She was hired by a regional director who did not know who I was, out of a field of six, after three interviews and a presentation.

I offered her a property in the second month.

Of course I did.

I offered her a general manager’s job at a hotel I own, at better money, and I thought I was being magnificent.

She said: “Marcus, I have been in this industry for eleven years and I have been an assistant housekeeping manager and a night auditor and I have cleaned rooms when we were short.

“If I take a GM job from the man I have two children with, then for the rest of my career the answer to how I got it is you.