First things first- a good resort can't exist without a monumental team working towards the same cause. I will keep referring to Cable Beach Club Resort in Broome, WA, because put simply, it is the most professional operation I have ever been a part of (well, excluding my own business of course!). As a guest roaming through the surrounds of the resort on the way to the pool at 10am one morning, you have no idea that at that very moment, there is a crisis meeting between the engineering, housekeeping, front office and security departments because a broken circuit is threatening the aircon supply. And so you shouldn't.
So professional is the setup of your resort, you will probably never know that in the space of 24 hours, a restaurant's opening hours were extended for a handful of guests, your housekeeping manager is working her single day off because 2 staff called in sick, reception has an extra 2 staff because of a tour group arriving at midnight, and the pool is being cleaned at 3am. Again, so you shouldn't.
Working in a resort is about two things: discretion, and fun. Discretion at work, fun outside work. Switch on, switch off.
Such is the importance that a guest enjoys their stay, the hierarchy behind the scenes of your poolside cocktail extends 5 pay ranks. Resorts generally employ the best they have to work with, and impress their unique brand of service on each employee. As a hospitality professional, this gives you the unique chance to work with and learn from the best, and presents the challenge to see if you measure up. As a casual waiter or bartender, it presents the ultimate test: do you survive the first week? Some don't.
A couple of the best hospitality minds I've met have been behind 5 star resorts, and a couple I'm still pursuing for my own business. Working at CBCR, I learnt more about customer service and understanding in my first 3 months than in 2 years in my previous work.
Once you finish work and shower (very important in the tropics boys!), and head to the local pub, the world is literally at your young feet. You're cashed up in a rewarding and challenging role, you work alongside interesting people from every corner of the globe, and you have one or two precious days off ahead to enjoy in paradise. The people you meet and work with will be friends for life, and you will always have a place to stay in at least 14 countries world wide. You will move on with skills that will hold up in any hotel in the world, and the experience of a lifetime.
Next time you're in a resort and notice your bartender or waitress smiling, just think about where they are in their lives, and why it's so easy for them to smile back. Very rewarding. Oh, and tip them.
