Midweek Interview: Kristen McKenzie, head of community and PR, HotelsCombined
The challenge for the industry is…. that it's constantly evolving. Organisations need to remain flexible and open-minded in order to thrive and stay ahead of the curve.
The things I like about my job are….my daily interactions with our active online community, the amazing work/life balance and my friendly colleagues.
And the frustrations….it gets hard staring at amazing hotel photos all day long — definitely not good for my wanderlust!
If I didn't work in travel I would be a….zookeeper. I love animals.
Qantas or Virgin?…. I haven't actually flown with Virgin yet. I'll have to give them a try one day soon.
My proudest moment was….publishing my first travel article. It was for a major Canadian newspaper group and was a basic overview of must-dos around Los Angeles.
The naughtiest thing I ever did was….steal a Smurf toy from my cousin when I was three years old. It haunts me to this day.
I try to relax by…doing yoga. A co-worker and I have set-up weekly lunchtime sessions for staff at HotelsCombined.
The last time I feared for my life…was on a recent flight back from Brisbane. We flew into a storm and the turbulence was terrifying!
If I can, I always try to avoid…laziness. I like keeping active — both mentally and physically.
I really wish I had…a personal chauffeur.
The best advice I've ever received was…from my old boss. She always used to say, "It's all in the recovery." Essentially, no matter how bad something may seem, there's always a solution and a way to come out on top. No situation is ever hopeless.
I don't understand why…people eat on public transport. It is my number one pet peeve.
My greatest weakness is…..chocolate.
And my greatest strength….I'm pretty good at stringing sentences together.
If I was prime minister I would… work on making Australia more accessible for the disabled. Coming from Vancouver (which is one of the most accessible cities in the world), I'm amazed at the lack of accessible public space here.
If I won $1 million on the lottery I would….buy a house on the beach (although, I doubt that $1 million would even cover that in Sydney!).
If I could be someone else for one day I would be…Oprah. Oh, the power I'd have!
I've always wanted to travel to….Paris. If I could afford to stay at the newly-refurbished Ritz, where icons like Hemmingway and Chanel once frequented, I'd be one happy girl.
My favourite holiday was… at the Gran Bahia Principe resort in the Mayan Riviera. It was my first time at an all-inclusive resort and I sure didn't mind the unlimited cocktails and nachos!
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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