She eased into the rolling chair across from his desk, hoping he wouldn’t keep her for too long. Like her last boss, he was a wealthy white dude in his thirties whose wardrobe was “all Brooks Brothers, all the time.” Ever since his arrival last month as the new general manager, or GM, of the Duchess, she’d only had a handful of personal interactions with him. Most of the time, he communicated via phone or email.
He turned his attention away from his computer. “Rosalina?”
“Just Rosie, please.”
“All right, Rosie. I’m impressed with your file. In the seven years you’ve been at the Duchess, you’ve done well for yourself. When you started out, you were a lowly front desk clerk, and now you’re the assistant general manager. That’s quite an achievement.”
Lowly? Not cool, bro. Despite her discomfort, she kept her bright smile in place. “Thank you, sir. I realize it was a quick trajectory, but I’m really dedicated, and I love it here.”
Saying it made her sound like a kiss-ass, but it was the truth. She’d always put her whole heart into her job, even back when she’d first been hired at age twenty-two. As one of the few Latina hoteliers to have risen this high in Victoria’s competitive hospitality market, she’d worked extra hard to get ahead.
Her boss’s gaze flickered back to his computer screen. “While your past accomplishments were admirable, that’s not what I called you here to discuss. Right now, I’m more concerned about the future of this hotel. It’s no secret that the previous GM did a terrible job. For that reason, the Duchess needs a fresh start. A reboot like the one I carried out when I ran the Devonshire. Have I mentioned my experiences there?”
Only three or four times. “Yes, and your stories were very inspiring.”
“So I’ve been told. Not everyone could do what I did—take an outdated hotel and turn it into a well-reviewed gem—but I achieved it in less than a year.”
While Rosie had no desire to hear more Devonshire stories, she leaned forward, as if riveted by his words.
He continued. “I started by getting rid of the deadwood, and that’s what I intend to do here. For far too long, the Duchess has languished in the shadow of the Grand Duke. My goal is to reclaim some of our former glory, but I can’t do it unless my team is fully on board. And I’m not sure if that’s the case.”
Rosie’s pulse sped up. Ever since he’d taken the reins, she and the other senior staff had been on edge. They were afraid he’d replace all of them with his own people, which wasn’t an unusual move in the hotel business.
But even if he recruited the most highly trained managers in all of Canada, the Duchess wouldneverbe at the same level as its hated rival, the world-famous Grand Duke Hotel. Designed to resemble a massive French chateau, the Duke boasted over four hundred rooms, two grand ballrooms, and a well-reviewed restaurant. It stretched over an entire city block, occupying prime real estate across from Victoria’s popular Inner Harbour.
In comparison, the Duchess seemed like an outdated relic from a bygone era. Though it had flourished in the 1920s and ’30s as an iconic boutique hotel with an Art Deco vibe, by now, it had lost most of its glamor.
Preston tapped his pen on the table. “Are you aware of our rating on Tripadvisor?”
Rosie flinched. “Last time I checked, it was not quite at four stars. Three point eight, I believe. It was ranked seven point five out of ten on Expedia.”
“Mediocre, at best. And our occupancy rate hasn’t risen above seventy percent all year. Meanwhile, the Duke consistently sells out.”
“That’s true, but they gave all their rooms a total makeover four years ago.”
He frowned. “It’s hardly an ideal situation. Like I said, normally I’d clean house, but that seems unnecessarily cruel with the holidays almost upon us.”
Rosie smoothed her damp palms over the wool fabric of her skirt. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re not off the hook yet. If you’d like to play a key role in my plans to revive the Duchess, then you and your staff need to get this hotel back on track. I want you to lean into the holidays—hard. Make us a must-stay destination for couples and families traveling in December. Push our occupancy rate to at least ninety percent.”
He couldn’t be serious. Given that it was the first week of November, she’d need a Christmas miracle to make that happen.
She kept her tone upbeat, hoping to hide the fact that she was freaking out internally. “Any thoughts on what you’d like to see? Would you like us to host a few holiday events or offer more amenities?”
“Whatever it takes. Brainstorm with your staff to make the Duchess the most festive, holiday-forward hotel in Victoria. Within reason, since there’s not much room in the budget. You’ll have to put in a lot of nights and weekends, but if you can turn things around by New Year’s, then you and your team can stay.”
Longer hours. More stress. And a tight deadline. Not ideal, but better than looking for a new job in January. “I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Thank you for understanding, Rosie. Considering your excellent track record, it would be a shame to let you go. Have a nice weekend.”
It would be a shame to let you go.Not quite a threat, but definitely a warning.
Upon leaving his office, she checked her phone. Though she’d missed a few messages from the Damsels, she didn’t have the heart to text them with an update. As much as she hated the thought of losing her job, she was even more concerned about them. What kind of a crappy New Year would it be if they ended up unemployed? For their sake, she’d do everything she could to meet Preston’s expectations.
Before heading to the hotel bar, she dashed into the washroom to freshen up. Under the bright bulbs, her light brown skin appeared paler than usual, making the bags under her eyes stand out. She freed her hair from its confining bun, letting the dark, wavy strands fall to her shoulders, then gave her lipstick and mascara a quick touch-up.
Normally, she wouldn’t fuss over her appearance, but with Drew coming to happy hour, she didn’t want to look like a complete wreck.
