First- and second-year students of Hotel and Event Management, Hotel Management and Financial Business Management have a tough assignment for the project week: run a hotel for a week. The students have to manage everything themselves: from the kitchen and restaurant, to housekeeping, entertainment, PR, sponsorship and finances. Every single aspect of the hotel is managed by the students.
Roos, PR manager of the 80s-themed New Wave Hotel in Noordwijk, is pleased with how things are going. “Everyone is starting to find their place, and everything is running smoothly. There is a really nice atmosphere”. Today is a busy day for her. Earlier in the day, the press came by – like Algemeen Dagblad – to talk about giving back to society. As part of the project week, students support a charity of their choice, in this case the NGO Aidsfonds.
Flexibility is key
Event managers Leo and Nerea have proven to be extremely flexible. Due to bad weather conditions and stricter covid measures, they had to make some changes to the programme. Nevertheless, a fantastic programme is ready for the guests! For instance, the benefit dinner for Aidsfonds has been changed to a benefit lunch; pub quizzes will be organised in the room and there will even be a special Bob Ross painting class.
There are no problems, only challenges
There was a small bump in the road when it came to organising the kitchen staff. In the beginning, the kitchen was understaffed, and guests had to wait a bit longer. Restaurant manager Caylani immediately dealt with the situation by bringing in extra staff. “We apologised to guests who had to wait a little longer and offered them a free drink”. Problem solved!
As Leo puts it: “There are no problems, only challenges. We managed to deal with all the challenges we faced”.
Great learning experience
Besides allowing students to put their knowledge into practice, the Hotel and Event Week has another big advantage, as Nerea explains: “It is also a social event, because you work together with students from other campuses. During the week, you get to know your fellow students better”. Leo agrees and adds: “It’s a great learning experience”.