We Can’t Wait To…
Golf, tennis and a pint. Champagne with old friends and new. As we reopen, The Merrion Hotel’s Peter MacCann asks the team what they’re most looking forward to.
The Commissionaire
Tommy O’Brien
“It will be great for everyone”
I’m a forever optimist. I’m looking forward to getting back to work, back to the everyday of the hotel, with guests coming and going, and back to my colleagues. Back to the routine that I love. I think it’ll take a while, but it will be great for everyone, because it’s what we’re all looking forward to.
As a Commissionaire, I’m one of the first people you’ll meet when you come to The Merrion. I’m the one outside, in the hat. We get to know all the regulars at the hotel, those who stay, and those who like to come each morning for coffee. We get to know the people who live in the area, the postman, and the policemen who give us a wave. It’s a whole world, inside and outside the hotel. We’re the first people to meet the guests on the street, and the last person to say goodbye as they leave.
Apart from that, I’m really looking forward to having a game of golf tomorrow at 9am. And then again on Friday. Even if it pours with rain, I’ll be there.
The Food and Beverage Director
Vanessa Lampe
“We’re part of people’s lives”
I take care of the whole food and beverage department, including all the restaurants, bars and the private dining. Finally we have a date for reopening! It has been a long time. I’m really looking forward to seeing all our regular guests. The great thing about the hospitality industry is we’re part of people’s lives – and we haven’t been able to do that for such a long time. That’s the thing, and I’m so glad we’re all getting it back.
Outside work? Dare I say it? I’m looking forward to a haircut! That’s my first go-to. And then to some new activities for my son. I’m hoping to go to a tennis club with him, and I think his Dad will try and get him into GAA. He’s three and a half, and in the summer there’s no better time for a child to run around with a ball!
The Housekeeper
Tracy Glassett
“The building is beautiful, but it has also got a soul”
As the Executive Housekeeper, I’m head of all housekeeping operations at The Merrion. I have worked here for 23 years, and it covers a multitude – from the florists to room service. What struck me most during lockdown is how I know this building so intimately. I know every nook and cranny, and it’s like the hotel has its own personality.
That’s what saddened me professionally. So I’m looking forward to seeing the building come to life again. During Lockdown there has been a small team keeping things going, and I found I was walking round in this empty house that was all quiet. In the early days it was like I felt sad for the building, with no one there to appreciate it. It felt like a ship that wasn’t out sailing. The building is beautiful, but it has also got a soul. It’s not just a hotel, it’s The Merrion.
Beyond that, I’m looking forward to being spontaneous. At the moment, everything has to be thought through and planned. So I can’t wait for spontaneity to come back.
And tomorrow I’m going to watch my little girl play sports for the first time in months.
The Host
Fiona O’Grady
“The flowers are blooming in the gardens”
I am Host Manager at the Garden Room Restaurant. I usually start about seven and I’m there till four. I do all the greeting and the seating. I miss the customers, and the interaction, and seeing that beautiful room all busy and buzzing. It brings a tear to my eye when it’s empty. Currently the flowers are blooming in the gardens, and there’s no one in the restaurant to see them
The customers are my focus, and I’m so looking forward to them coming back. There will also be new guests because people aren’t travelling like they used to, and I’m looking forward to meeting them.
Outside the hotel, I’m looking forward to being able to meet the girls, and going to have a glass of wine and go out for dinner. I’m looking forward to having a sense of normality returning, and not having to plan everything. I also want to have my hair done – I’m starting to look like Rapunzel!
The Drawing Room Manager
Fabrice Furling
“Lunch outside and a nice bottle of wine”
The first thing for me is to go back five days a week. The hotel has been open and we have room service, but it’s reduced. I’m looking forward to getting up in the morning, to have an objective, to have normal life. I’m also looking forward to the economy coming back. They say money isn’t everything, but it contributes a little!
To work with your team, that is a big thing. At the moment we don’t see each other too much, but when we all get together, like before, that will be a good thing. And to see the regular guests back, I’m looking forward to all that. We’ll be serving afternoon tea on the terrace, and we have the cabanas in the garden. It’s going to be nice weather this year – I hope! And lunch outside, with a nice bottle of wine, maybe some champagne, what could be better?
And for me, I’m looking forward to going out, going to restaurants for dinner with friends. I want to go to every place! But just being with friends, that’s the main part.
