INTERVIEW WITH MARIJKE MULDER CUBILLO BY FRANCES FIGART

Marijke Mulder Cubillo is the Operations Manager of Lapa Rios Ecolodge. Born in Golfito, in the southern part of Costa Rica, she grew up in Belgium until the age of 16, when she moved back to her native country. A year later, she applied for her first job, a position at the front desk at Lapa Rios. That was 2003 and now, seven years and many experiences later, she is in charge of the resort’s food and beverage service and is taking courses to obtain a general Sustainable Tourism Management degree. I caught up with Marijke recently to talk to her about her work. Here is the resulting interview.

Frances: How did you first come to work at Lapa Rios?

Marijke: When I was 17 and really wanted to start working, I wanted to speak different languages and be able to travel a lot. The only interesting possibility for someone to practice languages without a degree was an opportunity at a hotel. I remembered how beautiful the lodge was and heard a lot of good things about it, so I put in an application and went to the interviews. I started working at the front desk in 2003, with no experience and little English, but with a lot of energy to learn new things. That’s when I first became interested in tourism. I worked for almost three years in different departments like front desk, reservations, accounting/providers and finally as sustainability coordinator. Then I left the company to start my own project for 2 years. I came back at the end of 2008 as part-time sustainability coordinator, was offered the position of guest service assistant manager and finally moved up to operations manager.

Frances: What is a typical day like for you at work?

Marijke: I make sure all procedures are in place and applied in daily operations by walking around in the restaurant, kitchen, reception area and hotel in general. I’m in charge of new initiatives that have to be implemented either by doing them myself or by assigning those new projects to one of the other leaders and by making sure they follow up or let me know when they need help. This part includes weekly meetings with each one of the leaders of departments I’m directly involved with and reviewing their weekly reports as well as making my weekly reports for the general manager, management and owners. Aside from that, I follow up on requests received by e-mail. Probably the biggest part of my work is paying attention to the details to ensure a positive guest experience through observing the different departments, receiving our arriving guests, talking with guests in general and helping them if there is any specific service issue. I also follow up on suggestions we receive for improvement. In addition to being a support and help for anything that happens in the lodge while I´m there, I’m also in charge of supervising our Human Resources Committee.

Frances: What are some of the things you like best about your job?

Marijke: One of my favorite aspects of the work is being part of a unique and unforgettable experience for our guests. It’s amazing to share with others the wonders of nature and teach them about our culture, and about the difference it makes to support the local people, and to see guests leaving satisfied and wanting to come back. A second favorite part is our work through Human Resources, to be given the chance to grow and learn new things every single day and make sure everyone has that opportunity. It makes me happy to see the degree of progress in the surrounding communities in terms of ecological awareness, recycling or cleaning efforts, education in general, more interest and involvement of the people and a positive growth in individuals who have been taking advantage of opportunities to become leaders in the community and our lodge. There are a lot of different things we do that make me feel good about my job, like showing guests to the local Carbonera School, or the day we did the Lapathon with a final amount of $1,800 raised for a community project. Or when we have an incredible new picture of an endangered puma on our property, or when we receive a returning guest who greets all staff like family because that´s the way they felt when they left last time.

Frances: What do you feel are the benefits for tourists or travelers who come to stay at an eco-resort or sustainable hotel as opposed to a regular, mainstream accommodation that does not consider sustainability?

Marijke: I think you get to be more involved with the “big picture” of the country you’re visiting because the emphasis is more on helping while you´re enjoying yourself, rather than just focusing on yourself being away from home. The traveler benefits from feeling good because of the choice they made to support a local community and its conservation efforts while having their vacation.

Frances: Do you think Lapa Rios benefits from being managed by Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality?

Marijke: Tremendously! So much so that it wouldn´t be where it is right now if it wasn´t managed by them. Cayuga has the vision, knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and people to help us continually improve and find better ways to be more sustainable and offer better experiences to our guests. The lodge benefits from the variety of different Cayuga team members who can guide and assist the operations through various transitions that are a normal part of growth in any accommodation.

Frances: Why do you like working with Cayuga personally?

Marijke: Because everything is about team work with this company; they give everyone a chance to share their ideas and respect those, although not every idea can be implemented, of course. It just feels good to be part of Cayuga, because they work towards making a difference, they care for the important things like wildlife protection and the potential of people to grow. Their most valuable asset is their commitment to sustainable development and the local community for each of the hotels.

Frances: If the guests who come in contact with you during their stay at Lapa Rios could take away one particular memory or feeling about you as a staff member, what would you want them to take away and remember forever?

Marijke: I would want them to remember me as someone who listened to their experiences, made them feel special and then went on to exceed their expectations by teaching them something interesting and completely new about Costa Rican culture or conservation.

Frances: The rainy season is beginning now in Costa Rica. Is this still a good time to visit Lapa Rios? How is it different?

Marijke: I think there are a lot of benefits actually to coming to Lapa Rios during the rainy season. To start with, the rates are lower, there is much less tourism so you might have a private tour or more of that “all by ourselves” feeling and, very importantly, the temperature is at its best! The rainforest looks more mystical and romantic when it rains, and the sounds of the jungle are even more intense. In my experience, especially for that romantic honeymoon you always wanted, it’s the time to be here!