Mariana Resort employee golf tourney on Sunday

File photo shows Mariana Resort & Spa?s celebration of its 36th anniversary last April 26. (JAYSON CAMACHO)

A little over a week after Mariana Resort & Spa celebrated its 36th anniversary with a ’70s theme party last April 26, it will be the Marpi landmark’s employees’ turn to let their hair down and have fun this Sunday.
General manager Gloria Cavanagh said it’s just fitting to treat their hardworking staff to an employee-only golf tournament on May 4 at the Mariana Country Club. A barbecue party at the same venue will follow it.

“It’s our 36th anniversary and of course we did have a party to commemorate it last Saturday. But we need to celebrate also with our employees. Without them we can’t run, we can’t open. So we’re doing our employee golf tournament this coming Sunday, which I believe will be the third one,” Cavanagh said.

The double peoria one-round golf tournament will start at 12pm and will be followed by a barbecue party at 6pm. Aside from Mariana Resort employees, the family of staff are also invited to the shindig.

“The camaraderie you get from around the barbecue pit is priceless. So we’re just going to bring the meat up and let the boys be boys. Let them barbecue with their beer and wine in hands and what have you,” said Cavanagh.

It’s also a great opportunity for Mariana Resort staff to mingle and get to know each other.

“We’re separated not only by our schedule but we’re also separated physically. One group is upstairs at the MCC [Marianas Country Club] and another works at F&B. There are also ones who work at the go-kart and ones that work at the spa. So we don’t necessarily see each other except once a year.”

Mariana Resort executive chef William Retardo said the upcoming employee appreciation party has all the staff at the hotel very excited and looking forward to Sunday.

“You have to have something for the staff. We need to have something for them, that’s why we’re having this tournament and party,” he said.

Aside from a fun day at the greens and fellowship around the barbecue pit, Sunday will also serve as a perfect time for Mariana Resort to honor longtime employees.

“It’s a good opportunity to recognize our longtime employees and there’s someone here that’s been here for 36 years, or since the hotel started,” Cavanagh said.

At the other end of the spectrum, property manager Charlene Babauta, who only joined Mariana Resort recently, said she’s excited because it will be her first time to take part in an employees’ appreciation party.

Cavanagh said at the end of the day, the employees’ appreciation party will celebrate staff and the fine work they’ve done all these years for the hotel.

“We just want to thank our employees. They’ve been doing an awesome job. When I first came here at the end of 2010 it was kind of depressing and then after the Japan tsunami in February 2011 it just became worse. There were already austerity measures in place where everyone was down to 32 hours. Now everything is in the up and up. We had an excellent 2013 and we’re having an excellent 2014. So now, we can afford to say ‘thank you.’” (Saipan Tribune)