In an inspiring victory for Australia's hospitality sector, a Melbourne hotel professional has been crowned the nation's top receptionist after revealing her winning strategy involving a fake general, mathematics drills, and innovative props.
From Seventh Place to Champion
Maddie Heffernan, a 30-year-old concierge at Melbourne's W Hotel, claimed the prestigious Australia's Receptionist of the Year award last month in a competition that tested the limits of hospitality expertise. The regional award for the Amicale Internationale Des Sous-Directeurset Chefs De Réception Des Grands Hôtels (AICR) represents one of the industry's highest honours.
Heffernan told 7NEWS.com.au she initially fell into hotel work without clear career direction. "I started off as a guest service agent, so doing the check-in and check-out, and I really enjoyed it," she recalled. Her rapid rise through the ranks saw her represent her hotel at last year's competition where she placed seventh - a result that only fueled her ambition.
"It was pretty cool, but I wanted to do better," Heffernan said. "This year I was aiming for sixth or higher and I completely smashed that."
The Gruelling Competition Process
This year's contest began with a demanding three-hour video call where competitors answered four pre-sent questions before facing three surprise questions about streamlining hotel operations. Heffernan advanced from this initial round to join just ten finalists for an even more challenging three-hour, in-person exam the following day.
Remarkably, Heffernan was the only competitor who worked on competition day, completing a 7am-3pm shift before rushing to the event. "Everyone else came from other states, so they got put up in nice hotels and they got time to kind of relax and revise," she noted.
The exhaustive exam tested mathematical skills like calculating room revenue and averages, followed by email response exercises and group activities. Despite fatigue from working all day, Heffernan arrived for the final roleplaying segment with a secret weapon.
The Game-Changing Roleplay Strategy
Competitors faced a daunting 13-page brief written by last year's champion-turned-judge Edward Peterson, detailing a fictional Alice Springs hotel and seven VIP guests. The challenge required memorising names, occupations, and habits of all VIPs while managing regular guests played by actors.
Heffernan's innovative approach involved creating physical props - printed fake newsletters highlighting local restaurants and activities. "I don't think anyone else did it," she revealed. "I made sure with Peterson that I could do it because it was practically a cheat sheet."
The scenario intensified when one VIP revealed himself as an Australian Army general with strict security requirements. "For security reasons he didn't like to show his photo ID," Heffernan explained. "We had to check him in discreetly without using names and asking for ID."
The situation escalated when the general returned complaining someone had been checked into his room and had seen his secure documents. Heffernan had to manage the room change while preserving the hotel's last available room for potential walk-ins.
Her real-world experience proved invaluable as she improvised scenarios like refusing refunds for third-party bookings. "I felt a lot more confident and relaxed the second time," she said. "I realised, if you're doing your job and you know what's expected of you, the competition is so easy."
Historic Victory and International Prospects
When winners were announced, Heffernan didn't initially realise she'd won. "It's just instinct, I just started clapping for the winner because that's what you do when someone wins," she recalled. "And I was like, 'oh, that's me, that's my name'. I actually got really emotional because it had been such a journey coming from coming seventh last year."
Her victory marks the first time any professional from W Hotel or the entire Marriott group has claimed this national honour, which she described as "such an incredible honour."
The win qualifies Heffernan for the international AICR competition at Hotel Brussels in Belgium next January, though she faces scheduling conflicts with the Australian Open - Melbourne hospitality's busiest period. If she cannot attend, the opportunity passes to runner-up Praveen Venkatesh from Adelaide's Crowne Plaza.
Heffernan acknowledged the international competition presents significantly greater challenges. "This is ten times harder," she said. "It's tough competition when you've got people from Monaco, England, France, Singapore, some of these places are what you think of when you think of luxury hotels."
The global event features an extended six-hour exam and three simulations covering both front and back-of-house operations. Heffernan hopes to emulate Peterson's historic second-place achievement for Australia but remains uncertain about her participation given professional commitments.
