When hospitality and luxury come together

Khaleej Times tours two top ranking hospitality management schools in Switzerland and finds out what it takes to reach their standard of excellence

Recently, 209 students, from over 55 nationalities, including Arab and GCC countries,  were awarded their graduation degrees in Hotel Management at Les Roches, Switzerland. —  Supplied photos

Glion institute offers: > On graduation day, 85 % of graduates have a job /offers > 100 visits per year on campus from partner companies that come to recruit the students and graduates > 66 % of the students receive a job offer at the end of their 2nd internship > 6-month internship on the luxury industry > 48% of the students work in hotels while 10% work in food and beverage and 9 % in Finance and consulting and 9 % in tourism and leisure and other sectors 12 %. > Collaboration with Domus Academy and offers 2-week workshop in Milan > First batch of students will start in July 2015 with a limited number of places. > 11,000 alumni in more than 120 countries > By 2020, 1 in 10 jobs will be in hospitality or leisure management. > More information on www.glion.edu

Les Roches International School of Hotel Management has been ranked among the top three hospitality management schools in the world for an international career (TNS, 2013). Accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), five-star hotels and other top brand industries actively seek to recruit Les Roches graduates. Even though it is a multicultural community, Les Roches ‘way of life’ makes it more like a family affair.

The standards of excellence are visible everywhere in the campus. Students are taught to adhere to high standards in appearance, behaviour and attitude towards their graduation.

Today, we started our visit to the university with a tour to different classes including kitchens where students were preparing the different dishes under the supervision of instructors. We also visited their auditorium where conferences and presentations are held. We attended the graduation ceremony of 209 students, of more than 55 nationalities, including from Arab countries like Lebanon and some GCC countries. Proudly, they received their degrees in: Bachelor of Business Administration in International Hotel Management in different specialisations including in Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing and Event Management.

Innovative learning approach

Classes have been equipped with the latest technologies, enabling the students to have innovative learning approach. Practical and academic studies are combined in kitchen, service, rooms division, management, marketing, finance,

An exterior shot of Les Roches hotel management school.— Supplied photo

“Students are being taught and trained that the hospitality industry is a customer- centered industry. It used to focus on high-end services but now they focus more on the client,” said Sonia Tatar, CEO, Les Roches, Bluche, Switzerland. “Hospitality is a whole galaxy. And while the industry keeps on growing remarkably, Les Roches offers a broad range of career opportunities. We equip the students with the skills needed for tomorrow.” Les Roches secures world-wide internships and experience for its students with leading brands which include apart from hotels, architecture companies, retail groups, watch high-end manufacturers, About 4,000 meals are prepared every day in individual kitchens on the campus, and this hones the skills of the students related to cooking, setting the table, in addition to the safety and hygiene, storage rules.For more information see http://www.lesroches.edu/

Glion Institute of Higher Education

Studying at Glion will not just earn you a degree but it will also pave you a way to a career and specialisation in luxury brand management. So it is worth saying that the global luxury market exceeded $1 trillion in 2014. And it has been proven that luxury consumers want a complete experience; they are buying a whole experience not only an item.

With its two campuses in Switzerland (Glion and Bulle) and one in London, Glion offers a unique experience to students as it combines hospitality and luxury. It offers a variety of programmes including Hotel Management, Event and Sports management.

Glion’s online programmes, especially the online MBA are very popular with professionals in the region; 11% of students enrolled on the online MBA are based in the Middle East so it made sense to bring the courses closer to them. When Glion launched the courses in London last year, it got good response from students in the GCC region and therefore it was also launched in Dubai earlier this year at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.

The Glion Executive Certificate programmes have been developed to help mid-level professionals expand their knowledge and earn qualifications without having to sacrifice their careers. Offering flexibility in knowledge and delivery, the programme focuses on hospitality business management with specialisations in Leadership, Finance and Marketing and can be done online. Each module is delivered over a period of eight weeks, for a total duration of 24 weeks to earn the Executive Certificate.

Alternatively, students can attend face-to-face intensive residencies that take place over four days at global locations including the Glion London campus and now in Dubai followed by four weeks online to complete particular modules. This allows students to earn their degrees faster.

“The number of company and industry partner visits to our campuses has been on the rise, reaching more than 50 per semester. Remarkably, the background of the hiring companies has also been expanding. For many years, we typically welcomed leading hotel companies, but recently we have seen increasing interest from representatives of the luxury and finance industries,” said Judy Hou, CEO of Glion Institute of Higher Education. -mary@khaleejtimes.com