Behind the scenes: Meet our Summer Interns

As Summer is finally here, City Relay is happy to welcome our new interns to our team! This season is the busiest period for us, as guests from all over the world stop and enjoy a London break, and we onboard more and more new homeowners everyday. It’s is the perfect opportunity for them to gain experience and discover the hospitality sector in London. Without further ado, let’s meet them!

Ayana and Thi, our Guest Relations Interns, at our Wharehouse.

Hey guys! Tell me a little bit about you? Where do you all come from, and what do you study?

(Titouan) We are all from France, except Thi who is from Vietnam and Veronique from Switzerland. More precisely, Sarah and I are all from Emlyon business school and are studying for a Master in Management. I want to specialise in Finance, and Sarah in Marketing and Strategy. 

(Ayana) As for me, I want to work abroad in the future. That’s why I study Applied Foreign Languages with a specialisation in International Business and Affairs at La Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. 

(Thi) Veronique and I both are enrolled in Hospitality Management School, respectively University of Greenwich and Hotel Management School of Geneva, as we love travelling, discovering new cultures and meeting new people.

You all have different educations and different goals. How then did you hear about City Relay and what made you choose to join this company for your internship?

(Sarah) Titouan and I saw different job postings on our school’s job-board. We decided to apply to our respective positions due to City Relay’s exciting start up structure, its great momentum, and strong identity and way of thinking. It seemed to create an amazing atmosphere which was very attractive to us for our first experience in a fast-paced industry, and all the more so in London. According to former interns who we talked to, being able to report directly to the Head of their department and CEO enabled them to really understand how a business works. Now that we have joined the team, we 100% agree this was the best place for us.

(Thi and Veronique) As for us, we found the internship on HOSCO, and applied for the same reasons: we wanted to be part of a young company that had a vision, many fresh ideas, and great energy. It’s also exciting to face the two audience bases of City Relay and the challenges brought by that: satisfy the guests on one side and the hosts on the other side.

(Ayana) I heard about CR through an agency. I’ve wanted to join because I liked that it was a young company with young staff in the rental field. 

What do you expect to gain – or have already gained – from this internship?

(Thi) I want to fully understand the company and how every department operates. I wish to gain more knowledge and skill in this industry. Over the past few weeks, I have gained more confidence in answering to guest over the phone and solve the small problems they might have. The best skill I think I have learned so far is working with different departments and being flexible.

(Ayana and Veronique) Overall, we have already gained more patience, more responsibility and the ability to do multiple things at the same time. It’s also great that we now have much more confidence in managing any unexpected events, finding the information we need quickly, and dealing with the reservations.

(Titouan) Already having experience in a start-up is a great advantage! I have a clearer vision of what is a company and how it works, which is important to me as I wish to eventually create my own business. I’ve already learned a lot about accounting and about communication throughout the different departments.

Veronique, our Guest Relations Intern, at our Kenway Reception Space ; Titouan, Accounting Intern, and Sarah, Sales and Marketing Intern, at our Portobello Office.

What aspects of working at City Relay do you think will benefit you in your future career and life?

(Veronique) Many things! Managing the unpredictable, multitasking, organisation, finding a quick solution to a problem… It will all be useful.

(Sarah) Getting a better understanding of how a business works in terms of management and communication throughout all departments is certainly the most interesting aspects of being an intern here.

(Thi) Being faced with several different types of guest and different situations will help me learn a lot. It will enable me to be more flexible and efficient later on.

(Titouan) I think working knowledge in accounting is an advantage to continue to work in finance after the internship. Working in a start-up is also a plus for my future career but also for my personal interest because I’m interested in entrepreneurship. Lastly, I think working closely with City Relay employees is an opportunity to know different ways of working and to be confronted with any arising issues, so again a good opportunity to learn a lot!

What is the best part of working at City Relay?

(All) Definitely the team. We go out together every month, as well as a summer event sometimes. The office is always bursting with excitement and everyone is driven, nice and helpful. Even if they are not from the same department, they always try to help if we don’t understand something.

(Ayana and Veronique) It is also great to do the check-ins and meet our guests, it is an opportunity to discover the city by going to the flats.

How has the beginning of your internship been?

(Sarah and Thi) I felt welcomed and have learned a lot. It’s been great so far.

(Titouan and Veronique) The first days were also a lot, lot’s of information coming from everywhere – we had to adapt very fast. Now it’s gotten easier as I start to understand more and overall there’s a great company spirit. So it’s been a pretty good beginning!

What is it like to live in London? 

(Sarah) I love this city and its atmosphere. With all the parks, it does not feel as crowded and busy as a city like Paris in which I have already lived. Furthermore, the multiculturality of it still surprises me: just like at the City Relay offices, you can hear several different languages being spoken in the same place. The only thing I miss is my friends back home.

(Titouan) Hmm… it’s very expensive haha! I’m very happy to be here, to discover a new culture and a new environment. It’s not a huge change with France but there are several differences in daily life. Can’t wait to continue visiting different parts of London!

(Thi) I have lived in London for 7 years. I think it is a very busy city but beautiful. The thing I like about London is you can find different cuisine and culture everywhere you go.

(Veronique) It’s really different from my city, back in Switzerland. This is the first time I’ve lived in such a big city and it is a good experience. There is always something to do!

If you would like to be apart of the City Relay adventure, don’t hesitate to check out our career opportunities on our website!