I would like to share with you how fun my training is!

Being a trainee involved in the Marketing department of the Hotel* means “having” to go to many beautiful places, get creative and get good shots for the hotel’s social media. On August 28th the General Manager, two work colleagues and me hit the road to Yosemite and camped there for 3 days. The experience represented a great challenge at first because it meant 72 hours camping with co-workers in a foreign country! However, time just flew by because we had a great time in a breathtaking location; the General Manager organizes this trip with the Management trainees every year so everything is very well planned! By the end of the trip my confidence got to a whole new level because I was able to interact in a deeper way with my peers. This photo shows how I took the Hotel’s complimentary rubber duck to the trip and had fun taking pictures which later on were posted on the hotel’s public network.

At the Hotel, outings, events, and trips are a MUST in order to better understand our guests’ needs and how to best address them. In March, I visited Sacramento, California’s state capital, for the first time while attending the California Hotel & Lodging Association’s Legislative Action Summit.  This event is mostly attended by hotel owners and General Managers to learn about the most pressing legal issues facing the state’s hotel industry.  After learning about the various legal issues that threaten the industry we split up into small groups and met face to face with elected officials at the capitol building.  We voiced our concerns on behalf of the state’s hotel industry.  It was an incredible learning experience and I was honored to be able to represent the hotel industry and take an active role in influencing our government.  Being on the cover of an industry magazine was the icing on the cake!  We took this picture just before we headed to the capitol building to meet with various elected officials.  This is an experience I would never have imagined I’d have!

Every day I go to work I can’t help to laugh at least once thanks to my amazing friendly, funny and supportive colleagues!! The Hotel opened its doors in 1914, yes…103 years ago! And believe it or not, some of its staff members have been working at the hotel for 40, 25, 15 years! So having the opportunity to do a one-year Management Training in the property inevitably makes you feel at home and have a sense of being with family rather than with work-colleagues. I think that not many people have this opportunity, especially in the Hospitality Industry where turnover can be very high. Another picture was taken in the kitchen of the restaurant a couple weeks ago where the cooks and even the Reservations Manager and one of the bellmen decided to join!

I’m having the time of my life not only professionally but personally! I feel so blessed to have this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Ana Cristina from Mexico

*The company information was withheld.