Our American Dream: Son of Poor Farmers Now Has Hip Hotel Job

Rodriguez grew up on farms in a small, Puerto Rican town where he planted coffee and worked with farm animals. Now he has a hip job at the Ritz Carlton. (© Jason Nuttle Photography)

Rodriguez is "vibe manager" at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

Rodriguez is responsible for anything that relates to the hotel guests’ sensory experience—from the music played in the public space to the décor to the lighting to the cocktails served at the bar—and it is a challenge he adores, especially when it comes to food and sourcing the best-quality local ingredients for his chefs.

Rodríguez is in charge of creating the total atmosphere in the hotel—from the moment a guest walks in until they check out, but he is utterly up to the challenge. “You don’t hear Frank Sinatra in the lobby anymore; we have a DJ. We have a sushi bar. We have a special scent that we use in the hotel, and it hits you as you enter,” he says.