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Meet Jorge Martinez, Cost Controller during the day and singer at night, at the Riu Cancun hotel

One of the hallmarks of our hotels is undoubtedly the service that each and every one of our employees provide to our guests. From the receptionist who welcomes you on your arrival at the hotel to the waiter who serves you your favorite drink during your stay with us. They all share a common feature: kindness and a smile when it comes to providing their services.

Nevertheless, some employees, due to their responsibilities, have no direct contact with our guests. They are the ones who carry out the ‘silent’ but essential work required for the proper functioning of the hotels. But the story we are sharing with you today shatters the norm of these silent collaborators. This is Jorge Martinez, Cost Controller at the Riu Cancun hotel during the day, and a singer in the hotel shows at night.

What is Jorge’s day-to-day life in the hotel’s supply department like?

The day-to-day running of a hotel would be impossible without a Cost Controller. Starting at 7 am, Jorge is in charge of receiving all the goods that the suppliers deliver to the hotel, so that our guests never want for anything in terms of food and drinks. Stationed in the loading and unloading area of the Riu Cancun, where customers are unaware of his great work, every day Jorge is in charge of receiving the fresh fruit and vegetables that arrive at the hotel, as well as all kinds of other goods like meats, dairy products, alcohol and other products that will end up being consumed by our guests. He checks that the necessary quantity arrives to supply the hotel and verifies the quality of the product.

Jorge working in his office at the Riu Cancun hotel.

Jorge describes his work as a daily routine that is also fun, as it allows him to meet all kinds of people from the various Mexican companies that supply the hotel every day, and he gets to know products and goods that he himself never imagined would become part of the supply chain within the hotel industry. He has held this position for five years now because, in his early days, when he arrived from Veracruz in 2017, he worked as a Steward, making sure that all the kitchen staff’s utensils and supplies were ready to be used. After a brief stint in the warehouse area, he got the opportunity to work in Cost Control thanks to his previous experience in a commercial store.

Jorge checking incoming goods at the hotel

From a job in the background to the bright lights of the Riu Cancun’s theater

Jorge Martínez with Pablo Cañada in the Riu Cancun theatre

But what seemed to be very much a background task in his first three years at the Riu Cancun, ended up being complemented by a job that has very little or nothing to do with his duties. After a lunch organized by the hotel manager, Pablo Cañada, with all the department heads, several of them suggested that Jorge interpret some of the lyrics by famous Mexican singers. Many of them already knew about Jorge’s wonderful voice, a passion that he has had since his childhood thanks to the love of music that some of his family members had.

After astonishing his colleagues and the hotel manager, it didn’t take long for Cañada to make a proposal that changed Jorge’s life. Now, in addition to managing all the goods at the Riu Cancun, Jorge has fulfilled a dream he has had since he was a little boy: every Monday, in the hotel’s theater, he performs in front of the hundreds of guests who come to see his own show. At least 12 songs a day, covering great Mexican singers such as Juan Gabriel and Joan Sebastian. His interpretation of “Secreto de Amor” by Joan Sebastian, the climax of his performance, is, in Jorge’s words, “a boom of applause and enthusiasm” on the stage. Something that, unquestionably, has always been our star’s dream.

Jorge during one of his performances at the Riu Cancun

Since he was 11 years old, when he began practicing the guitar with his grandfather and uncles and participating in the occasional concert, his goal was to be able to show his talent on stage in front of dozens, hundreds and even thousands of people. At the age of 15 he joined a musical trio that performed altruistic gigs in a restaurant in Veracruz. And since January 2022, thanks to Pablo Cañada’s proposal, Jorge has been able to see his dream of performing weekly in front of countless guests from all over the world come true.

And it is precisely this opportunity to sing in front of people from so many parts of the world that fills Jorge’s heart. He acknowledges that, although many American, Canadian, British or German customers may not be able to understand his lyrics, the simple fact of standing on a stage dressed in his traditional Mexican charro costume and using his powerful voice, triggers a feeling of joy and admiration that continues to drive him to pursue his dream day after day: to make his voice and his love of music known to the whole world. Something he recommends to anyone who has a dream: never give up until you achieve your goal.

Jorge, who has released some cover songs on various music platforms, is especially fond of one of his renditions: “Recuerdos de Ipacaraí”. Although this song was not a great favorite in his younger days, the loss of his grandmother last year made him devote himself body and soul to remembering her by singing her favorite song. And you can hear it every Monday, between 6:40 pm and 7:30 pm, in the theater of the Riu Cancun hotel.

We hope that you too, thanks to Jorge, can enjoy his two great passions in life: satisfying our guests with all their favorite and essential products, and wowing them with his musical talent.