Wyndham Experience

Firstly, let me introduce myself, my name is Louise and I am currently in my first semester at Bond studying for my Bachelor in International Hotel & Resort Management. Phew! Thank goodness that is out of the way.
One point I would like to make before I start is... If you have the opportunity to take part in a ‘Manager for a Day’ experience, TAKE IT! You won’t regret your choice and you’ll walk away with true industry insight, giving you the opportunity to match the theory you’re learning in class into a practical environment. It is definitely something everyone should try and participate in. Saying that, let me move on to the exciting part, my ‘Manager for a Day’ experience.

I was given the opportunity to shadow Karen, Senior Human Resources Generalist, at Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific on Friday March 11. The day was full on, with my schedule consisting of:

•  meeting with the Medibank rep in regards to an employee benefits program,
• one on one with Kate, the Learning & Developments coordinator,
• an overview of the proposed Employee Rewards (a recognition program Karen is currently working on),
• one on one with Tara, the Human Resource Vice president, discussing her career path and what she does on a day to day basis,
• taking part in a Wyndham Call Centre recruitment meeting, where my opinions were asked and I was encouraged to be involved,
• a brainstorming  meeting regarding VMV Wyndham Whispers (the monthly employee newsletter), during this meeting I was actively involved in the creation of the renaming of the newsletter and discussions on its content
• and, my last meeting for the day was orientated around the Wellness Program, a current project to help enhance/promote the mental and physical wellbeing of Wyndham staff.

Like I previously mentioned, it was full on! I was constantly on the go, it was great. I wasn’t stuck in the same room 9 till 5 (which I was expecting) and the brain storming session really brought out that creative side in me. Observing and participating in the ‘Manager for a Day’ experience proved to me how important Human Resources are in any business. They are constantly supporting other departments and have diverse teams which enable them to come up with ideas and objectives to help grow the organisation as a whole. An example from today which supports how HR support other departments was, the IT Manager wanted to terminate an external contractor. However, their particular role was very similar to that of an employee so we had to look at the differences between the two definitions to see whether they were in fact, considered an employee. This was important because the termination processes for a contractor and an employee differ greatly. Karen also had to contact the legal team for advice, it was a great insight into the various challenges HR face.

Over all I had a fantastic day, though my favourite part was being involved in the brainstorming of the employee newsletter Wyndham Whispers. I could definitely see myself in Karen’s role one day and would highly recommend anyone who is considering this opportunity to jump on board. It is a great learning experience so don’t miss out!

A Holiday Maker's Paradise

Greetings fellow colleagues and industry professionals, my name is Majella and on Tuesday 16th February, I was very privileged to participate in the Mantra 'Manager for a Day Program' at Mantra Sun City Resort. On arrival I was greeted by the Front Office Manager, Warren and amazed by the resort's unique Aztec themeing of a holiday maker's paradise.

First on the agenda for the day I was treated to a grand tour of the property and by the resort's inviting pool area, featuring an incredible waterslide. Following this, Warren explained to me the hotel's pricing strategy and what life is like in the day of a hotel manager, in addition to kindly answering my revenue management questions.

For the second half of the day, my fellow "Managers of the Day" and I were given the opportunity to meet and speak with Mantra industry professionals from each of the departments that comprise the Mantra Group, including: Human Resources; Marketing; Sales; Revenue Management; Finance and Asset Elevation and gain an insight into their roles and responsibilities.

The professionals also willingly answered our many questions for which we were all so grateful. My favourite part of the day was definitely learning about Mantra's unique corporate culture and its beneficial impact on hotel performance. The Mantra 'Manager for a Day' is an invaluable work experience opportunity that helped me extend my knowledge and practical application of a hotel's daily operations. I strongly advise those students contemplating applying for the 'Manager for a Day' Program to apply without hesitation, as it is an incredible and highly beneficial opportunity.

Achieving Great Things...

On the 23rd of February, 2010, I was fortunate enough to attend a Manager for the Day program with Mantra Group, spending half the day at the Mantra Circle on Cavil and the other half at Mantra HQ in Surfers Paradise. I met Colin Stevenson, the Executive Assistant Manager, at 9:00am. We spent about half an hour looking at several reports from the day before which included comparing the number of rooms sold to the predicted forecast and incidents from the day before. We then spent another half hour touring most of the property (both front and back of house).

From 10:00am to about 11:45am I watched Colin, the General Manager and the Front Office Manager work on budgets and forecasting occupancy levels for next financial year. This was a rather repetitive, yet very important, process as occupancy levels were being predicted for not only the next years 12 months, but occupancy levels for different types of guests as well including FIT’s, MICE’s and government to name a few.

From 1:00pm to 5:30pm a group of us met with high level managers from the following departments at the Mantra Group HQ: Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Revenue Management and Asset Evaluation. We spent 45 minutes with some of the highest ranking people within the Mantra Group organisation. It was an absolute privilege to talk to these six people and hear their own individual stories on where they began and the path they took to get to where they are now. They all offered great advice that you can only learn from experience.

I would suggest that anyone who is doing a Bachelor of International Hotel and Resort Management at Bond University participate in a Manager for the Day Program. These people have shown me that no matter where you start if you are willing to learn and work hard then you can achieve great things. This is probably the best experience I have had in my four semesters at Bond University and it is something that I will remember for a long time.

Go for it!

This is my first semester as an undergraduate at Bond University.

After recently completing high school the year before, I am very eager to learn and experience as much as I can. Hearing about the Manager for a Day program got me quite excited. I am still contemplating what specific area I would like to specialize in so this for me was a great opportunity to gain an understanding of what truly makes up a hotel and the roles in which managers play.

The Manager for a day program at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa was a lot of fun and definitely opened my eyes.

Arriving at 8.20am, I met up with my ‘guide’, Andrew Nadin (Director of Food and Beverage). Everyday there are morning meetings that must be attended, so after getting to know each other a little bit, off we went. I discovered that these meetings are quite important; it allows a chance for managers from various areas of the hotel to come together and share relevant news and/or updates.

Afterwards, Andrew gave me a tour of the Marriott. Starting with the Lobby Lounge Bar (which is to the right when you first enter). Unfortunately from all the rain that had been pouring down during that week, it had caused a leak in the ceiling. Although it was rather small, it held high priority on his to do list. Even though a large pot plant was placed underneath to catch the leaking water, it was interesting to see that while guests who entered the bar only saw a lovely plant feature, to Andrew it looked out of place and ridiculous.

Later on we payed a visit to Benihana Japanese Steak House, which is Australia’s largest specialist teppanyaki restaurant. It has such a great reputation that it is booked out every Friday and Saturday night. As Andrew talked about the restaurant, I discovered that all but one chef came from the Philippines. However during work, all of the chefs must speak English. This was to create an even playing field, in order not to exclude anyone from anything.

Being shown around the Presidential Suite was a highlight for me. Not only was it incredibly beautiful but also held a great view from the two balconies. Nevertheless it was to be renovated in the next couple of weeks.

Not many people (including myself) ever really think about the housekeeping side of managing a hotel. It surprised me that there are so many different aspects to housekeeping. Cleaning and preparing a room is just the beginning, there’s the washing and drying of bed sheets, pillowcases, towels, etc., mending of employees work attire, daily stocktaking of stored products (everything from shampoo and conditioner to tea and coffee sachets).

For the students that are interested in participating in the Manager for a day program, I would like to say GO FOR IT!!

It is a great opportunity, to not only learn more about the industry and gain some hands-on experience but to also network. The more people you met and establish a good impression, the better. You never know, you may even get a job out of it!

SPOTTED: HRTM 1st Birthday Celebration Photos

The Class of 2010!

Introducing the Hotel Tourism Students' Association!!

A Busy Monday

November 9, 2009 was a big day for us, we, Alice Zheng and Candy Miao, went to Radisson resort to take Manager for a Day programme. It was a rainy day, however, we were very pleased to follow Jenny Mulholland who is the HR manager in Radisson to act as a “real manager”.


We arrived there at 8:20a.m, and after introduced by Jenny to other departments, we started by checking emails with her. Firstly, she told us checking email is crucial to her and other top management because it reflects the procedure and customer feedback. For a hotel, customer feedback is a key issue help them not only to be aware of existing problems, but forecast contingencies. Secondly, email is one of the best costly ways for recruitment, HR manager can use Internet recruitment instead of agency, and the information on the Internet can be updated in time.

Last but not least, we want to talk about the special software system which is used throughout whole Carlson named Medallia. It is an evaluation tool for each hotel under Carlson to check their ranking and customer feedback every time. The guests will receive the email sent by Medallia after they leave the hotel 24 hours. It is remarkable advantage of Carlson on its hospitality management.

At 9:30 a.m, the management had a meeting as usual and the meeting is held every day in order share information among all the departments. In that meeting, we learnt a lot, for instance, how to arrange the shifts in front desk, how to make sure the transportation and concierge for banquets and how to make an appropriate approach to adjust staff performance.

It was a lucky day for both of us because the admin office held a small celebration for Jenny’s birthday. We both not only shared the harmonious environment in the office, but also the delicious birthday cake. Despite of high pressure working condition, we still could feel the enjoyable and positive working atmosphere. It is a kind of incentive way to encourage and retain staff in the hotel.

We had lunch with Jenny and Sarah who is the coordinator of HR at 12:00p.m. It was a nice and neat lunch we had in that hotel. On the table, we talked about our education and future planning, and Jenny gave us some suggestion on how to study better in hospitality. Moreover, we talked something about cultural difference between western and eastern countries. It was a interesting conversation and all of us had a good time.

We finished at 3:30 p.m, and we were satisfied with most of the trip. However, we still desire to know something about organisation structure and problems solving methods in hotel industry. It is because we had a very short time and it was busy Monday. So we hope we could have another time to experience more in that hotel.