Collette Spewak might say she’s a hospitality newbie, but it’s hard to believe. She seems perfectly suited to her new position as hostess at Bellagio’s swanky Lily Bar & Lounge.
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, she landed in Vegas a little more than a year ago after working in retail management on the East Coast. “Once I got into convention stuff, I realized that was a lot more fun,” she says, but she was more than your average “booth babe.”
“I prefer to be the sales rep, too. I like to stay as busy as I can, and I’m a quick learner. I’ve sold everything from LED lighting to roofing to weird medical equipment.”
Now she’s more welcoming guide than salesperson. As the face out in front at Lily, she’s the lounge’s point person and a sort of Bellagio concierge; Vegas visitors walking from Caesars Palace will frequently stop at her podium for info. “Talking with people is what I like about the job,” Spewak says. “I don’t get out that much, but I’m very social, so this is my time. It’s almost like I’m here to socialize and meet new people, or at least that’s what it feels like.”
Now that she’s headquartered on the Strip, Spewak is eager to continue her local exploration and find more people, places and things—like favorite hiking spot Mount Charleston—that make Vegas feel like home. But those missions of discovery will be balanced with lots of Collette time. “I don’t do a helluva lot. I gym it up, I Netflix and chill, and I shop a lot. Those are my vices. It’s a good life.”