Life lessons from room cleaner-turned general manager

Pooja Patel, GM Holiday Inn Nairobi Two Rivers Mall. (Courtesy)

Pooja Patel opens her right palm wide, all fingers curved upwards to portray a hotel waiter balancing a tray full of delicate champagne glasses. "It is an art," she says. "You must learn how to balance the tray with your fingers, or it will topple."

Balancing the trays and opening champagne bottles, cleaning hotel rooms, working long night shifts, writing dissertations on a poolside - Pooja has taken advantage of every opportunity thrust her way to get to where she is, a hotel general manager.