We asked Jeffrey Ney, our Front Office Manager a couple of questions…
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Why do you love Boston?
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What do you love most about XV Beacon?
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How are you adjusting to the current circumstances with COVID-19, and how has life/or your daily routine changed for you?
Why do you love Boston?
FENWAY PARK!
I have family from Connecticut in West Hartford. My grandfather on my mom’s side in 1970 bought Red Sox tickets on the first base line seven rows up from the dugout. When I was a little over five years old or around that age, my two uncles took my cousin and I to our first game at Fenway Park. Roger Clemens was pitching and from the atmosphere to Fenway Franks, I forever fell in love with the Boston Red Sox. Of course having family from New England I was most likely born a Red Sox fan and was the main reason why I came up to New England for college. My mother started the most amazing tradition my freshman year of college. She bought four seats for me and three friends to go watch the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees in those seats. This was a hot ticket and everyone in college wanted to be friends with me when those tickets came around. I kept the friends list short and sweet, because I was representing my family and wanted to be an example for my grandfather’s seats. Till this day, only one person from college has gone with me to every game in these seats. Mom even surprised me a few times with two playoff tickets, once in 2004 and once in 2007. I myself went to almost every home game playoff game in 2007. Driving up from Providence to see my Sox! I keep the tickets in an old fossil box whenever I sit in those seats. Memories never go away, and I always like to relive those moments. The tradition still lives in till this day with exceptions of new born nieces and nephews.
What do you love most about XV Beacon?
XV Beacon is a close knit family, including our guests. There is one family in particular that is a prime example of why guests and employees are a family here at XV Beacon. This family had been staying at the hotel for an extending period of time for years while getting medical treatment in the city and I will never forget the last day I saw the wife and the impact she had on this whole hotel. She was a courageous mother and loving wife. She never showed weakness from her treatments and told us during each stay that we kept her going along with her family and friends by her side. She made everyone realize that just a smile can have a positive impact on everyone. She did just that with a smile. I have never worked at a hotel where everyone gets along with each other and guests. From the moment I interviewed I could sense the close relationship everyone has for one another. I remember Amy, our general manager telling me that working at XV Beacon, we are a family. She meant our guests and employees get along so well and the attention to detail we offer ourselves to our fellow employees and guests is what sets us apart. I knew immediately that I wanted to work here.
How are you adjusting to the current circumstances with COVID-19, and how has life/or your daily routine changed for you?
Life for me hasn’t change as drastically as most people except MISSING SPORTS (playing and watching)! What has been a change is cutting back on alcohol and taking care of myself better. I used to love reading and since the whole pandemic, I have been reading a lot more. I recently started the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gertisen. The series is based in Boston and I highly recommend it. I do not have family here except for two cousins who are in Southie. They are getting married in July, so we hope!
With my mom out of work, I have been Facetiming with her everyday. Something that I never get to do as she is a nurse and works long hours. Since my brother and sister-in-law are working from home, she Facetimes me with Charlie my nephew. It is great that I get to spend time seeing him so he knows who I am. He even calls me now Jeff instead of Jess! I do the same with my other brother and my young niece Addie. Just recently I organized a Zoom chat with my whole family down in DC. It was my sister-in-law’s birthday. This was the first time everyone has really seen each other. My mother really appreciated that I organized this gathering. We are going to try and do this again next week for my brother’s birthday.
I do miss seeing my colleagues everyday, talking about life, work, sports. I miss seeing my friends, shaking hands with my usual bartenders shooting the air talking about life. I miss seeing people outside holding each other, high fiving, hugging and just embracing each other. I think since this has happened people do not even say hi or lend a hand to each other. People are worried about getting a virus and rightfully so. We still cannot forget about human nature. A few weeks back, I was on my way home from Trader Joe’s shopping and a women was getting out of her car and her mask fell from her hand due to high wind. I had the no walk sign, so I couldn’t help her at the moment. People walked right by as she kept searching for it. It was too loud to yell with construction going on in the back ground. Finally I waited another minute and eluded the no walk sign, walked over to where I knew the mask was located. I picked up the mask and gave it to her. Her smile on my face made my day. It felt great to do a good deed. I am a true believer in karma because a few days ago, my glasses fell out of my jacket pocket without noticing. I was listening to my tunes waiting for the T when I had a tap on my shoulder. A nice gentlemen informed me that I dropped my glasses. I was so thankful, he smiled and walked away. I know we are supposed to social distance but we still need to lend a helping hand to each other whenever possible.
