What Working at an Island Resort Can Teach You About Running a Business
Landon Sprague ’28 during his internship at Lovango Resort & Beach Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
No two internship experiences are the same, and Landon Sprague ’28 can vouch for that.
For the last two summers, Sprague has served as a hospitality and operations intern at Lovango Resort and Beach Club on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. When your workplace is surrounded by water, and nearly every guest, employee, and supply delivery arrives by boat, it creates unique challenges — and learning opportunities.
Sprague, who is studying finance and accounting at the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, says his two summers at Lovango have given him an inside look at how a successful business operates day to day and taught him lessons he hopes to apply to a career helping businesses achieve sustainable growth.
How did you choose your internship?
Landon Sprague: Working at a property awarded two Michelin Keys offered me a rare look at how high-level hospitality runs day-to-day.
The location was also a major factor. Lovango is on a private island off St. John, which creates unique operational and logistical puzzles you simply wouldn’t encounter in an office setting.
What really sold me was the leadership. From my first conversations, the general manager and operations manager were welcoming, direct, and genuinely invested in mentoring me. Observing resource management and leadership up close aligned directly with my goal of understanding the business from the ground up.
What did your day-to-day responsibilities include?
Guest interaction was at the heart of the job. We focused on building genuine, personal connections with visitors rather than just providing routine service.
My responsibilities varied quite a bit from day to day. I drove utility vehicles across the island to transport guests to their villas, coordinated ferry departures, and helped move housekeeping teams efficiently between properties. I also served as a first mate alongside the captain on our guest ferries, where I helped with passenger safety, line handling, docking, and fueling.
Another part of the job involved taking island tender boats out to private charters in our mooring field and bringing day guests ashore for dining and beach amenities. Outside my regular shifts, I worked with front-of-house teams on logistics and food delivery. I also regularly sat down with the general manager after hours to review financial statements, cost controls, and daily performance metrics, which gave me a better understanding of the business side of the resort.
What was one of the biggest logistical challenges you encountered
working on an island?
The biggest logistical challenge was managing the ferry schedule, especially since our primary connection to St. Thomas and St. John relied on a single boat. When you operate off a private island, a 20-minute delay, whether from waiting on a late guest trying to find the dock or holding for a critical supply delivery, can easily trigger a two-to-three-hour ripple effect across the entire day. Even with built-in buffer periods meant for crew breaks or lunch, an early morning delay could quickly erase that cushion and turn the shift into a non-stop rush until midday.
Navigating that taught me how vital proactive communication, quick problem-solving, and staying calm under pressure are when you must adapt operations on the fly and keep the guest experience seamless.
What were some of your favorite things to do outside of your internship this summer?
On days off, my coworkers and I chartered small boats to neighboring islands, snorkeled the reefs around St. John, and explored local beaches.
A major highlight was the annual St. John Celebration Carnival in early July, with days of street parades, local food, and live performances by artists like Sean Paul. Returning for a second summer gave me a deeper appreciation for the local community, allowed me to host a friend from home to show him the island, and gave me time to explore local Caribbean restaurants across St. John and St. Thomas.
How did your Paul College experience prepare you for this internship?
The biggest skill Paul College taught me was the power of networking. After the social disruptions of the pandemic, Paul pushed me to put myself out there — attending ECenter events, speaking with guest presenters, and going to faculty office hours. That habit of reaching out and building real relationships is how I landed this internship.
My sophomore accounting classes were also surprisingly practical on the job. Accounting taught me how to look at complex situations, break them down, and figure out what matters most. When unexpected operational problems popped up on the island, that analytical training helped me stay calm, evaluate options quickly, and find workable solutions.
How do you think this internship experience will contribute to your personal and professional growth?
Living and working independently on an isolated island took away any fear I had about moving to new places or navigating unfamiliar situations. It made me much more culturally aware, helped me build close friendships with people from all over the world, and gave me full confidence in pursuing study abroad programs through UNH.
Professionally, it taught me not to be intimidated. I learned how to strike up meaningful conversations with successful resort guests, build lasting mentor relationships, and ask smart questions about their careers. It shifted how I think from just completing assigned tasks to understanding the broader operational picture.