The Tollman Women

Since the multi-award winning Red Carnation Hotel Collection's inception in 1984, Mrs Beatrice Tollman, its Founder and President, has built one of the most successful and admired hotel collections in the world. Each of the 17 international properties that make up the Red Carnation portfolio has its own distinct character, and all are celebrated for their splendour, inventive cuisine, private art collections and exceptional service. As one of the most widely respected and acclaimed women in the sector, Beatrice (Bea) has been widely lauded for her contribution to the industry, with recognitions including the European Hospitality Awards Hotelier of the Year, a Catey Lifetime Achievement Award, The Leading Hotels of the World's Leading Legend accolade and she is soon to be inducted in to the British Travel and Hospitality Hall of Fame.

Bea was studying to become a nursery school teacher when she fell in love with Stanley Tollman, a second-generation hotelier known for sporting a red carnation on his suit jacket. As newlyweds of modest means, the couple leased a small Johannesburg property in 1954 and Bea took charge of executing starters and desserts. As something of a trailblazer, at the age of 22 she was running her own hotel kitchen – something unheard of for women in South Africa at that time – meticulously tasting each dish and sampling various methods and techniques until they were perfected.

This passion for food and her hands-on approach to service and hospitality has been the secret to Bea's success and, 65 years later, she remains intrinsically involved in every aspect of the internationally-acclaimed collection of luxury boutique hotels that she created. She reads a detailed report from every hotel each morning, as well as every single guest comment made via both internal channels and external review sites, believing that guest feedback is the most valuable tool to success. Tirelessly committed to quality, creativity and guest satisfaction, Bea is constantly innovating new ideas to enhance the guest experience and is a hands-on leader, individually teaching her chefs to create signature dishes and holding regular kitchen taste-tests to brainstorm and perfect menus as a team. Design is also central to her passions, and as she travels, Bea seeks out the finest fabrics, antiques, furniture and artworks that complete each of the completely unique rooms, suites and staterooms across the Collection.

Bea is supported by an industry-leading executive team that includes her two highly dynamic daughters, whose passions for the business began from a young age, when they observed – and now share – their mother's hands-on approach and careful attention to detail. Vicki Tollman is Director of Red Carnation Hotels, overseeing guest experiences, sales, marketing and PR for the properties. She was instrumental in bringing Geneva's iconic lakeside Hotel d'Angleterre in to the collection and is also Director of the family's highly acclaimed South African vineyard, Bouchard Finlayson, which is famed for its award-winning Pinot Noirs. Toni Tollman is Director of Design and Projects at Red Carnation, as well as the hotels' sister brand, the market-leading luxury river cruise line, Uniworld. Toni uses her incredible eye, international experience and finely-honed aesthetic to conceptualize, design, decorate, refurbish and restore the stunning portfolio.

The next generation of Tollman women is also coming through, with Alexandra Tollman, Bea's granddaughter, also involved in the international sales side of the hotel business.

Women at Red Carnation

The Tollman family's motto is “in pursuit of excellence”, and making every Red Carnation guest's experience as perfect as possible is what motivates these incredible women, their wider family, and their 2,000-strong workforce. To consistently deliver their unsurpassed brand of customer service, Bea, Vicki and Toni know that their teams need to be happy and inspired; staff are treated as part of the family, and individuals' talent and ambition is lovingly nurtured. It is this support for their staff that led the Red Carnation Hotel Collection to be the first hospitality company to be awarded Gold standard by 'Investors in People' and also recognized for three years running within the top ten of 'Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For'.

Just some of the incredible women whose potential has been realised and developed within the Red Carnation Hotel Collection are as follows:

Michelle Devlin, General Manager of The Egerton House Hotel in London's Knightsbridge

Michelle Devlin began her career with The Red Carnation Hotel Collection in 2005, as Executive Head Housekeeper at The Chesterfield Mayfair. Her passion for hospitality and guest-focused approach were quickly recognized and Michelle was promoted to Rooms Division Manager and then Deputy General Manager at the hotel. In March 2012, Michelle was offered the position of General Manager at the five star Egerton House Hotel in the prestigious London borough of Knightsbridge, and she has lead the passionate team at the charming, boutique townhouse hotel ever since.

With just 28 rooms and suites, the personal touch is key at The Egerton and guests return time and time again to their “home away from home”. “Along with my team, I enjoy taking personal care of our guests, from the first introduction right through to the end of their stay,” said Michelle.

Michelle also leads Red Carnation's sustainability initiatives in London – something that both she and the whole Collection are extremely passionate about. Protecting the environment and local communities are at the heart of everything that the Red Carnation Hotel Collection does, from installing solar panels and reusing waste water in the hotels to supporting local charities. The hotels keep their own bees to produce honey, thus reducing food miles and improving local pollination; and sustain a living wall of 10,000 herbaceous plants at The Rubens at the Palace. Michelle and the dedicated Red Carnation 'CSR Team' are always looking at new ways to improve sustainability across the Collection, and drive forward responsible change in the luxury sector.

Paula Stakelum, Executive Head Pastry Chef at Ashford Castle in Ireland

It's a far cry from her original career trajectory as an accountant, but Paula Stakelum, Executive Head Pastry Chef at the iconic, 800-year old Ashford Castle in Ireland's County Mayo, couldn't be happier with how her life has turned out.  And who can blame her – she has a simply stunning office.

Since the property's acquisition and total restoration by Mrs Tollman and her family, this jewel in the crown of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection has been voted the World's “Best Hotel” (Virtuoso, 2015), and Ashford Castle is every bit as beautiful as the incredible desserts that Paula creates for guests at the historic and regal, five star property.

“Most mornings I run or cycle around the Ashford Estate and go foraging,” says Paula, who loves having the Castle's 350 acres of beautiful countryside at her fingertips. “It's such a beautiful place and I definitely take a lot of inspiration from my surroundings which are full of wonderful wild ingredients. It's an amazing feeling to be out exploring and to find a special unique ingredient to work with.”

She continues: “I often watch ingredients grow so that I can pick them at the perfect stage. And that is where each dessert starts – with a special, seasonal ingredient, such as a wild strawberry – and I challenge myself to find the best use for that ingredient to maximize its flavor, texture and create something new for our guests. Sometimes I discover a rare ingredient on the Estate, which can make our desserts just that little bit more special, as these are ingredients that you cannot buy. I will only pick a small amount because it's important that we support sustainable foraging on the estate, by leaving enough ingredients for the wildlife.”

In 2018, Paula was a finalist in the prestigious Valhrona C3 International Chocolate Chef competition in New York having triumphed in the regional heats in Europe. Her dynamic pastry team of eight chefs supply eight different dining outlets at Ashford Castle; the elegant George V Dining Room, the bistro-style Dungeon restaurant, Cullen's at the Cottage, Afternoon Tea in the Connaught Room, in-room dining, the Billiards Room, the Spa, and Mrs Tea's Boutique.

Lauren Hargrave, Resident Manager of the UK's Number One Hotel, Hotel 41

Lauren Hargrave came to her position of Resident Manager of Hotel 41 through Red Carnation's award-winning Management Program, which she joined in 2009; a training initiative that Mrs Tollman and her family are extremely proud of. This comprehensive programme serves to develop the finest hospitality leaders of the future thanks to a training and mentoring scheme that cultivates participants' knowledge and skills and allows them to excel and achieve their true potential, guided at all times by Red Carnation's team of outstanding professionals.

Lauren has adored being in hotels since she was small and knew that, if she enjoyed staying at them, she would definitely love working in them. As part of the Red Carnation Management Programme, Lauren was able to experience all sectors of hospitality industry, gaining invaluable experience of all departments alongside the development of her management skills, and working at different properties across the Collection, from London and Dorset to South Africa.

“Alongside my wonderful team, my role as a Resident Manager is to provide our guests with the most memorable experience, exceptional quality of service and unsurpassed attention to detail in the most professional and friendly manner,” said Lauren.

Not only does Lauren feel that she's come a long way personally, growing in confidence and developing some amazing skills, but she and the wider team have also led Hotel 41 to great success. The intimate hideaway, which is located opposite the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace, has been voted 'Top Hotel in the UK' for three consecutive years in the annual TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards. In 2019 this luxury boutique hotel also secured the titles of 'Number 1 Luxury Hotel in the UK', 'Number 2 Best Service in the UK' and 'Number 3 Luxury Hotel in Europe', among many other accolades.  It is also recognised as a Forbes five-star property.

Tzveta Peneva-Ivanova, Executive Housekeeper at The Milestone Hotel & Residences in London's Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

A well-known and much-loved face at The Milestone Hotel & Residences, Tzveta has been part of the team since 2008. She continually strives to raise the bar in every aspect of her role, from finding ways to reduce the hotel's carbon footprint via its laundry services to keeping the elegant, historic manor house hotel looking beautiful at all times.

One of the things that Tzveta loves most about her job at The Milestone is the hotel's commitment to providing “tiny noticeable touches” or “TNTs”. These are small but thoughtful and personal gestures carried out for guests to make their stay even more special. For example, if a couple is celebrating a special anniversary then Tzveta will make sure that there's a romantic turndown waiting for them, complete with rose petals, heart-shaped chocolates and a glass of champagne. Or, if there is a young family staying, Tzveta will ensure that their room is equipped with toys and books. The hotel has a large number of returning guests, so she likes to provide them with a personal touch based on their preferences – that could be a bouquet of their favourite flowers or monogrammed bed linen.

“We just love surprising and delighting our guests with unexpected personal touches, and it's the best feeling in the world knowing that you've made other people's holidays something to remember for years to come,” she says.

This amazing dedication to delivering the ultimate guest experience saw Tzveta awarded the AA Hospitality Award for Housekeeper of the Year in 2017; a celebration of outstanding commitment and performance in the hospitality industry.

Arjeta Arapi, Food and Beverage Manager at The Montague on the Gardens in the heart of Bloomsbury, London

Arjeta Arapi was just 17 when she moved to the UK from her home country of Albania, where her father owned and ran the restaurant that she had worked in while studying at school. Having learnt to speak English fluently she decided to follow her passion for the hospitality industry in the UK and joined The Montague on the Gardens in 2003. Today she manages a team of 33 food and beverage professionals at the hotel, servicing seven fantastic outlets that range from fine dining at the Blue Door Bistro to afternoon teas in the hotel's conservatories and the innovative cocktails on offer at the recently refurbished Leopard Bar. She also oversees the incredibly creative and successful pop up experiences, including the seasonally inspired Beach Bar, the award-winning Ski Lodge, and the launch of a brand new bottomless cocktail experience called Mix It. In 2017 Arjeta was awarded Food and Beverage Manager of the Year at the Cateys.

“Since joining The Montague on the Gardens Hotel in 2003 I have never looked back, and it is my “home from home”,” said Arjeta. We are committed to providing outstanding service and creating memorable experiences for all of our guests. Our motto at Red Carnation is “No request is too large, no detail is too small”, and we ensure that guests receive the most efficient service, spliced with the warmth and genuine hospitality of our team.”