Sandra Boome was recently promoted to Brand Communications Manager of Protea Hotels in the group's first major board restructure in 24-years. Meriza La Key spoke to her about life in the hotel industry.

1. What will people be surprised to know about you?

That despite my fun, happy-go-lucky exterior, there is a very serious and sensitive side to me.

2. What are your personal goals for the next five years?

In my personal life, I would like to improve my golf handicap greatly. From a work perspective, I am looking forward to revolutionizing communication within the company and continuing to build our brand in the eyes of our consumers. Within the next year, I plan to have the backbone of an extremely successful intranet site in place, as well as a refreshed and consistent brand identity in the marketplace.

3. How do you balance between work and family?

Not being married with children probably makes my situation a lot easier to balance. Weekends are family time and there’s nothing better than a relaxed Sunday afternoon in the company of my insanely funny family.

4. What do you do to relax?

Nothing beats a good laugh and whenever I need to de-stress, my friends and family are always there to remind me that I shouldn’t take life, or myself, too seriously. A good book also provides a great escape from reality and aids relaxation.

5. What kinds of challenges have you faced being a woman in a senior role and how did you overcome them?

I don’t believe that being a woman was the reason for any challenges I have faced (or rather opportunities that I have grabbed). I believe that any person, male or female, needs to work hard and smart in order to prove their worth and show their commitment to the cause. In hard work and passion lies the key to opening doors.

6. Do you offer any programmes to introduce the youth to the hospitality industry?

Absolutely. Protea Hotels is very pro-active in attracting the youth into this fast-growing industry. In 2000, we created the Protea Hotels Institute for Professional Development, which offers a host of training courses geared towards the youth who have an interest in hospitality. The Institute further assists us with ongoing skills and development training, in order to assure that succession is a reality and not just a pipe dream.

7. What do you think are three things people should look out for when booking accommodation?

I think that each booking is entirely unique, depending on the reason for the stay. In certain cases, price may be a limiting factor in choice of hotel, whereas location may be a priority to a business traveler whose company is footing the bill. At the end of the day, I believe that it is the service levels and the way our guests are treated that makes the difference. However, if you are scouting around for the best deal, www.proteahotels.com is where you’ll find the best rates, guaranteed. (What kind of a Brand Communications Manager would I be if I didn’t use this as a marketing tool)

8. How has the hospitality industry been affected by the current negative economic conditions in the country?

Surprisingly, the current economic conditions have not had a large impact on our industry, as yet. In fact, year-to-date performance shows an overall growth on last year.

9. What is your favourite hotel and why?

That’s a really tough one to answer, because each hotel is so unique and offers a totally different experience. Besides, if I had to answer that question, I’d have General Managers from all over the country on my case.

10. What is the best advice you have ever received?

If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will.