Griffith is 34 years old and speaks with the self-confidence of a man who sees nothing surprising in someone his age being the general manager of Harmony Club and controlling a staff of more than 50.

A dapper, alert man with his attention constantly darting from a phone call to a guest's inquiry and on to a travel agent's problem, he seems to regard the attention to detail in every aspect of the hotel as his most important job.

Pressures, even in a small "club hotel'' are there most days of the week, but William ("please call me Billy'') seems to be the sort of person who would miss having that sort of pressure. It comes with the territory, doesn't it? Every day he meets with the heads of Department in the hotel.

"Communication with the staff is vital,'' says Mr. Griffith, "even in a hotel of this size the chances are real that a problem will arise that you don't know about. You must be in contact, all the time. The daily meeting isn't a long one, it's usually no more than 15 minutes. But that is where we deal with any situation that comes up.'' Born and bred in Barbados, Billy graduated from the University of the West Indies in 1979 with a B. Sc. in managerial studies (hotel management) and joined one of the Caribbean's finest five star hotels -- the Sandy Lane Hotel.

In this luxurious atmosphere Bill worked his way through every level over the next two years. "From the kitchen, through waiter, bar man, accounts, and personnel. I was working in the best hotel in the Caribbean and the experience was invaluable.'' The owner of the Sandy Lane was the giant hotel chain then known as Trust House Forte and the executives of that aggressive international organisation obviously had the young man marked for greater things as he moved up to purchasing manager, night manager, through food and beverage manager, even running the golf course. By the time that he left the Sandy Lane Hotel in 1988 he had graduated to senior manager. "A very organised training programme,'' recalls Bill.

A post-graduate course at Cornell in 1988 demonstrated that Forte were serious about investing in the grooming of a future executive of the company.

But when he arrived in Bermuda in 1989 he found himself working in a different atmosphere. So what is the different atmosphere? What is different about Bermuda? Billy picks his words carefully but says that as far as Harmony Club is concerned, the difference in size is more than just a figure. "In this hotel I have daily contact with all the employees and with all the guests, something that just couldn't be done in any hotel the size of the Sandy Lane. That's what is important about my job here.'' Although he doesn't say so, the attitude of such a manager is important too.

Too aggressive and you alienate your staff, too lax and discipline slips. "I urge the staff to relax, particularly in the presence of the guests, but they must deliver a prompt, efficient service. Service is the key,'' he says with firmness and a touch of sincerity.

Since being in Bermuda, Forte has selected him for any number of courses and he was back just a week ago from a Management Foundation course at Forte's main training centre in Middlesex in England.

He is in constant contact with the Forte group in UK but they still give him plenty of autonomy. "They are most involved in accounts and in objectives.

They always need to know about both.'' "Yes,'' says Bill, "I will be moving on. Bermuda is one stepping stone in my career. But I mean to stay in the hotel business out at the front, as you might say. I don't really fancy the administration side of the hospitality industry.'' And what about his spare time? When Billy is not running the Club he can be found at his home in the grounds spending time with his Barbadian wife Carol and six-year-old son Russell and, no doubt, keeping half an eye and half an ear on his club.

HARMONY CLUB general manager Mr. William Griffith.