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Born in Chicago, she moved here when she was 2 years old. Raised from a toddler in Fayetteville, Kolle has deep roots in the community she now serves so lovingly. But her connection to people goes beyond geography \u2014 it\u2019s a calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe thing of it is, I was very shy in school and never spoke,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I started here, I didn\u2019t know what it was, but I just thought, \u2018When they come down, I\u2019m gonna say good morning regardless of how I feel.\u2019 And when I do that, it really makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, those simple \u201cgood mornings\u201d have turned into lifelong friendships. Guests have reached out long after their stays to ask how she\u2019s doing, to send updates, or to let her know they\u2019ll be visiting soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lady coming from Georgia in the next couple of weeks, and she\u2019s 81,\u201d said Kolle. \u201cShe comes down every year to have breakfast, and then she goes back. I love her, and I look forward to welcoming her each time she visits. To me, that\u2019s what life is all about \u2014 making a lasting impression on someone. But what they don\u2019t realize is what they\u2019ve done for me. It blesses me as much as it does them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kolle\u2019s exemplary customer service received worldwide attention in 2024 when she was named a 2024 Hospitality Hero by the Hilton Family of Hotels. According to Hilton organizations, recipients of the honor are team members who \u201cembody hospitality with their warmth and light. These winners represent every aspect of the business and are recognized for their heroic contributions, enriching the experiences of our guests, colleagues, and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of only 55 recipients worldwide, Kolle said she was stunned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, it was a surprise. I knew I got something, but I thought it was just for our hotel, and then when I found out the way it was, I was really honored,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kolle said that doing this kind of work keeps her young at heart and motivates her to keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI never thought that I would be there this long at my age and still enjoy getting up and doing what I do,\u201d she said. \u201cIt keeps me healthy. It keeps me positive. I\u2019m honest when I love going to work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She also credits her team, with whom she works each day. She said she couldn\u2019t do it without them, and coming to work is a joy because of the people she is around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That love for people doesn\u2019t end when her shift does. At home, she continues to care for others in her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy husband tells me all the time I need to stop what I\u2019m doing, but I love taking care of others if I\u2019m able,\u201d she explained. \u201cI took care of some elderly people who lived close by, and I loved them. I cooked for them every week. They have moved off now because they had to go back with their kids, but to me, the more you give, the more you get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Kolle, hospitality isn\u2019t a job; it\u2019s a way of life. Her mornings begin long before dawn, but each day is filled with light: \u201cI\u2019ve always been the caregiver in my family,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone comes to me, and I guess I portrayed that by doing this. EACH MORNING before the sun rises over Fayetteville, Dorothea Kolle makes her way to the Hampton Inn. It\u2019s still dark outside when she unlocks the kitchen door at 4:30 a.m., turning on the lights, starting the coffee, and preparing the most important meal of the day for travelers from down the road and across the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":25147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/02\/submitted-2-1024x683.jpg\")
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the warmth of a smile, the comfort of a kind word, the joy of serving others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I see an elderly couple come in, I think of my grandparents. And I know I\u2019m gonna be there someday, and I want to give
that so that I can get that same kindness back in return.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"