Lodge Estes Park - Alpine Trail Ridge Inn

Alpine Trail Ridge Inn - Employment

What's it like to work at Alpine Trail Ridge Inn? We have very high standards for our rooms, and our staff makes sure we have exceptionally clean and well maintained rooms for our guests. We're always upgrading and improving the property, so that each year we provide more service to our guests.

We are looking for exceptional people, who are honest, clean, decent, non-smokers, and can work hard and enjoy life to its fullest. If you are not an honest person, and not willing to give a good day's work for your wages, please do not apply. You are paid based on performance, not for just showing up for work.

Cleaning rooms is not like what you have done at home, perhaps cleaning the bathroom once a week and making your bed every day. We clean each room very thoroughly each day, which means you will be cleaning the tub and shower walls, washing down the shower curtain, scrubbing out the toilet and wiping down the outside of it, being on your hand and knees wiping up the bathroom floor. You will also dust the room, clean the mirror and the windows, either make up the beds or change them completely, put in fresh towels and supplies, clean out the refrigerator, make sure all lights are working, and vacuum the room. Multiply this by 8-12 times, and that is your workday!

Each person also has a large housekeeping cart which they push around to the rooms, and we do have some uphill grades, so this is a job for someone who is athletic, in good shape, and not afraid of doing what some people consider the more menial tasks such as cleaning toilets.

Housekeeping is very hard and physical work! You must be physically fit and able to work hard for 6-8 hours a day. If you are not interested in hiking, riding, swimming, etc., but are more interested in less physical jobs such as standing around in a shop serving ice cream or selling T-shirts, this is not the job for you.

J-1 Applicants: We do hire some local workers. We will be hiring up to 8 J-1 applicants for 2008, as we only have housing for up to 8 people.

Housing: Our employee housing consists of four caravans (Travel trailers), located at a nearby trailer park. They are snug but adequate quarters for two people in each caravan, and they are a much higher quality housing than most employee housing. Click on the link at the top of the page for housing to see pictures of the caravans. You need to know ahead of time that the trailer park has a lot of older people who are retired, and that you need to be exceptionally quiet while on the property and in your trailer. It is not a place for parties, having friends over or having them stay with you. This is a much different situation than most employee housing, and you need to be aware of it and be willing to abide by it.

Transportation: The caravans (travel trailers) which we have for employee housing is within walking distance of the motel, but because there is no public transportation here, we provide mountain bikes, helmets, lights, security chains and locks for use by our employees. The bikes are for the use of our employees only. For your safety, whenever you are riding our bikes, helmets must be worn at all times and if riding at night, the front light and the flashing rear light must be on. If you don't use the helmet and lights, you will have to sign a waiver of liability releasing the motel from any liability.

Food: There is a supermarket nearby, but the best prices for food are at the Safeway store, which is about 2 miles from the motel. Most of the staff will pack their groceries in a backpack and ride their bikes to and from the supermarket. Cost of food will probably be higher than your home country, in many cases.

Computer: We also currently provide two computers on a high-speed modem connection for use by our employees. They are in a central location on the motel property, and may be used in off-duty times for keeping in touch with family and friends by email. We request that everyone be considerate of other employees wanting to use them, and not monopolize the time available.

Bonus: You will earn a $0.50/hr bonus for every hour you have worked if you stay through the date you initially commit to working through. If you leave early for any reason, you will forfeit your bonus. If you do leave early, we do require a 2 week notice, unless we mutually agree otherwise.

English Language: It is preferable that you are able to speak very good English. It is too difficult for us to communicate if you don't, and we must be able to understand each other to bridge the gaps in our cultural differences. However, because the J-1 Visa applicants cannot usually arrive until about June 1 or later, we have found that the only reliable workers we can get to help us start opening in late April are workers from Mexico, who are in the country with legal papers, and speak primarily Spanish. Some speak some English, but not usually as fluently as the J-1 applicants because of their lack of educational opportunities. If you have a problem working with these people, please do not even apply to work for us, because they will be an important part of our team from start to finish. We know it may not seem fair that the foreign college J-1 applicants must incur the costs and endure the paperwork process to get Visas to come to the USA, but it is a fact of life that we need them to open for the season, and there just do not seem to be any other alternative, after all the years we have been doing this. Fran has been taking some intensive Spanish language instruction and can communicate with them fairly well if they do not speak English well.

BUNAC / CIEE applicants: We have had very good results hiring BUNAC / CIEE applicants. Several things we have found: If you are a first year student and think there's a chance that you might not pass your exams and have to go back and re-take them, this isn't the right job for you. We count on our employees to stay the full time they commit to staying. Secondly, be very realistic with yourself and us as to the latest time you can work. If you have to leave to re-take exams, or decide near the end of the season to leave a week or two early so you can travel or just get back home to family and friends, you will forfeit your bonus, which will be a very considerable amount.

Accessibility to Jay and Fran: Jay will be corresponding with you by email during the hiring process, and even more frequently if you are offered and accept a job with us. I (Jay) do need to let you know up front that both because of my shy nature, and the fact that I work from about 6 a.m. until about 11 p.m. daily and am responsible for the bookkeeping, computer organization and troubleshooting, except for several days off a week that I try to take to get away to our home and rest, I don't interact with the staff very strongly. You will have closer dealings with Fran because she handles the employees more, and our goal for 2008 is to make her more accessible to the staff and for her to be out in the rooms more checking the quality.




	Housing \| Housekeeping \| Laundry \| Front Desk \| Excursions \| Job Application \| Making your application more effective \| \| Employee information 2008 \| Alpine Trail Ridge Inn - Employment What's it like to work at Alpine Trail Ridge Inn? We have very high standards for our rooms, and our staff makes sure we have exceptionally clean and well maintained rooms for our guests. We're always upgrading and improving the property, so that each year we provide more service to our guests. We are looking for exceptional people, who are honest, clean, decent, non-smokers, and can work hard and enjoy life to its fullest. If you are not an honest person, and not willing to give a good day's work for your wages, please do not apply. You are paid based on performance, not for just showing up for work. Cleaning rooms is not like what you have done at home, perhaps cleaning the bathroom once a week and making your bed every day. We clean each room very thoroughly each day, which means you will be cleaning the tub and shower walls, washing down the shower curtain, scrubbing out the toilet and wiping down the outside of it, being on your hand and knees wiping up the bathroom floor. You will also dust the room, clean the mirror and the windows, either make up the beds or change them completely, put in fresh towels and supplies, clean out the refrigerator, make sure all lights are working, and vacuum the room. Multiply this by 8-12 times, and that is your workday! Each person also has a large housekeeping cart which they push around to the rooms, and we do have some uphill grades, so this is a job for someone who is athletic, in good shape, and not afraid of doing what some people consider the more menial tasks such as cleaning toilets. Housekeeping is very hard and physical work! You must be physically fit and able to work hard for 6-8 hours a day. If you are not interested in hiking, riding, swimming, etc., but are more interested in less physical jobs such as standing around in a shop serving ice cream or selling T-shirts, this is not the job for you. J-1 Applicants: We do hire some local workers. We will be hiring up to 8 J-1 applicants for 2008, as we only have housing for up to 8 people. Housing: Our employee housing consists of four caravans (Travel trailers), located at a nearby trailer park. They are snug but adequate quarters for two people in each caravan, and they are a much higher quality housing than most employee housing. Click on the link at the top of the page for housing to see pictures of the caravans. You need to know ahead of time that the trailer park has a lot of older people who are retired, and that you need to be exceptionally quiet while on the property and in your trailer. It is not a place for parties, having friends over or having them stay with you. This is a much different situation than most employee housing, and you need to be aware of it and be willing to abide by it. *Transportation:* The caravans (travel trailers) which we have for employee housing is within walking distance of the motel, but because there is no public transportation here, we provide mountain bikes, helmets, lights, security chains and locks for use by our employees. The bikes are for the use of our employees only. For your safety, whenever you are riding our bikes, helmets must be worn at all times and if riding at night, the front light and the flashing rear light must be on. If you don't use the helmet and lights, you will have to sign a waiver of liability releasing the motel from any liability. Food: There is a supermarket nearby, but the best prices for food are at the Safeway store, which is about 2 miles from the motel. Most of the staff will pack their groceries in a backpack and ride their bikes to and from the supermarket. Cost of food will probably be higher than your home country, in many cases. Computer: We also currently provide two computers on a high-speed modem connection for use by our employees. They are in a central location on the motel property, and may be used in off-duty times for keeping in touch with family and friends by email. We request that everyone be considerate of other employees wanting to use them, and not monopolize the time available. Bonus: You will earn a $0.50/hr bonus for every hour you have worked if you stay through the date you initially commit to working through. If you leave early for any reason, you will forfeit your bonus. If you do leave early, we do require a 2 week notice, unless we mutually agree otherwise. English Language: It is preferable that you are able to speak very good English. It is too difficult for us to communicate if you don't, and we must be able to understand each other to bridge the gaps in our cultural differences. However, because the J-1 Visa applicants cannot usually arrive until about June 1 or later, we have found that the only reliable workers we can get to help us start opening in late April are workers from Mexico, who are in the country with legal papers, and speak primarily Spanish. Some speak some English, but not usually as fluently as the J-1 applicants because of their lack of educational opportunities. If you have a problem working with these people, please do not even apply to work for us, because they will be an important part of our team from start to finish. We know it may not seem fair that the foreign college J-1 applicants must incur the costs and endure the paperwork process to get Visas to come to the USA, but it is a fact of life that we need them to open for the season, and there just do not seem to be any other alternative, after all the years we have been doing this. Fran has been taking some intensive Spanish language instruction and can communicate with them fairly well if they do not speak English well. BUNAC / CIEE applicants: We have had very good results hiring BUNAC / CIEE applicants. Several things we have found: If you are a first year student and think there's a chance that you might not pass your exams and have to go back and re-take them, this isn't the right job for you. We count on our employees to stay the full time they commit to staying. Secondly, be very realistic with yourself and us as to the latest time you can work. If you have to leave to re-take exams, or decide near the end of the season to leave a week or two early so you can travel or just get back home to family and friends, you will forfeit your bonus, which will be a very considerable amount. Accessibility to Jay and Fran: Jay will be corresponding with you by email during the hiring process, and even more frequently if you are offered and accept a job with us. I (Jay) do need to let you know up front that both because of my shy nature, and the fact that I work from about 6 a.m. until about 11 p.m. daily and am responsible for the bookkeeping, computer organization and troubleshooting, except for several days off a week that I try to take to get away to our home and rest, I don't interact with the staff very strongly. You will have closer dealings with Fran because she handles the employees more, and our goal for 2008 is to make her more accessible to the staff and for her to be out in the rooms more checking the quality.