Hotelier Love Stories

Real Life Hotelier Love Stories, or do office romances really work? More specifically do love stories, that bloom within a hotel employment setting, have any chance of lasting forever?

A boss of mine once said “don’t get a honey where you make your money.”  And on many levels that makes a lot of sense.  Sometimes, relationships within the workplace only spell trouble. 

I’m sure many people can attest to the fact that having your significant other working so closely can be difficult.  Some partners may feel like they have a say in your work decisions. Some may have jealous fits when they see you being a little ‘too close’ with a co-worker or guest, when you’re just doing your job.  Some may try to manipulate the schedule so that you’ll be on the same shift. 

And if the couple has a fight, disagreement or break-up, that’s two less efficient people on the roster for the day!

However, that’s not to say that hotelier romances are impossible. 

In fact, we asked around in Hugot Hotelier and were happy to see that some couples actually conquered the challenges. They are working their way from workplace “landian” to that elusive “forever and ever.”

In honor of the love month, I am sharing their Real Life Hotelier Love Stories! 

Whether it inspires you to find your own hotelier love affair, or not, is up to you.  Think about it, though, we spend more time with our colleagues than we do at home.  Perhaps the love of your life is just sitting right there, in the next department!

Real Life Hotelier Love Stories: Roxanne and Marmi

It was my first day at Inagiku, Makati Shangri-La back in 2006. Medyo nakikiramdam pa ako sa mga bago kong ka-work. May umorder ng San Mig Pilsen.  Dali dali ko kinuha sa bar (ang bar ng Inagiku at Shang palace iisa lang nasa middle lang pero dalawa silang naka-assign). 

“Excuse me po, order po 1 San Mig Pilsen,” dala-dala ko yun printed coupon na order, andun si Gerald nagpupunas ng baso. “Pre 1 San Mig daw” sabi nya sa kasama niya. Humarap yung kasama niya sa akin at habang hawak ang bote ng beer, hindi sya gumagalaw. “Ang weirdo,” isip isip ko. 

” Huy pare, 1 San Mig daw” sabi ni Gerald.

Yun ata ang love at 1st sight.

After a week nagkayayaan kami magkakawork, punta kami sa Cable Car sa may Makati Ave.  Pinakilala sya sa akin ni Gerald, “Uy Roxanne si Marmi nga pala.”

Sabi ko naman, “hello kuya.” Napatungo pa siya na nagkakamot sa ulo.

“So kuya may anak ka na din?” Napakamot na naman siya sa ulo nya. Ngumiti lang na nahihiya.

Kasi magkabaliktaran kami ugali. Maingay ako at masayahin. Siya naman tahimik na seryoso. 

Sa tulong na din ng mga ka-work naming, ayun, naging kami din. Nagsama kami ng 6 months then decided na magpakasal na.

Sa ngayon, may tatlo na kaming anak – 2 girls at 1 boy.

Kapag naalala ko, yun dating tinatanong ko na “Kuya may anak ka na?” 

Ako pala ang aanakan!

(It was my first day at Inagiku in Makati Shangri-La back in 2006.  Someone ordered a San Miguel Pale Pilsen.  I went to the bar to get it and there were two guys on duty. 

“Excuse me, 1 San Mig Pilsen please,” I said.  “Hey, she needs one Pilsen” said a guy named Gerald to his co-worker who had his back to me.  When the other guy faced me holding the beer, he just stood there staring at me.  I thought, “what a weirdo!”

That must have been what you call “love at first sight!”

After a week, I went out with some of my co-workers to a place in Makati Ave called Cable Car.  That’s where Gerald introduced us. “Hey Roxanne, this is Marmi.”

I said “Hi, Kuya!” He looked shy and just scratched his head.

Then I asked “Do you have kids already?” He just smiled shyly at me.

We were total opposites.  I was noisy and boisterous.  He was quiet and serious.

With the support of our co-workers, eventually we became a couple.  We were together for 6 months then decided to get married.

Now we have three kids—2 girls and 1 boy.

I didn’t know that when I asked him if he had any kids, I would end up being the person he would eventually have kids with!

—-

Real Life Hotelier Love Stories: Alba and Deo

It wasn’t a perfect love story. When it happened, we both already had someone in our lives. But you know God has a funny way of putting people together.

We worked as a server in an all-day dining resto, at an airport hotel in Dubai, back in 2006. He was actually there 4 months before I was. It wasn’t a love at first sight kind of thing for me but it was for him. In that hotel, when new staff joined, they would post pictures on the bulletin board. That’s when he saw me. He had said to himself that whatever happens, he will have me haha. 

I had a BF then, while he was still single. He wasn’t really my type but he did make papansin by calling me “ate” whenever he saw me.  We were on different shifts and didn’t have the chance to become friends so every time he said, “Hi ate” I would say hi back but in my head I would be like, “WTF?”

Two months after I arrived there, my mom passed away. I went home and didn’t go back to the hotel until after almost 2 months. And when I came back he had a GF. 

Then we started working together on the same shift. I started to slowly get to know him and the feelings developed.

At first it was all fun and jokes. I would buss out my tray and see him in the steward area and call him. He would approach me and I would transfer the tray to him. So he had no choice but to clean it out.

Later on, he would go to my station and buss it out himself. I was surprised to see it clean all the time. He would let me steal food from his plate as well whenever we ate. And he would serve my guests even though he was assigned to the buffet and back area. 

Whenever the team went out after work, he would pay for my share. Yes, he was already courting me at that time.

Then 2 months later, he confessed his feelings for me. He said he didn’t think I would come back, after I went home to be with my family. He had gone for a drinking session with our colleague, and they ended up as BF/GF. He said that it was not like he was in love with her right away. It was like a relationship of convenience at that time.

He said that he was still head over heels in love with me and did not know how to break it to her.  And I didn’t know  how to break up with my BF either.  We did the wrong thing.  We secretly became BF/GF about after a month after his confession.

Eventually, he ended things with his GF and I ended my relationship too. We have been inseparable ever since. We have been together now for 16 years. We got married 14 years ago and have a daughter.

—-

Real Life Hotelier Love Stories: Kris Angelo & Jessa

Front Office OIC ako, OJT sya. Di ako naniniwala sa fairytale o sa romantic teleserye pero nangyari sa amin.

Nagkasalubong kami halos magkabangga pa. Nasabi ko na parang kakilala ko sya. Tinanong nya ko ‘Talaga?’ Sagot ko, ‘Oo, ikaw yong babae sa panaginip ko’. Corny.

Nag-request ako ng OJT kahit di ko naman talaga kailangan. Mas dapat sa HK at F&B para meron silang hands on na matutunan. Siya talaga ang ni-request ko at pinatabi ko lang saken sa office buong araw.

The rest is history ‘ika nga.

Sampung taon na nung muntik kami magkabangga.

Limang taon na kami kasal.

May bagets na din na malapit na magaral.

May poreber sa hotel,

tiwala at kapit lang,

darating din yan.

(I was a Front Office OIC and she was an OJT.  I don’t believe in fairy tales or romantic scenes from TV shows. But that’s exactly what happened to us.

We almost bumped into each other and I said to her she looked familiar.  She said, “really?” and I said “Yeah, you’re the girl from my dreams!” Corny!

I requested to have an OJT in our department, even though we didn’t really need one.  They would also have got more hands-on experience if they were assigned to Housekeeping or F&B.  But I specifically requested for her and just had her sit beside me in the office the whole day!

And as they say, the rest is history.

It’s been 10 years since we almost bumped into each other.

5 years since we were married.

Now we have a kid who will be in school soon.

There is a “forever” in the hotel industry.

Just hold on and have faith.

It will come.)

—-

Real Life Hotelier Love Stories: Pam & Brandon

My husband’s bosses are my regular guests at the hotel. So he knows me by face. He drives them around town, and he was the general manager of those retail stores inside the airport.

After some time, he saw my profile on a local dating site.  He recognized me as the girl at the front desk he always saw.  He started buzzing me and the rest was history.

We’ve been married for almost 10 years now.

—-

Real Life Hotelier Love Stories: Giselle Marie & Rchie

We met back in 2007 when we started our first jobs with InterContinental Manila. I was a Guest Relations Officer and he was a Butler.  

Coming from the same hometown, and having a few common friends (his ex included), we instantly clicked and became friends after he lent me his umbrella.  Umbrella, yes! Just like the one you usually see on K Drama. But not that scene under the rain!

Our colleagues especially our FOM and GRM were very much supportive of all the teasing and pairing us up. Cupids in the flesh! 

Side Story: For some odd reason when I was younger, I manifested a boyfriend whose roots are from Bulacan. Guess where he came from? Bulakan, Bulacan! It even doubled! 😊

We left ICM and moved to other hotels; Crowne Plaza, F1, Shangri-La, Solaire & Conrad. 

Fast forward to his proposal in 2013 in Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. He used to have an EXPAT trainee from the same property. He reconnected with him to prepare for his proposal to me. The entire property knew who we were, even before we physically checked in. I didn’t have any hunches he was going to propose; my nails weren’t even prepared. 

Our turning 14 year old-love story traced back and witnessed by our hotel colleagues, bosses and even guests was not easy and perfect. There were hurdles and hiccups and everything in between.  Hotel couples should apply the learnings and lessons of handling VIP guests, challenging guests and balancing to their personal life. At the end-of-day, I guess it means HAPPY WIFE = HAPPY LIFE. ❤️

These five relationships just prove that there are successful Hotelier Love Stories out there. And love is not impossible to find in the hotel workplace setting. Yes, it will not be without its challenges and bumps along the road but, in the end, love will always prevail!

(Disclaimer: As with any other company, always consider your property’s rules and regulations regarding workplace relationships before jumping into one! “Landi” responsibly!)

Check out my article Why Hoteliers Make The Best Life Partners