Lana Rodriguez has managed Corporate East Hotel since 2018. She began working there in 2012 under former owners Marty and Debbie Long, initially at the front desk. When the hotel was sold, she stepped into the manager position.
Her responsibilities are “a little bit of everything,” from managing employees and ordering supplies to coordinating maintenance and making sure the hotel meets safety and upkeep requirements.
Her favorite part of the job, however, is the people.
“I love the people,” Rodriguez said. “I love talking with the guests, and that’s probably my favorite.”
Over the years, Rodriguez has welcomed guests from across the country, including Matt Roloff, who stayed at the hotel when he spoke at the Home Products Dinner, and professional golfer Bubba Watson.
However, Rodriguez said many of the hotel's guests are simply hardworking people traveling through the area.
“You get a lot more business people and more down-to-earth people,” she said. “It’s just agriculture, and they’re just good people.”
Rodriguez said cleanliness and consistency are key to the hotel's success. She wants guests to have a positive experience, from the condition of their rooms to their interactions with the front desk, so they will return.
“We like repeat customers,” she said. “We work hard at trying to make sure that everything in the rooms is well kept. As long as we do that, that keeps people coming back.”
Corporate East Hotel’s commitment to serving its guests and the community was recognized at the latest Chamber Coffee on Friday, Aug. 28, when Corporate East Hotel was named Grant County’s Business of the Month by the Grant County Ambassadors.
Rodriguez credited her staff for helping maintain the hotel’s high standards. With 43 rooms, a full hotel can mean as many as 40 checkouts in a single day.
“They really have a good attitude and work hard and keep this place looking really clean and tidy,” she said.
Several employees have been with the hotel for years. Rodriguez said one employee, Dorothy, has been there for 12 years.
Rodriguez’s husband, Ben, runs the hotel’s maintenance, including keeping the lights on, taking care of the grounds, and handling other maintenance problems.
The hotel's rooms have served purposes beyond overnight stays. When Rodriguez's son got married in August, family members used several rooms to prepare for the wedding, with the groom and bridal party getting ready separately.
Rodriguez said the original construction and materials used when Corporate East Hotel was built in 2009 have helped the property remain in good condition.
“They put some really good, high quality into this when they built this hotel,” she said. “That’s made a lot of difference.”
Among the hotel's amenities are a full breakfast, 24-hour staffing, clean and quiet rooms, and a restaurant located next door.
Ultimately, Rodriguez said she wants guests to have a positive experience while also being able to serve the community she has worked in for more than a decade.
“We’re a small town. We’ve got the small-town feel, and we might not have as much as big cities, but we have great people here,” she said.
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