As she helped build up the family business, the demands of the job also put pressure on her family life. With more women achieving leadership roles in various industries, Barrett is pleased to see how the work-life balance has become more of a priority for today’s business professionals. “Anybody in today’s world can leave at 2 in the afternoon and go to a soccer game for their kid, and no one thinks anything bad of them because people have come to realize how important family is,” she said. Not so long ago, however, Barrett had to make sacrifices in her own work-life balance for the sake of the family business. “You did what you had to do in the moment, and as you look back on it, you realize, ‘wow, that was hard.’” Today, Barrett has good relationships with her children and grandchildren, and hopes they appreciate what it took to make the family name into a formidable presence in New York City’s hospitality sector. “Sometimes, I look at my grandchildren and think, ‘You have no clue how hard it was to get to where I got.’”
Having watched New York City’s hotel scene grow and change for more than half a century, Barrett believes that the heart of real hospitality remains consistent in spite of shifting trends: “It is the guest experience,” she said. And while the purpose of any business is to turn a profit, Barrett believes that hoteliers should regularly ask themselves why they are in the hospitality industry to begin with. “You’re really doing this to give an experience to the customer; otherwise, you wouldn’t be in business.”
