This month’s #PeopleOfThePalace nominee is Nathalie Luciano, our Human Resources Generalist. A comforting, familiar face among employees old and new, Nathalie is the first line of contact when walking through those HR doors.
Nathalie began her career in Human Resources at The New York Palace seven-and-a-half years ago after graduating from New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn with a degree in hospitality management. Since then, Natalie has worked her way up the ranks of The Palace’s HR team from Benefits and Training Coordinator, Benefits Administrator, to now Human Resources Generalist.
She explains her day-to-day includes “a little bit of everything.” Though she is well-rounded in all aspects of HR, her specialty is benefits – and in a hotel with about 1,000 employees, this is a crucial aspect of the business. The most rewarding aspect of Nathalie’s job is alleviating stress for the other employees. “What I like is being able to put a smile on a team member’s face,” she says. “Any little thing that I can help them with is a weight off their shoulders.”
The HR office is a small, tight-knit team of four. Because of its size, the team is always eager to help each other out and to learn from one another. “That’s what I like about the team now—we can cross train in a way,” she said. Working on a positive team such as this has been paramount in advancing her career in the Human Resources field. “My ultimate goal is to someday become a Director.”
When Nathalie is not at work, you can find her either at home with her maltipoo, Perla, or at the gym. “I’ve gotten really into cross-fit over the past year. I try to go four to five times a week. It’s so much fun!”
Nathalie can claim roots in three of New York City’s boroughs—after moving from the Dominican Republic when she was four, Nathalie found herself in Washington Heights. Since, she has lived in Bergenfield, NJ, Brooklyn and now the Bronx with her younger sister, conveniently in the same building as her younger brother, mother and step-father.
Read more from our interview below:
[The New York Palace]: What is your favorite spot here at The New York Palace?
[Nathalie Luciano]: I really like Pomme Palais, not just for the treats but even moreso for the people. The whole team is so nice and welcoming that I really enjoy going there every morning.
[NYP]: What is your favorite part about working in HR with your current team?
[NL]: We’re always helping each other and doing cute things for one another — bringing in cupcakes or just talking about life. It’s not just about work; we’ve built a personal relationship as well, which I think creates a healthy work culture.
[NYP]: Do you have a favorite restaurant in the area?
[NL]: Coppelia on 14th street. The general manager used to work at Havana Alma de Cubana on Bleecker Street and I met him when he was there and I became a regular. It’s a service thing. I followed him when I heard he had moved to Coppelia. It’s a very small Latin diner, but it doesn’t look like a diner. It’s very nice. I pretty much know everyone there. A lot of famous people go there, actually.
[NYP]: What’s been your most memorable moment you’ve had since working here at The Palace?
[NL]: A few years ago we celebrated The Palace’s 30th anniversary and they also celebrated all the team members who had been there for 30 years. We had a huge party in the Villard Mansion and every employee who had reached their 30th anniversary at The Palace were gathered in gowns. It was very emotional and nice to see.
[NYP]: Is there a fun fact about yourself that we may not know?
[NL]: I love to travel. My goal is to travel once a year to a place I’ve never been to. So far I’ve been to Hawaii, St. Lucia, Brazil, and Spain. Next year, we’re trying to get the majority of the family back to the Dominican Republic. My mother has 13 siblings, so I have 30 cousins—a very big family. My dream is to go to the Maldives, though.
[NYP]: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring one item, what is the one thing you could not live without?
[NL]: I’m not particularly religious, but I would definitely bring Joyce Meyer’s Amplified Bible. Her Bible is broken down where she’ll tell you what each chapter is really about in simpler language. I’m reading it right now and I would take that because it would keep me sane. For me, it’s more about building my faith and looking at things in a different, more positive way in my daily life.
Thank you, Nathalie for taking the time to share your experience at The Palace with our readers. We are so happy to have you here!
Join us each month as we highlight employees new and old here at The New York Palace. Follow us on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn) as we take a deeper dive into the lives of our employees. Whether they are right in the center of the action, or behind the scenes making sure the hotel runs smoothly for our guests, The Palace appreciates each and every one of our employees for bringing a unique personality to the hotel.
It’s great to hear from present employees and there work experience. I think Hospitality industry is the face of the community and culture we belong to.
Individually I appreciate the industry as it gives you chance to interact with well know personality and keep you motivated in several ways.
Growing up in third world country in ghettos it has been miracle to reach this far and all the credit goes to HR from Hyatt and starwood in shaping up my future. However after completing my masters from Boston I see things in very different way and feel more responsible towards society.
All I will say ” Together we can make the world a better place to live”
Thank you for the great feedback, Roushan. We agree that the employees are the heartbeat to the hotel and it’s always nice to hear from present employees about their work experience. Thanks for the comment and we hope you enjoy our posts!