Allan Trew has had a varied career in the hotel industry but his latest posting promises to be his biggest challenge to date.

But challenges are nothing new to Mr. Trew. As a youngster fresh out of university, he bought himself a 750cc motorcycle in London and rode across Europe, ending up in the middle of the Sahara desert in Northern Africa.

"I guess you can say I was a wild and adventurous teenager,'' he said. "I was in the middle of the Sahara before I decided to turn around and come back.'' After his excursion across Europe and Africa he became the chief accountant at Proctor and Gamble in Toronto and returned to Bermuda in 1977 to open his own business selling sweaters.

Although just three days have passed since the 45-year-old Bermudian was promoted to hotel manager at the Southampton Princess, Mr. Trew says he is looking at his new job with fresh eyes and bold strides.

Mr. Trew is a veteran of 17 years in the industry having started out as an assistant front desk manager at the Southampton Princess in 1979.

His rapid climb started in July 1980 when he became the front desk manager and in 1981 he became the convention sales manager.

In 1989 he moved to the Princess Hotel in Pembroke and took up the post of director of sales and conventions.

"I am actually quite thrilled that the Princess hotels has the confidence in me to promote me to this position, he said. "I will try to continue to make the Southampton Princess the number one resort in the island.'' In his new position Mr. Trew said he is responsible for the day to day running of the hotel which includes security, human resources, room preparation, laundry and conventions.

"My position encompasses every aspect of the hotel,'' he said. "I started my career at the Southampton Princess and this promotion is like coming home.

"I started here back in 1979 and spent ten years here before going to the Hamilton Princess for eight years.'' Mr. Trew said it was too early for him to say what areas he will focus on or what he would do differently in his new position.

"I have just been here all of two days (yesterday) and I am still trying to find my way around.

"It is still a completely new area for me although I think it is somewhere that I think I will adjust to very well.

"I have no specific goals right now but I will certainly continue the good work that was done by my predecessor, John Malins.'' Mr. Trew said he hoped other Bermudians looked to the tourism industry as a viable career option.

"I think a lot of people enter this industry for the wrong reasons,'' he added. "But I would certainly say to anyone that the most important thing for them to do is to stick to the wicket.

"You will get results. There's a big field out there. You cannot expect things to happen overnight.''