From the Maldives to Bali to the Cayman Islands, Marc LeBlanc and Laura Robinson have lived and labored in locations that most individuals dream of visiting.
They work within the hospitality trade — a journey that LeBlanc, who’s Canadian, started at 16 years previous when he accepted a job as a dishwasher at a resort. He labored his means as much as bellman, then to the reservations desk, earlier than pursuing a level in resort administration.
Robinson, who’s British, studied marine biology and labored as a diving teacher earlier than transitioning to resort management.
The couple met whereas working within the Cayman Islands and have since lived and labored on a number of islands in Asia, together with the small jap Indonesian island of Sumba.
Now they reside in Shinta Mani Wild, a luxurious resort tucked away in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains, the place LeBlanc serves because the resort’s basic supervisor, and Robinson oversees operations and sustainability.
Robinson and LeBlanc, making ready to zipline greater than 1,000 ft throughout the Cambodia jungle into Shinta Mani Wild, the most well-liked solution to enter the resort.
Supply: Laura Robinson
The couple incessantly converse with resort visitors, a lot of whom “are tremendous curious to learn about our story,” mentioned LeBlanc.
For starters, working in locations just like the Maldives — which is thought for its “one island, one resort” idea — is completely different from visiting it, he informed CNBC Travel.
“You are locked on that island, surrounded by water,” LeBlanc mentioned. “You are probably not going wherever … you are type of caught there for lengthy durations of time.”
For workers, resort life facilities on a employees village, the place staff sleep, eat and do laundry — a state of affairs LeBlanc likened to a summer season camp.
“It turns into somewhat group of its personal,” Robinson mentioned. “You continue to have the identical challenges that having a big group of individuals residing collectively can current. There are variations in personalities and opinions.”
Managing these variations is vital, she mentioned, particularly in locations just like the Maldives, which has a multicultural workforce. That has been simpler at Shinta Mani Wild, as a result of “besides a couple of of us, everyone seems to be Cambodian,” she mentioned.
Many individuals suppose that working in hospitality is about guaranteeing visitors are having a great time. However “you have obtained 100 [employees] that you have to verify are glad” too, she mentioned.
Robinson mentioned she and LeBlanc rejoice employees birthdays and different occasions on the resort. “Mark generally will get his decks out and DJs for them, which they adore,” she mentioned.
Whereas island life spells solar and enjoyable for many vacationers, saltwater creates upkeep points for these working behind the scenes, Robinson mentioned.
Robinson, pictured within the Cayman Islands, says her previous work as a diving teacher ready her to deal with actions and experiences on the lodges that she and LeBlanc handle.
Supply: Laura Robinson
Within the Cambodian forest, the environmental challenges are completely different. “Right here you have obtained the humidity and the forest attempting to reclaim itself,” she mentioned.
Shinta Mani Wild has 15 visitor tents, however the resort sits on land that “is the scale of Central Park,” and it requires a “very excessive stage of consideration to element, when it comes to product and repair, however also the conservation work that we do,” LeBlanc mentioned.
He mentioned employees patrol the property, together with a big farm on the land, whereas additionally sustaining the paths that run by means of it.
“It is new for us,” he mentioned. “We’re studying.”
Removed from household
Life in a few of the world’s most coveted journey locations has its perks, however LeBlanc and Robinson additionally deal with residing removed from their households.
After they lived within the Maldives, their dad and mom visited them yearly, and so they returned dwelling each different 12 months to see siblings, mentioned Robinson.
Now the couple journey dwelling yearly, she mentioned. “My brother and sister began having children … and our dad and mom are getting older.”
The couple wouldn’t have youngsters, so education — an enormous consideration for a lot of expatriates — is not a problem. They not too long ago adopted two canines from the Cardamom Mountains forest, they mentioned.
Working collectively for practically twenty years
LeBlanc and Robinson mentioned one other problem: residing and dealing in distant places as a pair.
“Initially you do not know how it may go,” mentioned LeBlanc. However “we work fairly properly collectively.”
Hiring {couples} to handle lodges is sensible for distant locations, mentioned LeBlanc. “We have now one another,” he mentioned.
Supply: Laura Robinson
“We’re nonetheless doing it,” Robinson mentioned with amusing, including that separate places of work are key.
As the final supervisor of Shinta Mani, LeBlanc oversees issues associated to human assets, finance, safety and engineering on the resort, whereas Robinson handles extra “entrance of home” issues, she mentioned.
“[Laura is] extremely organized, extremely environment friendly, and I am extra on the inventive aspect,” LeBlanc mentioned.
Robinson mentioned LeBlanc comes up with daring concepts and is expert at executing them. The couple spend time, even on private holidays, brainstorming concepts — usually discovering inspiration from their travels, she mentioned.
“There is not any scarcity of locations on the lookout for managing {couples},” LeBlanc mentioned. “There are recruitment companies specializing in hiring {couples}, not just for lodges, but in addition for personal islands, for ultra-high web price people. The job alternatives are on the market.”
In distant locations, having a companion can ease loneliness too, mentioned LeBlanc.
“It is sensible, we’ve one another,” he mentioned.