Reflections

Wow, I've had this blog for 7 years. Yes, there have been stretches of time where I haven't been active. I've gone years without posting however the stories continue to build up in my head, and the stupidity never ceases to amaze me on a regular basis. I've been in the hospitality business since 2006 (that's 12 years!) and holy shit have I seen some things. Looking back and reading some of my previous posts had me laughing and shaking my head all over again. I've worked at all kinds of properties. Four Diamond, independent, extended stay, casino/hotel, world famous or completely unknown and as different as they all may be, they are also exactly alike in so many ways.

In 2016 I left the Las Vegas strip hotel I had been with for 4 years, and ended up in the downtown area also known as Fremont Street. Anyone that's been to Fremont knows that it's a totally different experience from being on the strip. This is "old town" this is where Vegas began, this is the original Las Vegas. Of course time has taken it's toll on the originals like The Mint, The Pioneer Club, Glitter Gulch, and The Las Vegas Club. All of which no longer exist. In their place stands home of the biggest tv screens in the country (if not the world I think but I could be wrong). A section comprising one fiftieth of the total canopy equals the size of the world’s current largest electric sign. Multiple permanent stages for nightly band performances, and of course SLOTZILLA the zip line experience.

Walking through the Fremont area, you will encounter any and every kind of person you could imagine. Being ranked #18 on the list of top 100 things to do in Vegas, The Fremont Street Experience draws an enormous crowd. The whole stretch of casinos and shops is packed with people observing the numerous street performers and artists there hoping to make some extra money, or shopping at the little carts with typical "vegas" merchandise. Now as you may recall, this is downtown so along with the thousands of tourists that flow through the area each day, we have a huge population of homeless and transient people that make their way through the crowds as well. Not to mention that the Las Vegas Metropolitan jail is also downtown (literally a block down from my hotel) and I'm also right next to the Greyhound bus station so you can imagine the colorful cast of characters I get walking through my lobby nightly. We, the front desk, have become pretty immune to the majority of disturbances that erupt on a near nightly basis. But there will always be that one person or experience that sticks out in our minds (like the guy that left his cat in the room for days essentially abandoning it, or the man that told me he was the devil and he was taking me to hell with him. I swear, I wish I was joking). 

Sadly, I've realized that no matter what hotel you work in you're going to have the same experiences, and same annoying questions and problems. Twelve years later and I've evolved into an even more sarcastic version of myself and I continually have to remind myself to keep the cynicism in check or risk offending the wrong person and potentially losing my job. Then again I seem to be surrounded by a bunch of immature, gossipy people that couldn't keep a secret if their life depended on it so it's always best to maintain a tight lip. In my current situation I've found that although the graveyard shift hours SUCK, it's so much more peaceful and less stressful. No one around but the manager and the agent out front while I answer phones, do my paperwork, and run the night audit. Some days I miss having a shift with normal hours. But then I remember that wold mean working with other people and being caught up in the middle of the drama which I'd much rather avoid all together. So cheers to my other graveyard workers/night owls/day sleepers.