Hotel staff experience training with a twist
Two hotel staff embarked on a voyage with the Royal Navy to understand the pressures of running a warship and learn new skills to help them in their day-to-day jobs.
Sarah Wilkinson, manager of London’s Cumberland Hotel, and assistant PA Kirsten Barnes, joined HMS Cumberland in Bordeaux, France, and spent the weekend on the ship, as part of a partnership between the hotel and the vessel to develop training opportunities for both employees and crew.
Sarah Wilkinson commented: “We are proud to be affiliated with HMS Cumberland and have learned much from the crew’s responsibilities and life on board.”
During their voyage, the hotel employees got used to sleeping on two-foot-wide bunks and supping on Horse Necks – a traditional Navy aperitif. As well as experiencing communal bathing facilities, the women had to endure a loud foghorn sounding every two minutes. Over the two days the Navy demonstrated several routine exercises, including engine tests that involved sharp manoeuvres to port and starboard. In addition, they saw how a pilot was winched off the ship by helicopter.
The voyage marked a new phase in a long-standing relationship between the two namesake organizations. Plans include leadership workshops for hotel management on board HMS Cumberland and customer-service “enlightenment” training for HMS Cumberland crew at the Cumberland Hotel.
