Tonya Wilson
Tonya Wilson is a seasoned hospitality professional with over a decade of experience in front office operations and guest services. She currently serves as the Front Desk Manager at DoubleTree by Hilton in Savannah, Georgia, where she oversees daily operations, supervises staff performance, and ensures exceptional guest experiences. Her career has spanned notable hospitality brands including Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn, where she consistently demonstrated professionalism, operational excellence, and a commitment to customer satisfaction.
In addition to her management responsibilities, Tonya brings a dynamic and engaging presence to her work, including hosting events such as karaoke nights that enhance the guest experience and foster community engagement. Her ability to multitask, resolve challenges efficiently, and cultivate strong customer relationships has earned her a reputation as a reliable and approachable leader in the hospitality industry.
Tonya is actively pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment & Media Management from Full Sail University, expanding her expertise in creative business and leadership strategies. She is exploring new opportunities in administrative support, customer service, and front office management within the Port Wentworth, Savannah, and Pooler areas. With her extensive experience, strong interpersonal skills, and dedication to excellence, Tonya is well-positioned to contribute to organizations seeking a versatile and results-driven hospitality professional.
• Full Sail University - BA, Entertainment, and Media Management
• Highest Enroller for Hilton Honors (5 consecutive years)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my compassion and my empathy for people. My mom always used to make a joke that I'm very gullible, that I believe anybody's sob story, but it might not be gullible to me - I do see the good in everybody, even though I have had a very tumultuous path. If I were to tell you my story, there would be no way that you could see me as this positive person that I have become from what I used to be. But I just try to take the pain that I've had in my past and put it into a positive spin. I try to see the good in everybody. I lead with my heart and not with my head, and I do the best that I can do, because you can't make everybody's rainbow into everybody's sunshine.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice that I would give to anybody starting out is to lead with your heart and not with your head. Do the best that you can do, because you can't make everybody's rainbow into everybody's sunshine. It's a mostly male-dominated field for the most part, and it's kind of hard to break into, especially when you want to move beyond the front desk into areas like sales. But I just want to try to make a difference and make the hotels a little bit more welcoming, more feeling like a home than just a hotel. I don't want front desk agents to be like robots - I want them to be warm and caring. You can go into a hotel and it's like name, credit card, give you the information, they don't have any heart, and it's like they're just doing a job. I want everybody to be able to have heart and make somebody's experience, make somebody's day into an experience and not an ordeal.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is that if you go into any hotel, you see that it is a mostly male-dominated field, for the most part. I love what I do at the front desk, but I want to take my work a little bit further and go into sales, and that's mostly all men, and it's kind of hard to break into that. But I just want to try to make a difference and make the hotels a little bit more welcoming, more feeling like a home than just a hotel. The opportunity I see is in changing the culture - I don't want front desk agents to be like robots where it's just name, credit card, give you the information with no heart, like they're just doing a job. I want everybody to be able to have heart and make somebody's day into an experience and not an ordeal.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are compassion, empathy, and seeing the good in everybody. Even though I've had a very tumultuous path, I try to take the pain from my past and put it into a positive spin. I lead with my heart and not with my head. In my work, I want to create experiences that are warm and caring, not robotic - I want to make hotels feel more like a home than just a hotel. In my personal life, I'm focused on growth and family. I'm spending time with my two kids, planning my wedding, and I just graduated from Full Sail University with a degree in entertainment business while working full-time. I'm also helping my son who's going to Full Sail Online for computer animation. I love music, karaoke, hosting, and going to concerts. I'm passionate about merging my love for entertainment with hospitality to create unique experiences for people.
Locations
DoubleTree by Hilton
Port Wentworth, GA 31407