Andrea LaFontaine, General Manager of the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Vadnais Heights, has a fairytale career story of sorts, but with a twist. LaFontaine fell in love with … the hotel industry. At a young age, she would visit her mother who was a housekeeper at a local AmericInn and embraced the unique experiences she had. When the time came, LaFontaine was encouraged by her mother to apply for a summer job at the hotel, and so her career began in hospitality, following in her mother’s footsteps.

LaFontaine’s original dream was to travel to Egypt as an archaeologist to unearth lost civilizations and artifacts. “Instead, I soon discovered that hotels were a great place to work because they were everywhere, and thus didn’t limit me in terms of where I could travel,” says LaFontaine. “The more I worked in hotels, the more knowledgeable I became of the industry as a whole, and my passion for it grew.”

Remarkably, hard work and steady determination — not a magic storyline — has propelled LaFontaine from entry-level employee to general manager of her own “castle” in twelve years’ time. “I worked my way up from housekeeping to front desk to operations management, and then became a sales coordinator at my current hotel before taking on the role of GM at the beginning of 2017,” asserts LaFontaine. “It was a great honor that the management group encouraged me to apply for the position, and also that the team accepted my transition from being their peer to ‘boss lady.’”

LaFontaine attributes her steady accession and leadership success to her immense passion for the industry which in turn fuels her drive to succeed. According to LaFontaine, “The hotel business is exciting work, with many time-sensitive, stressful situations occurring daily that require grace and tact to resolve in order to ensure exceptional guest experiences. Success stems from the passion you have for your job. My passion — to see my hotel, my company, and my team succeed — drives me forward no matter what sort of situation I’m faced with,” she explains.

“Developing a strong, positive and open relationship with your superiors is very important,” advises LaFontaine. “You can learn so much from those who have come before you, and they can truly become your champion and help push you to the next level.”  Wisely, LaFontaine adds, “And, after you get to where you’re going, help the next woman in line.”

By exemplifying her mottos — Act with integrity. Lead by example. Keep your word. — it won’t be long before LaFontaine will be the heroine of her industry, rewriting the script, helping others to follow in her footsteps, and traveling to exotic destinations around the globe.