A Day in the Life of Ron Barba

Ron Barba, BT and Group Sales Manager

Just opened in November 2024, Asher Adams Hotel reimagines the historic 1909 Union Pacific Depot, transforming one of Salt Lake City’s most iconic landmarks into a destination that blends timeless character with modern hospitality.

Being a part of the opening team of Asher Adams Hotel has been the highlight of my career. Every day is not the same. Challenges come up, but there is nowhere else I would rather be.

Join me for a fun day in my life as a Business Travel & Group Sales Manager in this amazing property!

8:30 a.m.

Living just a few blocks from the hotel, I love my short 10-minute walk to work. I get to the hotel at 8:30am where I jump in on my calendar and draft my to-do list to set myself up for the day. I look at all my Business Travel arrivals, looking for guests that stick out, maybe writing welcome notes, notating any special requests, doing all that I can to make sure that they have a comfortable stay.

8:45 a.m.

Today, I represented the Sales Team and attended our Daily Gather meeting where we talk about events happening in the hotel & the city, any groups, VIPs/notable guests, site visits, guest opportunities, and other important information to set us up for a successful day.

9:15 a.m.

I had a group in-house so I checked in on my group contact, and make sure that they are happy with our setup and Food and Beverage. Our Events and Banquet Team take great care of our groups, so our clients were ecstatic!

10:00 a.m.

I get back to my desk to prepare for three back-to-back calls. First one is with Ben Johnson, Davidson’s Senior Director of BT and Leisure as he guides me in exploring opportunities for suite promotions and target prospecting with different travel programs. Then I connected with a partner wholesale travel company to go over our strategies and other opportunities in the SLC market. Lastly, we had our monthly BT call where I met with Business Travel Leaders from all over our Davidson/Pivot portfolio. In this call we talk about best practices, hot topics, and share resources. As someone who is new to Business Travel Sales, I love the support that I get from this group and truly appreciate learning from sales leaders within our company.

12:30 p.m.

After a quick lunch break, I spend most of my afternoon drafting proposals, responding to leads, and following up with clients. Since our hotel has been open for less than a year, with no history, we constantly revisit our strategies. Finding time to research and dive into data is imperative to make sure that what we offer is competitive but at the same time be a rate leader in the market.