When entering the large lobby space of the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center, guests can expect to be greeted with a warm “Welcome to the Renaissance!” by Housekeeping Public Space Attendant Maria Julia Borrego.

Julia is responsible for keeping the hotel’s public areas clean and organized. She begins her day in the lobby and then moves to the front desk area, followed by the pool area and the 50,000 square feet of convention center space. She takes pride in her work and can often be heard referring to the hotel as “my hotel” because she treats the space as her own home.

Each day Julia is greeted with a hug by her fellow associates. Her lunch table is usually packed full of associates — not just because she brings enough extra food to share but because of her easy conversation and genuine encouragement. Over one conversation with a laundry associate, Julie discovered she was struggling to purchase clothes and shoes for her young children prior to school starting. Julia collaborated with hotel leadership to ensure the family had all the supplies they needed. Since then, she’s always listening for ways she can help an associate directly or ways she can facilitate the hotel’s help. Director of Human Resources Jessica Johnson says, “Julia’s heart is where everything begins. When it comes to providing, we take our cue from Julia.”

With her 16-year tenure, Julia was a natural fit to be the Welcome Ambassador for new hires at the hotel. She shares her positive experiences at the hotel and regularly follows up with the new associates to make sure they feel confident in their new roles. Julia is passionate about seeing new hires find their careers at the hotel. One of the women she helped train and encourage started at the hotel as a housekeeping attendant and is now a Housekeeping Inspector.  

The Renaissance Tulsa is managed by Atrium Hospitality. Julia easily adopted their core value of “Service” and Marriott’s core value to put people first. She will not give up on any task or opportunity, replying, “it’s easy” even when faced with challenging circumstances. She says, “I never say ‘I can’t.’ I just keep going — even when I get home. I don’t quit!”