Local Workers Compete in 2nd Annual Hospitality Summer Games

Photos: Fritz Olenberger

By edhat staff

Following one of the biggest holiday weekends in the hotel industry, Memorial Day, local employees competed in the 2nd annual Hospitality Summer Games on Tuesday.

Employees from Belmond El Encanto, Hotel Californian, Four Seasons The Biltmore, Harbor View Inn, Hilton, Hotel Indigo, Hyatt Centric, Kimpton Hotels, Hotel Milo, Ramada, Santa Barbara Inn, Santa Barbara Sailing Center, Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and Visit Santa Barbara all competed to be the best of the best. 

The fun events included servers attempting to hold trays of full glasses and champagne flutes while running through an obstacle course, culinary specialists racing to decorate a cake in record time and a taste test competition, maintenance workers quickly tightening screws while building a bicycle, employees trying to make the perfect hotel bed with hospital corners and win the toilet paper toss, and the final event was a talent competition. 

Talent show judges included Santa Barbara City Council member Jason Dominguez, La Boheme Dance Group founder Teresa Kuskey Nowak and Old Spanish Days President Barbara Carroll with DJ Darla Bea providing music and Drew Wakefield serving as the emcee. 

The Biltmore took home first place in the cake war, Santa Barbara Inn won the bed making contest, Santa Barbara Adventure Company won bike building, Hilton Beachfront won the blind palette taste test, El Encanto won the recycling contest, Hotel Indigo won the server obstacle course, Santa Barbara Sailing Center won the toilet paper toss, Visit Santa Barbara had the spirit award and Kimpton took home first place in the talent competition.

The event aims to promote camaraderie within the hospitality industry while helping the community. Workers bought raffle tickets to raise money for the Santa Barbara City College Hospitality and Culinary Program. In addition, the assembled bicycles were donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara.