I Worked at Mar-a-Lago. There Was an Unspoken Trump Family Rule

I was working at a small beer and burger joint called Duffy's in Florida's Palm Beach when one of the Mar-a-Lago Beach Club chefs came in with a few co-workers for dinner.

He noticed I was working really hard to clean up one of my tables, and he came over to say that he saw that and gave me his card, adding that he'd love for me to apply to Mar-a-Lago.

I thought: He's got to be joking, I'm a server at Duffy's, I feel inexperienced.

So I kind of blew off that first opportunity, thinking I wasn't qualified. But then I talked to another server about it, who said his wife worked on banquets over at Mar-a-Lago, and they also recommended it to me.

I finally went for it and applied, hit it off with my interviewers, and soon started as a banquet server. I was one of the few locals who worked there. Most people at Mar-a-Lago were international workers.

Then, a few months in, I was asked to go and help up in the main house with formal dining, where I picked up more shifts as a front server. I helped serve plenty of meals to the entire Trump family and all their friends.

I also worked a lot in reservations during the day, taking calls on the reception, and then at night I would be a server. And for very big events, I would mostly apply to be a bartender.

Towards the end of that first season, I was asked to help out with serving and bartending over at Mar-a-Lago's Beach Club. The season there goes on longer than the main dining up at the house.

I loved it there. It had that similar beer and burger vibe I was used to at Duffy's, and it was oceanside. I would take pictures of the beautiful scenery. I get goosebumps just thinking about it now.

We were working really hard during the season. There were eight servers. We'd see upwards of 300 people on The Beach Club side during Spring Break, and we'd be setting up the chairs and umbrellas and towels on the beach.

It was madness, but also lucrative. We made great money there.

In peak season, on those days we'd see around 300 people, each server could easily go home with around $150 cash, with a select few earning much more from certain members known to be particularly generous.

Those members would hand out hundreds for caring for them and their families for the day. The largest tip I ever received was $800, and the largest tip I ever saw was $1200 to another server on Easter Sunday.

During the day, we saw people when they were more relaxed, in their family element rather than the professional side up at the main house with its formal dining. I loved that relaxed side of things.

We were working in very close quarters back of house, scooting by each other. We had everything we ever needed, and it was all the best of the best.

The best pots and pans, the best cutlery and plates and wine glasses, the best espresso machine—everything was top-notch.

And we were expected to keep everything very nice and clean. We polished every night to maintain the elegance you see portrayed in the images of Mar-a-Lago.

It was never a dull moment. One day we would put on these lavish, elegant events that were planned to the tiniest detail, and an astonishing amount of money was spent.

And then the next day the food inspectors would come, so we needed to prepare for that to make sure we passed with flying colors and nothing reflected poorly on the business.

I met all the Trumps. I found the former president Donald Trump to be very professional, always smiling, kind, and generous.

I didn't deal with him all that much because I started in January 2016, and after he got elected in November it was completely different; he wasn't really allowed to come to The Beach Club anymore as president.

I did spend a lot of time with Eric, Lara, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and their families. They were just lovely people.

I remember one incident with Don Jr. We saw paragliders on Palm Beach ocean all the time, and we once saw someone take a really bad dip into the water. He lost his board and washed up. We all watched as Don Jr. swam out to get the guy's board and return it to him. He didn't have to do that.

Ivanka, Jared, and their immediate family ate healthy and kosher. The Jared salad, inspired by Mr. Kushner, was his go-to at The Beach Club.

Don Jr., Eric, and Don's children frequented The Beach Club for the casual dining experience, enjoying burgers, grilled fish sandwiches, and fries. The children especially loved the self-serve soft serve ice cream and ice box filled with assorted ice creams; Chloe being a fan of push-pops and 'Shirley-Temples' with extra cherries.

I would see Barron most often kicking his soccer ball around the entire property with his grandmother, Mrs. Amalija Knavs, may she rest in peace, following close behind.

Though the Trump family never saw a check, they were very gracious with their gratitude in the form of verbal appreciation and respect.

It was an unspoken rule that the family did not see their checks, unless Don Jr. was asking because he wanted to see exactly how many push-pops Chloe had that day.

When it came to the family and tipping, the only one to show money on the property was the former president, and that was to show generosity and gratitude.

I particularly enjoyed bartending those really big events and then cleaning up afterward. It seems like such a mundane task, but everyone was so excited and happy to be there, and we were all so in awe of the place.

I also worked in valet for a while. I did a lot with the go-kart when we had events, transporting people from the parking lot to the house, which was a highlight.

I met Sylvester Stallone, who was quiet for such an animated actor, and respectful. I only really saw him in the main dining room. And I saw Pitbull there as a celebrity performer. Rod Stewart was also at Mar-a-Lago the day I interviewed.

But my favorite person to meet was the country singer Wynonna Judd. I was starstruck when I met her and I got a picture. I grew up listening to her.

Wynonna was lively and humble. She was there performing for a charity gala for orphans which, she admitted while performing, was a meaningful cause to her.

It was my responsibility to escort her with the go-kart from the villa she was staying in on property to the grand ballroom where she was performing.

When I realized it was my last opportunity, I confessed my admiration, to which she responded by asking if I would like a picture with her. I am so grateful she thought to ask, because I was completely starstruck.

I also met the motivational speaker Nick Vujicic, who was another favorite of mine. He was the most inspirational person I met there. Talking to Nick, and caring for him and his family while enjoying Mar-a-Lago, was a highlight of my experience.

There were also lots of local senators and politicians coming into Mar-a-Lago. And I remember one royal family in particular who caught our attention.

Based on their clothing—her beautiful lace and embroidered shayla/hijab—and their name, we were under the impression they were Middle Eastern.

We didn't know exactly where they were from. But you could tell they just wanted to get away from the spotlight, so we respected that.

As in any customer service job, you do have some horrible experiences. There were plenty of distasteful moments there, which made me a stronger person. Entitlement was the most prevalent issue.

Probably the worst thing that ever happened was someone tried to physically pull me into the hot tub with them. I said: "Please don't touch me."

But overall, I feel that I learned customer service top to bottom at Mar-a-Lago. I even babysat for some of the members. I got such a great customer service experience from that. I was able to establish professional but close relationships with the social elite.

It gave me a lot of confidence and professionalism. But most of all: Joy. I have such fond memories of my time at Mar-a-Lago.

Ashleigh Sasson is a South Florida native, certified professional medical coder, and a wife and mother. She worked at former president Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort for three seasons between 2016 and 2018.

All views expressed are the author's own.

As told to Shane Croucher.

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