guest service agent

cook

server

bartender

host/hostess

Aparium Hotel Group

I was one of many many Director of Sales at the Hotel Deco in Omaha. That should be your first red flag, high turnover. Working for them was nothing more than people who knew nothing about Omaha, and tried to force what has worked for them in other cities down our throats. No matter how many people tried to explain this to them, they only want to do what they want to do. Even against what the hotel owner wants them to do. The woman who manages all the DOS positions for Aparium is a bully. No training or explaining, just breezes over expectations then gets mad when they are not met. Speaking with her supervisor about her unprofessionalism was received wIth promises of change, and within a week, was worse than before. Bills go unpaid, vendors stop delivering, appliances get threatened  to repo, paychecks get deposited late, health insurance lapses. I’m sure they will find a way to justify and discredit  everything in this review, but how can it be every employees fault, and never their fault? They have had multiple GM’s, and every management position has turned over at least four times (DOS 6 times) in the few years they have been the management company. Meeting other Aparium Sales Directors was eye opening. One even shared that she cried her entire first year and tried to quit multiple times, but that’s what everyone has to go through their first year. What kind of company culture thinks breaking people is a great culture? But I guess all of those educated, successful and experienced leaders, managers and employees had something wrong with THEM. Even their own corporate leaders have been jumping ship. It’s too bad, because Deco is a great hotel and the owner is a well respected local.  

I could type a novel, but what it boils down to is that Aparium bites off more than they can chew. They get themselves into contracts they cannot live up to and it's the employees who suffer. 

You state that your people are your art, but employees aren't treated right. You say that you provide them the education and tools... but your employees are not paid on time. Insurance is screwed up. Your servers have been asking for notepads/corkscrews forever. They are not reimbursed on time. When the hotel/restaurant doesn't have money it's the employee who hands over the money to pay for the services/products to keep the place running.  Half of the housekeeping team in Omaha has new uniforms while the other half doesn't because "they cannot afford" to buy new uniforms. 

"support" from the "home" office is like pulling teeth. Pay attention to your properties or employ people who will. You are losing money because you allow employees to drink free alcohol on shift. You are not monitoring items that are stolen. You are losing money because of your management's lack of ability to either be taught or to carry out the basic duty of labor management. When you don't slow down, take time, invest, you end up with Hotel Deco. 

Management in all departments including the general manager has turned over more than twice in one year at the Omaha location. You have had a million opportunities to make things right and at this point, it's like giving CPR to a dead situation. 

Shame on Aparium for not making their ownership group live up to their end of the deal and shame on ownership for not taking care of the people who work their lives away to make that business what it is.

I have nothing much to say on what I liked about this place. Management is the worst I've ever encountered, they are more concerned about keeping up appearances and there shirts pressed then running a hotel/ restaurant. With that being said if anything goes wrong its on you, yet nobody knows whats going on and that is frustrating for someone who works full-time in the service industry. Benefits are ok, you get everything(Dental,Vision,401k)  but the plans are not affordable on the salary of there employees. PLUS you have to make it to 90 days before they give it to you. IF you can stand it for 90 days.. nobody with real talent stays and anyone left is miserable and it shows. The hours where crazy ( which I expect being a bartender for 6+ years) but the MAYHEM that was scheduling made it impossible fore me to have a life outside my job. They only post it once a week and your lucky if that schedule comes out the day before your shift. They favored the part-time staff over full-time which makes no sense from a management perspective. Giving amazing shifts to people who are only there for money 1-3 shifts a week while missing the opportunity to keep a good full-time staff by giving them shifts that support there living.

Long story short, get in, get out, never look back, rise from the ashes like a phoenix and make use of those fiery wings SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY.

Working at The Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis for Aparium was an excruciating ordeal, marred by a toxic culture, abysmal organization, and a complete absence of work ethic. Senior management embodied laziness, displaying a shocking disconnection from the hourly employees' reality. Their apathy permeated every aspect of the workplace, fostering an environment of neglect and abuse. Accountability was nonexistent among the upper echelons, allowing incompetence to thrive unchecked. It was disheartening to witness such blatant disregard for professionalism and basic human decency. Attempts to address issues were met with indifference or hostility, leaving employees feeling powerless and undervalued. The pervasive atmosphere of laziness and neglect cast a dark shadow over any semblance of teamwork or morale. In sum, Aparium stands as a glaring example of how poor leadership can poison an entire organization, creating an environment where employees are set up to fail.

I must say this was a huge disappointment. I thought with it being a boutique hotel that it would be a great place to work, but it ended up being a nightmare. Wages are some of the lowest of the hotels in the area and I was way overworked. Working 10-12 hrs a day then constantly being asked to stay late and come in on my day off. Whoever designed this hotel was not thinking about the staff. Housekeepers don't have carts, but basically luggage totes they pull behind them then they have to constantly run up and down the hallways to the closets. Management was not supportive and when I asked who was the property manager they said they don't ever come around. They just talk about new hotels they are opening, but don't care about maintaining the ones they already opened. I was burning out fast and I see why they weren't able to keep anyone. When I started to tell them I was not willing to come in anymore on my days off they started gossiping about me and trying to guilt me because I wasn't willing "to go above and beyond for the company anymore." After 90 days I got a measly 15 cent raise. I left and went to another hotel and so far they have treated me so much better, will not recommend this hotel to anyone.

Most of the people I worked with on the floor were amazing and would do anything for you. Management could use some help. 

I watched for an entire year as most if not all the kitchen staff left and watched as the bartending staff did the same. Including myself. I tried but I'm 34 and have taken enough of that BS and broken promises. 

I had freedom to create cocktails and make new drinks for our patrons. I enjoyed doing that.  

Typical opening procedures. Immediate assisting of customers on the 2nd floor when arriving to open. This is because the restaurant is open prior to the bar and people sit at the bar instead of a table. Bar tools, liquors, syrups and mixers and typically moved and taken without being notified. No matter how many times I complained about banquets doing it nothing happens. Opening the 6th floor can be better but you do have to constantly look up in confusion as someone opens the closed door(or bangs on it if it happens to be locked) and asks if we're open.  They receive this information upon check in and it's in the members app. 
Good luck getting a raise without being laughed at. 

Aparium is the most exciting company I have worked for in my hospitality career. The company is growing quickly and opening multiple hotels around the company this year. 

The management team I am apart of is comprised of industry leaders from Des Moines and more broadly around the nation. We hire hourly wages above market rate and promote from within. 

The company hired me prior to the major impacts of covid-19. The pandemic delayed our hotel opening. When the hotel opening date was reestablished I received a call offering my original offer. The company could have changed the offer and taken advantage of the pandemic's impact on the hospitality industry but they did not and I think that is a clear sign that this company operates with integrity. 

The staff and management on property really do try, and they have good ideas, but they are stifled by a two faced company. Aparium is the most deceptive and delusional company I've ever worked for in my 15 years of working in hotels. They tout one thing and do another. There is no substance to the Aparium creed. This is a company that saw incredible success with a formula early on, and they tried to implement it everywhere too quickly. The infrastructure up top is non existent, just look at the turnover in corporate execs. I love my property and the people, but this company is seriously in need of repair from the top down, when all they want to do is fix things from the bottom up. 

I was hired for one position and forced to work another. The bartenders and servers have one tip pool and I was not made aware until closing my first night. I was not trained on the menu and was so uncomfortable serving guests. Some basic drinks are made wrong and it's hard for an experienced bartender to mix a cocktail when we know the recipe is wrong. Very aggressive bartender on staff. Head pickle chef was really rude. We could not buy meals at any time before during or after work. They said it was because they didn't want other departments to start ordering food. If you are part time you are on your own with parking and cannot park in the garage.

The management will hook you with their nice binders full of who they are, how important taking care of their people is to them.. don't buy into it. They will not give you the tools in order to do your job right. They can't even afford clean towels for the kitchen, or trash bags for the garbage. All this talk about being sustainable or whatever. Totally false. Everyone is crushed under corporate pressure, and management will take it out on you.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Guest service agent 28 salaries reported	$19.86 per hour
Cook 19 salaries reported	$23.34 per hour
Server 26 salaries reported	$17.80 per hour
Bartender 26 salaries reported	$18.21 per hour
Host/hostess 17 salaries reported	$17.46 per hour

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