Amy Daniels – The General Manager of Berlin Mitte

Amy’s journey in Beds and Bars started in London in 2012, when after her job as a nanny came to an end, she found herself looking for a job. Having never been to Belushi’s before, she walked into Belushi’s Hammersmith (where Dustin Mills was the General Manager at the time) looking for a job and landed herself a trial shift that same week. She was hired as a bartender but quickly became interested in the hostel side of the business and was eager to learn more about it whenever she had the chance. She then quickly gained more experience and was given more responsibility on the hostel side.

Amy’s path led her to Berlin after visiting Amsterdam, Prague, and Berlin — making the most of the staff discount — and especially enjoying her time in Berlin. Originally from Australia, her visa in the UK was coming to an end, and Paul Black (General Manager of Berlin Alexanderplatz) told her that it was easy for Australians to get visas for Berlin.

In October 2013 Amy started in Berlin Alexanderplatz. Initially splitting her time between the bar and the reception, Amy soon proved to be an asset at the reception, and in 2015, when the Hostel Manager position became available, she decided to apply for it and was offered the position.

Since then, Amy was promoted to Assistant General Manager of Alexanderplatz in 2017, became involved in opening the site in Berlin Mitte as Assistant General Manager in 2019, and was finally promoted to her current role of General Manager of Berlin Mitte in 2021.

Taking part in Rising Stars in 2016

Looking back at her experience in the Rising Stars Programme in 2016, Amy has a clear vision of one of her most memorable moments: During an exercise in the finance week she was nominated as the leader of a group and was given the task to lead the group in creating a business plan. After some hard work as a team, she received a special mention for her leadership qualities, which, she mentions, gave her a real boost of confidence. 

Amy recalls having applied to the programme due to her will to keep on progressing and her managers encouraging her, but admits having felt anxious about all the possible public speaking and not knowing what to expect. During the Rising Stars Programme Amy’s confidence grew significantly and she learnt to vocalise her inner voice. Having always been interested in all of the different aspects of the business and keen to grow both professionally and personally, Amy says that through Rising Stars, she realised she saw herself with a future within Bed and Bars.

While public speaking was a particularly challenging aspect to Amy in the beginning, during Rising Stars, Amy learnt techniques on how to recognise nervous behaviours and how to overcome them. These skills have further helped her during her career whether when attending hostel conferences or in brainstorming sessions. 

Amy’s message to any future participants of Rising Stars is: ‘Treat the programme as a personal development challenge, and you cannot go wrong. No matter what, you will have fun and surprise yourself, whether through learning new skills or gaining a boost in confidence. Put your hand up, ask the questions, and get involved.’
When asked about the skills or knowledge she gained during Rising Stars that she finds most valuable in her current role, the answer is clear: ‘A little support can go a long way.’