THE BACKSTORY
MEL DUVAL-SMITH
A 25-year career in nursing and health management says all you need to know about Mel's capabilities; a career which is reflected in her diligence, performance under pressure and an ability to connect with people.
Obviously familiar with the concept of 'surgically clean', Mel's gold standards in accommodation services were honed during three years working aboard luxury motor yachts at the highest end of the five-star North-American hospitality industry.
Not shy of a challenge, Mel also founded a boutique freelance writing agency in 2013, which she ran for over seven years, until she could no longer ignore AI's writing on the wall, and turned her focus to a more reliable industry. Duval's, a residential cleaning service, kicked off in 2018, quickly finding a niche amongst Mount Maunganui's thriving tourist accommodation industry. Within 12-months, 80% of her business was guest changeovers and at the end of her second year, Duval's had become 'Home-Work'; exclusively providing holiday home services including the addition of her first two full holiday home property management contracts.
In early 2023, Mel launched Mount Maunganui Holiday Homes, a dedicated booking portal for holiday home guests, which devotes itself to showcasing her steadily growing stable of Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Tauranga holiday homes.
Home-Work calls on countless practical, creative and organisational skills acquired in Mel's past work experience. Her long-term clients are a testament to her work ethic, but her most convincing professional trait is the high expectations she has of herself.