Hotel Cateys 2023: Extra Mile Award, Preston Laing

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The 2023 Extra Mile Award goes to a young night auditor whose cool-headedness in the face of crisis saved a man’s life.

Preston Laing, who has worked at the Hilton Aberdeen Teca since 2022, was working on the front desk of the hotel in August this year when at about 10pm a guest complained that they were feeling unwell as they checked in.

The guest took a moment to sit on a sofa in the reception area, where he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. The 26-year-old quickly responded and put his first-aid training into action, calling paramedics and fetching a defibrillator. With the assistance of another guest, he administered CPR and the defibrillator and was successful in restarting the man’s heart before the arrival of first responders.

The guest, who made a full recovery, has returned to the hotel to thank Laing for his life-saving actions personally.

An onlooker, who was also staying at the hotel, wrote in praise of his actions: “Preston was calm and acted swiftly… [his] action saved that man’s life.”

Laing’s colleagues have said the cool-headedness he showed was typical of someone who has developed a reputation for taking everything in his stride and always going out of his way to look after both guests and his team.

Jonathan Raggett, chief executive of Red Carnation Hotels and former winner of the Extra Mile Award, commented: “As we all know, working in hospitality frequently presents a variety of challenges, usually several in one day, and it takes a very special character to be able to navigate through each situation whilst maintaining grace and care.

“The individual we are recognising for this year’s Extra Mile Award showed clear-minded, decisive thinking and didn’t hesitate to throw himself into action when a guest required life-saving assistance. Preston’s calm and rapid response in a very difficult, and thankfully rare, situation was incredibly impressive. The hospitality business is blessed to have so many talented and committed people. Well done Preston.”