15 Years of Friendship Celebrated at Cork International Hotel
Three team members from Trigon Hotels are celebrating 15 years of friendship since they started their careers at the Cork International Hotel in 2007. The three women, who have gone through marriages, family and loss together, have been honoured at The “Long Service Awards”. The annual awards are to recognise the dedication and contribution of team members.
The three team members are Carmel Lonergan, Kylie Basnett and Sarah Mullins. Carmel Lonergan is the Director of Group Operations at Trigon Hotels, Kylie Basnett is the Group Corporate & MICE Sales Manager at Cork International Hotel Trigon Hotels and Sarah Mullins is Front Office Supervisor at Cork International Hotel.
Trigon Hotels, which include Cork International Hotel and The Metropole Hotel in Cork city, is passionate about creating a positive culture, facilitating work-life balance and promoting flexibility with working hours which the three team members say has been an important factor in their long service to the hotel.
Speaking about her years with the company, Carmel Lonergan said it has given her a great career with many opportunities along the way.
“In some ways hospitality has been taken for granted and is not recognised for all the amazing training and development it gives. There are so many opportunities in hospitality where you can work your way across and up the business to build experience and confidence. No matter your starting point, there is a path for everyone. I’ve taken a traditional route through a trainee management development programme but the best way is to talk to us and see what suits your learning best. It’s different for everyone and doors will open that you may never have thought of before.”
The women describe their team members as their work family and they have developed strong bonds over the years.
Kylie Basnett said, “We are very much a family, we have all grown up together and gone through marriages, families and loss. We have created memories with our team and guests that we will remember forever. I wake up everyday and can’t wait to see what the day will bring and who I will speak to. I have been extremely lucky to love what I do and work with an amazing group of people.”
Speaking about the memories they have created over the last 15 years, Sarah Mullins said she’s proud to call her team her friends and they have shared many moments together whether it was sad, happy or challenging.
“We’re always there for each other and I know that if I ever need advice or have a problem I can go to them and they’ll always have my back. The hospitality sector in itself brings so many great moments. One of my most cherished memories is when a child bought me a teddy from Fota and he had a matching teddy. The parents thanked me for making an impact on the child’s experience of the Hotel. I get a great laugh from my father when he rings me saying he met so and so and they had a great night at our hotel and he should be proud of his daughter. I can picture his face filled with joy.”
In total, eight Trigon team members received awards for 170 years of service across the group’s hotels. The longest serving team member celebrated was Martin O’Neill from The Metropole Hotel with 40 years of service.
Strategic HR Director with Trigon, Kathleen Linehan added, “This was a very special event for Trigon Hotels recognising our team members service milestones. Always a wonderful occasion celebrating our team’s career journey with their family members present. Our team are the energy behind everything we do and their commitment and determination to do an exceptional job each day has been a valuable contribution to the success of Trigon Hotels. It takes great team members to make a difference, I am grateful to all our team members for their collaborative spirit in creating an inclusive, accessible, and diverse workplace which has assisted in our strategy to attract and retain great talent.”