Hoteliers know that there are certain unwritten boundaries that we must follow to appropriately address our guests.  Departing from the fact that respect is always present, here are some of my personal boundaries:

• Never call a guest before 9:00 am or after 8:00 pm,
• Address a guest by Mr. and Mrs. Plus their last name,
• Exercise the Motto: “The answer is yes, now what is the question,”
• Let the guest enjoy at their leisure, and let them contact you if they need you,
• I only shake a hand if a hand is extended (to respect people’s private space).

All of these rules are wonderful, and give me a clear (and safe) path to manage a cordial relationship. 

The “problem” presents when we have those amazing guests who clearly cannot only be guests. They are kind with us and so generous when it comes to compliment, reward, forgive, that it is difficult to address them as a “guest” because all you want to do is hug them and say: “Thank you for appreciating our jobs”. Sometimes there is so much focus on the guest who is not completely satisfied, that we forget to recognize those who are the complete opposite and give true meaning to the joy of serving others.

I am not quite sure when a guest becomes a friend to me. It’s not after “x” amount of stays at our property, or after an interaction.  I guess it is when both, them and I are able to establish a meaningful connection, and we both allow ourselves to be vulnerable and open to another human being.

When a guest becomes a friend, I long for their return.  I’m a hugger (and I introduce myself as such) so it is nice to see them with their open arms to receive a warm embrace.  We laugh together, we share personal stories or crazy tails about our families, and we even share tears if the situation requires it.

Today it can be perceived as  is unprofessional to send handwritten thank you note, a missing you notes, or say to a guest: “Oh, we love you!”  I completely disagree. I love all the guests that over the years have become my friends. I celebrate them, and I cherish their return to Vail. I know this sounds like a cliché, but I so hope you come to stay with us as a guest, and leave as our friend….  The world needs more friends.

Magda King

Antlers GM

Picture below shows  some of our many, many friends….

I’ve always been amazed by the active lifestyle of people who live here. Skiing, snowboarding, biking, running, rock climbing… You name it. People of all ages are always doing something active and adventurous. It’s not weird to see a three-thousand-dollar car with a ten-thousand-dollar bike on its rack. Same true with skis, snowboards or whatever it is that people call their passion. I admire and respect that so much that I’ve secretly wanted to become this way.

You see, growing up, I was the “uncoordinated” one. The one that was too slow to run, too heavy to jump or too clumsy to do anything. I was just not that good at sports. And then I came here.

I ventured out to learn to ski and of course I tore my ACL on the bunny hill the first time I went out with friends, BUT I didn’t give up. After each season I became a little more confident. This year I had a crazy goal: To take guests out skiing with me. While my co-workers know exactly the name, the length and the little secrets of each run, I barely know the runs by their characteristics: “I love the one that has those tall trees on the left”. Furthermore, my sense of direction is nonexistent so I really had to prepare well to acheive my goal.

My first guests were my dear Aussie friends: Gavin, Paul, James, Lozza and Chris. I studied the grooming report as if it would be the final test for my MBA graduation. I did some warm ups at home just to make sure I was in the best possible physical shape. I tuned my skis to perfection, all to make sure my friends would have the best time ever.

Well… while skiing with them, I found out that I had it all wrong. It is not about being perfect, fast, or knowing it all. It is really about just having fun! I remember thinking back to when I just arrived to Vail 9 years ago: “Why do people call this a vacation, when they are sweating just trying to put their boots on?” It took me all this time to understand it. The fun of sharing and unfolding a ski adventure is priceless. For a moment you forget about the world, and you are just present, gliding towards paradise. While sitting on the chairlift on your way up, you laugh about almost crashing with each other, or confess that your legs were burning with each turn, and it is all good.

Thank you my Aussie friends for skiing with me. I am glad you had fun, just like I did!

Now, who’s next?

Magda-

With my favorite ski run in the back. The one with the tall trees on the left.