What The Hospitality Industry Doesn’t Tell You About The Holiday Season

Before you start packing your bags to leave for your holiday vacation or making a reservation at that restaurant you’ve been dreaming of, let me tell you a little secret.

The people behind the scenes of your holiday dinner or trip make miracles happen.

Whether it’s working a double or triple shift, filling in different positions, flying the plane that's taking you home to your loved ones, or cooking your favorite meal. We make it happen.

The thing is, part of working in this industry means making magic happen every day. But during the holiday season, it’s like we become The Avengers or something.

You see, during this season the hospitality industry suffers the most because we’re understaffed. Why is that? Because we want to spend the holidays with our families and loved ones too. Managers take on the daunting task of trying to figure out a schedule that works both for the company and the employees' lives.

But hey, don’t get me wrong, we’re not complaining. We knew what we signed up for when we decided to work in this industry. As exhausting as it can be, it is equally rewarding: being able to bring people together is what we're here for.

While you’re sitting down having Thanksgiving dinner with your family, we’re back in the kitchen eating a quick bite or a bag of chips. With our family. Our work family.

While you’re on the plane waiting to see your loved ones, some people will be traveling the whole day, unable to see theirs.

While you relax in that gorgeous hotel room, we’re making sure everything is perfect for your memorable experience. That’s part of why we can make magic happen during this holiday season: because of the people around us. We get to spend this special time with them, and it makes us feel at home. Even if we’re far away from our loved ones, this industry rewards us with people who become family.

At the end of the day, part of the beauty of this industry and the holiday season is that it’s all about connection. It's about feeling the warmth of the people around you. It's about making someone else feel good.

If you can take anything from reading this, remember that there’s always someone in the back of the house making things happen for you.

Smile as often as you can to us.

Say “thank you” anytime you can. Appreciation during this time of the year goes a long way. Little things are suddenly not so little when they come straight from your heart.

Because what the hospitality industry doesn’t tell you about the holiday season is that we wish we were at home.

So, this holiday season, let’s all make magic happen—you while on vacation and us while working. Let’s make each other feel at home. It doesn’t matter where we are.

To all my hospitality fellows working behind the scenes, THANK YOU. 

We see you, appreciate you, and have your back.