The weather is warm, the waters are cool and Debbie Pierce is keeping cocktails in her guests’ hands. As a VIP server at Green Valley Ranch Resort’s 8-acre pool complex, Pierce takes care of sunbathers and swimmers hanging about on the daybeds, lounge chairs or floating in the sand-bottom pool.
“You can come here with your girlfriends and enjoy cocktails in pineapples or you can bring your kids and have a fun day at the pool and on the sand,” said Pierce, a native of Southern California. “It’s a good environment for every type of vacation person.” At Green Valley Ranch there is a mix of both tourists and locals, as the resort is off-Strip in the suburbs but has all the amenities and deluxe offerings of a Strip property. “Away from the Strip, you get regulars, people coming back to see you,” Pierce said. “I get to know people more and connect with them more.”
Although this is her first season poolside—she moved to town last fall—she’s got the hang of it. “I needed a change,” said Pierce, who explained that it was her main motivation for coming to Las Vegas. “I was looking into server positions out here. I’m a people pleaser. I enjoy serving people. I do it well.” She previously worked in indoor environments including doctor’s offices, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. “I needed a complete change of scenery, to be outdoors, to be in the sun,” she said. Now she is, and she’s loving every minute.
“Making my guests happy—serving delicious drinks, helping them enjoy summer, having them sip on a cocktail in a pineapple by the pool—it’s the perfect vacation.”
Blueberi Lemonade
There’s a long list of specialty cocktails on the pool menu, with some new additions this season like the Blueberi Lemonade. “The bartenders are really creative and they like to make whatever drinks our guests want or can think of or like,” said Pierce. Incorporating different spirits, mixers, fresh fruits, purées and garnishes, this cocktail in particular is a blend of Stoli Blueberi vodka, blue curaçao, sweet and sour mix, Mist Twist lemon-lime soda and fresh blueberries.
