Day 44: A Peek Behind The Swinging Doors: Life of a BPI Staff Member

Life as a staff member of The Baldpate Inn is never boring. Care to put on the shoes of a “BPI staffer?” Here we go! 

Most likely, you’ll be living at the Inn, with other employees from around the world. One wing of the hotel and several cabins are for staff quarters. Living in a close community like this is a wonderful way to develop friendships. It’s also the best commute in the world!

For most staff, the job rotates each day between various activities, so every day is different. 

Baldpate kitchen story time

One day, you may be helping with “KP,” or kitchen prep. This involves helping prepare all the delicious food that is enjoyed in the dining room. Many lessons are learned here, especially for staff who are newer to the kitchen environment! Even for folks who have residential kitchen experience, the commercial kitchen is a whole new world. The sheer bulk of food is sometimes amazing: flats of fruit, crates of vegetables, gallons of salad dressing, and enormous sheets of breads and cookies! But, the cooks are happy to teach, and guests keep enjoying them, so we keep preparing them. 

Another day, you may be waiting tables in the dining room. This is an excellent opportunity to meet and serve folks from all over the world, often educating them about Baldpate – from the menu of fresh homemade items that changes daily, to the history of the inn. It’s also a great way to earn tips, hooray!

Joys of the Baby Mangler

Another job is housekeeping. While perhaps not the most favored of the tasks, I always enjoyed the satisfaction of a job well done: a clean room awaiting guests. A surprisingly fun task is using the 6-foot-wide “mama mangler” or the smaller “baby” mangler to iron tablecloths while grooving to tunes.

Heather Dish Dog

Speaking of music… you may think that the worst job would be dishwasher, or “dish dog.” But no! If the kitchen is the heart of the Inn, the dish dog provides the soul, as they get to pick the music played in the kitchen. Fueled by your favorite tunes and a high powered washer, blasting clean plates is surprisingly satisfying.

On special events, such as weddings, the staff brings our best and works together to make the event a success and a cherished memory for our guests.

Once our work is done for the day, and on our days off, there is much to do! A restful day at The Baldpate Inn is always appealing. Or there is the draw of the outdoors – hiking, biking, horseback riding, big slide riding… the list goes on! With nearby Estes Park, and not as nearby Boulder / Fort Collins / Denver, the fun seems endless.

After a day off, it’s never a bad thing coming back to work, because no matter what you’ll be doing that day, you’ll be working with your friends, meeting great guests, all surrounded by the beauty and the history of The Baldpate Inn. Interested? Apply now!

 Written by Liz Rodgers