How housekeeping became a perfect job match for Desislava Petkova's perfectionism

The executive housekeeper at the Hyatt Regency London – the Churchill tells Clare Nicholls about switching from environmental health inspection to hospitality

Did you study a hospitality-related course at college or university?

No, I first studied hygiene epidemiologic inspection back home in Bulgaria, beginning at Yordanka Filaretova Medical College in Sofia in 1990. After three years I gained a diploma as a sanitary inspector, and for seven years until 2002 I worked in Bulgaria as the equivalent of an environmental health inspector, responsible for hotels, restaurants and shops, among other venues.

How did you make the transition to a job in hospitality?

In 2002 I moved to the UK with my daughter to join my husband. I didn’t speak English at that time, so I studied to improve it and worked for private companies. My first step into hospitality was in 2006, when I joined an agency and became a floor supervisor at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London.

Did you do an apprenticeshipin hospitality?

Because I hadn’t worked in hotels before I needed to study all the operational systems and undertake on-the-job training, so I took courses in subjects such as catering food safety. I most recently passed the CMI level 5 leadership and management apprenticeship programme with distinction.

Could you talk me through the steps in your hospitality career to where you are now?

The team at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park recruited me to a permanent role and I was promoted through the company to eventually becoming assistant executive housekeeper in 2012. In 2016 I moved to Grosvenor House Suites by Jumeirah Living, also on Park Lane in London, to become executive housekeeper, and since 2018 I have performed the same role for Hyatt Regency London –the Churchill.

How did you decide on your career direction?

Housekeeping is a great fit for me as I’m a perfectionist and I have a high expectation of cleanliness. I have great attention to detail and consider myself resourceful, so I have the ability to make things happen. I try to not just deliver but to exceed guest expectations – it’s an amazing feeling when that happens – it’s really rewarding. There are many opportunities in housekeeping to make the service more personal and unique, and I really enjoy working with a team, coaching them and training them, and passing my knowledge on so they can succeed.

What are the biggest benefits of working in hospitality?

Every day is different in hotels, with new challenges and new experiences. Dealing with the unexpected and thinking outside the box is part of the daily routine – it’s so dynamic and innovative and it evolves every day. I work in hospitality because of the people, so I consider myself very fortunate that during my career I have met and worked with amazing individuals from different nationalities and backgrounds. I do something daily that I love with my heart and soul.

And what are the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenge is labour shortages, post-pandemic. The last two years were quite difficult in terms of finding and attracting the right candidates, so I had to completely change my department’s recruitment process to ensure that I not only capture but also retain the right candidates.

Firstly, I interview all candidates personally and during the process I try to understand what motivates them and where they see themselves in the future. I truly put a lot of thought and effort into the onboarding process, as well as offering flexible shift hours, and I’m pleased that, as a result, I believe my team is stronger than ever.