‘Opening a hotel for the first time is an exhilarating experience’ – DoubleTree Hotel’s Sabrina Mifsud

Sabrina Mifsud has been fascinated by the tourism industry all her life. Growing up, she watched her taxi-driving father ferry many visitors to and from their hotels. This drew her towards the glamourous world of hospitality. Choosing to pursue her studies at the then newly opened Institute for Tourism Studies was a no brainer, successfully graduating in Hotel Management.

Today, Sabrina is Hotel Manager at the recently reopened Four-star DoubleTree by Hilton Malta Hotel, formerly the Dolmen Hotel in Qawra, part of the Hilton luxury hotels family.

“I find Hotel life extremely intriguing, as every day is never like the one before,” Sabrina says, as she settles to reflect on her long career in the tourism industry. “Running a hotel like DoubleTree, exposes you to all sorts of challenges, which go beyond the simple every day running of the hotel itself.”

Hotel Management gives Sabrina a great deal of satisfaction, as she recalls the words of an international life coach who had addressed her and her colleagues back in her ITS days, urging them to get as wide as possible an experience of the entire hospitality experience. With that in mind she started her professional journey. “I remember thinking to myself that I wanted to learn all there was to know about the industry – so I chose House Keeping, the department that takes care of the management, cleanliness, upkeep and maintenance of the hotel premises. Before I knew it, it had been 15 years of experience in that field,” Sabrina recalls.

After a short stint on reduced hours, to dedicate some time for her family, she was back at the hotel, and never looked back, scaling her way up through the ranks.

“As I progressed, I always sought to understand every aspect of hotel operations, from what makes a guest experience a positive one, to how the logistics of all our services could be improved. This led to me leaning towards project management, applying a more strategic approach, as I working on projects that aligned with the hotel’s long-term goals,” Sabrina explains.

In 2017, Sabrina made a pivotal change in her career progression as she became Director of Rooms. “This new role gave me wider visibility of the hotel experience, as I sought to balance guest experience, team management, and operational efficiency. Leading the rooms division allowed me to develop a deep understanding of what makes a hotel run smoothly, and it sharpened my skills in team leadership and problem-solving.”

In 2022, Sabrina attended Women in Leadership – an internal Hilton worldwide course, after which she was chosen to read for her Shine GM, a course aimed at supporting team members to further their journey into senior management roles. When DoubleTree issued their call for recruitment, it took her no time at all to decide to apply. Four interviews (in four different countries) later, she was offered the job!

Since November 2023, Sabrina is the Hotel Manager at the DoubleTree by Hilton Malta, having opened the establishment, on time, in April 2024.

“Opening a hotel for the first time is an exhilarating experience,” Sabrina confides. “Perhaps it is the extreme long hours that the team needs to put into the job to make sure that everything is ready on launch date. Perhaps it’s the nature of the work that goes into it, which is completely different to that which takes place on the daily. It certainly brings the team very close together, generating an unrivalled sense of camaraderie, which proves to be extremely important down the line, and sparks some life-long friendships,” she notes.

“The stress of making the date is unlike anything else. Opening the doors for the first time, welcoming the first cohort of guests, and witnessing their awe for the brand-new hotel, is literally priceless,” Sabrina asserts.

The new hotel today wears the prestigious but onerous mantel of a Hilton brand hotel. This brings with it considerable attention to detail, from the most mundane things to the more complex.

“Our DoubleTree Hotel forms part of a worldwide network of Four-star hotels which in turn form part of the Hilton brand. This means that guests know that the services offered will be excellent, exerting on us greater responsibility.”

And sometimes, requests flirt with the surreal as some guests get quite creative indeed. “You never know what a guest might ask for. We have been asked by a guest who was staying for a long stay to help her purchase birds as she felt lonely in her room. We also helped a panicked bride fix her dress at the last minute, saving her big day in the process. There are a thousand other stories to tell. If it is legal and can be done, we will go out of our way to see our guests happy,” she says with a smile.

Sabrina is a great believer in nurturing a strong team spirit, empowering her team members to excel, and become accomplished professionals. “As one of Hilton’s guiding principles states, employees and guests are at the same level. This is put in practice in terms of working conditions, and opportunities that are offered to our employees. We try to keep a healthy work-life balance urging team members to make use of their time off, and proper rest hours. It is greatly appreciated, and reflected in the quality of commitment we receive from our teams.”

“A happy employee is a happy customer,” Sabrina claims. “An employee who feels appreciated for their work will give a better service to our guests, so it’s a win-win game for all,” she continues.

“The hotel experience is probably responsible for more than half of a tourist’s experience on the island. Everyone knows this well enough, as when we travel ourselves, the first thing we notice about an entire country is probably our accommodation experience! We are very sensitive to this, as we feel responsible to contribute towards product Malta. That is why we place incredible effort in providing a superior quality service, be it a short break, a long-form stay, or a graduation party, birthday or honeymoon celebration – we feel honoured to share in these beautiful moments with our guests.”

Asked what her best advice to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in hospitality, Sabrina is quick in her response, urging any novice to remain curious and never stop learning. “Those who succeed are those who are willing to continue learning, acquiring new skills, and keeping up with trends. Tech also plays an important part. Keep in mind that the path to success is never linear – sometimes you need to venture out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals.”

 “My drive has always been fuelled by a commitment towards excellence, a passion for a superior guest experience, and a dedication to growing both personally and professionally. Seeing my team members grow into successful individuals in their own right is very rewarding and gives me a strong sense of fulfilment,” Sabrina concludes.

This interview forms part of the Digital 50 Business Leaders project. These high-profile interviews are exclusively featured online at MaltaCEOs.mt, highlighting 50 distinguished conversations with business leaders, CEOs, and emerging entrepreneurial talents. Through these discussions, we aim to showcase the remarkable journeys, achievements, and successes of Malta’s business leaders.

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