Richard Bleakley Richard Bleakley

What are you most likely to complain about in a hotel?
Bad smell in a bedroom.

What will make you recommend a hotel to a friend?
Quality of service and the hotel’s ability to understand the guest needs.

What’s your hotel pet peeve?
When a member of the team says they can’t do something to help out. A good hotel will always go the extra mile to help out.

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What did you last pinch from a hotel?
From my last hotel before I moved to Dubai I accidentally packed a mobile sim card which I have since retuned!

What’s best - pool or beach?
Pool – every time!

What do you use - traditional menu or iPad menu?
We have traditional menus in the hotel but you can see everything is going towards i-tablet use.

How do you relax when not at work?
With my family and occasionally playing golf when time allows.

What’s your favourite holiday memory?
My honeymoon to Mexico, which was pure relaxation and being spoilt with fantastic food and service for two weeks!

What’s your best business travel experience and why?
Being upgraded on flights is always nice as it makes the journey that much more comfortable.

Which holiday experience would you rather forget and why?
A trip to Corfu on a budget - very poor accommodation and lack of hygiene standards.

Have you ever checked out of a hotel early because it was so bad? Why?
As above!

Which airport would you most hate to be delayed in?
Shannon in Ireland — there’s very little to do.

How many hours could you cope without your smartphone when on holiday?
If on holiday I like to check once a day to keep on top of things.

If you weren’t a hotelier, what would you be?
A professional footballer would have been nice!