Elexa Ruth

Every team member—regardless of role—is in the experience business.

Hospitality, at its best, is about creating meaningful emotional connections, anticipating needs, and delivering delight in unexpected ways.

Takeaways:

1. Start with Care: Hospitality = Helping People

Elexa draws a personal connection between her desire to be a doctor and her role in hospitality. While she didn’t pursue medicine, she realized that caring deeply and helping others can take many forms.
Emotional intelligence, empathy, and human connection are the heart of hospitality.

2. Inspire Joy Through Overdelivery

Driftwood’s iconic “comfort stations” began with a red igloo cooler full of candy to make golf fun for kids.
Today, they are immersive, multisensory experiences (fresh cookies, fire-cooked food, frozen yogurt, nostalgia triggers).
Lesson: Overdelivery makes experiences memorable—whether it’s candy on a golf course or champagne during a long walk to an event.

3. Every Touchpoint Is a Moment to Shine

From the bathroom experience to parking logistics, everything can be elevated.
Example: At Driftwood, even port-a-potties are enhanced with amenity boxes and themed signs like “Sh*ter’s Full”—balancing professionalism with fun.
Lesson: No detail is too small to make a big impression.

4. Culture of Ownership + Magic Tools

Everyone is responsible for excellence—trash gets picked up by anyone, not just custodial staff.
Elexa mentions building a “Mary Poppins bag” of tools (custom Yeti engraver, printed photos, personalized gifts) to act quickly when moments arise.
Quoting Teller: “Magic happens when someone spends more time on something than anyone would reasonably expect.”

5. Hire for Heart, Not Just Skill

Skills can be trained. Care cannot.
Their hiring process focuses heavily on personality and cultural fit over résumé credentials.
Elexa’s team interviews candidates with multiple staff members to ensure they genuinely care about people and the details.

6. The Power of Follow-Up

Impact often comes not in the moment, but in how you follow up—a call, a thank you note, a thoughtful gesture.
These small, meaningful actions build trust and long-term loyalty.

7. Team Energy = Guest Energy

“If you're having fun, they're having fun.”
Investing in your internal team culture, encouraging joy, humor, and celebration, leads to better external experiences.
Example: Their Director of Golf has a costume closet, and the team dresses up for events and themes.

8. Flexible, Thoughtful Service: “Yes…What’s the Question?”

While not every guest request can be honored exactly, the team finds creative alternatives.
Approach service challenges with the mindset: “We can’t always say yes, but we can find a way to make it special.”

9. Hospitality = Respect for People and Places

Respect is shown in how team members treat the environment, the property, and each other.
It’s not about ownership—it’s about responsibility.

10. Embrace Fear and Be Fearless

Elexa ends with a metaphor about jumping off a boat: Do the things you’re afraid of anyway—because you’ll land safely and grow from it.
The message: Boldness, vulnerability, and care are all required to elevate experiences.

Quote Highlights:

“We are all in hospitality.”
“Magic is just doing more than people expect.”
“If you smile at someone, they’ll probably smile back—unless something’s wrong with them.”
“Hospitality has the word ‘hospital’ in it—so technically, we’re basically doctors.”

Final Summary:

Elexa’s talk reframed premium service as a shared responsibility, not just a job title. By caring deeply, anticipating needs, paying attention to detail, and hiring for heart, any organization can create unforgettable, emotionally resonant guest experiences. Premium isn’t about luxury—it’s about making people feel seen, valued, and delighted.