The worldwide expansion of the tourism industry creates many encounters between global agents and local forces, yet the host-guest interaction is rarely considered from the point of view of the experience of work. This study documents and discusses such a global-local encounter, based on fieldwork carried out in hotels in Barbados and Malta. Insight is drawn from a review of such issues as recruitment, promotion, redundancy, discipline, security, communication, expertise, total quality management initiatives, trade unionism and industrial action.