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 lodge. He labored his manner 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 japanese 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 toes throughout the Cambodia jungle into Shinta Mani Wild, the most well-liked strategy to enter the resort.
Supply: Laura Robinson
The couple often converse with lodge visitors, a lot of whom “are tremendous curious to find out about our story,” mentioned LeBlanc.
For starters, working in locations just like the Maldives — which is understood for its “one island, one resort” idea — is totally different from visiting it, he advised CNBC Journey.
“You are locked on that island, surrounded by water,” LeBlanc mentioned. “You are not likely going anyplace … you are type of caught there for lengthy intervals 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 just a little group of its personal,” Robinson mentioned. “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 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 assume that working in hospitality is about guaranteeing visitors are having an excellent time. However “you’ve got acquired 100 [employees] that you have to ensure are glad” too, she mentioned.
Robinson mentioned she and LeBlanc have a good time employees birthdays and different occasions on the lodge. “Marc typically 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 totally different. “Right here you’ve got acquired 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 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 mentioned.
He mentioned employees patrol the property, together with a big farm on the land, whereas additionally sustaining the paths that run by way of it.
“It is new for us,” he mentioned. “We’re studying.”
Removed from household
Life in among the world’s most coveted journey locations has its perks, however LeBlanc and Robinson additionally take care of dwelling removed from their households.
After they lived within the Maldives, their mother and father visited them yearly, they usually returned residence each different yr to see siblings, mentioned Robinson.
Now the couple journey residence yearly, she mentioned. “My brother and sister began having youngsters … and our mother and father are getting older.”
The couple wouldn’t have kids, so education — an enormous consideration for a lot of expatriates — is not a problem. They just lately adopted two canine from the Cardamom Mountains forest, they mentioned.
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 is going to go,” mentioned LeBlanc. However “we work fairly effectively collectively.”
Hiring {couples} to handle lodges is smart for distant locations, mentioned LeBlanc. “We’ve got 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 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 mentioned.
“[Laura is] extremely organized, extremely environment friendly, and I am extra on the artistic facet,” 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 isn’t any scarcity of locations searching for managing {couples},” LeBlanc mentioned. “There are recruitment corporations focusing on hiring {couples}, not just for lodges, but additionally for personal islands, for ultra-high internet value people. The job alternatives are on the market.”
In distant locations, having a companion can ease loneliness too, mentioned LeBlanc.
“It is smart, we have now one another,” he mentioned.
