Dream Jobs: Hotel manager

By Anna TIms, The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.20.16

Word Count 495

A family checks into the hotel. Professional Images

Hayley Mundy wakes up in the morning and cannot wait to get to work. She is the manager
of a Travelodge hotel near London, England.

The hotel is in a busy area. There are crowded highways, gas stations and shopping
centers. Mixed in with it all are fields of white and purple flowers.

The hotel entrance is tucked in a gray cement wall. The walk to the tiny front desk is dark,
but the hallways are very clean. The views from the rooms look over a lake and more fields
of flowers. Even the bathroom has a nice view.

Mundy is 32 years old and loves her job as the hotel's manager. She feels this way
because she loves people. Truckers stay there on their way to and from Europe. Tired
business people like the clean, welcoming rooms. Families are happy to stay there.

Seven years ago, Mundy was doing nails and selling makeup, but she wanted a better job.
Mundy decided she wanted to work in a company where she could move up. Mundy
started at Travelodge as a room cleaner. She wanted to start at the bottom and work her
way up.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Working At Seven Different Hotels To Learn The Business

She learned how to properly make the beds. She was taught how to polish a mirror, dust
light bulbs and remove dog hair from carpets.

She cleaned rooms for four months. Working the check-in desk was Mundy's next
assignment. She worked at seven different Travelodges to learn the business. The
company sent her to school to be trained as a manager. She became a hotel manager two
years ago.

Mundy has a set daily schedule. First, she goes to her office and does paperwork. She
makes sure her workers are paid. Next, she sets up room-cleaning schedules. She then
organizes a quick staff meeting.

"It's 10 minutes at 10 a.m. every day when we all meet and have a chat about the day. I'll
do safety checks around the hotel." She checks the elevators and bathrooms, and looks
under the beds. She knows the inside of every drawer.

Meeting The Needs Of Every Guest

She has a staff of 13 and feels they are the best of friends. Each day they take turns
bringing in lunch for everyone. They celebrate birthdays together, too.

Mundy and her staff keep records of the needs of every guest who stays at the Travelodge.
Mundy wants them to come back. If a guest asks for something, she tries her best to
provide it.

"There's one truck driver who works nights and can't sleep during the day if the corridor
light is on, so we always give her a room at the end and remove the light bulb outside her
door."

Mundy would like to move next to Travelodge's head office. She wants to work to protect
the health and safety of hotel workers. Mundy is hopeful that her hard work will result in this
new job.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

Quiz

1 Read the sentence below from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Hayley Mundy wakes up in the morning and cannot wait to get to

work.

Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5] BEST explains why Mundy cannot wait
to get to work?

(A) The views from the rooms look over a lake and more fields of flowers.

(B) She feels this way because she loves people.

(C) Families are happy to stay there.

(D) She wanted to start at the bottom and work her way up.

2 Based on the section "Working At Seven Different Hotels To Learn The Business," which
statement about Hayley Mundy is TRUE?

(A) She spends most of the day cleaning rooms at the hotel.

(B) She works very hard at every hotel job she does.

(C) She spends a lot of time chatting with workers at the hotel.

(D) She is still being trained to be a hotel manager.

3 What happened after Mundy worked at seven different Travelodges?

(A) She started teaching hotel workers how to make beds.

(B) She started working at the hotel check-in desk.

(C) She received training as a hotel manager.

(D) She moved to the head office of the company.

4 Based on the article, with which statement would a guest at Mundy's hotel MOST likely agree?

(A) Mundy shows little interest in her guests.

(B) Mundy should pay more attention to the safety of her guests.

(C) Mundy does a good job cleaning the rooms of guests.

(D) Mundy wants guests to have a good experience at her hotel.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3

Answer Key

1 Read the sentence below from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Hayley Mundy wakes up in the morning and cannot wait to get to

work.

Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5] BEST explains why Mundy cannot wait
to get to work?

(A) The views from the rooms look over a lake and more fields of flowers.

(B) She feels this way because she loves people.

(C) Families are happy to stay there.

(D) She wanted to start at the bottom and work her way up.

2 Based on the section "Working At Seven Different Hotels To Learn The Business," which
statement about Hayley Mundy is TRUE?

(A) She spends most of the day cleaning rooms at the hotel.

(B) She works very hard at every hotel job she does.

(C) She spends a lot of time chatting with workers at the hotel.

(D) She is still being trained to be a hotel manager.

3 What happened after Mundy worked at seven different Travelodges?

(A) She started teaching hotel workers how to make beds.

(B) She started working at the hotel check-in desk.

(C) She received training as a hotel manager.

(D) She moved to the head office of the company.

4 Based on the article, with which statement would a guest at Mundy's hotel MOST likely agree?

(A) Mundy shows little interest in her guests.

(B) Mundy should pay more attention to the safety of her guests.

(C) Mundy does a good job cleaning the rooms of guests.

(D) Mundy wants guests to have a good experience at her hotel.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4