HMGT Internship Summer 2015

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2015/01/09/15-essentials-to-planning-spectacular-high-profile-events-and-wowing-your-audience/

I am very interested in becoming an event planner at a hotel or one day owning my own catering hall.  I found this article to be very helpful and motivating.  One of the best tips I learned is to build a structure. When I took Professor Bear-Dallis’s event planning class last semester I remember her saying how important it is to write everything down, have a written plan, timetable and schedule which is part of building your structure. Know your client is real important tip.  Listening to your clients wants and understand what the mission of the event is will help you join forces together to build that relationship with your client.  Another great tip in this article is Build your body of work.  In order for you to gain experience in this field is to volunteer at events or attend events to discover the latest trends in the field.

http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/news/authorities-tally-damage-salmonella-outbreak

This article is very important to read. Something like this us very serious and can effect any restaurant. The article talks about a salmonella outbreak in a restaurant in North Carolina. This is why I am very cautious. I am constantly cleaning up and always washing my hands. I  also ensure that my fellow coworkers are also following the  sanitation guidelines to ensure something like that doesn’t happen at my place of business.

Industry Research #1

http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2013/09/08/7-ways-to-keep-your-employees-happy-and-working-really-hard/

Using this article I was able to create a bond with the employees that I supervise during my internship at the Hyatt in Herald Square as a Housekeeping Supervisor. I was immediately trusted and respected by the housekeepers and houseman by respecting them as people and not as tools or objects. I interact with them as much as possible showing them I too am working hard with them to achieve our goal together as a team. Communication is key to successfully accomplish my duties. I make sure I stay in touch with everyone by asking if anything is needed , this assures them that I care for them and their well-being. Managing multiple people is no easy task but what has greatly helped me is the communication and organizational skills I have built in my 8 years of work experience. I move forward to build my professional experience more and more so I too could become a General Manager in the future.

(This was posted on 6/12/15 in the wrong section , I am moving it to the correct section)

Industry Research #3

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleleinbachreyhle/2015/07/03/5-ways-to-handle-difficult-customers/

As I continue my internship , I was able to get a weeks worth of time at the front desk as a GSA , and the responsibility of being the hotel’s image was no easy task. For the most part dealing with guests isn’t difficult but dealing with an ANGRY guest is a whole different thing. I had a guest that was upset and yelling about the noisy AC unit in his room , I didn’t even question it and moved him to another available room and offered a free breakfast as well. The guest was very happy and content with my quick and courteous response. We had a family that was unhappy because we sold out of double rooms and had to split up their rooms to two kings. I was very apologetic and explained the reasoning why this occurred after listening to their story of a stressful plane ride. Letting the father vent was what he needed as once I took care of things for them he evened came back down to apologize for his attitude. You must have an open mind of things when working with guests , you can not see them as rude or annoying but as people who are confused and uninformed. Patience is a huge factor that helps me as a front desk agent.

Industry Research #2

http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/06/17/7-management-practices-that-can-improve-employee-productivity/

This article highlights many good things to do or say to employees to keep their work productivity high. As a housekeeping supervisor I must make sure all the housekeeping department is on track at all times and that their quality of work is consistent. You must keep their morale up as much as possible to ensure the standard of the hotel or company is kept. I proposed a neat idea to my housekeeping manager that was told to me by my mom who has worked in housekeeping for 20+ years. It was a type of test/survey of the skills and work the housekeepers did. We took 10 dollars in singles and placed them on the bed of the room , then for every mistake that was found in the room we took away a dollar , if no mistake was found the house keeper kept all 10 dollars. I told the housekeepers before they headed out about this survey , I would pick a random room they did and examine it. Sure enough the amount of mistakes that I have noticed before were all gone!!! This kept them in a happy mood and in a positive attitude , my manager told them we would do this randomly and they should keep up the good work!! How do you motivate your employees? or how does your employer motivate you?

http://hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/news/Top-5-Trends-in-Hotels-for-201597582

This academic article discusses about some of the new trends in hotels. For example, self check ins, booking through online travel agencies (OTAs), and transforming the lobby into more usable spots are some of the new trends. Self check ins is efficient to some people because there is no hassle to simply go their phone or check in through a self computer. But I think it looses the meaning of checking in to a hotel. I prefer to interact and experience the welcoming from a staff member. Some hotels are gearing toward self check self ins to save labor, but in return I feel like it can loose reputation of the hotel. Why would I need to choose a particular hotel if I cannot receive every service from them. I do love the idea of a more functional hotel lobby. I like the though of the lobby becoming a library, a dining room, or a hangout spot. It connects people together and create a lively experience and atmosphere.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150624006199/en/U.S.-Wine-Drinkers-Embrace-%E2%80%9CModern%E2%80%9D-Vinho-Verde#.VY2pEhDD_qB

This article caught my attention because I am interested in learning more about the wine industry so learning about trends is important.