Nobu Hotel London Portman Square has worked with Make-A-Wish UK to give 11-year-old Leilahni Omoye the opportunity to experience life as a luxury hotel manager for a day.
Leilahni, who underwent a heart transplant in November 2025 following years of treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, was joined by her sister Akaila for the experience.
The sisters became Hotel Manager and Assistant Hotel Manager for the day, signing an ‘HR contract’ and receiving their own hotel name badges.
They joined members of the hotel’s leadership team for management meetings before touring departments including Front Office, Housekeeping, Finance, Engineering, Food & Beverage and Reservations.
The programme also gave the pair responsibility for preparing for the arrival of a VIP guest, including creating a handwritten welcome card and selecting a welcome treat from the kitchen.
They later joined the kitchen team to sample afternoon tea dishes before having afternoon tea themselves.
The afternoon included final checks of the VIP guestroom and an Operations Meeting, followed by dinner at Fallow and an overnight stay at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square.
Leilahni’s wish was arranged by Make-A-Wish UK, which creates experiences for children living with critical illnesses.
Jason Suckley, CEO of Make-A-Wish UK, said: “Critical illness can interrupt childhood in so many ways. At Make-A-Wish UK, every wish starts by listening to what matters most to each child and bringing that to life.
“For Leilahni, becoming a hotel manager for the day celebrated who she is beyond her illness and the future she dreams of.”
Leilahni was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome before birth and underwent her first operation when she was seven days old.
Following further surgery during childhood, she developed heart failure at the age of four and was subsequently assessed for a heart transplant.
She was accepted as a transplant candidate in 2019 before receiving a donor heart in November 2025.
Her mother, Laura, said: “She’s always loved role-playing with her sister. They have a hotel game they play at the moment, where they put posters up and take luggage and food trays out so she came up with the idea of being the manager of a posh London hotel for the day!
“After everything she’s gone through, this is the cherry on the cake. Leilahni’s had a lot of stuff to deal with, then she had her transplant, so getting her wish after was a huge thing for her.
“It’s helped her hone in on what she wants to do as well – she’s realised she wants to go into hospitality. It feels like a recognition of her struggle and a reward. She loved all of it but her favourite bit was pretending to kick a troublemaker out of the hotel!”
Leilahni and Akaila also received outfits for the experience from Make-A-Wish UK corporate partner Peacocks.