NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Though she is at that stage of life that most people would dub “a ripe old age”, Smith is as fit as a fiddle, with no desire to slow down anytime soon. Her wizened hands tell a story of skill, longevity and experience; the graceful wrinkles on her face seem to carve a map of her journey to becoming the most sought-after and loved straw vendor at the resort.
“I have been here the longest and I have seen this resort go through many transitions. I’m loved by the guests and staff alike. As a matter of fact, Sandals Royal Bahamian is my home away from home and so many people here are like my family,” she shared.
“Guests come back here to see me and when they leave they stay in touch with me. In a few months, I have some guests who will be coming and they will be taking me with them to visit one of the family islands here in the Bahamas,” she added, as she smiled and shook her gray-haired head.
She recalled that her Sandals journey started in 1996 after she attended a town hall meeting put on by the Ministry of Tourism and Sandals. At the time, Smith was selling her items at another resort.
“Sandals had just opened up in Nassau and they had a meeting that was attended by a number of straw vendors. They were telling us that they want some of us to come and sell our wares here. I was sitting in the audience and I heard them calling my name on the microphone. I don’t know how they knew of me but they mentioned me,” she recalled.
She continued between chuckles: “I left the meeting and went back to do my business at the resort for which I was working. They called my house that evening but I wasn’t there. One day while I was at the hotel, Ms Bowe who was with Sandals at the time came and packed me up. She took me and all my items to Sandals and I have been here from that day until today.”
Smith says she has never regretted leaving her former venue to sell at Sandals Royal Bahamian.
“Sandals Royal Bahamian opened up a big door for me. It gave me a permanent place to sell my items. This allowed me to provide for myself and my family, especially my six children. It has also allowed me to meet several people who have been very integral in my life,” she shared.
“There have been instances when I’ve been called in to come and do training sessions with the guests. I would set up and show them how to do straw work and they would make the items and take it back home. That was another opportunity that Sandals gave me,” she added.
Recalling a lengthy conversation with the Chairman of Sandals Resorts—Gordon “Butch” Stewart who visited the resort many years ago—Smith shared that he told her that she could continue selling her craft at Sandals for as long as she likes.
“He was going fishing that day. Funny enough, he told me he was going fishing with a gentleman whom he later discovered was my last son. He told me: Miss Smith as long as you want to stay at Sandals you can stay here with no restrictions.”
The management team at the resort threw Smith a party in commemoration of her 84th birthday last December.
“I was so surprised when I saw all the managers coming with balloons, fanfare and cake. I was in my own glory that day. I have truly found a family at Sandals,” she said.
General Manager Adrian Whitehead hails Smith as a veteran who continues to blaze the trail.
“Miss Smith still knows how to make our guests feel good. The guests comment on her ever so often. We don’t find a lot of artisans at our resorts who have owned the space quite like Miss Smith. She is a joy to have around and we are delighted that she can still benefit from this brand 27 years and counting,” shared Whitehead.
