Acorns 2018: Charlotte Horler, front of house manager, Red Carnation Hotels

Front of house manager, Montague on the Gardens, London W1 (Red Carnation Hotels)

Nominator Jo Harley, managing director, Purple Cubed

Proudest moment "Being awarded the Acorn Scholarship 2016 and becoming a Springboard Ambassador."

Biggest inspiration "At Walton Hall & Hotel, general manager Graeme Nesbitt, operations manager Craig Routledge and executive chef Adam Bateman were all role models."

Ambition "To become a general manager, delivering exceptional guest service and achieving financially."

A job as a breakfast waitress at the Northwick hotel aged 16 was Charlotte's first taste of a career in hospitality. She joined the hotel's management programme and by 19 was head receptionist at Hotel Collections' Walton Hall & Hotel. As front of house manager, she grew occupancy from 87% to 92% and delivered annual revenue of £1.192m against a budget of £924,000.

In 2015, Charlotte moved to Billesley Manor as the group's youngest operations manager, where, she took on the additional functions of HR, learning and development as well as health and safety compliance. She also decreased the F&B payroll by £72,000 year-on-year and played a key part in the brand transition from Barcelo to Puma Hotels and then the Hotel Collection.

As front of house manager at the Red Carnation Hotels' 88-bedroom Montague on the Gardens, she has grown average room rate by more than £18.70 year on year, all contributing to the hotel increasing EBITDA by £47,200 against budget in the last 12 months.

Charlotte is actively working towards becoming a general manager, and recently spent her free time at the Principal Manchester to understand the complexities of a new opening.Â