Pathways & Development

Meet Dan - Food & Beverage Manager

Dan’s journey at The Queens Hotel is a wonderful example of how dedication, curiosity and a passion for hospitality can lead to meaningful career progression.

While in his second year of university, Dan joined The Queens Hotel part-time, gaining valuable experience alongside his studies. After graduating, he chose to continue his career with the hotel full-time, gradually building his experience across several departments including the bars, restaurant and reception. This broad understanding of hotel operations allowed him to develop both strong service skills and leadership abilities.

As his experience grew, Dan became a key member of the team, known for his reliability, calm approach during busy service periods and his commitment to supporting colleagues. Over time, his natural leadership and knowledge of the department led to his progression into the role of Food & Beverage Manager, where he now oversees the hotel’s restaurant, bar and event service operations.

Alongside his role, Dan has continued to invest in his professional development. Most recently, he achieved the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, an advanced and highly respected qualification within the wine and hospitality industry. The course explores the quality and styles of wines, from grape-growing conditions and winemaking techniques to bottling and flavour development, and includes extensive tasting and evaluation of wines from key regions around the world.

Dan now brings this expertise back to the hotel, helping to enhance staff training and guest experience, while offering knowledgeable guidance to guests exploring the wine list.

For Dan, one of the most rewarding parts of his role is helping others grow within the team.

“Training the staff, taking a new starter and seeing them grow over their time with us is the most rewarding part of the job.”

His journey reflects what The Queens Hotel values most – commitment, development and a genuine passion for hospitality. We are incredibly proud of what Dan has achieved and of the leadership he brings to the team today.

Meet Aina - Marketing Manager

In 2016, Aina returned to the hotel. As a mum of two looking for school-friendly hours, she joined the housekeeping team, eventually becoming one of the department’s supervisors. It was during this time that a brand-new role — focused on social media – opened up. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Having previously studied Tourism Management and Marketing in Latvia, Aina stepped into the opportunity and began building the hotel’s online presence. Over the years, that role developed, and so did she – eventually progressing into Marketing Manager.

To further support her development, Aina completed an apprenticeship at HSDC as a Junior Content Creator, achieving two distinctions and a pass. She is always looking to learn something new – following industry trends, studying leading marketing voices and attending professional courses. With support from the wider hospitality industry, she has continued to refine and polish her skills, ensuring the hotel’s marketing remains fresh, relevant and forward-thinking.

Today, she leads the hotel’s marketing strategy, brand direction and digital storytelling – still happiest when capturing weddings, proms, Sunday Sessions and the joyful moments that first made her fall in love with hospitality.

Her journey reflects what we believe in: growth from within, opportunity at every stage of life, and building long-term careers at The Queens. Seeing people have a great time has always been something she genuinely loves.

Meet Alice - Events Coordinator

Alice Robertson joined The Queens Hotel team in July 2023 as part of her university placement while studying Tourism Management at Bournemouth University. From the very beginning, she approached the opportunity with curiosity, dedication and a willingness to learn every aspect of hotel life.

During her placement year, Alice gained hands-on experience across a wide range of departments. She spent time working with our reception team, supporting housekeeping, helping as part of the restaurant waiting staff, and assisting with events and marketing. This broad experience allowed her to develop a strong understanding of how each department works together to create memorable guest experiences.

Alice quickly became a valued member of the team, known for her positive attitude, reliability and calm approach to busy service days and large events. Her interest in events management became particularly clear during her time supporting the events and marketing teams, where she demonstrated excellent organisational skills and a natural ability to work with both clients and colleagues.

Before even graduating from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 in Tourism Management, Alice had already secured her place within the hotel’s Events Department. She returned to The Queens Hotel as one of our Events Coordinators, bringing with her the knowledge gained during her placement and a genuine passion for hospitality.

Today, Alice plays an important role in helping to plan and deliver a wide range of events at the hotel, from weddings and celebrations to corporate gatherings. Her experience across different departments allows her to approach every event with a full understanding of the guest journey, ensuring each occasion runs smoothly from planning to delivery.

Alice’s journey is a wonderful example of how placement opportunities can grow into long-term careers, and we are proud to see her continuing her professional path as part of The Queens Hotel team.

Meet Karen - HR Manager

What began as informal support quickly evolved into a full-time HR position when the business recognised the need for dedicated people support – and that’s where her passion for HR truly flourished.

Since then, Karen has completed an apprenticeship in HR Support with HTP Apprenticeship College and became CIPD-qualified in 2022, strengthening her professional expertise. Today, as our Generalist HR Manager, she oversees the full employee lifecycle – from recruitment and employee relations to training, wellbeing and culture. She also takes on Duty Manager responsibilities and provides hands-on support across departments whenever needed, reflecting her belief that strong businesses are built on collaboration.

Karen believes HR should be visible, approachable and proactive. Whether advising managers, mentoring colleagues or even helping transform the hotel as one of our Christmas decorators, she brings energy, empathy and flexibility to everything she does. Always learning. Always supporting. Always people-first.