Caroline Mir has travelled to many places, but it was not until she accepted the job of director of housekeeping at The Peninsula Hong Kong six months ago that she got the chance to work in Asia.

“I started my career in housekeeping more than 20 years ago, with stops in Luxembourg and the West Indies. Working in Asia has always been a dream for me, and I was thrilled when I was accepted as director of housekeeping, as I know it is not easy to find a job of this nature in Asia,” Mir says.

Mir was educated at a catering school in La Rochelle in France for five years. “At first, I wanted to work in the front office because I took a four-month course focusing on this field,” she says. “My school gave me an opportunity to work in Luxembourg as a housekeeping supervisor. At that time, I did not know my job responsibilities well, but I still took the chance. I received training for my role and truly enjoyed working in this department. After the training, they offered me a full-time job and were willing to wait until I had graduated. My tenure in Luxembourg lasted for four years and my capacity as day and evening supervisor broadened my vision and stimulated my interest in this field.”

Mir starts work every day at 6.30am. “I like to come in early to oversee the night shift and talk with my night-shift team about their work. Then I brief all room attendants and supervisors, attend the morning briefing with all the other department heads, and make a back-of-house tour to ensure that all public areas are clean and tidy,” she says.

“I also need to check the rooms of our VIP guests in the morning, followed by a discussion with our front-office team regarding the arrival and departure time of our on-day guests. Throughout the day, I may also need to attend internal meetings or interview sessions with the media. My day ends at around 6.30pm.”

To be successful in the hotel industry, Mir thinks you must be proud and passionate about what you do.

“I love this job because it’s a passion for me. It requires a lot of effort and hardship, but I learn so much from my staff at the same time. Managing a team of 150 is no easy task and motivating them is also a challenge. Because of these challenges, I am motivated to work and truly enjoy my role with The Peninsula. My goal is to become the director of rooms one day,” she says.

Having participated in the opening of five hotels during her career, Mir hopes to continue doing so in the future. “I hope I can assist with the opening of The Peninsula Paris when its renovation is complete. Every time I have helped open a hotel in the past, it has been a fascinating experience,” she says.