Grace Connolly

Hotel partnerships is where my sales background and my product knowledge meet. My core role at Mr & Mrs Smith was luxury travel sales, but I was regularly pulled into the partnerships side too - helping hoteliers get new properties set up and positioned properly on the platform, and flagging rate loading or inventory issues from the advisor's point of view. At Mahlatini I sat purely on the buying side, building bespoke itineraries around a live portfolio of exclusive lodges and hotels across Africa, which taught me exactly what makes a property sell and what makes an advisor pass over it.

I know the difference between a property that photographs well and one that actually delivers - from FAM trips such as the one I spent with Machaba Safaris in the Okavango Delta and a Rocco Forte FAM trip across their properties in Sicily and Rome, to direct exposure to the standards set by brands including Rosewood, Relais & Châteaux and Six Senses.

That network extends beyond the desk: FAM trips and industry events including the ARC conference have put me directly in front of hotel owners, founders and other global travel leaders, not just their account managers. I build relationships by asking better questions than most people bother to ask, and I'm fluent in Ndebele, Zulu and Shona - a rare combination that opens doors across the Southern African market few UK-based candidates can open.

Luxury Travel Sales Specialist at Mr & Mrs Smith (2014-05 – 2015-09)

• Sold personalised luxury travel to HNW and UHNW members, exceeding sales targets by up to 350% within the first month.
• Regularly supported the partnerships team alongside my sales role - helping hoteliers get new properties set up, positioned and represented properly on the platform.
• Fed back directly on rate loading and inventory issues from the advisor's side, since I was selling against that availability every day.
• Recommended stand-out independent hotels for inclusion in the Mr & Mrs Smith collection when I came across something worth flagging - something I still do informally today.
• Built close working relationships with hoteliers and the advisor network through Salesforce, on top of my own sales pipeline.

Luxury Travel Sales Specialist at Mr & Mrs Smith (2019-11 – 2022-06)

Luxury Travel Specialist at Mahlatini Luxury Travel (2025-04 – 2026-06)

• Built bespoke Africa itineraries around exclusive lodges, private guides, charter flights and ground logistics, working a live portfolio of properties across Southern and East Africa.
• Maintained close working relationships with lodges, DMCs and hoteliers, keeping product knowledge current through direct contact and site visits - including a FAM trip with Machaba Safaris in Botswana's Okavango Delta - and feeding back where a property's offering was not matching demand.
• Generated over £500,000 in personal sales, converting consistently at a high level with bookings averaging £10,000–£15,000, including one relationship worth over £138,000.
• Worked daily in Galileo alongside ResRequest and NightsBridge, comfortable with rates, availability and inventory across multiple supplier systems.

Founder & Supplier Partnerships Director at Sheer Blooms (2021-03 – Present)

• Built a vetted supplier network of 49+ partners from scratch, sourcing directly, assessing quality and negotiating commercial referral arrangements on both sides.
• Grew the business to six-figure revenue in its first year and over 650 orders to date, owning the full commercial cycle from supplier terms through to product quality and delivery.
• Set the operational systems, contracts and standards that let the business scale without losing quality control across a growing partner base.

VIP Account Manager at VIDA Select (2020-12 – 2021-03)

• Managed a portfolio of VIP and HNW accounts in a high-touch, relationship-led environment, personally accountable for conversion, communication and account profitability.

Operations Consultant at SNO Limited (2018-11 – 2019-11)

• Handled post-booking operations and aftersales for a specialist travel business, maintaining supplier and client relationships once the sale itself was complete.

Office Manager & Software Support Admin at KBC Process Technologies (2015-11 – 2018-11)

• Managed office operations and provided front-line software support to internal teams within an oil and gas consulting firm.

BA (Hons) in International Tourism and Business English – London South Bank University (2010 – 2012)

Certificate in Business and Tourism (Joint Honours) – University of Hertfordshire (2007 – 2010)

A Levels and GCSEs in Maths and English – Chalvedon School Sixth Form College (2003 – 2007)