The best one could say about the hotels was that they functioned

The best one could say about the hotels was that they functioned.
It was soon easy to pick out the countries eager to put their past behind them. The unification of Germany forced Western ways on the travel industry in the former East of the country. By 1991 phrases such as “corporate rates” and “seasonal discounts” were as common in Leipzig as in Hamburg.More surprising was the speed with which such terms – and the infrastructure they represent – reached Poland and the Baltic States. BA carried anyone who wasn’t paying for their own ticket, happy to leave the backpackers and the politically dedicated to travel with the “babyflots”. Had I chosen, say, Moscow, Warsaw or Prague, it would have been very different.

Visas had to be obtained in London several days before departure, airport paperwork lasted well over an hour and obtaining local currency was always the delicate balancing act between getting a good rate on the black market and exchanging enough officially to satisfy the airport inspectors on departure British Airways had a cosy duopoly with the local airlines. They said, “I understand you have a really exciting life.” I said that I do. If you’d told me this morning who would have called me today, I’d never have believed you.Sean Shelley is owner of Shelley Ashman International (0118-971 4714). In 1985, I had to make a last-minute business trip to Budapest.

On my arrival, I joined a short queue to buy a visa, walked through the green gate at customs and then changed money at the bank at a perfectly respectable rate of exchange I was in my hotel an hour after the plane touched down. This was, I stress, Budapest, which westernised itself well before the Wall came down. They usually want to see if I can get them 20 or 50 suites all on the same floor or to fix up a particular arrangement I’m up-front about why I’m there. Recently I looked at a place and said to the management, “I’m about to rebuild your hotel.” I got them to open doors that had been sealed, removed all the furniture from a couple of the rooms and made the combination of bedrooms and meeting rooms my clients had requested.The party question: you’re at a party and someone finds out what you do What question do they always ask?Someone did on Saturday. It’s a part of Barbados where all my friends have been going for years. It always lives up to expectations.Do you ever travel incognito to suss out a place for your clients?My clients send me all over the place to check hotels. I’m likely to be fixing it right up until the last minute but I know I’ll sort it out.How did you get into this type of work?I’ve been doing this for eight or nine years.

I started off working for a company that chartered cargo planes to transport animals. The guy I was working for decided that it would make sense to buy a travel agency and I got into this side of the business through that.Where was the last place you went to on holiday and did it live up to your expectations?I go to the same place in the Caribbean every year. Then, half an hour ago, I had a call from six people on their way to America who needed accommodation in a particular hotel. Having said that, we don’t get too many of them since we don’t advertise – most of our business comes directly from personal recommendation I love the fact that every day is so different. This morning I had a call from 12 Canadians who wanted to play golf on the best course in Ireland but had been told it was booked.