AS you turn into the leafy drive of Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel you immediately begin to get a sense of grandeur. The imposing grade two listed building has nearly 200 bedrooms, three restaurants, numerous conference and banqueting facilities and a fully equipped leisure club. Clearly a hotel like this has to be run as a tight ship. Gazette reporter Julia Causton visited the hotel to explore a typical day in the life of one of the hotel's managers.

SITTING in the reception area of the four-star Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel the first thing that strikes you is the size of the building.

The Victorian mansion had to be completely restored, at a cost of around £25 million, before the opening in June, 2001.

Staring up at the high ceilings, you realise that running a hotel of this size must take some doing.

I was in Tortworth to meet function business manager Simon Horsfall. One of two duty managers running the hotel for the evening, at 2pm Simon had just started the late shift.

Berkeley-born Simon attended The Castle School in Thornbury before studying for a GNVQ in hospitality and catering management at the City of Bristol College.

Starting as an assistant reception manager when the hotel opened nearly two years ago, Simon was promoted to his current position as function business manager six months ago.

At the age of 23, Simon now has the responsibility of organising the weddings, business parties and celebratory dinners held at Tortworth Court.

The breath-taking backdrop of the grounds and fantastic dcor of the hotel makes it the perfect place for a special occasion.

Therefore it comes as no surprise that there are no Friday or Saturday wedding dates left for this year. With next year's diary already fast filling up, Simon clearly has a tough job on his hands.

"It is a hectic, but extremely satisfying job," said Simon. "Obviously you are helping people to plan the biggest day of their lives, so everything has to be perfect."

Simon deals with the bride and bridegroom personally from the day they decide to have the wedding at Tortworth Court until the big day itself.

"You do get quite attached to the couples," he said. "Four Pillars is a family run business so we pride ourselves on the personal touch. We spend a lot of time planning things so the day is successful."

The hotel is licensed for civil ceremonies, which can be held in a choice of seven rooms. On top of that, Simon can organise everything else for the day - from the reception in any of the hotels lavish restaurants, to flowers, accommodation, entertainment and even the photographer.

His job also involves organising large functions such as charity balls and parties. With up to 300 people dining at once, these also involve a good deal of preparation.

"These events do take a lot of planning. But it is great to get the feedback from people who have really enjoyed their time at the hotel."

Simon's job as the wedding planner is not his only responsibility. As one of ten duty managers at the hotel, on a daily basis he oversees some 100 staff per shift.

"It is a big responsibility," said Simon. But I have always thrived on being busy and love always having something to do."

For the first part of his shift as duty manager, Simon checks each department for availability of staff to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Following his checks, Simon then spends around half-an-hour catching up with paperwork, returns any calls and arranges appointments.

From around 5pm he bases himself in reception to greet guests arriving for the evening. "It is quite difficult to overlook every department," added Simon. "But there is a great atmosphere here and I really enjoy it."

At 7pm Simon goes to kitchen to check everything is running smoothly there. "I don't really stop until about 10pm, when I get the chance to sit down and have something to eat."

Simon continues to keep an eye on things until the last resident goes to bed and the bar closes. The next day it all happens again!

Pictured: Sous-chef Steve McCartney adds the finishing touch to a meal in the Orangery restaurant GSR115H03