Sean, General Manager of The Grand Pacific Hotel, gained his qualifications, a bachelor in Business and Hospitality, at Latrobe University’s Wodonga campus. He worked for five years after that at a well-known restaurant in Echuca, Oscar W’s.
In 2011 he decided on a sea change and came to Lorne as manager of Flowers (now Maple Tree). When the restaurant changed ownership, Sean moved to Lorne Beach Pavilion first to work and then to be venue manager. In 2013 he returned to Echuca.
With a keen interest in food and wine and recognising the interest Australians have in Asian cuisine, Sean travelled to Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore to embrace those cultures and learn about their food firsthand.
In the winter of 2015 Sean was approached and offered the role of general manager of The Grand Pacific Hotel and Apartments where he has been able to introduce ideas he picked up from his Asian travels.
Sean’s hours are long but when he can take some time off, he likes to play golf at Lorne and Anglesea or jump in the car and explore the surf coast. Such long hours also make it hard to be personally involved in the community but he and the company contribute to fund raising by offering local organizations hotel and restaurant packages to raffle or use as prizes.
“I have been in hospitality for almost 20 years, working at different levels and standards where I have gained knowledge and skills. This is the first time I have been involved with accommodation. It is a different world. I have found that it is easy to fix an issue with a steak immediately but it’s quite different with accommodation and guests.”
