Name: Gunilla O.
Position: Reception and Facilities manager
Location: Marriott International’s London head office

What if the career you started with is only the beginning? Some careers follow a straight line. Gunilla’s has crossed kitchens, universities, countries, and hotels, until finally arriving at Marriott International’s London head office as a Reception and Facilities Manager.

Originally from Sweden, Gunilla began her career as a trained chef. But early on, she realized the part of hospitality that stayed with her most wasn’t only what happened behind the scenes. “I quickly realized my passion wasn’t just in the kitchen,” she says. “It was in connecting with people, creating memorable experiences, and being part of the front-of-house energy.”

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So, how did a trained chef from Sweden build a career that now helps make Marriott’s London head office feel like home? Keep reading to find out.

Can a hospitality career take you around the world?

After starting in Sweden, she moved to Norway and transitioned into hotel reception, a step that opened her eyes to a different side of the industry. Later, she went to Australia to study a double bachelor’s degree in hotel management and business, before spending her final semester at Oxford Brookes University in the UK.

“That’s when I fell in love with rowing, hospitality, and London itself,” she says.

Gunilla’s current role as a Reception and Facilities Manager at Marriott International’s London head office brings together the front-of-house energy she loves with the everyday details that help people feel welcome and supported at work.

What does a hospitality career look like inside a corporate office?

For Gunilla, hospitality is not limited to a hotel lobby or guest room. It can happen anywhere people need to feel cared for. ” I see my role as a mix of hosting and ensuring wellbeing, with one clear purpose: to put people first.”

As she puts it, there’s the reception side, first impressions, smiles, hospitality, and then there’s the facilities side, making sure the environment is safe, healthy, and enjoyable. “It’s about creating a space where people genuinely love to come to work.”

How does hotel life prepare you for office life?

The answer is simple: stay solution-oriented.

“Working in hotel operations taught me one golden rule: never say no,” Gunilla says. “Even in the office, I treat my colleagues like hotel guests. Their comfort and satisfaction matter just as much.”

It is a mindset that fits naturally with Marriott’s people-first culture, where care is shown not just in big moments, but in the way people show up for each other every day.

When you know you’ve landed in the right place…

Since joining Marriott in March 2025, Gunilla has led projects that improved supplier contracts, office organization, safety practices, and ways of working. But one of the moments that stayed with her most was Associate Appreciation Week.

“I’d only been with Marriott for two months, but I was so inspired by it that I’m now thrilled to be supporting the initiative in 2026,” she says.

For anyone wondering whether hospitality can offer a career with movement, purpose, and room to grow, Gunilla’s answer is clear. “I feel genuinely trusted and valued here,” she says. “There’s no micromanagement, just the right balance of support and freedom. Marriott’s culture is all about people, and about being you. That’s exactly why I feel at home here.”

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