THE IMPERIAL HOTEL - Key Persons


Grant Smith

In September 2020, Grant Smith was made a Hotel Director. Grant's Mum, Jill, is one of the hotel's longest serving managers. Nick and Aileen, who fervently wished for the hotel to remain independent, implemented a training scheme in 2018 for the hotel's superb management team to teach them how to take responsibility and ownership for their department. After 6 months, it was clear that this was an area in which Grant excelled and for which he was incredibly enthusiastic. They realised the potential solution had been under their noses all the time, and with more training and experience, Grant could take on far more responsibility. The management training programme really opened Grant's eyes to many other aspects of the business. Superb customer service is essential but Grant's discovered he also loves spreadsheets and numbers, the challenge of making the finances balance, forecasting and thinking strategically, making plans, taking big decisions and still working with the team on a daily basis, making sure the Imperial way is still at the heart of everything they do. Great Yarmouth born and bred, Grant, 30, freely admits he wasn't the best student at the local high school. He much preferred his Saturday job at the hotel, cleaning windows and dusting the tops of wardrobes. When he left school, Grant started a plumbing course at Great Yarmouth College but it wasn't really what he wanted to do. He asked Nick for a full-time job instead. But Nick wasn't keen because he really believes that having an education in a subject you're passionate about and which can help you on your way in life is really important. So Nick offered Grant a hospitality apprenticeship instead. Grant achieved his NVQ level 2 and the rest is history. Thinking back, Grant remembers that when he was 16, he'd told Nick that he'd have his job one day, and as of March 2023 this aspiration has been realised. Grant recognises the wonderful legacy that Aileen and Nick have enabled and is enormously grateful to them for taking him on. He really could not have wished for better Mentors and is thankful for their time, expertise and encouragement over the years. He is already immensely proud of the hotel and is passionate about maintaining its individuality, its identity and all the things that guests love about it. He will still very much be doing things "the Imperial Way" and the Imperial Hotel is still a great British seaside hotel at the heart of a great British seaside resort, retaining its character and family feel. He too celebrates the loyalty and longevity of the hotel's team and is excited now to lead the team into the future.

Paula Casey

Job Titles:
  • Manager