Special Prize Winner – Writing Contest “A25 Story – Your Home”

Name: Lê Đặng Tố Quyên
Department: Laundry
Date of Joining: September 2022
Branch: 684 Minh Khai

My Beloved A25 Home – Pride Born from Silent Dedication

Each of us has a place to return to – a home, a source of comfort. For me, besides my small room at the end of the street, there is another place where I spend most of my days, for many years now – the A25 Luxury Hotel, 684 Minh Khai, where I work.
That place is not only where I earn a living but also my second home – where I am attached, where I dedicate myself, and where I feel a deep sense of pride whenever I think about it.

I am a laundry staff member. It’s a quiet, behind-the-scenes job – yet one that I find deeply meaningful. My work doesn’t bring me face-to-face with guests, nor do I wear a suit or speak fluent English like the receptionists. But I clearly understand the importance of what I do.

At A25 Luxury Minh Khai, everything must be spotless and meticulous down to the smallest detail. A small stain or a towel lacking freshness could affect a guest’s experience. I understand that, so I never allow myself to be careless, even when I’m tired.
There are times I work in the heat of dryers, surrounded by steam, my hands burning red from chemicals — but I keep going, because I know:
“Guests may never see my face, but they will feel my work through every towel, every blanket they touch each day.”

I wash every towel, every bedsheet, every uniform not just to “get it done,” but as if I were caring for my own room or my loved ones.
I carefully iron guests’ shirts as though they have an important meeting tomorrow. I fold each towel as neatly as if someone dear to me were about to use it.

Because I understand – guests come to A25 to rest. And their comfort begins with the smallest of things: a fragrant towel, a clean blanket, a neatly pressed set of pajamas.

A25 Hotel is where I’ve learned far more than a profession.
I’ve been with this job for three years. In the beginning, I was clumsy – burned my hands because I didn’t yet know how to use the steamer, got scolded for mixing up bed linens, and even felt hurt when people looked down on my work.
But it was also here that I learned to grow. I learned to be careful, patient, and to value precision in every small task.
I learned teamwork, helping colleagues, and how to handle pressure during peak times when laundry piles up from morning till night.

Every compliment from a guest, every look of gratitude from a colleague when their uniforms arrive on time, clean and fragrant – those are my motivations to come to work every day, without complaint.

At A25 Hotel, I always feel a sense of belonging, as if returning to my own home.
There are mornings when I arrive early – the first to turn on the laundry room lights, start the machines, and prepare for a new day.
And there are nights when I leave last – folding the final batch of towels, looking around the tidy room before turning off the lights and heading home.
As I walk through the corridors, seeing rooms lit up, hearing guests chatting, watching my colleagues laugh and talk – it all feels familiar, like a warm family home.

I love the feeling of stepping into A25 each morning – it feels like coming home after a night away.
I feel proud when I see happy guests and read positive reviews about the hotel, because I know that I, too, have played a small part in that success.

I don’t need anyone to remember my name or put it on a record board.
All I need is for each item I handle to be clean, fragrant, and perfect – that’s enough for me to feel happy.
Because I’m not just washing clothes; I’m preserving the trust and satisfaction of our guests in A25.
And to me, this hotel is home – the place I come to each day not only to work, but to contribute, to care, and to take pride in saying:
“I am part of this place.”