Orlagh Hartnett, the winner of Fred Sirieix’s E4 contest series “Fred’s Last Resort”, has started her journey within Accor.
Orlagh, a 21-year-old former pizza restaurant waitress from Cheshire, has embarked on a year-long bespoke placement working in a range of hospitality positions across some of Accor’s flagship hotels, offering comprehensive and bespoke training to kick-start her career in the sector.
The first placement is a four-month apprenticeship at the renowned Sofitel London St James as a Food & Beverage Apprentice within the Sofitel’s Michelin star restaurant, Wild Honey. This will be followed by a four-month Chef placement within the award-winning Bokan team at the flagship Novotel London Canary Wharf, working closely with the team at the award winning 37th floor AA Rosette restaurant known for its stunning views across London.
The final placement will see Orlagh embedded at the iconic Savoy Hotel, part of Accor’s global Fairmont hotel portfolio. Here, she will be offered the opportunity to work within the operations of the 5-star hotel on a tailored programme designed to suit her skills and ambitions.
Throughout the placement, Orlagh will be mentored by Egle Navikaite, General Manager at ibis Shepherd’s Bush. Egle joined Accor in 2010 rising quickly through the ranks, supported by Accor global L&D programs including the Step Up program, and achieved the position of General Manager for the first time in July 2022.
In addition to working amongst the great talent at Accor, Orlagh will also be offered bespoke Training & Development via the global Accor Academy. For more than 30 years, The Academy has provided a diverse range of training programs, from job-specific sessions to brands immersion and leadership training, in multiple languages online, at hotel and at one of eight Academy sites around the world.
Since being crowned the winner of “Fred’s Last Resort”, Accor has also provided Orlagh with a tour across the Group’s European hotels to immerse her in the travel and hospitality experience and offer an insight into the range of opportunities that exist within the hospitality industry and the span of Accor’s brands. The trip took her to Raffles Warsaw, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace and Mama Shelter Lisbon, where she spent time with each team to understand first-hand the Accor service-culture and guest experience.
Fred Sirieix, who picked Orlagh as his leading recruit following the tough competition season at the five-star French Riveria hotel, Les Roches Blanches, shared: “From the start of the contest, Orlagh has consistently shown natural talent and a true passion for hospitality. Orlagh is set for a successful career in the industry, and to kick-start this with placements across three well-known Accor hotels in London is a fantastic opportunity. She is a very well-deserved winner and I look forward to continuing to watch her grow and excel in her placement year.”
Aiden McAuley, a spokesperson for Accor in the UK, said: “Accor was delighted to be chosen as the prize partner for Fred’s Last Resort. The entire vision of the show reflects our own commitment to championing careers in hospitality, particularly with the younger generation who can learn life and business skills and travel the world with a career in hospitality. Like Fred, we are passionate about transforming the perception of the sector, particularly in the UK, and championing the opportunities the industry affords its people.
“Hospitality is a people business and we are committed to our teams and their growth and learning. We are proud to be able to support Orlagh as she starts her career in hospitality with Accor and we look forward to seeing where her talents and ambitions take her in this wonderful industry.”
