May 26
My Fabulous First Year At The Pierre
This month, I am celebrating one year of my dream job. And what a year it has been!
From producing special events to managing TV and magazine photo shoots, I’ve had the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting projects of my career, with colleagues who represent the best of both hospitality and humanity. It takes a lot to deliver five-star service every day. And that’s exactly what The Pierre does.
With my boss Ernesto and General Manager Francois at The Pierre’s 70s-themed holiday party
Following the great example set by our leadership team, everyone at The Pierre is guided by the dual principles of doing what’s right and what is true to the DNA and 90-year history of the hotel. One year later, I am still in awe of the kindness, dedication and excellence of my coworkers. Going above and beyond is the rule here rather than the exception. Often when I’m speaking with guests, they express gratitude for the genuine warmth and caring of The Pierre team. I feel the same way. In these turbulent times, it is such a blessing to spend my days in a place that brings out the best in people.
Valentine’s Day selfie with colleagues (from left) Kim, Deb, Jackie and Vanessa
Of course, it’s no surprise that a hotel of this caliber attracts quite an extraordinary clientele. And it has given me the chance to meet iconic figures from so many different fields. I’ve had afternoon tea and talked about “Downton Abbey” with handsome, witty UK actor David Robb (Dr. Clarkson). I coordinated segments for two national morning shows, including one with legendary anchor Jane Pauley and the utterly charming, hilarious Bill Murray. Fun fact: an ex-boyfriend of mine went on an archeological dig in Cyprus with Bill. Laughing with him about this and sharing our experiences of working Down Under in Sydney with Jane was sublimely surreal.
In the hotel’s iconic Rotunda with Jane Pauley & Bill Murray
Perhaps closest to my heart, I’ve had the privilege to launch Broadway At The Pierre, a cabaret series that revisits the hotel’s long tradition of showcasing musical theater’s brightest stars (The Pierre hosted a similar program back in the 1940s and 50s!). Broadway was a big part of growing up in the Big Apple so working with its extraordinarily talented and equally gracious performers means a great deal to me.
Broadway At The Pierre: Kicking off the series with WICKED alums Hayley Podschun (Glinda), Jennifer DiNoia (Elphaba) and Musical Director Benjamin Rauhala
Just a few weeks into year two, the momentum continues. I have managed photography of celebrity departures for the prestigious MET Costume Gala — including the exits of Uma Thurman, Anne Hathaway, Kris Jenner and Shawn Mendes.
Uma Thurman exiting the hotel on her way to the MET Gala
I coordinated a TODAY Show segment filmed in The Pierre’s beloved Two E lounge. I had the pleasure of listening to Michelle Obama speak about balancing motherhood with life in the White House. And I witnessed an epic Mother’s Day performance by the three incredible leads from The Phantom of The Opera. As I shared with them that night, it was the first time since losing my mom almost 20 years ago that I actually looked forward to the holiday. Words can’t describe what a turning point this is for me.
All smiles on Mother’s Day (!) after PHANTOM’s epic performance
An acquaintance observed that my face always lights up when I talk about this extraordinary hotel. My dear friend Sara’s mom says I have finally found my home. I couldn’t agree more. The Pierre anchors me every day, continually inspiring me to evolve and grow.
Dream job? Job of a lifetime!
Mar 10
MGM’s Park Theater in Vegas: An Epic Fail
When you work in hospitality, you quickly learn it’s often the little things that make a big difference. Knowing what matters to your guests and making them feel appreciated is what it’s all about. MGM’s Park Theater at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas has deliberately chosen not to remember that.
This is how you communicate with premium customers?
Last night, I received the above email from the theater’s “premium services” team—a term I use very loosely here. It contained confirmation details for my upcoming meet & greet next weekend with Ricky Martin. Amidst the usual laundry list of terms and conditions, a new addition stood out in red and all caps–
“ONE APPROVED PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN AND UPLOADED DIGITALLY. THERE WILL BE NO ALTERNATIVE PHOTOS AVAILABLE”
Um…What?? One photo for the exorbitant price of nearly $700?? Clearly, the Park was responding to their faux pas during Ricky’s first All In residency last year, when they neglected to inform attendees that only one image would be posted online but BTW you could request by email the others taken. Instead of rectifying this lack of professionalism, the venue has chosen to penalize VIP customers, proving yet again that it doesn’t have the first clue about how to deliver a premium experience.
September 2017: I almost missed out on this treasured photo because the Park Theater didn’t upload it online.
Last fall, I purchased two meet & greets with Ricky. On both occasions, just about every Park Theater staffer was rude or ill prepared. Upon retrieving my lanyard from the box office, I joined the VIP line with that, an e-ticket and PDF confirmation. Even with all of these credentials, the greeter asked me to log in to my Ticketmaster account. Apparently the box office rep had failed to give me whatever additional documentation was required.
After going back and forth for several minutes, it finally occurred to her to check the VIP list, where she immediately found my name. Several Ricky fans have encountered similar issues—among them, receiving lanyards with the wrong date on them and total mismanagement of the general admission standing section.
It must be said that this disorganization and inability to effectively run a meet & greet is in no way a reflection on Ricky himself. As he always is has been, Ricky is gracious, down to earth and completely present. He genuinely cares about making it a special experience. If only the same could be said about MGM and its staff at the Park Theater.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve attended several meet and greets with Ricky at first-class venues including Madison Square Garden, Mohegan Sun and Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. Along with providing at least 3-4 photos, they offered admission to the pre-concert sound check as well as a catered reception–all at a more reasonable cost than The Park Theater’s nearly $700 price tag. This was MSG’s email confirmation:
This is how a VIP email should look.
Note the welcoming tone and attention to detail, including names and cell numbers of the event hosts (not an impersonal 1-800 number) and—imagine that!—exact info about how to download photos. The only thing you had to think about was arriving on time. Quite a difference from the Park Theater, which leaves you wondering if they’re going to let you in or if the one photo they deign to share will be halfway decent. And do we really need to see the m/g rules in red font and ALL CAPS? We get it. Your only interest is in shuttling us in and out like cattle as quickly as possible.
Meet and greets by their very nature require time constraints. Having managed several at upscale hotels here in NYC, I am well aware of the need to keep things moving. But that doesn’t justify how the Park Theater is treating Ricky fans. The venue is making money hand over fist—at our expense.
By cramming in 60+ people, the Park takes in approximately $40,000 in gross revenue from the meet and greet. Not too shabby considering they have no real hard costs. There’s zero food or beverages and the only souvenir is a plastic ‘commemorative lanyard.’ Clearly, they have come up with a formula—higher prices + no hospitality = more profit.
“I did not buy any meets this time just because the experience was not what I wanted it to be anymore,” said one longtime Ricky fan.
“I’d rather watch the show 7 times for that price,” declared another.
“Not worth it,” says yet another RM devotee. “Not even close to being worth it.”
Especially for those of us who travel a long distance—many from faraway places like Macao and South America—just to enjoy a few cherished minutes with our beloved Ricky.
The community of Ricky Martin fans is a fiercely loyal and global one. We have braved bad weather, long lines and even longer journeys many times and spent our hard-earned money to support our all-time favorite artist. We do this because Ricky’s music, grace of spirit and humanity speaks to our souls. And quite frankly, we deserve better treatment—far far better—than what we’re getting from MGM and the Park Theater.
Back in September, I shared critical feedback on the venue’s Facebook page. And received the same radio silence that I did to my email complaint this week about the new photo policy. I don’t know why I’m surprised—this place continues to operate well below the legendary hospitality standards of MGM.
Want to voice your opinion to the theater’s so-called premium team? Call 702.730.6975 or email premium@parktheaterlv.com.
“Hopefully, everyone will get it together to do the best for his fans who have been supporting him so long,” says a Ricky friend.
Are you listening MGM, the Park Theater and RM Entertainment?
