The most captivating hotels deliver on the elements that can be seen: beautiful décor, inviting restaurants with skillfully prepared food and a warm atmosphere and scenic landscaped grounds. They also enchant visitors with what can only be felt—a certain spirit embodied in flawless service. Read on to meet some Omni Hotels & Resorts employees who have welcomed guests to their destinations for years—and, in one case, are continuing a family tradition that goes back generations. They bring decades of local knowledge and a passion for people to their daily work, and they have a special pride that gives travelers a sense that, even as they’re exploring a new corner of the world, they have arrived home.

Meet the Ryders, a family that’s worked at a historic Virginia resort for generations

“My grandfathers, both of them, built that,” said Don F. Ryder, 70, pointing to the hilltop red brick clock tower that has dominated The Omni Homestead Resort since it was built in 1929.

At just over 250 years old, The Homestead sits on more than 2,000 acres of lush, rolling farm land in Hot Springs, Virginia. It has attracted presidents (23 of them) and princes (including the lamentable abdicator Edward VIII, who came with his American wife, Wallis Simpson, and reportedly tried to skip out on the bill).

But you don’t have to be a head of state to enjoy the historic resort. Many families descend summer after summer—from Washington, D.C., Richmond, Charlottesville, Roanoke, and beyond—as regular as the clock on the structure that Ryder’s grandfathers built. Credit for the family-friendly atmosphere is shared equally by the staff and guests. The grand buildings are run by generations of locals, from Hot Springs or the nearby towns in Bath County. Families with names such as Ryder—and Woodzell, Robertson, Pettus, Keyser and Tonsler—trace lineages that go back to Scotch-Irish or German immigrants, or in West Africa. Out of The Omni Homestead’s nearly 1,000 employees, there are currently seven third-generation and 87 second-generation workers.

In Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, where the labor pool is small and many people are related to each other by blood or marriage, staying on the right side of nepotism rules is not easy. Kendal said, “The rule is that a close relative cannot supervise another, so I’ve had to switch departments a few times to avoid one of my sisters being my boss.”

But having a job close to family has its benefits. “It’s fun to work next to my sisters, or run into Poppy [grandfather Don] on grounds,” said Kendal. And for guests it’s a boon. “They love coming back and seeing the same faces year after year. For those who come back often enough, sooner or later we become friends,” said Don. “I’ve taught people to play golf and now I’m teaching their kids or even grandkids.” The younger Don (who sometimes goes by his middle name, Cameron, to avoid confusion) added, “Or I’m teaching them to skeet shoot.” Kathy, who sees the guest satisfaction surveys, said, “They may like the activities like archery or zip-lining, but what they really love and what keeps them coming back is the staff. One family got so attached to their housekeeper that they request a room in her section whenever they return.”