We Are Not In Phoenix Anymore

My lower body is aching at this moment.  Here I sit in the middle of the hallway monitoring the boy’s floor.  It’s approaching midnight and the noise from their rooms is still loud.  There music is blaring and the spurts of their chats echo through the hallway.  The important thing is that they do not leave their rooms. 

This is Day 3 and it’s draining all of my energy, but I don’t mind it.  I love what I do and the high school students are amazing.  I’m working extremely hard to push them in Chemistry.   Today was the first class where they had to conduct a lab experiment.  The first two groups were great, but the last group was far too difficult to control.  As soon as I was with a pair, another pair was off track and not working on the lab.  I felt as if I was constantly chasing the mouse and I was the cat.

Today was also the first day I noticed a Miami rain shower!  The clouds rolled in and casted a dark shadow over the area and all of a sudden, a massive amount of rain poured from the sky.  The lighting bolts covered every part of the sky.  I was dazed and amazed at the phenomena.  I looked outside the glass window and wondered how great it would be to run out in the rain, but I decided against it because of the lighting.  The main priority was to make sure the students were okay and that they were safe. 

I am the main counselor for eight students of the forty-eight and I meet with them on a regular basis.  Today we met to go over the business plan assignment that is due at the end of the program.  The students are to come up with a company, product, or brand and create a presentation on it.  Beforehand, I played an icebreaker game with them.  I bought eight random items from the convenient store and bookstore on campus and placed it in a manila envelope.  I made each student close his or her eyes and grab an item.  Aside from keeping the item, I made them introduce themselves to the group and sell the product, but not selling it as what’s it’s made for.  There was everything for tweezers to skittles.  The best one was from a student who sold colorful chalk as “meal sticks.”  She improvised and told us that you can have a four-course meal from eating just one of the meal stick.  It was incredibly humorous and I think the group is going to expand on the concept and use it as the business plan.  I’m thrilled that they are thinking creatively and I’m happy to assist them. 

Aside from that, all is well.  I’m still tired because of all the running around and deprivation of sleep.  I think I will survive though.  I hope to do a VLOG soon and thanks for reading this entry.  

Vivo En Miami!!!

I forgot to post my VLOG of the first day here in Miaimi.  It's right below.  

The students have officially moved in!  They’ve been here since Sunday night.  It’s day 2 of classes for them.  There are a total of 48 students in the program and they hail from all over Miami.  I’ve been getting to know many of them on an individual basis.    

I am sitting in the lounge right now in the residential hall on campus where we are all staying and the there are about 20 students in here right now.  Some are just lounging; others are playing UNO whereas a few are dancing in the corner of this small lounge.  The music is blaring and it’s quite entertaining to watch them dance.  They students are full of life and incredibly hyper.  It makes me feel old because I’m yawning at the moment and look forward to sleeping at who knows when.    

So far, it’s been great.  Working with high school is always challenging.  I’ve worked two summers for Arizona State University Upward Bound and I was accustom to the students.  I remember the long nights and the dedication I had to give to the summer program.  It’s quite similar here.  It’s the same concept, different dynamic because I don’t know any of the students, but the students are slowly opening to each other and me. 

So what do I do exactly?  I’m a summer counselor with the Upward Bound Program at Florida International University.  It’s my first time doing this is Florida, but I am enjoying it so far.  Aside from looking after the 49 students, I am the Chemistry tutor.  I sit in all three of the Chemistry classes and I assist the students with the labs and help them outside of their classes with homework.  I will cover what goes on in a typical day in another blog since it’s a bit complex and there’s so much to cover right now. 

It’s day 5 for me in Miami and I do enjoy it so far.  I’m very far inland and I didn’t expect to be that far from the beach.  I don’t think it would be that horrible if I had my car, but I don’t.  I haven’t had the time to figure out the public transportation because of work, but I hope to go to the beach this week.  I really want to live in Miami, and so far, I’m still wanting to live here.  I love how Miami is such a melting pot.  The students themselves are from the Caribbean Islands and Central America.  It’s very intriguing to me since I don’t know many people from the Caribbean or Central America.  I spent a whole dinner sitting with one of the students and asked her many questions about Haiti.    

I’ll end it here with a funny story.  This past Sunday, I moved into my new dorm room on campus.  It’s a two-bedroom suite and I have my own room.  When you leave your room, the door automatically locks.  After I showered, I was in my towel and as I went to the sink, the door closed!  I think it was the air conditioning that closed the door.  The only way I could have unlocked my door was to go the front desk, which was 5 floors below.  I had only a towel on when I went to the front desk and a few of the students were checking in already.  I was extremely embarrassed.  I wanted the person at the desk to hurry up and issue me a key and shut me out from the embarrassment.  It seemed like hours before he gave me the key.  I ran upstairs with the spare key, unlocked my room and returned the key.  I haven’t locked the key in the room every since.  

Nonprofit & Tourism

It’s raining outside!!! It’s quite fantastic.

I always feel like running outside and running in the rain. It doesn’t rain much here so when it does, I want to enjoy it. Sadly enough, I am at work, because it’s Easter weekend. I just went out of the office and I noticed that there were a few weddings today on property. It was incredibly sad to see it rain on their wedding day! The photographer was trying to find creative ways to capture the bride and groom in the rain.

I am also recovering from the cold or flu. I had been sick since Monday, and I feel a whole lot better today. I am also on some antibiotics, so I know that’s going to kill whatever bacteria I have inside of me.

I haven’t really blogged about tourism this semester, so this will be my first entry. My focus this semester has really been about my internship, but I wanted to switch things a bit.
I came across an article the other day about how there is an ASU study that is helping food rescue efforts in Phoenix. The main question is if tourism can help eliminate hunger?

I haven’t really thought about tourism in this aspect and when I read the article, it was just brilliant. There is a nonprofit organization in the valley, Waste Not Arizona, which works with local resorts to supply their unused food to the hungry in the Phoenix area.

Recently, the MBA students from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business and the Megapolitan Tourism Research Center has collaborated to do research on the supply chain processes leading from Phoenix-area tourist resorts to a network of local groups that feed the hungry.

Since I’m not a business student, I will not dive into the specifics, but I think the organization is great and it’s essential. With the recession and whatnot, there are many people who cannot afford daily essentials such as food. With the program, they are able to get food. I do work at the Royal Palms Resort & Spa, and I’m pretty sure we have plenty of food that is thrown out if it’s not used. I’m not even sure if we participate with the Waste Not Arizona program. I wonder if there is a program that goes to restaurants in the valley.

At the moment, Waste Not Arizona has a fleet of four refrigerated trucks that run in the Valley six days per week, picking up food from donors and delivering to several organizations that feed the hungry.

Dr. Timothy Tyrrell is the director of the Megapolitan Tourism Research Center and he makes a great point that the tourism industry does give much more than jobs and tax revenues back to the community, it also contributes to a wide range of economic and social qualities of life for local residents.

This is definitely something I would be interested in pursuing or even creating a branch of it in a different city. I do want to combine my passion for tourism with nonprofit studies and this story made me rethink what I can do. I have many ventures in my head, but it’s a matter of planning it to see if they are feasible.

My Action Plan After I Graduate

GOALS
My goals for when I graduate are numerous. I don’t like to limit myself to one option. I usually have a few lined up so I have something to fall back on. First goal of mine is that I am looking into graduate school, but I don’t know if that’s the direction I want to go to at the moment. I am submitting my application for an on-line Master’s Program in Tourism Development & Management at the California University of Pennsylvania. The tourism program is accredited through the World Tourism Organization. I ideally want to still study tourism. It’s where my heart is. The program sounds ideal for me because it allows me to travel, and still study. I want to travel to many places the next few years and this on-line program would be the best way to travel and still study. It will take hard work and determination since I am not forced to be in class so that will be the difficult part, in my opinion.

Another goal I have is to work for a Destination Management Company is some large city. I’ve looked at going abroad, but I think it will be difficult. At the moment, I’m looking at cities in the United States. I want to relocate to a destination that will have some form of water such as a lake or ocean. The environment is an important requirement for me and that’s why I’m looking into Chicago, Miami, or Seattle.

ACTION/TIMELINE
In regards to the Master’s Program, all I need left to submit are my three letters of recommendations. I will have them all in by next week and then I will know if I am accepted into the program.

When it comes to Chicago, Miami, or Seattle, I will have to do research about the destination. I have to answer the following questions. Which of the three cities will have better employment opportunities? Which three of the cities have successful Destination Management Companies? Another way I can start deciding which city would be best is to visit the city’s conventions and visitor bureau web site and acquire about the destination management companies there. I can start contacting individuals from those companies and ask if they are looking for future employees. In regards to a timeline, I would have to look at when I would like to move. At the moment, I want to be out of Arizona by September. This gives me roughly 5 months to plan, which is plenty of time. I would like to secure a job before I move, but I cannot guarantee it. I have friends in all three cities and they said that I can definitely stay with them and job hunt, so that’s an option I have also. I would like to start contacting different DMCs next month so I can have an idea if they have positions open. I can fly there if need be.

If I do get my Master’s Degree, I then would like to get into destination management for third world countries. I am looking into creating a non-profit company that helps with destination management for third world countries that can ideally help improve their infrastructure and development. I don’t know too much about how I am going to approach it, but I am going to get advice from my friend Candi, who is a nonprofit student. When I’m in my Master’s program, I can also research more about third world tourism development and hopefully write my thesis using that topic. This is if I do get into the Master’s program, and if I don’t, I will focus on working for a Destination Management Company, until I’m ready to start a Master’s Program.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
My strengths are my experiences and my hard-working skills. I also have developed strong communication skills from working at the Royal Palms Resort & Spa. I am constantly on the phone with guests and dealing with guests on a weekly basis. I also write numerous e-mails on a daily basis so that helps with my writing skills. My resume is quite lengthy and I have a lot of experience in tourism. I have a strong passion for travel and tourism and I am always encouraging everyone to travel. My weakness is that I have many goals and that I am indecisive. It took me 6 years to graduate from ASU because I wasn’t happy with my prior majors until I found Tourism. The positive thing about having many goals is that if something doesn’t work out, I always have something to fall back on. I think both my strengths and weaknesses will work in my favor where ever I go. I am very determined if I set my mind to a task, I can achieve it.

Another Move - A New Start

I’m moving again!!!

I feel as if I move each year, and when I think about it, I do.  I enjoy moving because I feel like I’m getting a fresh new start on something, but the process of moving can be quite stressful.  I currently live in a three-bedroom apartment with two other roommates.  It’s been quite an exciting year and I enjoyed every single moment with them and I can’t believe it’s going to be over.    

Larissa is one of the roommates and she is going to be moving back to Georgia at the end of this month.  Max is the other roommate who will be staying in Arizona, so I’ve been going with him to look at apartments in the valley.  I will actually live with him for a few more months so we are looking at a one-bedroom apartment.  I will stay temporarily in the living room because I am planning to move.  I don’t see myself in Arizona the next six months so I want to get in the state of mind that I will be leaving.   Living in the living room will be the perfect way to motivate me to search for a place to move to and plus, I get to save some money with rent, so it’s going to be a win-win situation. 

So far, we’ve looked at places near Central Phoenix and a near North Phoenix.  Max has decided on a place and it’s only a few blocks from where we are right now, so that’s good.  We won’t have to spend much time moving our stuff across the valley. 

I need to go through all of my belongings and get rid of things I don’t use or never will touch.  I have many boxes in one of the storage closets and I hate moving those boxes from one place to another.  That will be a weeklong project for me, in which I don’t have, so I’ll do the best I can.   

Work wasn’t extremely busy.  It’s the weekend so the majority of the calls were for the restaurant.  We still have the posting up for a new Reservations Sales Associate.  I am excited to see who is going to apply.  It’s always great seeing a new face in the department and I usually help train the new associate. 

I am still researching places to move to.  I really don’t know where to begin.  There are so many places I want to go to and live at.  Currently, I am looking into Illinois, Georgia and Florida.  I am also considering international destinations, but it’s a bit frustrating researching the requirements to move abroad.  I also have to look at my finances before I can make a final decision.  I don’t have an official date in which I will move yet.  I want to be out in September for sure, but if I can secure something beforehand I will leave. I need a change and I need it now.  Arizona is driving me BONKERS!    

My Life is the Royal Palms

What an exciting day at work.

My internship instructor, Sara Owens came for a site visit today and I was excited to have her on property.  The Royal Palms Resort & Spa is such a beautiful property and I am proud to thankful to have a position here.  We first met for half an hour and she asked me questions about the internship and how I was enjoying myself.  Afterwards, she met with my Supervisor, Michael Sanchez. Michael is a character so I recommended he give a tour of the property for Sara.  He’s very animated and he’s so passionate about the Royal Palms Resort & Spa.    

I also asked for a raise this week because I had my review late last year, and I noticed that I did not received the raise yet.  I’ve been a bit careless with looking at my pay checks and I should check it more often.  I know I deserve a raise because of my hard work and I am completely cross-trained.  I have to wait until the Human Resource Director comes in on Monday to give the final approval for the raise.  When it gets approved, the difference in pay will backtrack to January of this year, which is good.  I could use the extra money.    

My manager also let go of one of the Reservations Sales Associate today and another associate just put in her two-week notice.  We are going to be short two associate within 2 weeks.  This will be exciting, sarcastically speaking.  We already have a job posting for a new Reservations Sales Associate.  That was quick in my opinion. I asked Michael why we are so quick to hire a new associate since our low season is summer time and we are fast approaching it.  It would be cost effective to keep the associates we have now so each associate is guaranteed a full 40 hours.  We will see how it goes. 

I am probably going to talk about graduation with my next few blogs until I officially graduate.  I have registered for graduation, but I have not picked up my cap and gown yet.  I have to do that soon.  Knowing myself, I am going to wait until the last minute.  I am going to attend three graduating ceremonies. I know that’s a bit too much, but I want to go out with a BANG!  I did RSVP for the graduation ceremony at the Tempe Campus so I can hear President Obama’s speech.  It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Not many can say that the President spoke at their graduation. 

I’m also thinking about life after college and what I want to do.  I change my mind on a weekly basis and I will probably change my mind again within a few weeks.  What I know for sure is that bodies of water make me happy.  I’m happy when I’m near clear blue water and the water has to extend into the horizon.  It can be in the form of a lake or an ocean.  I prefer the ocean because I like waves.  I know I have to follow my heart and I know I’ll choose a place that will be the best fit for me.  I cannot live in the desert anymore.  I’m just limited in what I can do in regards to being outdoors.  The summer is brutal and it’s fast approaching. 

On a random note, I’ll leave you with this video on YouTube that I found quite amusing.  I am a huge fan of cats so if you are too, you’ll enjoy this video.   

 

 

Back From San Diego and Back to Work

A WEEK IN RECAP. I think you might want to grab some coffee or a favorite beverage while I’ll give you a run-down of the past week. I haven’t blog in awhile. I’ve been overworked and near a mental breakdown – I’m kidding about the mental breakdown part.  

I went to California this past weekend with my friend Brent. My two roommates and Brent’s friend were also with us. My friend Brent planned the whole trip and I was just along for the ride. I am usually the one who plans the trips so it was good to have Brent do all the work. I needed a break from everything. I am burnt out from work and I needed to refresh my mind. It was the perfect getaway. We stayed at the Sommerset Suites Hotel and it was a nice hotel. The service was good and I wasn’t in the room enough to really rate it. I find myself being highly analytical because I work in the hospitality industry. I’m always comparing other resorts to the Royal Palms Resort & Spa.  

We went out Friday and Saturday night in Hillcrest. We went to many restaurants, bars, and clubs over the stay. The first two nights, we went to Moe’s, Universal, Richard’s, Alibi, and the Hole. There was a themed party at one of the clubs where you had to wear all white. Of course I participated in the themed party. Some of the restaurants we went to were Hong Kong and Café Eleven. We had phenomenal Chinese food past midnight at Hong Kong and we had Sunday Brunch at Café Eleven. We also spent a few hours on Mission Beach enjoying the light breeze. The sun was out, but it was still a bit chilly for Arizonans. I was surprised to see so many people on the beach, but not as much in the water. The water was freezing.

The Royal Palms Resort & Spa is still great. This past Monday, there was a Service Awards Event which recognizes employees at the resort. I got an amazing key chain because I’ve been here for more than year. Honestly, I didn’t think I would be here for a year and it’s not because I don’t like working here, it’s because I like variety and change. I don’t ever see myself staying at a job for more than a year. I would like to move to different places and find a temporary job in order to explore those places. That would be an ideal lifestyle for me.  

The Royal Palms Resort & Spa is sold out the rest of the week. It’s fantastic and it shows that we are getting business in this rough economy. It’s funny to hear guests call and are shocked that we are sold out.  

I am doing two PBX shifts this week. I rarely do PBX shifts, but it’s what I was originally trained in. I forgot most of what I had to do and I had to ask for a refresher course. The main duty for a PM PBX agent is to answer all the incoming phone calls from in-house guests and outside the resort, but most importantly, create registration cards. The PBX Agent looks at all the arrivals for the next day and make sure each guests gets a registration card. It makes the process of checking in smoother when the front desk agents don’t have to print out anything. The most complicated thing I’ve notice working as a PBX agent is all the questions I get. Sometimes the questions are easy to answer, and sometimes, you wonder why are these guests asking these questions. Also, after 7pm, the agent acts as a concierge also. Many in-house guests ask which places they can dine and where they can go out for leisure in the valley. I love that I learn something new every time I work as a PBX Agent. The position really keeps you on your toes and it can be a bit stressful at times. I am known to hate working as a PBX Agent. My Supervisor makes fun of me all the time when I cover PBX, because he knows how much I hate PBX.  

I am back in rooms this weekend. I think it will be busy for T.Cook’s reservation. Easter brunch is coming up and we are filling slots fast. The holiday brunches are always the most busy here at the resort. Lori, our Reservations Manager is making sure we are fully staffed and ready to take in the huge influx of calls. I’ve worked many brunches where I was the only one on the phone for a few hours and I was inundated with phone calls. It’s not fun at all.

I still miss being on campus. I miss Shelley and Courtney, my partners in crime. They’ve been with me the past few semesters and I could count on them for everything, in regards to class assignments. They are the best two people you can have in your class and in your group for projects. I had sushi with Courtney a few weeks ago and we discussed our internships and life in general. It was good to catch up with her and see how we enjoyed working full-time.  

That was my past week. It was nothing too interesting. I really excited to finally graduate though! It’s coming up!!! I’ll leave you with some pictures from San Diego! Enjoy!

My roommate Rissa and I after 2 hours of dancing.

My roommate Max and I in the hotel lobby.

The three boys and Rissa at Moe's.

I wanted to try this restaurant.  I've never had Afghan food before. 

A Chapter Closed

What a week I tell ya!

After waiting patiently for the Top 20 applicants to be announced for the STA World Traveler Internship, I was surprised to not see myself in the Top 20. I worked extremely hard with the video and the application. I was surprised to see some of the videos that made it to the Top 20. I’m not bitter at all, but honestly, there were some videos that made it that didn’t deserve to be in the top 20. One video was by this 21-year old from San Diego. His name is Christian. His video was incredibly dull and I believe that the judges mainly chose him because he had more than 32,000 views. In the end, STA Travel is a business and it is looking for customers and that’s the bottom line. It makes perfect sense to choose the person with the most views. His video was not inspirational and did not make me want to travel. He has the most views because he lives his life on YouTube and has created a following. I supposed I’ll start making useless videos on YouTube to build a fan base and then re-apply. I’ll get the most views then. I’m not going to re-apply next year. I will do far greater things.

I’m sure the two interns will be great! This opportunity was not meant for me. I know I will have other great opportunities in the near future and this was just a bump in the road. I did create a great video in which I can look back at in 50 years and laugh at. STA Travel really does not care about underrepresented students who are limited in their travels and I know that’s not their target market, but it would have helped build a larger clientele. I will make it my life’s mission to help those who aren’t able to travel to explore the world and I know it will be successful. There are many students who would appreciate travel much more if they are given the chance versus those who have the money to travel because they can.

The STA Travel’s chapter is now closed.

Now on with the internship. The Royal Palms is great! I actually got called in to work to cover someone’s shift this past Wednesday. I was really out of it that evening because I just woke up from a nap, and I was bit thrown off with the day. My Director or Revenue called to ask if I could come in to cover the rush period, and I said I would. It takes me about 20 minutes to drive to work, so that was all I was dreading. I did stay for approximately 2 hours, so I didn’t feel as if I wasted gas with the round-trip.

I forgot to mention how the Royal Palms Resort & Spa is affected by the recession. I’ve been a bit spoiled working here the past year. For example, our employees have free meals at the cafeteria Soleil. There is a salad bar, a deli station, and some hot entrees. To cut costs, we recently got rid of the hot meals! I was a bit bummed because I always looked forward to what the cafeteria had to offer. It is usually a surprise, but now everyday is deli day. Also, we have this employee recognition program called the “High Five” program. An employee can get a High Five by begin recognized by one of the guests or even another employee for going above and beyond in customer service. If you receive one of the High Five cards, you can turn it in at Human Resources for $5. We got rid of redeeming it for cash. Once again, I was bummed because I had a High Five card that I did not turn it. DAMN!

All in all, I’m thankful to just have a job, but I didn’t realize how the recession directly impacted me until this happened.

I’ll talk a bit about T.Cook’s now. T.Cook’s is the restaurant on-site. It’s a Mediterranean inspired restaurant. The signature dish is the paella and it’s phenomenal!!! T.Cook’s has won many awards locally and nationally. It was named the best restaurant in 2007 per the Zagat Review. I have dined there once and I would definitely dine there again. Another popular event for T.Cook’s is their Sunday brunch. It’s every Sunday and it’s $29 per individual. It’s a Mediterranean Market buffet that consists of fresh grilled vegetables, shrimp, prosciutto, salmon, egg du jour, and a dessert buffet. Guests rave about it all the time. Well, the next major brunch is Easter Day’s Brunch. We’ve been getting an influx in calls regarding booking Easter Day’s Bruch. It’s a bit modified from the original brunch, but it’s still really popular. Our manager is anticipating a high volume of call when it gets near so I am preparing myself to be busy.

Aside from that, work is work. I still miss going to classes and I’m thinking heavily about graduate school. I don’t see myself working anytime soon. I really dislike routines. My ideal life would be to move to a different country each year, work temporarily to be comfortable, and eventually find a career in the near future. I hate being in one place for a long time and my time in Arizona is overdue. I need to escape…

A Tourist in My Own Town

I think about traveling all the time, and at times when I’m at work, I’m mentally in a different place. I know many of you can relate to this matter. Well, this past weekend, I took advantage of getting a taste of a different country without leaving Arizona. I wanted to experience something authentic, in a not so authentic environment. Arizona has festivals that represent countries from all around the world. I dragged my roommate to the 7th Annual Thai Multi-Cultural Day Festival yesterday.

The festival took place at Wat Promkunaram. The temple is located in Waddell, Arizona. There were many activities and stations such as the Thai pavilion, fruit carving station, exhibition on Thailand-US relations, music, classical and folk dance. The Thai food’s aroma was everywhere and you can smell the Pad-Thai and Thai Satay. My roommate and I arrived approximately at noon so we were starving. Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, so I knew I was going to enjoy whatever I ate. I immediately went to the station that had the beef skewers. The beef was grilled and it was very tender. It was just fantastic. My roommate and I also had some of the pork egg rolls. Once again, they were a piece of heaven. Afterward, we sat near the stage to see many of the classical dance performances. The girls’ and women’s costumes were elegant and rich with gold colors. Lastly, we went inside the temple to take a look at the Buddha shrine. It was magnificent. In the end, I couldn’t believe I got a taste of Thailand in my backyard.

Since we were already in the Waddell area, we saw a sing that said, “Wildlife World Zoo.” I’ve always seen commercials for the zoo and I’ve always wanted to go. My roommate and I just went on a whim and paid for admission into the zoo. I love zoos. When I was younger, I imagined myself as a zoologist, working in the zoo, and living in the zoo. Something about the environment attracts me to it. Maybe I am one with the animals, but who knows.

The Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium is far better than the Phoenix Zoo. I love the layout of the park and I like the selection of animals. My favorite sections of the zoo would have to be the kangaroo walkthrough, petting farm, and the aquarium. When I saw the wallabies, kangaroos, and cassowaries, it gave me flashbacks of Australia. I felt as if I was back in Australia. The other animals that really attracted my attention were the albino crocodile and tiger. We ended the visit with the sky ride which gave us an aerial view of the zoo. It was great and the weather was spectacular.

The other zoo I really want to visit is Out of Africa in Camp Verde, Arizona. I think I will have to make a day trip there, but I know it will be worth it.

My advice is that no matter where you are, you can always find something to experience and if you have an open mind, you can have an authentic experience. The taste of Thailand made me want to travel to Thailand in the near future and I plan on it.

Inside the Temple

One of the Classical Dances

The Entrance to the Temple

The Petting Farm

Inside the Aquarium

More Royal Palms Resort & Spa

We have many new packages to learn and as I was stating earlier in one of my other blogs, it is one of the most challenging things about working at the Royal Palms Resort & Spa. There are so many packages and when you are speaking with potential guests, it’s essential that you know what packages to present to them. Our target markets change on a yearly basis and our marketing director is always looking for innovate ways to bring people to the property in the form of packages.

The one that is very unique is the Babymoon Bliss Package. It’s a package for couples to relax and reconnect before entering or re-entering parenthood. This package has the Royal Palms Resort & Spa partnering up with Moonbeams, which is an upscale maternity, baby and children’s store. The Moonbeams gift will include a bath time tub filled with goodies. Another company the Royal Palms is partnering with is Jennifer Brown Photography. The package will include “Baby Bump” pre-pregnancy photos at the Royal Palms. The couple will have 60 fully edited custom photos, online proofing and ordering, a slide show set to music of photographer favorites and a $25 print credit.

The package includes a two-night stay, a $50 gift certificate to shop at Moonbeams, a whatever your craving in-room amenity, cigar and cognac for dad-to-be, a mom-to-be prenatal massage and pedicure at Alvadora spa, dad-to-be 60-minute therapeutic massage, candlelit drawn bath for two, and a selection of complimentary in-room movies such as “Expecting Moms”, “Look Who’s Talking”, “Three Men and a Baby”, including a variety of gourmet popcorn, sparkling water for mom-to-be and chilled beer for dad-to-be.

Phew! I know that’s what you’re thinking.

It’s a great package, but it’s a lot of information to know. I just have a sheet next to me that has the description.

I think it would be fun to be the marketing director and come up with packages. You can be really creative.

Oh! I got another 100% on my shop call! This is fantastic. I’ve gotten 100% on every single shop call the past year. I am looking forward to scheduling my next 60-minute spa treatment.