Jose Afonso was born in 1934. He is working at the HOTEL PALACIO (1930) in Estoril, the elegant suburb of Lisbon, since 1951!
Being dedicated to historic hotels also means that we treasure the memories of our longest serving employees. This blog is dedicated to the longest serving members of hospitality industry.
In 1996, The Breakers, USA, celebrated its Centennial as a monumental tribute to its founder Henry Morrison Flagler, the man who transformed South Florida into a vacationland for millions. Now into its second century, the resort continues to enjoy national and international acclaim. Almost in "his second century" is one of The Breakers’ greatest treasures, its resident historian, James Ponce, who brandishes the resort’s rich heritage with an anecdotal enthusiasm that appeals to all ages.
At 90-years-old, Ponce continues to give weekly tours at the legendary oceanfront resort, when hotel guests gather with him to stroll the palatial halls, relive the glamour and admire the one-of-a-kind Italian Renaissance architectural design and artistry of the interiors.
Ponce knows the cherubim and seraphim of the hotel's ornate hand-painted ceilings (the work of 73 Florentine artists) and the personalities of the 44 nobles, conquerors, popes and Indian chiefs whose portraits hang in the ornate Gold Room. He regales his audience with the visits of celebrated guests who have been hosted over the years. Giving life to the bricks and mortar and storied past of The Breakers, history is clearly in this man’s genes; he can trace his ancestry to the oldest documented family in the United States. Complimentary tours are available to hotel guests.
