Flex your hotel management muscles with our Executive Master’s [Video]

Flex your hotel management muscles with our Executive Master’s [Video]

Three recent graduates explain why our Executive Master’s in International Hotel Management was the perfect fit for them.

Launched a few years ago, the Executive Master’s in International Hotel Management offered by Les Roches Marbella is already producing results. 

Designed with career switchers in mind, the Executive Master’s is a flexible, fast-track nine-month program that blends distance learning with on-campus study – ideal for those keen to forge a career or accelerate their progress in the industry while continuing in their current job. It can also be studied 100% online for complete flexibility.

Learn online with our Executive Master’s

With flexible study options – including 100% online – our Executive Master’s in International Hotel Management delivers fully flexible learning

The program enables students to gain expertise in managing high-end hotels, master all aspects of hotel operations and discover the latest business management theories and strategies. It also offers the chance to gain real-world experience in an optional six-month internship at the end of the academic semesters.

And as with all Les Roches programs, students are supported throughout by our outstanding Career Services team, while also gaining access to the 13,000-strong Les Roches alumni network that is proven to open up exceptional opportunities around the world. 

The students’ view

It was the chance to study while working that attracted Body Shop Caucasus General Manager Irina Adeishvili to the program. 

“There is no way I could have considered the program if I had to attend campus full time,” she says. “I am working, and I also have three children to look after, so the flexibility offered by the Executive Master’s made all the difference.”

“The program allowed me to build on the work experience I already have and showed me how to apply it in a different industry.”

Irina had no direct experience of the hospitality industry, but her interest in it was sparked during a visit by Body Shop executives to her native Georgia. 

“I introduced them to the country, its hospitality and the cuisine,” she recalls. “After the visit, colleagues told me I was a great ambassador for the country; and I had really enjoyed the experience, which made me understand I wanted to go into hospitality. In Georgia, we have a saying that guests are a present from God, so you should treat them accordingly. That’s when I decided to enroll in the Executive Master’s program.”

Already a high-flying executive, Irina has ambitious goals for her future in hospitality, which she believes the Executive Master’s will help her achieve.

“My vision is to open a small chain of high-quality hotels in more rural areas of Georgia,” she says. “I want to show guests the beauty of the country and currently there are very few places in the Georgian countryside that offer good accommodation, so I want to fill that niche. 

“The Executive Master’s has given me the knowledge I will need to fulfill my ambitions but also the confidence to go for it. The program allowed me to build on the work experience I already have and showed me how to apply it in a different industry.”

Destination Dubai

Two other recent graduates from our Executive Master’s have now secured permanent roles in the hospitality industry – both at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai. 

“The combination of online and campus learning meant I still got to meet lots of people, make friends and build a great network despite not being physically on the campus all the time.”

Joan Lozano, who graduated in 2021, was already working in the hotel industry as an event planner for the Spanish hotel group Barceló, but had been on furlough during the pandemic, so decided to sign up for the Executive Master’s program. 

“It was the best decision I could have made,” he says. “At the time, I was still employed but I was not working due to the Covid crisis, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to hone my management skills and try to improve my prospects. 

“The combination of online and campus learning was great too – it meant I still got to meet lots of people, make friends and build a great network despite not being physically on the campus all the time.”

Although he returned to furlough with Barceló after graduation, it was not long before Joan landed his current role as Event Sales Executive at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

“I’d really recommend this program to people who want to fast-track their careers or boost their prospects,” he adds. “As well as learning, you are exposed to the real world of the hotel industry, with many of the top brands visiting the campus for recruitment events and high-profile representatives coming along as guest speakers.”

With a strong academic background in tourism and several years’ work experience in the industry, Iván Sánchez-Jara was looking to take his career to the next level. He saw the Executive Master’s as the ideal way of doing that. 

“If you choose th einternship option, which I would recommend, you should seriously consider Dubai as the place to do it. Les Roches students get an amazing experience here.”

“Les Roches is known throughout the industry as being able to provide a springboard into the upper levels of hospitality,” he says. “While on the program, I learned so much about hotel management and developed the academic and practical knowledge I needed to progress. For example, I now totally understand P&L reports, which used to be a complete mystery before.”

Iván decided to put his newly acquired expertise into practice on the optional internship in Dubai, but he was fast-tracked into a permanent role as Sales Coordinator at the hotel after just one month.

“Dubai is an incredible place to learn,” he says. “It’s a demanding, challenging and rewarding environment where you can gain insights from those who have worked in this fast-paced industry for years and develop the courage to aim high. If you choose the internship option, which I would recommend, you should seriously consider Dubai as the place to do it. Les Roches students get an amazing experience here.”

Good luck in your future careers Irina, Joan, Iván, and all our Executive Master’s graduates!

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