Before joining the hotel, Ravera studied history in Venice and worked on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train. “The atmosphere at night in the hotel is very different. It can be very quiet or absolute chaos,” he says with a laugh. “A typical request is that someone will want some help with saying something in Spanish, but there are more complicated situations, too. If someone is unwell, we have a doctor on call.”
Ravera’s colleague Ribeiro, who encourages us to explore the Campo del Moro Gardens adjacent to the Royal Palace, is 30 years old and from Brazil. “I love how committed my colleagues are. For them it’s not merely a job, they really want guests to feel at ease,” she adds. It is not uncommon, they explain, for some of the staff to team up to help a guest pull off a marriage proposal or a surprise for a loved one. Making the dreams of their guests come true is part of their goal, and they will go to almost any length to make it happen.
Venturing into the heart of the hotel
Luis Enrique González is 42 years old, raised in Madrid, and has been working at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz for two decades—half his life. He is a night porter—there are nine in total, plus four doormen and eight employees on the concierge team. González works from midnight until eight in the morning and, when he comes home, after getting some sleep, he likes to spend time with his children. “I studied tourism and I really like dealing with people, the hustle and bustle. At night there are peaks of activity,” he tells Condé Nast Traveler. His favorite place in the hotel is, of course, the front door where he greets guests and happily helps them with their luggage.
“Everyone on the staff helps each other out. Christmas is a very special time of the year, although except for New Year’s Eve, the door doesn’t stay open all night as some people might think and they are surprised to find it closed!” There’s a doorbell, however, and there are arguably few things more glamorous than ringing the bell at the Ritz asking to be let in.
At Quique Dacosta’s fabulous two-star Michelin restaurant, Deessa, I met Isidro (48 years old and from Madrid, he has worked at the Ritz for almost 30 years) and Mohamed (40 years old and born in Tangier, he has been with the hotel for 17 years) as they were prepping for the next day’s meals. They move with agility and seriousness, and without making much noise. I didn’t want to keep them too long from their tasks, but with a quiet smile Isidro shares that the hotel team is like a big family. When asked what he enjoys most about working here, Mohamed exclaims, “Everything!”
