By David Fox But for the grace of a friend and colleague, Ms Muriel Richardson may never have found the career she enjoys in the hotel industry.

Fresh out of Berkeley Institute 24 years ago with no idea of what she wanted in a career, she spent seven years at Port Royal Golf Course, starting as a receptionist and eventually keeping the books.

She worked with Ms Betty Vincent, the office manager of the day, for those seven years. But Ms Vincent won a job managing Rosedon Hotel, then two weeks later called for Ms Richardson to join her as assistant manager, with responsibility for accounting.

Almost in one fell swoop, in 1977 she was in an industry that she knew little about and never really considered as a career choice. Five years later, she was the hands-down choice to take over from Ms Vincent as general manager.

She has been at the helm of Rosedon for a dozen years now, and says she is just where she wants to be.

"Betty Vincent was my mentor. She trained me at Port Royal and helped me a lot at Rosedon. She recognised that I didn't know the business, but said that she could trust me on the accounting side and could train me on the hotel side. She then told the hotel owners that they had to hire me.'' Ms Richardson also had been taking courses at the Bermuda College and the University of Maryland at NAS, with an accounting focus.

The eldest of seven children, she toyed with the idea of studying law before Mrs. Vinent's call.

"It was out of the blue and I said, `Sure I'll come.' And I love the tourism industry. This is a lot more exciting to me than accounting or law. "I had never had the exposure to this industry and that's why I agree that a tourism awareness programme is so essential. I'm so well suited for this industry and I had to come to it by accident.'' The 43-room hotel has a high repeat factor and a strong relationship with business because a lot of travellers prefer something smaller than the neighbouring Princess Hotel.

The hotel has been blessed with a great, long serving predominantly Bermudian staff of about 30, she said. "I found most of them here when I arrived.

Practically, everyone of them are gems in the industry. They are the ones who make this hotel work.

"They are friendly. We always see our staff going the extra mile to help or accommodate the guests. They don't have to have instructions from anyone to do it. I say it again, it is the staff that make this hotel.

"The staff are pro-active and a lot of that has to do with the ownership, too. The Kitson family own Rosedon and they are very forward thinking and pro-active in their approach. They are not the types who have to follow the industry.'' She sees a decrease in young Bermudian interest in getting into hotel business perhaps, because of unfriendly hours.

"Tourism,'' she said, "is at a crossroads for Bermuda. The competition out there is a lot more fierce. There are a lot reasons why the whole industry needs a fresh look. We definitely need to get back to service.

"Everywhere there is somewhere new opening up as a destination, with cheaper flights and cheaper hotels.'' She just returned from a three day visit to the Caribbean Hotel Association Marketplace in the Bahamas, where she had an opportunity to compare notes with tour operators from around the world and other hoteliers.

"I was talking to one wholesaler who sends people to Santo Domingo to all inclusive hotels for $40 a night. Breakfast, dinner, a room, $40. I said how could they possibly make money. It's volume. "Bermuda can't begin to look at things like that. Our costs are so much higher. They are probably paying somebody five dollars a week in Santo Domingo, I don't know, to serve the breakfast.

"Our hotels can't afford to reduce their rates. Already for hoteliers, the return on their investment is not that high. Our situation at Rosedon might be a little better than some, but if you look at the industry, the return is not that good.

"People think hoteliers are snobbish when they hope for upper income clientele. But that is our market. They are the people who typically come here. People who make $25,000 or $30,000 of household income are less likely to look at Bermuda.

"They look at places like Cancun where they can get a great tan, the beaches are beautiful, the hotels are very nice and there are golf courses and it is very cheap. Everywhere I went two years ago, down there, there were brand new fabulous hotels.

"Room rates very, very reasonable. Airfare very, very reasonable. That is just not our market.'' Ms Richardson does no idle travel. Whether on business or leisure, she takes every opportunity to take notes on all aspects of her trips. She will introduce herself and speak to any hotel general manager she can, even if she is not staying at the hotel. It is helpful for new ideas.

She is working during what she calls the hardest part of the year, getting maintenance organised for the hotel.

"In June, everything is brand new and freshly painted, freshly carpeted.

Seven o'clock this morning I was on the phone to the painter, the plumber, the upholsterer just getting everything organised for today's load. It's very diversified. You get involved in accounting, marketing and sales. A lot of it is hands on.'' A divorced single parent of a seven-year-old girl, Danielle, she still tries to meet most guests in the hotel.

She said, "The satisfaction level of the guests at Rosedon is very high, but I stress with staff that we don't just want to meet guests' expectations, but to exceed them.

"I am really focused on the personal side of my life. Work is wonderful.

Sometimes, I have to work long hours, but I enjoy getting the job done. I'm happy to be blessed with a job that I really like.'' ROSEDON MANAGER -- Ms Muriel Richardson