How we became the mighty minnows
Right now, were I a carriage driver, my team of slightly frothing, wild-eyed horses would be careening around the course with me at the helm, eyes gleaming, grin manic and hellbent on trying to pass the finishing post first. A sort of final push for glory.
In three days we will reach our financial year-end. We've had a good year, and I expect final figures to reflect a satisfactory increase in sales revenue over the past two years (my curtsy, I believe). The Idle Rocks has consistently been the star performer of Keith Richardson's hotel operation, but that is about to change, and in anticipation we've set an ambitious budget for 2002-03 - real nail-biting stuff, as we've left little or no room to manoeuvre should problems strike (touch wood, they won't). It promises to be quite a ride.
The Richardson group is growing, and the competition is moving ahead. It's a bit of muscle and might, David and Goliath sort of stuff - albeit with a healthy degree of camaraderie. Our group of three (the Fowey, Beech Hill in Windermere and us), which became four with the acquisition of the Grand in Torquay last year, is about to become five. Watch this space for an interesting development.
The Fowey and Grand are well into major refurbishment programs, increasing their sales space and capacity, with further stages to follow. All of a sudden we have become the minnow in the pond, and it is proving quite a psychological barrier. We're trying to get our heads round the role of mighty minnow.
Our own plans for refurbishment were settled earlier this month with news that we had lost our planning appeal. After five years, three appeals and village indignation of soap opera-like proportions we are resigned to building our six new premier bedrooms without the luxury of mezzanine floors and split-level sea views. Never mind, at least we know now where we are going and can get engrossed in planning how best to operate during the anticipated upheaval - looking forward to the butterfly that will emerge from the cocoon.
I'm grateful I work for an astute entrepreneur who is willing to invest in his "products", and exciting times are ahead. But it does mean a heavy workload when thrown in with our day-to-day "carriage driving" and its recurring problems of recruitment, maintenance, training and attitude. Oh, to ever get all of the solutions at the same time, for any length of time. But then that would make for an easier life, and who in this industry wants that?
Yvonne Scott is general manager of the Idle Rocks hotel, in St Mawes, Cornwall, a privately owned, 27-bedroom property. She has been there just over a year
Next diary from Yvonne Scott: 9 May
