Capturing the Magic

During Golden Week my husband Scott and I stayed at the Emerald Bay JW Marriott in Phu Quoc Vietnam. Our experience was the best we have ever had at any Marriott property and we have stayed at many. What made this experience so different? The staff at the resort from the front desk, spa, food and beverage manager, chef and our personal butler all took pride and found joy in serving their guests. It was the little things……the flowers, the little gifts of fruit and snacks, the reservations for services, the rides to and from places on the property, the Vietnamese coffee at breakfast or the warm donuts delivered in the afternoon. It was the big things too…..the beach side dinner with the dishes carefully chosen, the romantic 25th anniversary celebration and the video that our butlers made us to commemorate our special occasion. All focused on serving us in the best way possible.

What makes Emerald Bay so different?

A Visible Leader: We had the pleasure of meeting the property manager Ty Collins several times throughout our short stay. Like other Marriott managers Ty knows that even the smallest details matter. He is approachable, personable, and visible. Whether that is on arrival, walking through the restaurants or at the beach front bar he is there and available to guests. This visibility makes guests feel like he has a pulse on the day to day operations of the resort. He interacts with his staff and reinforces his expectations for them. He interacts with his guests and makes them feel as though they are truly important to him!

A Passionate Staff: EVERY single person on the staff from the gardener to the chef absolutely loved what they were doing. They made it feel like their goal each day was to please their guests and to create a memorable experience for them. It was their mission. They got to know you, your likes, dislikes and routines. They anticipated what you wanted and made sure that you had it before you asked. They were humble and when thanked or praised they brushed it off as just part of what they did. We had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people: Lihn and Frankie our butlers who wrote us notes, brought us flowers and made our trip so special with romantic surprises throughout the 4 days; Varun the food and beverage manager who checked in with us at every meal to see how we liked the food and asked the pastry chef to prepare and deliver raspberry donuts for Scott one afternoon after he casually asked if they would be at breakfast the next morning; Sunny who made us a special drink prior to heading to dinner, and Phuc our chef who prepared our 5 course beachfront dinner with artistry and perfection! Each experience better than the last!

Aligned Mission, Vision and Values: All of the staff from the General Manager to the grounds keepers had the same mission “to provide a memorable experience for their guests.” They valued their guests and took pride in serving them to the best of their ability. It really felt like you were important and special to each and every one of them. Every single employee said hello, welcome or good morning and asked you if they could help in any way each and every day! You knew that they were there to serve you!

A Culture of High Expectations: Everything on property was perfect from the ladies who swept the beach each morning, housekeeping services twice daily, the meticulous groundkeepers, the food, drinks and entertainment services provided! There were no jobs that were half done or below standard. Every single employee worked to the best of their ability to maintain the highest of standards because it was expected of them and they were happy to do it!

This experience really made me think about our jobs as leaders. Are we truly serving the needs of our students and families? Would they say that all of the leaders in the organization are visible? Do they believe that all staff are passionate and dedicated to what they do? Do they see that our mission, vision and values are aligned? Is there a culture of high expectations? How could you tell? Do staff push themselves to be better and do better each day? Do they believe in service to others?

How as leaders do we insure that we create a culture that demands the best for each student every day? How do we provide the best service possible? How do we capture the magic that they have at Emerald Bay?

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