Tales from the General

^{A segment dedicated to stories from our beloved hotel General Managers, and all the crazy things they get up to.}

I had the pleasure of hosting international singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor at Ovolo The Valley in November as part of the MELT Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse.

I was running late for checking the fun amenities we had organised for Sophie and her husband, and as luck would have it, the elevator doors were just about to close. I dashed in, narrowly avoiding a collision with a woman who was also in a hurry. As the doors shut, I realised the woman was none other than Sophie Ellis-Bextor… Trying to play it cool, I casually said, “Hi, Sophie, welcome to Brisbane and to Ovolo The Valley. Big fan!” She smiled and replied, “Thanks! Where are you headed in such a rush?”

Before I could answer, the elevator jolted to a stop: we had reached Sophie’s floor! Sophie and I exchanged glances and I was holding the door to let them out and she did not realise I was the General Manager. “Well, this is awkward,” she said with a laugh. I tried to lighten the mood by humming her hit song “Murder on the Dancefloor.” She looked at me and smiled.

Just as the chorus finished, we kept walking towards Sophie’s room at the end of the corridor. We both burst out laughing. When the doors finally opened, we stepped into the room, still giggling. “Thanks for the duet,” she said. Grinning from ear to ear, I replied, “Anytime!” 

As I walked away, I couldn’t help but think that escorting special guests to a room had never been such a groove. 

Roberto Russo

Regional General Manager (Victoria) (Formerly General Manager of Ovolo the Valley)