The big difference between good & bad hotels is down to the teams that run them. If the teams are great, with individuals that trust & work well alongside one another and managing their own duties, you never end up with a bad hotel; this is what makes Hotel Mockingbird Hill a great hotel – its team.
Our longest team member who deserves special mention and thanks is Donald Wynter. Donald was previously the caretaker of Mocking Bird Hill, in its prior incarnation as a private villa, when we purchased it in 1992. House and inventory had been kept in such good order for the owner who lived in the United States that we thought that it would be an excellent idea to try and employ him.
An excellent idea it was indeed! Since then Donald has been the most trustworthy, loyal and faithful employee that any employer could wish for. Many times he is both our left & right hand man as he ably assists us in maintaining the hotel. He can fix almost anything: troubleshoot & solve maintenance problems with his uncanny logic, motivate the younger team members, fillet a fish, jerk a chicken, serve at table and calm our sometimes frazzled nerves over a cuppa. After observing how our water harvesting tanks were installed, he now does this himself, and better than the professionals.
Donald is the true master-of-all-trades and the ultimate recycler which is fantastic for an island-based sustainable eco-hotel. He never throws away any bits & pieces as he reasons you never know when they could come in handy to fix something else. And this he does, re-using and re-making things. This saves on what has to be taken to the tip and it saves money as well. So we have a recycled office and a recycled staff room thanks to Donald.
Thank you Donald, for your hard work and your dedication, you have been a rock. Mocking Bird Hill would not be what it is today without your steadfast support.
