There’s a moment Renee loves to remind her husband Ben about. She was the one who applied.
It was 2013, and after years of running small motels together in and around Albury, the pair were ready for something bigger. Renee spotted a job listing for a property in Orange, NSW, filled out the application, and waited. What followed was a two-stage interview process that would change the course of her career and her family’s life.
“The first interview was online and we instantly felt comfortable,” she recalls. “It felt right.” By the time they visited the property for the second interview, they were already Googling schools for their three kids. Within two days, Orange was home.
A Life Built on Hospitality
Renee’s path into the industry wasn’t a grand plan. It was a series of steps that made sense at the time and added up to something meaningful. When she first met Ben, he was already deep in the motel world. She stayed home with their children while he worked, until an opportunity came along that felt made for them both: a management couple role for a 21-room motel in Albury.
“We ran a few small ones together and really enjoyed it,” she says simply. There’s no fanfare in the way she tells it, just the quiet confidence of someone who found their place and leaned into it.
What followed in Orange was a different scale entirely, a much larger property than anything they’d managed before. But rather than overwhelm, Renee found purpose. She could see early on the direction Mandala wanted to go, and she wanted to be part of it.
Stepping Out Alone
As Mandala grew, so did Ben’s responsibilities. He began taking on an area manager-style role, supporting properties across the group. That left a decision to be made: who would run Orange?
“A decision was made that I would become a solo GM,” Renee says, “stepping way out of my comfort zone.”
It was in those early solo months that Renee made an honest discovery about herself. Ben had always been the problem-solver. She was front of house, the connector, the welcomer, the one people gravitated to. Now she had to be both.
“I had a lot to learn. But with the full support of Mandala, the job soon became more comfortable. I love meeting people, the guests and staff supporting me the whole way.”
That support wasn’t just emotional. It was practical, consistent, and came from every direction. Mandala listened to her ideas, let her make mistakes, and helped her learn from them without embarrassment. “They let me down gently when my ideas aren’t great,” she laughs. “But they always listen.”
A New Chapter in Albury
After eleven years in Orange, Renee and Ben became empty nesters. His role kept him on the road. It felt like time for a change, and when an opportunity appeared back in Albury, she took it.
Saying goodbye to Orange was hard. Deep friendships had formed with guests and staff, and some of those guests have since followed her to Albury, which she says is always special to see.
Mercure Albury is a different beast. Different guests, different rhythms, different challenges. Twelve months in, Renee is still finding her feet and she means it without apology. “To say it’s been easy would be a lie. I’ve come up against a lot of new challenges and at times thought I’ve bitten off more than I can manage.” She pauses. “But that’s when you realise just how great Mandala is. So many resources to tap into, people to turn to for advice, and constant support.”
The team at Albury has met her in the middle. She talks about them the way she talks about family, riding this ride together.
What Leadership Really Means
Ask Renee what strong leadership looks like and she’ll tell you it has nothing to do with authority.
“It’s about responsibility and positive influence, helping others bring the best out in themselves.” Her team knows she respects them. They share the highs and the lows. They know it’s okay to make mistakes.
When she thinks about what she’s most proud of, it’s not a metric or an accolade. It’s the moment a returning guest pulls her aside to say they’ve noticed the changes. That the place feels different. That she’s making a difference. And when her team delivers that same experience without her in the room, that means just as much.
For Renee, “Happily Different” isn’t a tagline. It’s a way of operating. “It’s not about comparing myself to others. It’s about bringing something different to offer and seeing my differences as strengths.” She believes the same applies to her team. When people with different perspectives and approaches work together, she says, that’s when teams get genuinely strong.
She describes the job as a lifestyle. Some days are tough. No day is ever the same. And with new Mandala properties continuing to emerge, she’s excited about what comes next.
When new managers join the group, Renee always says the same thing: “Welcome to the family.”
Because after more than a decade, that’s exactly what it is.
Renee is General Manager at Mercure Albury and has been part of the Mandala family since 2013.