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They work within the hospitality business — a journey that LeBlanc, who’s Canadian, started at 16 years outdated when he accepted a job as a dishwasher at a lodge. He labored his means as much as bellman, then to the reservations desk, earlier than pursuing a level in lodge administration.
Robinson, who’s British, studied marine biology and labored as a diving teacher earlier than transitioning to lodge 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 lodge’s normal 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 strategy to enter the resort.
Supply: Laura Robinson
The couple continuously converse with lodge company, lots of whom “are tremendous curious to learn about our story,” stated 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 Journey.
“You are locked on that island, surrounded by water,” LeBlanc stated. “You are probably not going anyplace … you are sort of caught there for lengthy intervals of time.”
For workers, resort life facilities on a employees village, the place employees sleep, eat and do laundry — a scenario LeBlanc likened to a summer season camp.
“It turns into a bit group of its personal,” Robinson stated. “You continue to have the identical challenges that having a big group of individuals dwelling collectively can current. There are variations in personalities and opinions.”
Managing these variations is essential, she stated, 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 stated.
Many individuals suppose that working in hospitality is about making certain company are having an excellent time. However “you have obtained 100 [employees] that you have to ensure are completely satisfied” too, she stated.
Robinson stated she and LeBlanc have fun employees birthdays and different occasions on the lodge. “Mark generally will get his decks out and DJs for them, which they adore,” she stated.
Whereas island life spells solar and enjoyable for many vacationers, saltwater creates upkeep points for these working behind the scenes, Robinson stated.
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 making an attempt to reclaim itself,” she stated.
Shinta Mani Wild has 15 visitor tents, however the resort sits on land that “is the dimensions of Central Park,” and it requires a “very excessive degree of consideration to element, when it comes to product and repair, however additionally the conservation work that we do,” LeBlanc stated.
He stated employees patrol the property, together with a big farm on the land, whereas additionally sustaining the paths that run by it.
“It is new for us,” he stated. “We’re studying.”
Removed from household
Life in a number of the world’s most coveted journey locations has its perks, however LeBlanc and Robinson additionally deal with dwelling removed from their households.
After they lived within the Maldives, their mother and father visited them yearly, and so they returned residence each different 12 months to see siblings, stated Robinson.
Now the couple journey residence yearly, she stated. “My brother and sister began having children … and our mother and father are getting older.”
The couple would not have youngsters, so education — a giant consideration for a lot of expatriates — is not a difficulty. They not too long ago adopted two canines from the Cardamom Mountains forest, they stated.
Working collectively for almost 20 years
LeBlanc and Robinson mentioned one other problem: dwelling and dealing in distant areas as a pair.
“Initially you do not know how it will go,” stated LeBlanc. However “we work fairly nicely collectively.”
Hiring {couples} to handle lodges is smart for distant locations, stated LeBlanc. “We have now one another,” he stated.
Supply: Laura Robinson
“We’re nonetheless doing it,” Robinson stated with amusing, including that separate places of work are key.
As the overall supervisor of Shinta Mani, LeBlanc oversees issues associated to human assets, finance, safety and engineering on the lodge, whereas Robinson handles extra “entrance of home” issues, she stated.
“[Laura is] extremely organized, extremely environment friendly, and I am extra on the artistic facet,” LeBlanc stated.
Robinson stated 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 stated.
“There is no scarcity of locations on the lookout for managing {couples},” LeBlanc stated. “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, stated LeBlanc.
“It is smart, now we have one another,” he stated.
