Progressing with a Powerful Work Ethic

March 25, 2025 | Careers

His job in high school, mostly manual labor, provided more than folding money for a teenage Virgo Hughey. Covering janitorial shifts at the local American Legion gave him a solid work ethic that still pays dividends today. 

“The work wasn’t glamorous but, at 16 years old, I was happy to do whatever it took to put some cash in my pocket,” recalls Hughey, who today is part of the leadership team at AC Hotel South San Francisco. “I was mopping floors, vacuuming carpets, cleaning bathrooms, taking out the trash — just like doing chores at home.”

What’s more, he was learning early on the satisfaction of a job well done. 

“It was a great first experience,” says Hughey. “It gave me an appreciation for hard work. It taught me that every person can make a positive impact. It sparked my motivation to be an asset, wherever I am.”

That motivation has carried him in good stead ever since.

Hughey “kind of stumbled into hospitality” a quarter-century ago when a baseball coach recommended him for a night security job at the Sanctuary Beach Resort in his hometown of Marina, California.

Never one to idle, Hughey passed the time during overnight shifts by inspecting unoccupied rooms and voluntarily making any necessary repairs. He was often asked to cover daytime bellman shifts, too — and if he noticed an issue when checking guests into their rooms, he’d fix it on the spot.

“Identifying things that can be better — and then making them better — has always been my goal,” he says.

Before long, Hughey’s talent and attention to detail landed him full-time on the maintenance team where, over 18 years, he moved through positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as the resort’s Chief Engineer.  

“My hard work and dedication were paying off,” Hughey says. “My role was continually evolving, I was being promoted into various leadership positions, and that motivated me even more to keep pushing forward.” 

Another big move forward came in July 2018 when Reggie Kumar — formerly Hughey’s colleague at Sanctuary Beach Resort and now an Area General Manager at OTO Development — recruited him as Director of Operations at AC Hotel South San Francisco.

“Virgo is immensely talented,” Kumar says. “He’s a team player who leads by example, and I knew he’d drive strong operational improvements at our AC Hotel.”

And that’s exactly what Hughey did.

He transformed the hotel’s audio-visual capabilities for catering and events, for example, ultimately creating a new revenue stream for the property. He streamlined housekeeping and maintenance procedures to eliminate inefficiencies. He developed operational initiatives to reduce costs while adding to the guest experience.  

For all this, and more, Hughey was recently promoted to Assistant General Manager. Thus the young teen cleaning an American Legion has evolved into a man leading an AC Hotel, with a work ethic that remains one and the same.

“I’m excited to continue growing and making an impact at OTO Development,” he says.

Away from AC Hotel South San Francisco, Hughey volunteers with an after-school sports program for kids. He also enjoys hiking and fishing, and especially digs his newest passion, organic gardening.

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