Hotel Director's Path to Oakdale Was All Over the Map

Nigel Bath, Director of Sales at Oakdale's Hilton Garden Inn, is a man of the world. Originally from England, his work in the hospitality business has led to work and travel in France, China, North Africa, the Middle East and Scandinavia. He landed in Minnesota about 20 years ago, enchanted by the state’s wide open spaces, he said.

Bath has reached out to the local community by opening the hotel’s pool to residents on Thursday and Friday nights. Oakdale Patch reporter Michelle Leon sat down with Bath to hear more about his work and passions.

Oakdale Patch: You really seem to make an effort to connect with the community, Why is that?

Nigel Bath: In a community like Oakdale, there are a lot of families and it’s not easy to entertain kids in the winter. So here you have two nights a week you can count on to get out of the house and do something fun and healthy. Last year families came down and put three or four kids in the pool, then wrote Christmas cards, stuff like that. It worked out well. Sometimes people come by and use the fitness center, then go in the pool. It’s up to them how they use it. We say, “We’ll provide the pool and towels and you provide the fun.”

Oakdale Patch: Tell us about the other things you’ve done to reach out to residents.

Bath: We held ice cream socials for the folks at Oak Meadows and hosted a Christmas carol event with residents of  Cardinal Pointe. Each year we do a Turkey Day event with our business community. We try to look for opportunities that give back or pay forward; I have always thought that it was worthwhile to see the bigger picture.

Oakdale Patch: Your background is very eclectic. You have traveled the world, spent several years in China…

Bath: We get a lot of guests from China and Asia, mainly 3M employees, and I can speak with them in Chinese. I ask where they are from and say “I have been there!” I have found I have been to more cities in China than most Chinese people. I have been fortunate to have witnessed world wonders, like The Great Wall of China, which I have seen from almost one end to the other.

Oakdale Patch: This begs the question—how did you find yourself in Oakdale?

I was invited by one of my former clients to join his company. I enjoyed that experience so much that I thought it would be a good idea to come back as soon as I was able. I had unfinished business. I couldn’t tell you what that unfinished business was, I just knew that there was something that I hadn’t done that I needed to do.

People say “Why on earth would you live here in Minnesota?” They ask, “You’re from London, isn’t that more exciting?” It’s hard to explain, but I say “No, if it were, I would be there.” Right now, Oakdale and Minnesota have got my attention.

Oakdale Patch: What do you find unique about this area?

Bath: I like the uncrowded-ness. There are marvelous open spaces to go and do and see. There are a lot of curiosities in Minnesota.  I am not saying they don’t exist in other places, but these curiosities interest me more, and it’s a matter of getting my fill.

Oakdale Patch: You have some very interesting philosophies about life.

Bath: I feel that wherever you are, you have got to give a bit of yourself in order to move on. I think that you cannot move on in life unless you have completed parts as you go. When you don’t complete parts, I think you eventually become an unhappy person.

I think it’s important that people live what I call passionate lives. You should be passionate about something. For some people, it’s their dog. For some it’s family, their wife, their lover. For other people it is clothes, food, their writing … I think it’s really important to be passionate about what you do, otherwise you may as well not do it. You don’t necessarily have to be an expert, you don’t even have to be really good at it, but you do have to give it your all.