Meet Carolyn: From Hotel Receptionist to General Manager at Golf View Hotel & Spa
For Carolyn Carrington, a career in hospitality was never mapped out from the beginning. In just 10 years, she progressed from hotel receptionist to General Manager, building her career across almost every area of hotel operations along the way.
Today, Carolyn leads the team at Golf View Hotel & Spa, our beautiful 42-bedroom seafront hotel in Nairn, where she is passionate about creating memorable experiences for guests, developing her team and continuing to evolve the hotel.
A Career Built from the Ground Up
After graduating with an honours degree in Tourism Management, Carolyn decided to gain some hands-on experience in the industry to discover whether hospitality was the right path for her. Her first role was as a hotel receptionist.
What followed was a rapid progression through a variety of positions, including Duty Manager, Events Manager and Front of House Manager. When the hotel she was working at was acquired by Crerar Hotels, Carolyn took the next step in her career and became a General Manager.
“I went from receptionist to GM in 10 years,” Carolyn says.
She was subsequently asked to take on the role at Golf View Hotel & Spa - a move she has never looked back on.
Growing Golf View Hotel & Spa
When Carolyn arrived at Golf View, the bedrooms, suites and public areas had recently undergone refurbishment. Her challenge was to build on that investment, revive the business and help restore the reputation the hotel had previously enjoyed.
Since then, Golf View has undergone a further multi-million-pound refurbishment and introduced Coast, the hotel's award-winning spa.
For Carolyn, seeing the hotel develop and evolve has been one of the most rewarding aspects of her role. But she is quick to point out that the work never really stops.
“It's always a work in progress,” she says.
The hotel's food and beverage offering is currently a particular focus, with new menus and concepts continuing to be introduced. One example is Afternoon Cheese, which quickly became a guest favourite, while the hotel has also been proud to support local food and drink through events such as Taste of Nairn.
People are at the Heart of Hospitality
For Carolyn, great hospitality starts with great people. Golf View Hotel & Spa is home to a team of 63 employees, and developing those people is one of the parts of her role she values most.
One of her proudest moments has been supporting a young team member through an apprenticeship and watching him progress into his first management position.
“Developing someone with a natural talent for hospitality is a rare opportunity these days,” she says.
It's an experience that reflects Carolyn's belief that hospitality can offer an incredibly varied career, with opportunities to progress in almost every direction. She would like to see more support for recruitment in schools and colleges to encourage the next generation to consider a career in the industry.
“The career opportunities are endless.”
Learning to Take Things One Step at a Time
Taking on the management of a hotel can be challenging, particularly when there are multiple areas that need attention.
Carolyn's approach has been simple: don't try to solve everything at once.
“Rome wasn't built in a day!”
Breaking challenges down into manageable pieces has been one of the key lessons of her career and something that has helped her navigate the ongoing development of Golf View.
Like many people working in hospitality, Carolyn says one of the more difficult aspects of the job is dealing with situations where a guest hasn't had the experience they hoped for.
“Disappointing anyone is the least enjoyable part of my role.”
For someone who puts so much emphasis on creating memorable experiences, it's perhaps unsurprising that guest satisfaction matters so much to her.
Life Beyond the Hotel
When she's not at Golf View, Carolyn can often be found outdoors with her three dogs, Finn, Fleur and Fern.
Living by the coast is something she particularly appreciates, and the beach on the hotel's doorstep provides the perfect setting for getting some fresh air and spending time with her family and dogs.
The dogs are also known to make the occasional appearance at the hotel, where Golf View's dog-friendly approach means four-legged guests are very much welcome.
And when she's at home, Carolyn enjoys baking - although her reading choice is perhaps a little less traditional.
Her favourite book is Harry Potter, admitting that she's a “real Potterhead” who loves the characters, story and, of course, the magic.
Looking Ahead
For Carolyn, there's always something new to work towards at Golf View Hotel & Spa.
From developing the hotel's food and drink offering to supporting her team and continuing to improve the guest experience, she sees the hotel as an ongoing project with plenty more to achieve.
Her approach to leadership can perhaps be summed up by one of her favourite quotations, from Richard Branson:
“Look after your staff and they will look after your guests.”
It's a philosophy that sits at the heart of Carolyn's approach to her role - because while the hotel may be the setting, it's the people who bring the experience to life.
And after a decade-long journey from hotel receptionist to General Manager, Carolyn knows better than most just how much a career in hospitality can offer.
Visit Golf View Hotel & Spa
Golf View Hotel & Spa enjoys a seafront setting in Nairn that embraces stunning coastal scenery through vast picture windows in our Hickory restaurant. Unwind and relax at Coast Spa, where you can enjoy spa treatments, spa days and the ultimate spa breaks.
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