23-year-old Christian Lindblom of Breckenridge is 1 of 10 folks to win state tourism award

Christian Lindblom, front desk clerk at Breckenridge Grand Vacations, smiles for a photo at Grand Colorado on Peak 8, May 1. Lindblom was one of ten people in the state to receive the Top Frontline Workers Award from the Colorado Tourism Office.
Photo by Ashley Low / Ashley Low Photography

If you asked friends and family how they would describe Christian Lindblom, they would likely say that he is a gentle, calm, and hard worker. His supervisor Stephanie Bristley, the assistant general manager of the Grand Colorado Peak in an 8-room complex, would add “playful” to the list as well.

On Friday, April 23, Lindblom was notified that he was one of ten people in the state to receive the Colorado Tourism Office Top Frontline Workers Award. According to the bureau’s website, the award recognizes “people who do a great job welcoming visitors to our state and providing them with the best possible experience.” Lindblom was the only Summit County person to win the honor.

When Bristley received an email from the office about the award nomination process, she said the first person she wanted to nominate was Lindblom.

“(He’s a) wonderful guy, love him so much,” said Bristley. “Our owners and guests appreciate him very much. (He) goes above and beyond everything in every moment that he can, in every shift. “

Lindblom is a 23-year-old Wisconsin native who had just graduated from college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when he made the jump to Summit County. Linblom was already familiar with the county – his parents had had a second home in the area long before the decision to make Summit County their permanent residence.

He was trying to figure out his next move when he found out about Breckenridge Grand Vacations and decided to give it a try in June.

Before starting his role as a front desk clerk at the Grand Colorado on Peak 8, Lindblom had no experience in tourism or hospitality. Even so, he says his upbringing makes him perfect for the industry.

“When I was growing up, I always helped someone in need,” said Lindblom. “I came from a smaller area in the Midwest … and I feel that Midwestern hospitality goes well with not only Colorado hospitality, but Breckenridge Grand Vacations as well.”

Lindblom says he always volunteered for one thing, which his family did a lot. At one point he was serving as a volunteer paramedic in Wisconsin.

This Midwestern hospitality is so strong that it has caught the attention of Bristley and other management professionals at Breckenridge Grand Vacations. In one case, Lindblom gave a guest one of his shirts to prepare for an important board meeting. In another case, he and his staff drove a group of guests to Denver International Airport after their shuttle was canceled at the last minute.

Bristley also remembered when Lindblom drove a patron to the grocery store to pick up some items after her car broke down.

“A slightly older woman had problems with her vehicle and had to go to the grocery store really badly. After his shift that day, he popped her to the grocery store, waited for her to shop … and then took her back to the hotel and helped her unload and unpack and prepared for the day, ”said Bristley.

While all of these situations show Lindblom’s superior customer service, it came as a shock to him to receive this award.

“I was very surprised because I don’t necessarily do anything more extraordinary than my other colleagues,” said Lindblom. “I am very happy to work with a lot of really great people who would do the same. I was lucky enough to be recognized. “

As a receptionist, Lindblom is one of the first employees to meet guests when they walk through the door. Linblom’s responsibilities include checking in guests and reserving property amenities due to COVID-19.

The operation is pretty big overall: Bristley said approximately 150 to 175 people at Grand Colorado work on the Peak 8 property. When she heard the news that Lindblom had won the award, she said she and the other staff were delighted.

“We were all so excited,” said Bristley. “I yelled at my other manager in the back office who was back. … It was a great moment for all of us. “

Lindblom said he hopes to work his way up to a leadership position and continue to thrive in the tourism and hospitality industries. It’s easy for Bristley to see him climb the ranks.

“He’s just a great team member,” said Bristley. “He’s a young and up-and-coming man in this industry and definitely someone to look out for because he kills it.”