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A lot of people don’t know that I’ve been working here the longest. It’s been
even longer than Landis or the Foundation Director. We still call this a
hotel, because that’s what it is, but before Landis bought it and converted it
into a place of healing, it was just, indeed, a regular hotel. We didn’t have
any official guests yet, because there were funding issues, but housekeeping
was already a thing, and I ran it. Before things fell apart, the original
owner held a soft open, where guests could stay at a heavily discounted price.
They were asked to complete surveys, and help decide the direction the hotel
would go. These weren’t just random people snatched off the street. The owner
either knew them, or knew someone who knew them. They agreed to help because
of their connection, not because they needed a place to stay overnight. It was
still real, though. The experience had to match what they were hoping to offer
following the grand opening that never was. So there was a staffed kitchen,
and bellhops, and a concierge. I was the only housekeeper, but it wasn’t hard
to keep up, because the guests were very clean. They were also incredibly
respectful. I’ve been doing this for eighteen years, and not everyone is like
that. That’s really why I stuck around. The owner, before he found a buyer,
kept me, and me alone, on the payroll. The rest moved on to other things.
Actually, I take that back, the original janitor now works as a line cook in
the cafeteria, but he’s only been back for about a year now, so it’s more of a
coincidence than anything. And he still doesn’t beat my record. While he was
in limbo, the original owner lived here, and I was just his housekeeper. I
treated the job like any other, and did the work that I would have been
expected to do under normal circumstances. Now I run a full staff, though the
work is easier than it is at other places. All of our guests are permanent,
and there is a different expectation in such cases. They mostly pick up after
themselves. They can even come down and retrieve more toiletries or towels
when they need them. We do handle the laundry for their bedding, but they
bring it down, and retrieve a replacement set on their own. My people run the
machines. We also provide a little extra care for our mothers and expectant
mothers, but really only when it’s hard for them to move around. It’s a pretty
cool job, and a lot different than what I used to do. It’s still busy, busy,
busy, but we have a good atmosphere, and I’m happy to help keep it clean.
