Robert McHugh speaks to Andrew Hyland, general manager of the Osprey Hotel, 'a serene retreat in Kildare.'
The Osprey Hotel is a luxury four-star urban retreat in the heart of Naas, County Kildare, just 35 minutes from Dublin. The hotel boasts a recently refurbished ballroom, a top-tier conference centre, Osprey Leisure Club, and a swimming pool.
Guests at the hotel can enjoy dining at the bistro-style Herald & Devoy restaurant or the Osprey Bar, and the property is renowned for its luxurious spa facilities with award-winning treatments, thermal suites, and a tranquil relaxation area.
Hospitality Ireland recently caught up with Andrew Hyland, general manager of the Osprey Hotel, to discuss his career and how his father inspired him to work in the industry.
How are you settling into your role?
A year into the new role now and I am really enjoying all aspects of it. I have inherited a great team with fantastic experience, they have made the transition into the property smooth for me.
What was your first job in the hospitality industry, and how did that experience shape your passion and commitment to the field?
My first job in the hospitality industry was when I was 16 years old as a meetings/lobby porter in the Dublin Skylon Hotel.
I loved that no two days were ever the same, meeting and greeting guests, and engaging with colleagues helped me really enjoy the industry from day one.
Who was your first mentor in hospitality, and how did their guidance influence your growth and development as a hospitality professional?
My father was my first mentor in the industry previously holding the position of general manager at the Dublin Skylon Hotel. Having always looked up to and admired him, I was never not going to end up working in hotels. He guided me through my first two years and gave me great guidance to go and get my own experiences in the industry.
I then went ‘out on my own’ and started in the Merrion Hotel as a waiter in the Cellar Restaurant.
Throughout your journey, could you walk us through the various roles you have held in your career and the significant lessons you have learned from each experience?
After a year working in the Cellar Restaurant, I was proud to be successful in joining the Management Trainee Programme. This helped me understand all aspects of hotels, everything from cleaning bedrooms, kitchen steward, private dining etc. This was fantastic in setting me up for my next role within the Merrion as guest relations executive, a role where I learned all aspects of running a hotel should the day require it.
After finishing my time in the Merrion, my next role was in Buswell’s Hotel as assistant manager which would give me my first real insight into hotel management accounting and how to financially run a hotel/business.
Buswell’s set me up to have the confidence to go for my next role as operations manager at Clayton Hotel Leopardstown. In this role, I learnt a lot about managing people and the importance of getting buy-in from your team members to help run a happy and successful operation. After three years in this role, I got promoted to deputy general manager where I continued to learn the importance of keeping and managing a good team. This coupled with a fantastic rooms strategy each year helped add to my experience and ability to run a hotel as a general manager someday.
I left Clayton Hotel Leopardstown in 2023 to become general manager of Hampton by Hilton in Smithfield. This was a new brand for me which I was delighted to add to my experience, going from Dalata Hotel Group to Hilton was something I took a lot from. I was then very excited to get the opportunity to manage the Osprey Hotel in Naas and to join Prem Group.
This role to date has been very enjoyable and fulfilling in many aspects. I have learnt so much in my first year in the hotel, everything from project management, leisure & spa management and even how to run a business centre alongside a hotel operation.
Which industry networks have you been a part of that have provided vital support and contributed to your career progression?
While working for both Dalata Hotel Group and Prem Group, I have found both to be instrumental in my progression and continued learning.
With development programmes such as Elevate and Altitude with Dalata to additional resources and support from head office colleagues in PREM Group, without this I would not have had the opportunities to grow and develop both personally and professionally.
In your experience, what are the most significant challenges you have faced while working in the hospitality industry, and how did you navigate through them?
In my experience to date, the most challenging but also rewarding in terms of setting up my core values was Covid. It was well documented in terms of how much it set ours and many other industries back, it was how to manage in such a ‘crisis’ I took most from.
‘If you look after your people, your people will look after you,’ was the phrase that really stuck with me.
Looking ahead, what are your career goals and aspirations, and how do you envision making a lasting impact in the hospitality sector?
I have been very lucky with the general managers I have worked for. I learnt and took a portion of each general manager's style to try and shape into my own.
The next immediate ambition is to become an established general manager by looking after the people in the Osprey. I have learnt throughout my career if this is done, then the overall profit of the business looks after itself.
The overriding feeling I want to have when I look back in years to come is, I would love to say I helped develop managers, helped the industry bring back its appeal for younger people to see that a career in hospitality is attractive (I do believe we have made great inroads in that in the last couple of years).
What do you like to do when you are not working?
My favourite thing to do is spend time with my children, Andrew and James. No matter what kind of day I may have had, they greet me the same way which provides great perspective.
I also very much enjoy going to the gym, watching Leeds United struggle to get back to the Premier League or any GAA I can get stuck into.
While it would give me great pleasure to see Dublin lift Sam Maguire this year, I may have to settle for Kildare getting promoted out of Division three as an alternative!
