Life is Unpredictable, but so is COVID-19

Emma Sinanian finally had the dream job she never thought she would want. Going to work every day was like experiencing everything again for the first time.

She has only been working in the leisure department for over a year and handles one of the most important clients for the Four Seasons Hotel. Working on the Preferred Partner program involves a great deal of emailing, traveling for sales trips, recognizing its clients when they are on the property and making sure all is well during the clients’ stay. 

But suddenly, before the Four Seasons Hotel could even open, the bookings stopped, the bustling streets were silent, and life slowly came to a standstill. 

The timing for COVID-19 could not have been worse. The country closed its borders at the end of March because of the pandemic. Thai nationals and foreigners with residency were only allowed to enter the country and subjected to a 14-day quarantine before being released. But since no tourists were allowed in Bangkok, Sinanian struggled to find purpose.

“Our work was impacted directly,” Sinanian said. “To start with, we couldn’t even open the hotel and were already delayed since December of 2019. It was mentally and emotionally exhausting because every time we were getting ready for the day, the opening date would get pushed back another month or two and everything was always last minute.”

The hotel and its staff were frozen in place. They were forced to operate on cut salaries, people were laid off and Sinanian always felt like she would be next. This uncertainty hung in the air like a thin string waiting to snap.

Mintita Rungrojnitichok, a sales executive in the corporate department for the Four Seasons Hotel, also struggled with adjusting to the COVID regulations that were put in place. 

“The scary part, I would say, was knowing our friends in the travel industry were losing their jobs,” Rungrojnitichok said. “Without clients, we were suffering.” 

Although the pandemic sidelined Sinanian’s work and contributed to her declining mental health, working for a business in the high-end luxury service sector is always unpredictable. But she loved the uncertainty that came with serving different people because she had been raised that way.

Growing up in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with a Thai mother and French-Armenian father, her upbringing was just as diverse as the cultures and people around her. She grew up hosting events for extended family members, friends and even people in the community on any day. Her house was always bustling. 

“There were always friends and family over for food and drinks,” Sinanian said. “I had no idea I would end up in the hotel industry, but I have always loved talking to people. Maybe, in a way, it was always in me.” 

Sinanian had always planned to leave Mexico and travel the world. Her hometown would’ve been too small for what she wanted to achieve with her life. Before graduating high school, she had interned in Beijing, Shanghai and Australia and lived in Paris for a year. And right before she graduated, a job offering couldn’t have come at a better time. 

“I always wanted to live in Bangkok to be closer to my roots and I find it such a fun, dynamic and buzzing city,” Sinanian said with glee. “As a young adult, I cannot think of anywhere else I would want to be at the moment. Having the chance to work for a luxury company such as the Four Seasons seemed like the perfect learning opportunity. I just wanted to be part of that and try to take it all in.” 

Even with the COVID guidelines and restrictions put in place, Sinanian said the high-quality service and performance didn’t deteriorate. The willingness to serve is imbedded in the company’s culture and nature, and nothing will replace those values. Nothing had changed in terms of service.

Lily Kittisrikangwan, the floor manager at the bar for the hotel, said, “It’s uncharted territory for the service industry – everyone on my team has to learn to move to different departments every week, but we can only try to stay positive and adapt as much as we can.” 

If Sinanian’s parents had told her that she would be working in Thailand among good friends and practicing her Thai, she wouldn’t have believed them. COVID had disrupted her career plans, but she believed that one day this pandemic would end. But even if it didn’t, she would still be there to book you a room at one of her favorite hotels.