Month: February 2024

This month we tried to sit down with the whirlwind energy that is our wonderful in-house Wedding and Events Planner, Anna Campanella. Growing up in beautiful Puglia in Southern Italy, Anna started working in hospitality from a young age; at 15 she waitressed in restaurants in the evenings to support her study as a dance student, which she continued for 20 years. At the same time her love for hospitality took her into what she describes as “my great passion for almost two decades, Wedding Planner and Event Organizer in Puglia”. Taking a break for a few years to focus on motherhood and bringing up her young family (she shares two children with her Brazilian husband) they decided to move to England in 2018, to add another language to her already bilingual children. As Anna puts it “Our decision was dictated by the desire to give our children the opportunity to learn the English language in the place”. The family settled immediately in Rye, and we are so glad they did! As Anna says, “I put my passion aside for a few years to devote myself to being a mother, but I’m so excited to be back to realizing what makes me happy!” If we could bottle her enthusiasm and passion for her work – we would. And maybe adopt her motto… ”Everything succeeds perfectly if it is watered by Love!” Hear hear .

What brings you to The George?
When I moved to Rye from Italy, I saw so many good comments and reviews about The George and I thought “This is a Fantastic Place to work!!” … and that’s how it went.

List 3 things you won’t leave home without
My bag, lipstick and sparkling water.

What is your best hotel memory?
At The George, when they gave me a tour and we walked into The Ballroom…. my breath stopped! It reminded me of similar feelings I have had walking into The Ritz in London, and my other favourite hotel, Milan’s Casa Baglioni.

What is the best/most important part of staying away in a hotel for you?
The welcome, the ambience and attention to details.

What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?
Actually, I’m reading ‘The Nowhere Emporium’ by Ross Mackenzie at the moment. I just finished watching ‘The Good Doctor’, and I listen to ‘Mushroom playlist’, which my kids made for me – a mix of people like Arianna Grande, Drake and Pharrell Williams.

Do you have a hotel lobby/lift story you’d care to share with us?
Yes, it was so embarrassing, but at the same time it was a lot of fun… One morning, while welcoming hotel guests to The George, a passer-by came into the lobby and asked if he could sit down for breakfast. I, always with the utmost kindness, asked him to wait in the lounge because I needed to check the kitchen was still open. Returning to seat and serve him, he kept looking at me in an intrigued way…. After less than 1 minute my colleague in the restaurant called me over and asked me how I didn’t recognize such a famous English actor? (I’m not a television addict) …. When this guest finished and left, he smiled and asked me for MY name and said it was the first time a staff member hadn’t asked him for an autograph! And sorry to say – but I still don’t know who he is, but he was very nice!

What do you always forget/lose when you go away?
I’m not a person who forgets things. The one and only exception – I always forget … the shopping list? I will spend half an hour doing it and then it stays there, forgotten on the table.

Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?
I do have a dream…. It will be great to welcome Hugh Grant!

What helps you get to sleep at night? (Keep it clean!)
The cuddles from my kids, before the bedtime.

My secret Rye discovery is….
Not going to tell… it wouldn’t be a secret if I told!

 

 

 

This month we took the leisurely 2-minute stroll down the hill to chat with our lovely neighbours at Rae Lifestyle. Owners Alexa and Eduardo kindly showed us around their beautiful homeware shop, calmly escorted by their whippet Ruby. We even got a sneak snoop around Eduardo’s attached jewellery workshop, where he hand-crafts their collection of bespoke pieces, whilst Ruby snoozed in her basket under his workbench.

With backgrounds in the fashion and design industry (Alexa) and having studied Fine Art and Sculpture (Eduardo) the couple relocated from London, with the hope for a slower pace of life and to live closer to nature. They opened Rae in August 2020. The shop reflects their values; a strong focus on sustainability, and more consideration about how and why we shop. Rae prioritizes quality over quantity and actively sources brands that share their small production ethos.

It is also the perfect space to showcase Rae Atelier, which is designed, hand-made and set by Eduardo in-house. Combining traditional goldsmith methods with modern technology, each piece is unique, hand-forged from bouillon & hand-crafted to the finished product. Again, sustainability is at the core of his work, using recycled metals & upcycled precious gemstones where possible. All stones are ethically sourced & all pieces are hallmarked. We hope one day all shopping experiences will be this civilized!

https://raelifestyle.com

What brings you to the George?
I love meeting friends for a drink or a catchup over some food in the bar & lounge area. If we can get the sofa in front of the fire during the winter months then we feel lucky! We also stayed at The George for our wedding weekend, which was such a treat, the room was so comfortable and luxurious for our special celebration. It also provided the perfect place to get ready with my mum and friends the morning of the wedding, so this will always have very special memories for us.

List 3 things you won’t leave home without
Shop keys, dog poo bags and my phone. All very boring but absolutely necessary!

What is your earliest hotel memory?
I think it would be when we spent Christmas in a small hotel on the Suffolk coast one year when I was very young. I mostly remember Father Christmas coming around the dining room giving out presents.

What is the most important part of staying away in a hotel for you?
The escapism! The interiors need to be transportive, taking you away from your daily life. The bedroom needs to be really comfortable and the real luxury is not having to do the chores of making the bed or washing up after dinner. Oh , I also insist on really good coffee in the room for that first cup when you wake up in bed, that’s a must.

What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?
I just finished reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. I really enjoyed it but didn’t much like any of the characters so still trying to work out that one. Slow Horses was my last binge- watch on TV. It’s just so good!

Do you have a hotel lobby/lift story you’d care to share with us?
I don’t have a particular story, but I used to travel for work a lot and luckily got to go to New York many times. The hotels there are my favorite for hanging out in the lobby area to people watch and see what everyone is wearing.

What do you always forget/lose when you go away?
My eye mask, an essential, but I always lose them.

Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?
Oh, probably my best friend who lives in Australia, so we could hang out and catch up in person.

What helps you get to sleep at night? (Keep it clean!)
I love a sleep spray and hand cream with lavender in it, to try to calm my mind. My go-to favourite is the Moonstone Sleep Spray which we stock in Rae. Not only does it smell amazing but it really works!

My secret Rye discovery is….
Walking. You must just walk Rye to explore all the little cut-throughs and alleyways. It is the best way to discover it for yourself; you get glimpses of amazing views and come across buildings that are hidden down the smallest passages.