How one local hotel manager embraces the challenges of her job
Summary: The 76-room hotel only opened in April 2018. Now, Shannon Sefton is living out her childhood dream, inspired by “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” leading the place.
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When Shannon Sefton was young, her favorite television show wasn’t an animated cartoon or a reality series. It was “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” a Disney Channel comedy about two boys growing up in a hotel.
“I always thought that was so cool,” Sefton said with a laugh. “Mr. Moseby was my favorite. And I always kind of did want to be a hotel general manager.”
Earlier this year, those visions turned into her reality at SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pittsburgh Butler/Centre City hotel, which only a decade ago was newly under construction. The 76-room hotel opened in April 2018.
Sefton, a Butler resident originally from Saxonburg, was promoted to general manager of the downtown Butler hotel in January after working her way up through the ranks.
“I’ve worked here for a little over five years, but I just took over as the general manager in January,” she said.
Her first role in 2020 was at the front desk, where she mostly worked overnight shifts. She was quickly promoted and served four years as the guest care manager before earning the top spot.
That experience, she said, set her up well for the challenges of running an entire hotel.
“I was able to be cross-trained in breakfast, housekeeping, laundry and even some maintenance stuff,” Sefton said. “A lot of things pop up that you’re not expecting, so you learn to jump in wherever you’re needed.”
If there’s one thing Sefton has learned in her first nine-plus months in her new role, it’s that no two days are exactly alike.
“Every day is a little bit different,” she said. “Sometimes you have to help out in breakfast, sometimes housekeeping. A lot of things just happen to come up throughout the day.”
While a typical week might be five days in the office, busy seasons can stretch her schedule to six or seven days, with shifts lasting 10 to 12 hours.
But even on the most hectic days, she said her top priorities are simple — supporting her staff and keeping guests happy.
“The biggest part of my job is making sure employees have the tools they need and that guests have everything they need,” Sefton said. “Having a good staff, though, makes all the difference.”
Managing a hotel in Butler County means adapting to a community that continues to expand. The region’s thriving businesses, attractive wedding venues and annual events all drive business to the hotel that stands just a few hundred feet away from downtown Butler’s Main Street.
“In the summer, it’s busy with weddings. During Jeep Fest, we prep way ahead because we’re so close to it and it brings in a lot of business,” she said. “Other times, you might get a construction crew staying for weeks at a time.”
That ebb and flow keeps Sefton alert to what’s happening, especially whenever the hotel begins to fill up on certain weekends. A lot of tasks are centered around making sure the front desk is sufficiently staffed and checking that guests’ televisions, air conditioners and sinks are working properly on the busiest evenings when there might be a staff shortage.
Despite the long hours, Sefton said she truly enjoys all of the work that comes with managing 20 to 25 employees and accommodating a revolving door of new guests.
“It’s challenging, but you always like and can appreciate a challenge,” she said. “It gets me to think and I always feel like I’m learning something new no matter what it is.”
While her childhood inspiration came from a famous fictional hotel manager, Sefton has discovered the real-life work can be equally as enjoyable.
“I do very much enjoy my job,” she said. “I love working here.”
