10 Signs You Are Dating A Hotelier!
Dating a hotelier definitely has its advantages and, if you don’t know why, you should check out my article 10 Reasons Why Hoteliers Make The Best Life Partners
However! It also takes a special kind of person to understand, and appreciate, the quirks and perks of being the significant other of someone who works in the hotel industry. Being a hotelier is a calling. And oftentimes one that entails a lot of sacrifices. Plus a ton of patience from their partners. Particularly the partners of those working at the front end of the operations.
So, what’s it like to be dating a hotelier? Or, being married to someone who works in the hospitality industry?
Here are 10 Signs You’re Dating a Hotelier:
1. Christmases, New Years and Valentine’s Days will almost always be celebrated the day before or after the actual event.
Very often, hotels are in full-blast peak season during special occasions. So, getting a day off during these days is often mission impossible.
Your partner will often be asked to choose whether they want to work on Christmas or on New Year.
They will hardly ever be allowed to go on leave for both occasions. So, you will find yourself celebrating without them for at least one of these events.
2. If you planned a date for 7PM, and they will be coming from work, rest assured your date will be moved to 8PM or even later.
Sometimes, it even gets postponed to another day. This is the reality especially for those working in Front of the House.
A lot of things can happen within a shift, which can result in staff having to stay beyond their duty hours. It could be an unexpected, large group of guests arriving which requires all-hands-on-deck. Or, a power outage. Or a system breakdown, which delays them from finishing their end-of-day reports. Or, a co-worker who suddenly becomes ill and cannot work the next shift.
Being the partner of, or dating, a hotelier means being ready for any sudden changes to your plans. And adjusting accordingly.
3. It’s perfectly normal for your calls and messages to be unanswered for hours.
In most cases, hotel employees are not allowed to use their personal cell phones during work hours. Some are not even allowed to bring their phones into their work areas and have to leave them in their locker.
Some employees might be able to find ways to work around this rule. There will be those that will have cellphones hidden inside their bras or socks. And they may take frequent “toilet breaks”. Just so they can answer messages from their loved ones.
It is quite normal for hotel employees to not be able to return calls and messages until their break times. Or after their shift. So, if you are in a new relationship with someone who works in a hotel, don’t worry. They’re not ignoring you! They really haven’t seen your missed calls and messages yet. And they will get back to you as soon as they can.
4. You can’t plan for an impromptu vacation.
Due to the nature of the job, schedules are made way ahead of time. These schedules have many factors such as bulk group arrivals and departures, functions, scheduled leaves and advanced shift requests.
If you will be planning a getaway with your hotelier partner, the first thing to consider before booking anything is if they can even get approved for a leave. This makes planning a surprise vacation for them quite challenging.
5. You will not be able to post some of your date or vacation photos. Or tag your partner in them.
Because of the difficulty in getting leave approved, your significant other might decide to play “hooky”. Just to be able to spend some time with you! If they do this, make sure not to give them away by posting any incriminating photos or videos that will show they are not, in fact, sick in bed at home.
Disclaimer: Hugot Hotelier in no way promotes, or encourages, playing “hooky”. It is a fire-able offense in some businesses. Or, at the very least, will result in disciplinary measures.
6. You will be the appointed masseuse on days when they are absolutely exhausted from work.
If you are married to, or dating a hotelier, then the chances are you’ve heard this sentence countless of times: “Ang sakit ng paa/binti ko.”
After standing up for at least 8 hours, cleaning rooms, cooking all day and serving guests, the least you can do for them is to offer a foot rub or leg massage to ease their tiredness away. They will love you all the more for it.
7. You will get to know their guests despite having never met them.
You’ll know how Mrs. Smith loves yelling at people for giving them the wrong newspaper. How Mr. Jenkins always empties the candy tray. How Mr. Reyes is always seen checking in with different women.
You’ll hear about the couple fighting in room 802. Or, about the naked woman in the hallway, or the rude foreign guest who threw money on the floor.
You will be the sounding board for all their funny, entertaining, sometimes sad or enraging tales from the hotel world.
8. You will find it difficult to lie to them.
Being a hotelier means being trained to pay attention to details. And to listen attentively. They will be able to pick up subtle cues and remember tiny details. And they can smell BS from a mile away.
Better not attempt it at all!
9. You will find yourself getting to know other employees and their partners while waiting at the employees’ entrance.
Hotel employees hardly ever get off work on the dot. So, if you’re picking up your significant other from work, be prepared to spend some quality time with your coffee cup and your phone. And bring with you lots and lots of patience.
10. You will be in a relationship with someone who will understand the importance of making you feel important and heard.
Someone who will know how to apologize when they are wrong (sometimes even when they’re not). And someone who knows how to make it up to you.
You will be with someone who will surprise you, delight you, pamper you and make you happy like you’ve never been before.
Yes, being married to or dating a hotelier takes a lot of patience and understanding. And the demands of the job may sometimes take a toll on your relationship.
But with proper communication, some compromise and a whole lot of love and support, you’ll find that dating a hotelier or marrying them may be the best thing that ever happens in your life.
