22 May A Day in the Life – Kaluma Resort Manager
Imagine your alarm going off at 6.30am and looking outside to see fresh powder, mountain views and blue skies and knowing that this is your office…
Well it really is my office! I am a Resort Manager for Kaluma Travel and here is a little bit about my week during the ski season.
Office views
Most days start with a very strong cup of coffee and a croissant before my short walk to work through the beautiful village greeting the resorts familiar faces. Once in the office I meet for a morning briefing with the managers of each chalet, we check through the ‘to-do’ list and plan the day ahead. If it’s a changeover the resort can be very busy, however today is business as usual. The ‘to-do’ list might consist of picking up ski passes, or greeting late arriving guests, organising lessons, restaurant bookings and massages etc. There might be also be some last-minute requests. We have a dedicated team of Chalet Managers who are predominantly responsible for their own guests, however we are all very happy to muck-in and support each-others workload when things become too busy.
Chalet Eden Rock, one of our St Anton chalets
It’s then time for the team to depart to their individual chalets to host our guests. I check that all deliveries have been made to each chalet – things such as fresh bread and pastries, fresh flowers and groceries for the chefs – whizz through any important emails, then make my own way to the properties to spot check cleanliness levels and to chat to our guests, many of whom are returners so I always enjoy catching up.
With a wealth of experience in resort, my guests often pick my brain for ‘insiders-knowledge’; where the snow is best on a sunny yet chilly morning, any new restaurants that they could try for lunch, or where they will find the best apple-strudel….. Today is their first ski-day of the holiday so I walk with them down to the ski hire shop to help organise their equipment, before introducing them to Damian, one of our regular ski instructors (he really is great!). At this point I say goodbye as I know they are in very safe hands.
Next on the list is meeting one of our returning guests, a corporate company who travel with us every year. They are a fantastic group who I always try to join for a ski at least once during their holiday. The guests always appreciate not having to look at a piste map and from Kaluma’s perspective, time on the mountain develops our relationship with our guests, as well as allowing guests to experience the mountain in a way only us lucky enough to live out here can. This is one of my favourite parts of the job – skiing with guests in the name of ‘work’ – it’s a tough life but someone has to do it!
Time to ski guide…
Today they are booked into an amazing spot for lunch; luckily I know the owner well so on arrival they are taken to the best table in the house and treated to an amazing lunch with only the best customer service experience… Once again I pinch myself. This is my job!
Lunch at the Hospiz Alm with a view!
After a fantastic morning, I have a small amount of free time, then in the afternoon it’s into the office to catch up on admin. I run through my emails, which are mostly from head office updating me on any new sales or guest requirements, there is a note from Rebbie in the office who has just informed me that one of the guests that is flying in tomorrow is vegan, so I quickly make sure that we have the food ordered and that the chef preps a menu for them.
Our office is located in one of our largest chalets, so I pop in to see our guests, have a chat (and often a glass of champagne) then I do a last spot check, chat with the in-chalet-teams and stay to check that dinner service runs smoothly. At roughly 9pm, when I have made sure all the guests are happy and catered for, I can clock off for the evening.
No day is the same and you truly never know what might be thrown at you when managing an in-resort team of 20+ and up to 75 guests! Suffice to say there are definitely challenges along the way but ultimately I have never worked with a better team. The in-resort Kaluma team is full of individuals who all share the same passion for outdoor life and the mountains and it’s a pleasure to work alongside them.
Roll on next season!!!!
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