One-of-a-Kind Positions at Luxury Hotels

  • October 20, 2023
One-of-a-Kind Positions at Luxury Hotels

From unique dining venues to quirky experiences, there are many interesting aspects of a luxury hotels. But who is behind the little touches that make a hotel so special? We've pulled together some of the most unique positions at luxury hotels, from a Pet Adventures and Wellness Specialist at Hotel Swexan in Dallas to an Aloha Ambassador at Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii.

Hôtel Swexan | Pet Adventures and Wellness Specialist (PAWS), Crystal Montero

From naming our nightclub after the artist Salvador Dalí's pet ocelot, Babou, to ensuring that our guests' animal companions aren't just welcomed but celebrated, Crystal Montero, Hôtel Swexan's Pet Adventures & Wellness Specialist (PAWS), is an expert in all things furry friends. Montero is deeply passionate about the well-being of animals and loves creating memorable experiences for guests and their pets. As Hôtel Swexan's PAWS since its opening in June 2023, Montero leads the charge in creating, promoting, and evaluating the property's pet-friendly offerings. Montero's contributions have redefined pet-friendly hospitality, and at Hôtel Swexan, furry guests indulge in amenities like cozy doggie beds, delectable treats, and a 24-hour dog walking service. Montero has diligently curated a list of pet-friendly locations in the Dallas area, guaranteeing that our guests and their pets can enjoy the city together. Montero ensures that pets at Hôtel Swexan receive the highest level of pampering, and even crafts doggy playlists to keep canine companions relaxed throughout their stay!

Ojai Valley Inn | Resident Spiritual Healer and Medium, Nancy Furst

With over 30 years of experience as a spiritual counselor, Nancy Furst offers inspirational wisdom and guidance to support guests on their paths to healing and enlightenment. After studying with Native American tribes for nearly a decade, Nancy’s expertise includes Native American traditions and ceremonies. Her background includes advanced certification in crystal healing from Katrina Raphaell, certification as a hypnotherapist, training and practice in hospice care and bereavement, study, and practice of Native American spirituality, and an extensive study of metaphysics, brain science, and the healing arts. Along with a private practice, she has worked for acclaimed resorts for over nineteen years. Through these ancient methods, she channels her psychic abilities and intuitions to bridge the spiritual divide and guides people to achieve deeper inner connection. Guests of Ojai Valley Inn can experience customized sessions such as:

  • Cleansing sage rituals to guide people into a process of letting go and receiving
  • Meditative journey through drumming and Native American prayer song, which helps people to connect with themselves and create a psychic connection with spirits.
  • Psychic reading with Native American cards and crystals, which are designed to heal, enlighten and empower guests to transform their consciousness.
  • Couples’ readings to foster healthy communication and relationship building

ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki | Private Kaiseki Chef, Mamoru Tatemori

Chef Mamoru Tatemori is a critically acclaimed fine dining chef in Japan and has specialized in Kaiseki dining for more than 25 years. He began his career at the exclusive Yamazato Restaurant in Tokyo’s Hotel Okura before working in top kitchens in New York, Hawaii, and ultimately opening his own restaurant in Tokyo, Restaurant Tatemori. Chef Tatemori is renowned for his data and science-based approach to food preparation, considering the environment, water temperature and climate, and transport method for each ingredient featured across his menus. The Kaiseki experience at ESPACIO takes place in the comfort of the guest’s chef-grade kitchen in their suite for an unrivaled private dinner offering in Hawaii. Presented by acclaimed Chef Mamoru Tatemori, the Kaiseki meal is thoughtfully curated to each party or group, with dietary restrictions and preferences considered in the development of each menu. At ESPACIO, the Kaiseki experience includes nine courses and is deeply rooted in the changing seasons. Preparation for each Kaiseki dinner takes more than a month, from aging beef and fish to building flavor in broths. Most ingredients used are sourced from Japan or local Hawaiian farms and waters and preparations are decided based on the seasonality of each ingredient. For example, a Blue Fin Tuna may be presented shabu shabu style (hotpot) or cooked with Uni and served over rice in a traditional Donabe clay pot. Even Wagyu and Chicken are sourced and presented based on seasonality and the animals’ diet.

Mauna Kea Resort  | Aloha Ambassador Healani Kimitete Ah-Mow

The iconic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort make up Mauna Kea Resort, located on a stunning stretch of the Island of Hawaii’s Kohala Coast and provide an relaxing resort experience in tandem with cultural activities and educational experiences for a holistic, immersive Hawaiian Island getaway. The resort’s renowned Aloha Ambassador Healani Kimitete Ah-Mow is a Hawaiian native and has dedicated her life and career to passing along time-honored traditions from the Hawaiian culture to both residents and guests. From lei making classes and hula lessons to her transformative E Ala E sunrise ceremony (in which resort guests are guided through a Hawaiian chant that reinforces your relationship with the earth and the sea, starting the day on a positive note), Mauna Kea Resort’s mission is to deepen the luxury resort experience with memorable cultural moments that will stay with guests for years to come. Additional cultural activities include ukulele, Hawaiian language lessons, Hawaiian net-throwing, resort art tours, the historic and award-winning Mauna Kea Luau, and kid-friendly hiking and exploration adventures.

Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection | Charlene Acevedo, Adventure Guide, 2.5 years

Description of the position

  • The Adventure Guide curates one-of-a-kind experiences to suit and meet the needs of each guest. They also accommodate special requests whenever possible by adding their own personal recommendations and touches.
  • Charlene personally likes to introduce guests to the Telluride area by describing the literal 'Lay of the Land' providing guests a background on how the local landscape was formed by fire and ice hundreds of millions of years ago.
  • She also likes to acquaint guests and pay tribute to the Native peoples who first inhabited the area, their culture and impact to the region partnered with the mining history that followed.

Brief bio on the lucky staffer

  • Charlene is a longtime Telluride local of thirty plus years with a background in the arts and antiques from NYC. She haa a passion for educating and sharing here knowledge through classes, such as Making Paints with the Ancient Earth, at the Madeline based on her passions for geology, the arts and mycology. Her passion for mushroom foraging allows her to venture into the mountains with guests to find rare gourmet specimens like chanterelles and porcini, educating them on the ecology of mushrooms, ideal climates and nutritional benefits.