Growing in the Hospitality Industry at Las Vegas Sands
As published on the Sands Confidential blog
As soon as guests check-in, their experience at a Las Vegas Sands Integrated Resort might begin at the front desk. Team Members check-in and greet more than 35,000 guests a month, just at The Venetian Las Vegas. Behind those desks once stood Jaime Miranda, who served as front desk manager in 2005. She had the privilege and responsibility to welcome each guest and set the tone for their stay.
Miranda’s journey through the hospitality industry at Las Vegas Sands is coupled with endless learning opportunities, several promotions, and a passion to serve guests and make their experiences memorable. She moved to a specialized area of the front desk, at the call center, which receives over a thousand phone calls a day. A couple of months later, a position for hotel manager had opened up and Miranda jumped at the opportunity for a promotion, but ultimately, was declined.
Disappointed, but determined—Miranda sought feedback from her director to identify areas of improvement. When she asked to schedule time to do so, her director immediately invited Miranda into her office and said that the Groups manager had recently left his position. Her director then said, “Here is his Blackberry and office keys, I would like you to take on the interim role of Front Desk Groups manager.” Miranda was completely floored because she didn’t know what Groups did. But her director trusted that she would figure it out.
“I started as the front desk groups manager with the vision and confidence of my leadership, and in partnership with colleagues and the Groups team, we transformed the experience provided to our clients from transactional to service oriented.” Miranda said.
During her time with the Groups department, Miranda experienced new challenges and opportunities. She would later be promoted to Groups hotel manager once The Palazzo opened in 2007, and then promoted once again to director of Groups, and then once more as executive director. Miranda felt it was a great learning opportunity with new competing priorities and business focuses, as well as a new leadership style, which in turn, allowed her to reflect on her own leadership style and to consider her approach with her own team. With each promotion, Miranda took on new responsibilities and implemented initiatives including taking on the telecommunications department and helping them to transition into Resort Services to create one centralized call center, increasing efficiencies and guest service. After eight years, Miranda stepped away from the Groups team to take on her current role as executive director of hotel operations with the privilege of leading the front desk, concierge, VIP, Prestige, and guest relations team.
“Leaving the groups arena after so many years was difficult, but I could not be more proud to see the promotion of my assistant director into the leadership role. As a dynamic, savvy, business professional, and a born leader with an ever-present focus on our guests and our team, I knew they were in great hands,” she said.
In many ways, Miranda believes she has come full circle, making her way back into the front desk. She now sits in the office she ran to many years ago where she was eager to find feedback and walked out into an entirely different department. She is most proud of her team and their willingness to provide extraordinary guest service and experiences. Miranda is driven by a passion to serve, learn, grow, and to be challenged and to support her team to serve their guests. She finds it rewarding as a leader to work with a Team Member towards their goals and aspirations, and hear about their wins.
“Las Vegas Sands Corp., The Venetian and The Palazzo, is an amazing place to work. I could not be more thankful for the opportunities, relationships and mentors I have had over my tenure,” she said. “I am so proud of all that we have accomplished together, and the experience we create for each guest. It’s the people.”
To learn more about how Las Vegas Sands supports the professional growth of its employees, visit the company website.
