Thursday, June 17, 2021

Trait-Based Hotel Staff Hiring


Since 1999, Dean Lee McKinney has worked in the hospitality industry, serving in multiple key leadership positions. As the former owner and manager of a hotel and restaurant located in Gold Beach, Oregon, Dean Lee McKinney has gained extensive experience hiring and managing personnel.

One of the many responsibilities of a hotel manager is to hire a competent staff capable of providing excellent service to customers. When hiring, it is crucial to look for the right traits for customer service, such as friendliness, patience, and communication skills.

An effective strategy for finding employees with personality traits that make them excellent at dealing with customers is using the acronym WETCO. WETCO stands for warmth, empathy, teamwork, conscientiousness, and optimism.

Warmth refers to simple human kindness, while empathy describes the ability to sense what another person is feeling. Teamwork is the inclination towards group achievements, while conscientiousness refers to attention to detail and the ability to carry out a task to completion. Finally, optimism describes a positive outlook that is essential for customer-facing positions. This trait also helps employees not internalize challenges.

Monday, April 19, 2021

Noteworthy Hikes in Portland, Oregon


The former manager at a hotel and restaurant in Gold Beach, Oregon, Dean Lee McKinney has been working in the hospitality industry since 1999. Now based in Portland, Dean Lee McKinney enjoys hiking in his free time.


Portland, Oregon, is a city packed with biking and hiking trails for locals and tourists. The Pittock Mansion hike, for instance, is nestled into northwest Portland, which makes it an accessible destination for hikers, offering beautiful views of the city. The largest extinct volcano in Portland, Powell Butte, is also famous among hikers, with its 2.15-mile lollipop loop that combines Summit Lane and Mountain View Trail. In total, Powell Butte features nine miles of trails.

Council Crest is one of the highest points in Portland, and the hike to the top pays off. It runs along a trail through the Marquam Nature Park, a quiet forested area for hikers who enjoy peaceful moments and exquisite views. Marquam Nature Park is also a popular spot among people who enjoy walking meditation or trail running.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

What to Expect When You Visit Gold Beach in Oregon


A resident of Portland, Oregon, Dean Lee McKinney earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Oregon. Dean Lee McKinney has extensive experience in the hospitality industry and previously owned and operated a hotel and restaurant in Gold Beach, Oregon.


Located only 40 miles to the north of California on the Oregon coast and situated on the Pacific Ocean, the quant town of Gold Beach is home to approximatly 500 residents and is a popular vacation destination. The varied coastal terrain at Gold Beach includes beautiful rivers, mountains, and valleys. Which provides an ideal environment for numerous outdoor activities, such as beach combing, world-class fishing, camping, wildlife watching, scenic drives, and boating. Other popular activities to enjoy in Gold Beach include shopping, golfing, windsurfing and the many wonderful restaraunts..

Visitors to Gold Beach have several options for accommodations since there are 13 motels in the town and 41 vacation rental homes. There are also several camping spots (including multiple RV parks), a port-owned campground, and two forest service parks in the Gold Beach area that are open year-round.

Trait-Based Hotel Staff Hiring

Since 1999, Dean Lee McKinney has worked in the hospitality industry, serving in multiple key leadership positions. As the former owner and...