When the fun starts

Just get through New Year and it'll be OK- the fun will start.

That's our mantra in the hotel. I won't bore you with the horror that was start up week. We arrived to discover that the hotel had not been closed down by last year's crew, they had simply got up and left about 2 weeks earlier than they were supposed to- management problems was the only reason I was given. I was then told that I had been chosen to get this place around- last year had been so bad that the owners were looking like they would not renew the contract with Total, and I was expected to get them back on side. The food had been judged the worst in the whole Total programme last year and to be fair they gave me the best chef to sort that side of things out- unfortunately they didn't bother to pay him so with direct debits going out of his account and nothing going in he may not be here for good.

The back of house rooms were stuffed with dirty laundry, broken crockery, broken electrical equipment, rotten wine and ten tonnes of other crap. To cap it all, when the heating was turned on in November the pipes had burst causing the bottom floor to flood- wiping out my newly decorated room and the sauna area so I was homeless. We had no cleaning products and no money in the bank for the first week. After 5 days the overseas director arrived with my boss, the area manager. She had drawn up a list of objectives she wanted me to have achieved in the first six weeks- as I showed them what we had done she ticked all of them off- in the first 5 days. We were starting at 7am, working through till 9pm when we sat down with some food in front of a playstation rigged up to play DVDs. I don't think anybody saw the end of one film, falling asleep long before.We certainly never went skiing- even though I was expected to know my round the slopes so I could guide the guests on the first week of the season.

The first guests were families- Total doesn't really cater for kids so they weren't all that happy. Despite this the results to the company questionnaires was great and the pressure was off for a while. Only one couple left us a tip- €28 (I don't take a share because I get bonuses if we reach certain targets)- luckily I negotiated 55 litres of free beer from a brewery rep and with some shorts left over from last year which weren't on the books we were effectively running our own bar with all takings pure profit.

A single room was taken off sale for the first two weeks but has been booked for 30 Dec- my room won't be fixed till mid Jan. I only discovered this by accident and have spent the past week networking with the few friends I've made locally to find a place to live. I've got an attic above a garage which is 4 feet high at the apex- nice.

Christmas day was a big thing for us because it's quite expensive to stay here then. Many guests said it was the best Christmas dinner they ever had. I took some photos of my day skiing. I know everyone wants to read good news but this is also my memoire- this month has been Total shit! I work from 7 am sometimes till 1 am straight through. Pressure comes from all directions and I although I didn't do this for the money I got paid £139 which is approximately one fifteenth of what I'd get at home and work about a quarter as much. A few half days skiing with guests who can't handle an easy blue each week is not my idea of compensation. If I weren't tenacious by nature I would be thinking of all the other fantastic things I could be doing instead- but it has to get better- doesn't it????

{You should click on this photo to see the perfect tracks- I only wish I'd laid them.