Our Team
Small team. Big dedication. Every guest is known by name.
Corey Tanswell
Practice Manager & Vet Nurse, Hotel & Vet
Corey oversees both Hotel for Cats and Blakehurst Vet, bringing the same exacting standard of care to everything that happens across both businesses. With a career spanning country NSW and Sydney, and a vet nursing qualification, he understands animal welfare from every angle.
He leads a team of devoted, experienced feline butlers who are trained to ensure every stay is personal, attentive, and genuinely enjoyable. Whatever your cat’s personality, Corey’s team will make them feel completely at home.
“Many of our guests have been coming back for years. Watching them walk in like they own the place, that’s everything.”
Wendy Phillips
Manager, Hotel for Cats
Wendy keeps Hotel for Cats running smoothly every single day. With a strong background in animal welfare, behaviour and client support across foster care, volunteer coordination, and senior animal handling, she brings calm authority and genuine warmth to everything she does.
She’s the kind of person cats gravitate toward without knowing why.
Together, Corey and Wendy set the standard for every stay at Hotel for Cats, a place where your cat is known by name, cared for with intention, and treated like the family member they are.
“Every guest has a family wondering if they’re happy and content on holiday. I never forget that.”
Catherine Lee
Hotel Vet
Dr Catherine is our main Hotel vet. With decades of experience, Catherine brings a wealth of knowledge and a calm, thoughtful approach to caring for cats.
She works closely with our nursing and hotel teams, and any health concerns noticed during a guest’s stay are escalated to her so the appropriate next steps can be discussed with the owner.
Catherine understands how subtle changes in a cat’s behaviour, appetite or routine can be important, particularly when they are away from home.
“Every cat has their own way of letting you know what they think. Some are just a little more subtle about it than others.”
Hamish Bathgate
Hotel Vet
Dr Hamish is the owner of Blakehurst Vet and has 30 years of experience caring for cats and working with their families.
Many of our hotel guests are also patients at Blakehurst Vet, so Hamish often already knows them and their history. He enjoys seeing familiar patients come through the hotel, as well as getting to know new guests during their stay.
Alongside his role leading Blakehurst Vet, Hamish remains closely involved with the hotel and provides additional veterinary support whenever Catherine or the team need his input.
“One of the great things about the hotel is seeing cats we’ve cared for over the years and meeting plenty of new faces too.”
Kiara Williams
Senior Vet Nuse
Kiara is our Senior Vet Nurse and plays an important role in the day-to-day care of our hotel guests.
She carries out daily nurse checks and works closely with our feline butlers to help ensure each guest is happy, comfortable and healthy throughout their stay. If anything unusual is noticed, Kiara can help assess the situation and make sure any concerns are escalated appropriately.
Her calm, experienced approach is especially valuable with cats who may need medication or additional nursing care during their stay.
“Cats are very good at pretending everything is fine. Fortunately, noticing the little things is part of my job.”
Tai Slatinec
Receptionist/Feline Butler
Tai is both a receptionist and feline butler, so she’s often one of the first friendly faces owners meet when arriving at the hotel.
She looks after guest check-ins and check-outs, helping make sure we have all the information we need about each cat’s routine, preferences and care. Once our guests are settled in, Tai is also part of the team caring for them throughout their stay.
One of her favourite parts of the job is enrichment time, whether that means play, pats or simply spending some one-on-one time with a guest who enjoys the company.
“Enrichment time is the best. It’s basically my job to play with cats and work out exactly how they like to be spoiled.”
Bridget Weetman
FELINE BUTLER
Bridget brings plenty of warmth and fun to the hotel. With her engaging smile and easygoing nature, she’s a real favourite with many of our guests. Bridget loves getting to know each puddycat, and takes pride in keeping the hotel spick and span, making sure our guests have a clean and comfortable space to enjoy throughout their stay.
Enrichment time is a favourite, and Bridget always brings plenty of energy and fun to this important part of each guest’s day. And the puddycat guests respond to Bridget’s positivity and kindness.
“I love the cuddles, playtime and a spotless room. I’m not saying I’m a clean freak, but the cats could probably eat off the floor.”
Charlotte Bathgate
Feline Butler
As the daughter of owners Holly and Hamish, Charlotte has been part of Hotel for Cats since it opened in 2009. Back then, the hotel was Charlotte’s own version of after-school care, usually spent playing with guests and handing out plenty of attention.
These days, Charlotte is a fully fledged feline butler, caring for guests, spending time with them during enrichment and making sure their rooms are kept spotless. Having grown up around the hotel, she knows how much the little details matter.
“I’ve grown up around the hotel cats. I started out cuddling and playing with them, and somehow ended up working for them.”
Holly Bathgate
founder/cuddler in chief
Holly is the founder, designer and creator of Hotel for Cats and has been shaping the hotel since it first opened in 2009.
Today, the hotel is run by Corey and Wendy, with Holly focusing on its ongoing development. She works with her team to bring changes to life across the hotel and she’s always looking for ways to make the experience better for our guests.
As our unofficial Cuddler in Chief, after all these years Holly is happiest when she’s spending time in the hotel with the cats.
“I’m always looking for the next thing we can improve. Of course, I do seem to conduct a lot of this research while cuddling cats.”
Grace Bathgate
Junior Feline Butler
Grace is the youngest member of the Hotel family and has been part of hotel life for as long as she can remember.
Like her sisters, she has grown up around our feline guests and now spends time after school, on weekends and during the school holidays helping around the hotel, from keeping rooms spotless to spending time with guests during enrichment.
She’s still a feline butler in training, but Grace already knows that keeping guests happy involves plenty of patience and attention.
“I’m still learning the ropes, but I’ve had some very demanding teachers over the years.”
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