12 JUL 2017: If there was a competition for the best GM of All Inclusive resorts, Eric Frudenthaler would win hands down – AND he’s Canadian. The moment I met Eric, I was impressed, 12 years later I’m even more impressed. My first visit to an AM Resort was to Secrets Capri in the Riviera Maya in 2005. It came so highly recommended I was dubious – no resort could be that perfect. Eric was the GM.

I was impressed from the moment I heard “Welcome Home” at the door, where Eric was waiting to greet me and then offered to do anything and everything he and his staff could do to make my snooping around easier. And they did.

Eric became my administrative assistant for the week, setting up appointments with the other AM resorts along the Mayan Riviera, Dreams in Cancun, and Tulum, and then double checking to make sure everyone was ready for me. It was an amazing experience, and it has never happened anywhere else.

That week, I learned a lot about the philosophy of AM. For instance when I laughed at the cheese whiz, and the peanut butter on the buffet of an adult resort. Eric said, “Guests want exotic, but they also want it to be familiar, so we bring in container loads of American brands. You’ll note they also love well done bacon, and that’s the way we do it.”

News spread around the resort that I was a travel writer, and many guests made a point of meeting me to tell me how wonderful the property was, and particularly how great Eric was.

There were two kinds of guests. Ones that didn’t want me to write a thing, in case the Capri was sold out the next time they wanted to book, and the ones who wanted me to be sure and tell people how wonderful it was … and it was. There were a number of guests, that I heard from for years. They followed Eric from resort to resort. So have I, actually.

Over the years we’ve talked about everything and everybody I think. He’s talked about his wonderful children, one by his first wife, and three by his second wife Marta. He met Marta when they worked in the same hotel, and so she understands the business.

The secret to Eric is that he listens, and you’re made to feel that he cares about what you’re saying, because he does. If he’s bored when I’m rattling on and on, I can’t tell.

My husband Tom was telling Eric, his pet peeve in any All-In is that the butter is a long way from the toaster. Eric said, “Is it here?”

“Yup,” said Tom. The next morning Eric stopped by our table and said,

“Tom, you’ll find the butter beside the toaster.”

Walk anywhere on a property with Eric, and his employees – the “team” as he calls them – eyes light up when they see him. They beam when he knows their name – and he always does.

Walk into a restaurant and tell the manager you’re meeting Eric, and the manager says “You’re so lucky!” And then you get the best table in the house.

Then Secrets Maroma opened with Eric as GM. By the time I got to Secrets Maroma, Eric had been promoted to director of operations, Pacific Coast, and was gone. He, Marta and their three children moved to Puerto Vallarta, and Marta went to University to study nursing.

My next meeting was in Puerto Vallarta, when he invited me to meet President Felipe Calderon who opened Secrets Puerto Vallarta.

When we had a few minutes I asked about the new job. “I love it, but I miss the hands on, and the guests.” He said, stopped and chatted to a couple of guests who recognized him.

“The travelling is difficult as flights go through Mexico City, the hub.”

For the next few years, when I visited Secret’s resorts I’d learn, “He just left.” That happened as well in Panama and Costa Rica. And then I’d listen to a half hour on what a wonderful guy he was, from one of the staff.

In 2015, I learned he was coming back to Quintana Roo to manage the new Secrets Akumal. Last February Tom and I paid a visit.

Eric was Eric. He talked at length about “the team” He talked about the difficulties in a destination like, the Riviera Mayan where there were more and more resorts opening, so staff are lured away leaving holes in the “team”.

“We’re only as good as the staff. Lose a key team member and its tough.”

I don’t think we ever give much thought to what happens behind the scenes, which could well affect the meal that disappointed; the waiter who couldn’t seem to get the order straight, the bartender that wasn’t as friendly as your clients would like, the maid that didn’t turn down the bed at night. All of those issues can happen when the “team” loses a player, and the replacement isn’t comfortable yet.

But it does work out. AM Resorts hires good people. Eric is a shining example.