Here’s to celebrating the women who make a difference. Especially those in our communities.

Happy International Women’s Day! This date on the calendar is justifiably celebrated around the world. When it arrives every year, most of us tend to focus on recognizing the most famous among females. 

In Chile, for example, we laud extraordinary women like Isabel Allende, considered the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author, and Violetta Parra, the “mother of Latin American folk music.” 

We praise the trailblazers, risk-takers, and award-winners. And understandably so… these women have earned our admiration. But at The Singular, we believe it’s important to not only look “up” to find the women worth admiring, but to look around. To see and celebrate the luminaries in our own community.

LIke Claudia Cabrera, the housekeeping manager in our Santiago hotel. It’s Claudia and her team that create an environment that prompts travelers on TripAdvisor to say things like “impeccably clean” and “the room was spotless.” Every day, we see how hard she works to make sure our guests’ experience at the hotel is exceptional.

So what’s her secret? “I try to approach my job with empathy,” Claudia says. “I want to provide our guests with an experience I would want for myself. To me, The Singular is not just a luxury hotel. It is a place where people can feel at home even when they’re far away.” To Claudia, the “how” “why,” and “for whom” she’s doing her job matters just as much as what she’s doing. And it shows.

Claudia is just one example of something Daniela Orellana, director of global sales at The Singular, has noticed in her many years at The Singular.  “The women here consistently bring their best, in every aspect of their lives,” she said. “They’re consummate professionals, great team players, and just impressive people overall. Of course, this applies to everyone at The Singular, but I notice it most in the women. As women, it feels like we’re all a part of something special, and we act accordingly.”

Of course, excellence rarely just happens. It’s learned… from mentors and role models. People like Claudia and Daniela were inspired by women who came before them. 

For Claudia, it was her grandmother. “She used to tell me her stories of traveling around the world: the things she saw and did, the people she met,” she said. “And that inspired me to know the world and to connect with others. It allowed me to move around the world as if it were my home, and eventually to provide a ‘home’ for travelers who come to Chile.”

Daniela’s mother provided a “daily example of caring and generosity at home and in the world,” she said. And a former colleague, Marcela Sigall, provided a vision of what she could be in her professional life. “Her courage, curiosity, and toughness inspired me. She was caring, yet refused to be defined by a narrow set of rules.”

This International Women’s Day, we salute those women who have inspired girls (and boys) to become strong, kind, competent, and committed. We toast people like Marcela Sigall, Claudia’s grandmother, and Daniela’s mother. 

We also celebrate the women who are leading the way in the hospitality industry, like Claudia and Daniela: the ones who endeavor to better know the world we live in, who embrace empathy, and who embody courage and curiosity. 

It’s an opportunity for us to say thank you to the women of our organization. Your passion, talent, diligence and discernment are infused into who we are. We simply would not be The Singular without you.

Today, we invite everyone to acknowledge the women who inspire you. Not just the ones who make the news and the history books, but the ones you see every day.  

And Happy International Women’s Day to all!