Martha
Martha is our Operations Manager on the ground in Orlando. For our guests, she is the powerhouse who ensures everything is perfect – so all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourselves. For our homeowners, Martha is the main point of escalation when you need help.
MARTHA FACT FILE
Favorite Disney Character: Merida from Brave. I like that she is empowered as a girl.
Favorite theme park: Epcot. It has a nice, more grownup atmosphere than the other parks. I love the food and wine festival at Epcot especially. I love to try the foods from different places.
Favorite theme park ride: I’m not a rollercoaster girl, so I don’t have a favourite ride. But I can recommend the baclava from the Turkish area in Epcot!
Favorite local attraction: Margaritaville in Kissimmee. This new pedestrianised area has restaurants, ice-cream shops, escape rooms, an arcade for kids, a movie theatre and live music at nights.
Favorite local restaurant: I love to go to Mani’s Chop House – it’s a Florida staple. Go to the original location in Haines City. I always order the Porterhouse steak but they have really good salads and cinnamon butter rolls too.
Top packing essential: I would love to go without my phone for once!
Best travel tip: A battery charger. I don’t want to carry it, but I have to.
Favorite vacation home feature: All of the White Rose Villas homes are beautiful, but especially like the homes with a lake view or, even better, a view of the forest.
Fun fact about me: I don’t think I have relaxed in the last ten years.
Most rewarding part of my job: For me, the most rewarding part of the job is when we get recognition from a guest or a homeowner – it’s great when they’ve noticed that we care about their property or that we care about their vacation and we’ve actively contributed to them having a good time.
ABOUT MARTHA
Hi Martha! Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born in Mexico. During my childhood, I lived between Mexico, North Carolina and New York. I settled in Florida 18 years ago and have been working with Lisa for the last thirteen years.
What do you love about working at White Rose Villas?
I love White Rose Villas. I have watched the company as it has grown from its very first property. It’s been a wonderful journey. I love meeting people from all over the world. And I love taking care of owners’ homes.
I especially love it when we takeover a home that hasn’t been looked after properly and we can work with the homeowner to bring it back to the way it should be. Or when we do upgrades for our homeowners and then they come back to see the finished rooms and love it!
What does your role as Operations Manager involve?
As Operations Manager, my role spans many different areas. I ensure that maintenance for our homes is taken care of and everything is working properly. I deal with guests queries and any requests that come in. For example, if they have questions about how to operate anything in any of our homes. And I liaise with owners, answering their queries and helping them to plan and manage updates to their homes.
What do you love most about the work?
When my kids were little, I needed a job that allowed me to work days around their needs, so I started working as a housekeeper. I wasn’t sure I would like it when I first started but I really do! That’s when I applied for the role as property inspector.
The most important thing is you have to really care about the owners, their guests and their homes. For the homeowners, their vacation property is a significant investment and that matters.
For our guests, this might be the one vacation they have all year – or maybe even longer than that. It could be a special celebration for a significant birthday or life event. So it’s really important they have a good time and we make good memories for them. It’s really important to care about these things if you are going to do a good job.
How do you ensure that those memories are good?
By making sure all the homes are in good shape and all the guests’ needs are met. We don’t want any issues with the property, but if there are calls, we need to respond quickly and deal with the issue quickly and in a good manner.
What about your own dream vacation? Where would it be?
I’d go to somewhere quiet, where I can switch my phone off. Somewhere secluded – maybe the forest because I love woodsy places.
I’m really looking forward to my visit to Scotland next year. I’ll be visiting with Lisa. I’m hoping to visit Edinburgh and see some castles and maybe visit the standing stones from Outlander! I’m a big Outlander fan and I’d love to meet my own Jamie Fraser!
