Ann-Marie Traynor, General Manager of newly opened Dublin hotel The Samuel, is thrilled to take up the position as her team continues to roll out the red carpet for guests. Originally from County Limerick, Ann-Marie Traynor has enjoyed a career which has taken her the length and breadth of Ireland as she built her expertise and experience within the hospitality industry.
Ann-Marie took up her appointment at Dalata’s stylish new 4-star 204-bedroom hotel earlier this year, bringing unrivalled expertise and industry awareness, having developed her skills with Dalata and taken up various GM roles within the group since 2007.
She was previously the GM of Maldron Hotel Kevin Street when it successfully opened in 2018, further honing her knowledge of Dublin city and the local hospitality and tourism offering.
Ann-Marie has brought her ambitious flare to this new role, creating a supportive and driven culture amongst the talented team, with everyone excited about introducing this new standalone brand to the city.
Having been within the industry for over 25 years, Ann-Marie has worked in a variety of departments and climbed from entry level to GM through hard-work and proven success. Ann-Marie undertook a placement in Dusseldorf while attending Galway-Mayo IT, which is very fitting given that Dalata’s opened its first European hotel in the German city earlier this year.
Ann-Marie said the appointment was a natural move for her: “I originally wanted to work in hotels as I just thought they seemed so glamourous, and it always looked like a fun and friendly environment to work in.
“I enjoy my job immensely as no two days are the same. Of course, some days are challenging, but these can also be very rewarding. Having worked with Dalata for 15 fantastic years, the allure of bringing a completely new brand into the city really appealed to me.
“A working day largely involves a very early start for me. On a normal day, I am usually in the hotel between 7.30am and 8am and would very regularly take public transport for part of my journey to work as it allows me time to catch up on my emails before walking into our beautiful reception area and greeting the team.
“The most satisfying part of my job is seeing the new team come together and really settle into their roles, learning new skills and growing in confidence day by day. I am very proud of the hotel and the team and seeing both start to shine is very exciting."
As GM, Ann-Marie leads the six-strong senior management department at The Samuel. There is strong female leadership at the hotel, with five women in this senior team.
Ann-Marie has been leading the various teams within the hotel to ensure a stand-out experience for all guests. From business travellers availing of the excellent meeting and event facilities to guests, locals and concert goers enjoying the grand café style restaurant, The Samuel Bar & Grill. Preparations are also underway to introduce high quality coffee and tasty grab and go food offerings with the hotel’s Red Bean Roastery coffee shop opening soon.
The hotel has also been built a gold standard LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building and Ann-Marie is passionate about ensuring this environmental-conscious approach transcends through to the hotel offering and its day-to-day operations.
Visit The Samuels websiteIHF Member Hotels & Guesthouses and tourism industry partners can submit news stories for inclusion by emailing us at hotelnews@ihf.ie