the Courtyard Hotel Rosebank as a Junior Assistant General Manager. I gained expertise from there and in 2008, was appointed General Manager of Road Lodge Carnival City. Once more, my abilities and potential were recognised, and I was encouraged to pursue a Degree in Hospitality after receiving the first Rising Star Award. In 2013, I successfully completed my studies at the University of Johannesburg, once again cum laude. I have worked as General Manager of City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood, followed by City Lodge Hotel Johannesburg Airport, Barbara Road. I had the good fortune to win both the People Caring for People Award and the Business Driver Award during this time. What I have learned during the many years I have been with City Lodge Hotels is that if you do your part, go above and beyond, and invest in the people around you, you will enjoy ongoing support, inspiration, progress, and values to live by.