Pros
Pros: There’s a lot of freedom here, along with real opportunities for advancement. Five-Star promotes from within—I was made Assistant Director in under two years. A year before that, I was even offered a Director position at a smaller property, which I turned down due to location. One of the strengths of Five-Star is how they tailor their services to the specific needs of each property and client. That means Directors are given a lot of autonomy in how they run things. Some properties may be a better fit for your style than others. For example, a downtown property may have a strict dress code (shiny black leather shoes), while property with lots of outdoor events may be more relaxed—boots or sneakers are totally fine. If you're interested in a wide range of topics then you'll be exposed to an endless variety of events with interesting conversations by the most intelligent and accomplished people in their fields. You'll also have the option to travel across the country and work at different properties, which in turn provides opportunities to relocate in the future.
Cons
Cons: Because of the ongoing Competency Crisis affecting certain parts of the country, employee turnover can be high. That means you may find yourself constantly re-training new hires, which can get repetitive. But on the flip side, this creates great opportunities for people who are professional, hard-working, and don’t show up with distracting body modifications—it’s a solid way to get your foot in the door in this industry.