All posts filed under: Your People

As members of Garza Blanca Residence Club, you are assured personalized attention by a Concierge to help facilitate and coordinate any activities that may interest you to make your vacation experience memorable. Be it with a special celebration, an adventurous excursion or a relaxing day at the spa.  The journey begins the moment you step off the plane, as you drive through one of the most iconic vacation destinations in Mexico, surrounded by lush mountains, cobblestone streets and beautiful artwork that surround the town leading you towards Garza Blanca.  From the moment you step out of your transportation, you will be greeted by a Bellman & Concierge team who will assure your comfort and provide refreshments & amenities as you are introduced to our piece of paradise.  Your designated concierge will then provide orientation as to your vacation itinerary to make your stay with Garza Blanca the best it can possibly be.  Included in our orientation, we cordially invite our members to participate in the Members’ Workshop, where you will be updated regarding future developments …

Karla, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today for the members’ newsletter. Please tell our members a little bit about yourself.  I’ve been in the hospitality industry for 23 years. The majority of the time, I’ve been in housekeeping. I’ve also worked in other positions, such as turndown service, reservations, banquets, I also worked as a server in restaurants, and a runner and a busser in restaurants, but most of my time in hospitality has been spent specializing in housekeeping.  I was born in Mexico City. When I was 8 years old I moved to Morelos, Mexico. When I was 18 years old, I immigrated to the United States, and I lived in Sedona, Arizona. I love Sedona. I hope I can live the last days of my life in Sedona. I worked at L’Auberge de Sedona Resort & Spa for 15 years. L’Auberge de Sedona is a luxury resort in Sedona’s Red Rock country, in Oak Creek Canyon. It’s very well known and very beautiful. This was my second job …

This month I had the pleasure of interviewing Jose Valenzo, one of the butlers at Garza Blanca. He told me about the service he provides to Elite Members and gave me some tips about how Elite Members can take advantage of butler service to enjoy their stay even more.  Jose, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today, and share a little bit about yourself with our Members. Can you tell me about where you are from, and how you got started at Garza Blanca?  I’m originally from the city of Chilpancingo, in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. My parents moved to Puerto Vallarta when I was 6 years old. I have been working in the hospitality business for about 12 years. I worked in restaurants before coming to Garza Blanca. Garza Blanca was my first hotel, and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to work in the hotel business; I like it a lot. I started here on April 1, 2009 as a head waiter in the restaurants, and I’ve been …

We are welcoming Daniel Lopez who joined us this month as the new General Manager for Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta. Daniel is a native of Spain and is very much acquainted with the Mexican Hospitality Industry. His professional career has taken him through multiple positions from customer service, solution management, sales and operations. Still being very new to the hotel we could not stop ourselves asking him a few questions:    How would you define this amazing resort? I would define it as a paradisiacal spot in the middle of the jungle, for a million reasons, among which I will point out the sublime views and enclaves and what is no doubt one of the best sunsets on the planet; although what really makes this place great is the people who work here, and it’s not just me saying that, it’s what most of the “fans” who stay here and keep coming back every single year also say. How did you end up becoming General Manager at Garza Blanca Preserve Resort …

I interviewed Daniel for this newsletter last July when he was new to Tafer Resorts with only 3 months on staff, and he was working as the Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage at Garza Blanca. Shortly after our last interview, on August 1, 2018, he was promoted to Experience Manager, Food & Beverage, at Hotel Mousai, where he has begun implementing some exciting new experiences for members and guests. What activities does your department currently provide for members and guests? Hotel Mousai is an adults-only hotel, so our members and guests are usually couples, romantic getaways, and young people, so we needed to think of activities to share with this kind of demographic that they would be interested in. Right now, the Food and Beverage department provides four activities for members and guests each week: Thursday Mixology Class – Our mixologist teaches guests how to prepare margaritas, micheladas and other drinks, and then lets the guests make them on their own Friday Champagne Nights – We fill a hot tub full of bottles of …

This month we are starting a series on Hotel Mousai, in order to better acquaint members with Garza Blanca’s sister resort. Remember, your Garza Blanca membership gives you access to Hotel Mousai as well, so why not consider booking your next Puerto Vallarta vacation at Hotel Mousai!   To kick of the series, we interviewed Carlos Miranda, superstar Butler at Hotel Mousai. You can find Carlos at the front desk, where he is happy to help out with any of your needs or requests. Carlos has an interesting story. When I met him, he was all smiles and eager to tell me about his life, and about what a Butler actually does. Carlos, please tell me about your background. I was born in Puerto Vallarta, and I grew up here until I was 20 years old. Then, I had the chance to move to the United States I lived there for 8 years, and during that time, I traveled a lot in Nevada, California, and Washington State.   I came back to Puerto Vallarta because …

For this month’s edition of Your People, I had the chance to chat with Jassiel Garcia, the manager of BocaDos STK at Garza Blanca. Jassiel is mild mannered, looks younger than his age, and seemed a little shy at first, but once I started talking to him, I could feel his passion for and dedication to keeping things running smoothly in all the restaurants at Garza Blanca during his 8 year tenure, and specifically now at BocaDos.   Jassiel, tell me about your background. I was born here in Puerto Vallarta, and I went to grade school, middle school and high school here. Before starting university I went to the United States for work for a couple years. Then, I decided to come back to Vallarta to study marketing. I was working as a waiter and studying at the same time. I like sports, I like finance, and I like nutrition. My wife is a nutritionist. We met here in Vallarta. We actually met in the hotel. She was a cashier at the time. She …

Darinka is one of the first faces you are likely to see when you arrive at Garza Blanca in Puerto Vallarta. You will easily recognize her by her blonde hair, big smile, and friendly personality.   Darinka started working at Garza Blanca 2 years ago. She is originally from Puerto Vallarta, where she earned a degree in tourism from the PV campus of Universidad de Guadalajara Costa Norte CUC. After graduating, she worked the front desk at several resorts and boutique hotels in Puerto Vallarta before joining Garza Blanca, so she has a lot of experience in her position. She started her career at Garza Blanca in Premium Services was promoted to Front Desk Supervisor, where she has been for the last year and four months.   “I love to work here at Garza Blanca,” Darinka said, “because of the people, the view, and my office!” Her office is the front desk area of the lobby, which consists of four large, comfortable, executive-style desks. This area of the lobby has a view of the pool, …

Johnattan Diaz is a superstar at creating teams. In the last year he has revamped the entire food and beverage department at Garza Blanca Puerto Vallarta, hiring new chefs and managers in every area. I caught up with Johnattan and his assistant, Cristobal, to hear about the new and improved F&B teams at Garza Blanca. Here is what they had to say.   Why have you hired so many new team members from all over Mexico this past year? Johnattan Diaz: Residence Club members always ask for new options of Mexican cuisine in our restaurants here at Garza Blanca. They say, “We want real Mexican food!” So that’s why we recruited our new chef, Ovidio Perez, who is a specialist in Mexican cuisine. We are also starting a new program at Garza Blanca Los Cabos to incorporate more Mexican contemporary cuisine. The menu will be 30% chef’s creation, 30% cuisine from Puerto Vallarta, 30% local cuisine from Los Cabos, and 10% local dishes or regional dishes. In the last year we have really begun to …

Antonio Parra is a happy and charismatic 24 year old with a big smile and a great attitude. Upon meeting him it’s easy to see why General Manager Philipp Real suggested that I interview him for this month’s column.   Antonio is a Security Agent at Garza Blanca in Puerto Vallarta. He works the main lobby entrance and the beach. His job is mostly about receiving guests and keeping a watchful eye over the property, but Antonio goes the extra mile to make sure guests have a great experience, and that is why we are featuring him this month.   Security Agents are the first people you see when you arrive at Garza Blanca. Dressed in brown trousers, beige shirts, and hats, they receive guests and keep a security detail of everyone who enters and exits the property daily. They do daily rounds, walking the property making sure everything is in order.   Antonio does all of this, of course, but his extra charm, personality, and willingness to take care of guests have earned him …