Incentive - September 2008 - (Page 66) The President Slept Here and other tales from Hotel Industry Vets By Jennifer Juergens Vi o l a “ M o m m y ” A l b e r t , 6 5 , who has been working for nearly 35 years at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort in St. Thomas, is now its restaurant manager. She is considered a legend at Bolongo and on St. Thomas. She is affectionately called “Mommy” by Bolongo’s owners, staff and guests, because she takes care of everyone and everything. When speaking of Viola, Richard Doumeng, Bolongo’s owner and managing director says, “Ms. Viola was one of the first people that my father asked to join the Bolongo family in 1974 when we took over ownership of the property. Nearly thirty-five years later, Ms. Viola is amazingly still our most treasured and respected colleague.” “I am here because of the Doumeng family,” she says. “They recognize me and treat me well.” “She’s like family,” says Paul Doumeng, owner and general manager of Bolongo, who adds that for 10 years the resort had a restaurant named for Viola. “I love the Lord and I love myself and when you love the Lord and yourself, you love others,” says Viola. “Loving and caring for the guest is one of the most important things in the job. When people enter the dining room and come to the hostess stand, I tell them, ‘Leave your troubles in the lobby.’ ” Viola still gets people up on the dance floor for Wednesday Carnival nights and lends her hand in the kitchen when a local dish needs to be tweaked. She’s held several positions at the hotel, from chef to food and beverage manager. Today, she is one of the daytime managers of The Lobster Grille. Born in Antigua, Viola went to St. Thomas in 1962 on a private yacht, after a couple she had worked for asked her to come and cook for them. “I love to meet people. That is the best part of my job. When they are here, it’s their home away from home, and you want to make them feel relaxed. That is what I enjoy doing… You have to know what you want in life, and I thank God He gave me the wisdom to know that.” 66 | Incentive | September 2008 | incentivemag.com http://incentivemag.com
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