Name: Pam Z.
Position: Director of Revenue
Hotel: Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center
If you gave me a penny for every Marriott associate who started their career at the Front Desk and are now in leadership positions I probably wouldn’t need to work anymore (but I would because I love my job). All this to say, there are seemingly countless examples of that experience at Marriott and Pam, Director of Revenue Management on the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center’s pre-opening team, is one of them.
When Pam first started her Marriott journey, she didn’t know it was a journey. She wasn’t even thinking of a career in hospitality! Pam just took a job at the Front Desk of the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Southern California as a secondary gig to boost her income.
It’s been 36 years since then. In Pam’s career at Marriott, she relocated multiple times and held roles at the Front Desk and Sales departments before falling in love with Revenue Management.
“I was captivated by the field!” she says. “As I delved deeper into revenue management, I took on various roles, including inventory manager, revenue analyst, and group strategy director, ultimately achieving my goal of becoming a market leader.”
→ Learn About the Wide Range of Career Journeys at Marriott
For Pam, becoming a Star — the unique title given to Gaylord associates — is a big career-advancing opportunity, especially being on a pre-opening team.
“Pre-opening teams are small and allow you to network with some incredible resources in our company, showcase your talent, build relationships and gain experience that can create unique opportunities for your career,” she says — and it doesn’t hurt that they’re having a blast. “This team is having so much fun and the friendships that have been and will be created within this special group will last a lifetime.”
Working at a massive resort like this with its own waterpark, 1,600 guest rooms, and 477,000 square feet of convention space, is not for the faint of heart, but Pam is enjoying the bigness of it all.
“Watching something of this magnitude be created and built from the ground up is awe inspiring and I’m honored to be part of the team,” she says. “It’s like nothing I have ever experienced before in my career, and I would highly recommend it!”
Keep reading to learn more about Pam’s dream leadership role at Gaylord Pacific and her recipe to thriving in a pre-opening team environment.
How would you describe Gaylord culture?
The Gaylord culture starts with its Stars! The term stands for Smiles, Teamwork, Attitude, Reliability and Service with Passion. The keyword that drives all of this really is passion. Passion for people, passion for service, passion for creating extraordinary experiences and meaningful connections for our guests. Gaylord fosters a creative environment and service culture for its Stars to cultivate this passion.
What would you tell people who are interested in becoming a Star at Gaylord Pacific?
If you are passionate about what you do and want to be part of a team that is second to none, works hard, and has fun, then please reach out! We are looking for the best of the best to be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to open the biggest resort currently under construction on the West coast.
What are some ways you are empowered to achieve the extraordinary in your role?
On a pre-opening team, I am empowered with so much. Creating the strategy for this hotel from the ground up has been the dream of a lifetime. From building our revenue team, to creating room types, and room pool names, group pricing, walking the hotel under construction to determine what different views will be, leisure pricing, mix, proforma, budget and too many other things to list. It has been a journey.
“Creating the strategy for this hotel from the ground up has been the dream of a lifetime.”
PAM, gAYLORD pACIFIC
What is key to thrive in a pre-opening team?
The pre-opening environment is unique to say the least, and without systems to guide you or work within it is essential to draw on your experience and combine that with the experience of everyone around you to be successful. It has been the adventure of a lifetime to work together with the rest of the Gaylord Pacific team to create a successful foundation for this hotel to launch from and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of this family.
What are some ways Gaylord has supported you in learning, development and growing your own career?
The Gaylord brand family has been overwhelmingly welcoming and supportive since I started my current job in August of 2022. We have all experienced the family environment in Marriott and Gaylord is no exception. From my initial Stars immersion to regular brand specific meetings with other leaders, the culture is all about what we can do better and how we can help each other to get there. The connections and relationships I have created in this latest job will no doubt continue to help me grow in my career!
