[madem0iselle]

I am planning in applying to a Hotel Management School after High School preferbly Les Roches in Switzerland. Since there is one more year left of highschool for me a lot of people are questioning me where I plan to go for post secondary school (university) and of course my reply is Hospitality, hotel Management in Switzerland and they all say "why is everyone going into that or planning to go into that field." The question is, is it true that a lot of people are heading towards that direction? Why? I have some questions, graduating from Hotel Management, what are the advantages/disadvantages/benefits/job offers? I know Hospitality will increase within the next few years and I know I am suitable for this kind of field as I enjoy the finer things in life(gourmet, wine, travel, etc) I also know I will enjoy learning or working under this field. Do you think this is a great choice instead of going into my local university where everyone gets a bachelors of arts/science/commerce?
Also, has anyone heard about Les Roches or know someone who's studied there and now in society having a great profession career?

[socalgem]

That job field is suppose to continue growing over the next few years. And it is a portable job, so if you should move you could easily find a job somewhere.

I have a few friends that work as GM's for some top hotels and they love their jobs. They also get paid nice salaries.

[madem0iselle]

socalgem- thanks for the prompt reply! I was wondering, did your friends graduate from a Hotel Management School or did they just take some of the intern courses for a year or two to get the position they are in now? What are the reasons that this field or this whole concept of hospitality will increase in the next few years?
thanks a ton!<3

[socalgem]

^They all have Master Degrees in Business. The economy determines if the field will grow or not. And also location.

My friends work in resort areas, so jobs are increasing.

[Zophie]

I used to work in a hotel for five years. If you can, I would suggest trying to work in the industry to get a feel for it and see how you like it. I knew people who didn't have a degree at all and moved into upper management, and I worked with one girl who got her hotel/motel degree and stayed at a low-level job because she just wasn't management material.

[Schmodi]

My boyfriend went to hotel school in Vienna and when he came back to the US after growing up in Vienna he was disappointed by the way most hotels are run out here.

His dad also worked as a GM for many years at various Leading Hotels and was paid well, involved in the events and would always meet new friends/connections.

I don't think many people are heading into the field in the US, but it's always been big in Europe.

[madem0iselle]

thanks socalgem- So maybe perhaps going to a proper university with a BA in business would be better and then go into a hotel management school..

zophie- thanks for your input, so people who never went into hotel management school got into the upper management level..wreird. but nothing is impossible. Do you mind emphasizing the term "management material?" thanks!

schmodi- So basically the whole hospitality/hotel management really benefits finding careers in Europe rather than the US? that sucks. =P

[socalgem]

Europe is a great place to work in hotel management, but not all places in the US are slacking in the field. If you pick a city that gets lots of travelers, NYC/LA/Miami/Vegas, you will have a job.

As for education, I think having a degree in Business or Management is a good idea. Now I am not saying you won't get a good job if you don't have it, but I think it would be easier to get with the degree in your resume.

[mzballs]

As someone who worked in a hotel for 6 years in Las Vegas, I can say that you are better off getting a Business Management degree rather than a Hotel Degree.

First off, working in a hotel is a different culture and most do not promote from within. All of my friends who are Director+ positions have had to move properties several times to get their desired position. This means relocating around the world: Miami, London, Hawaii, Paris, New York, Macau, etc...For some people this lifestyle works and for some, it does not. With the flexibility of a business degree you can move on without being pigeonholed into hotel life/culture, if you decide that this is not for you. Also, most hotels do not care what degree you have (or most don't care if you have a degree at all, at least in Vegas, it's more about WHO you know.) I recommend getting your Business Degree and applying for a internship at a large strip property. I know that MGM Mirage offers a great internship program. http://www.mgmmiragecareers.com/coll...ternships.aspx

I have a friend who attended Les Roches. As you know, just because you have attended a prestigious school, does not guarantee prestigious position. She is currently working as a reservation agent at a large property.

You can PM if you would like me to go into further detail. I am in no way talking you out of your decision, I think it is a great field to get into, I just want you to realize what the job entails

[Zophie]

Originally Posted by madem0iselle

thanks socalgem- So maybe perhaps going to a proper university with a BA in business would be better and then go into a hotel management school..

zophie- thanks for your input, so people who never went into hotel management school got into the upper management level..wreird. but nothing is impossible. Do you mind emphasizing the term "management material?" thanks!

schmodi- So basically the whole hospitality/hotel management really benefits finding careers in Europe rather than the US? that sucks. =P

What I mean by "management material" is someone who has common sense and takes initiative and can be a leader. The person I mentioned worked in reservations and never went above and beyond and basically was a person with just a "worker" mentality. She came to work, punched in, took her reservations, and went home.

I only worked in one hotel in one city and there are so many different variables. I know nothing about the industry in Europe or other cities. The one I worked in a lot of people were promoted from within and moved up. The woman who is now the GM started as the housekeeping manager and did not have a degree. We have a lot of hospitality industry jobs in New Orleans and a lot of people work their way up from the bottom. My mom started at the same hotel as a front desk clerk, no degree, after years of being out of the work force and being a stay-at-home mom. When she eventually left the hotel she was the personnel director.

And the reason I suggest you try out working in one is it may not be what you think. A lot of people would hear that I worked in hotel and think it was some super fun job, and that was far from the truth. I had to deal with rude people all the time. To be honest, I did not like it at all. But I'm not saying that to make you not want to do it, just something to keep in mind.

[Purses]

It is really a great field to get into, but it does not pay well for they type of work that you do. You can only gain experience before you move on to a different field with those same skills, but you could gain that type of experience with a government job that is low position, like a courtroom clerk and gain the same type of experience and get paid more.

What is so nice about working at the hotel is, that you can have fun. The downside is that you will have well educated, wealthy people walk in and be bold with you and rude. I found that you will experience every culture's rudeness and that really sucks. You would be managing staff who are lower class, who is trying to move up to management or could not get a job in their field. So there is a lot to deal with.

Maybe hotel industry is going up, but there will always be a down moment and the hotel will not hesitate to lay you off for a couple of months. It is also hard to find a hotel that offers benefits, and don't forget that the pay is not good.

On the brighter side, I heard Dubai is a great place to work, but then, I've heard many, many comments that women are treated like shit. No matter what their skin colour is.

I think you should go for it, especially if you have the personality for it, but please keep in mind that maybe you won't remain in the hotel industry, and maybe you will do something else.

[LadyLinda]

When I took my wedding cruise last year, I talked at length with the Assistant Hotel Director on the ship. She was Croatian and had gone to Hotel Management School in Europe (if she said which one, I've forgotten), then signed on with the cruise line. Her goal was to move up to being Director on a ship, then on up in that or another cruise line to be an executive. Cruise staff get four months off a year and she was working on a business degree also. She was really on the ball, and I think she'll do it! Just to show that it's not only land-based hotels one can go into.

[socalgem]

^^So making 6 figures(GM and up position) isn't making good money?

I do agree you have to have thick skin, and you also need to be a people person.

I've been to Dubai many times, and it is a gold mine for many jobs. The reason women are treated that way is because of the culture. I never had any problems, but I never worked there just went there to shop.

[madem0iselle]

thanks zophie, purses, ladylinda and socalgem.
thanks for all your opinions and input! really appreciated. I guess the only beneficial thing for hotel managemnt school is that the managers from prestigious hotels well come to the school to recruit the student to work at their place hence the students will kind of guarantee a job right after they graduate. Also, the internships will help the students as well. The downside for Hotel Management is that it is pretty restricted in what you want to do, if you decide not to go into the Hospitality field, it's basically a waste.

I always thought the pay was good, hmmph maybe it differs from position to position

[Schmodi]

Originally Posted by madem0iselle

schmodi- So basically the whole hospitality/hotel management really benefits finding careers in Europe rather than the US? that sucks. =P

From what I've seen comparing US to Europe it's totally different. Leading Hotels of the World is a big deal in Europe but here in the US it doesn't carry as much weight. I would say most US hotels are only concerned with profit and the have a high turn over rate of employees. There are only a few good hotels in the US with great service and food IMO. They may look nice, but something is always lacking.

Going to hotel school you're absolutely right that they recruit right out of the schools. Personally I think living in Europe and working for great hotels, traveling and learning languages would be fun. Especially at your age it would be life changing experience and you'd get snapped up in a heartbeat to work back in the US because there isn't any paperwork involved.

My boyfriend's dad used to go to Vienna or Austria and bring back interns for his hotel-almost everyone working there was foreign.

I notice the difference in service almost immediately from a hotel run by a European vs. an American.