At Les Roches, ‘the world is your classroom’ isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life, as our Postgraduate Diploma students found out recently on their field trip to Dubai.
Frank Gueuning, PGD Program Manager, explains why the Dubai field trip is an essential part of the learning process. “The idea of the trip is to validate the classroom learning into something tangible, to engage the students with industry leaders and to engage the students in understanding better what it takes to become the future General Managers.”
Les Roches’ unrivaled relationships with top-tier hospitality brands gives students access to invaluable insight into real-world situations, something PGD student, Siyad Karam, highly values. “From this trip I expect to visit a lot of hotels and restaurants, getting to know people, getting to know the GM’s, getting talk to them about what’s happening in the back of house, in the front of house and how they run daily operations.”
An amazing opportunity
Florencia Beschtedt, General Manager at Japanese restaurant Zuma – ranked in the top 50 in the world – is clear on the importance of the Dubai field trip to the students. “To have this chance of seeing the place where they might work, where they want to develop, and be able to choose whether they want it or not, it’s amazing to have this opportunity.”
The postgraduate students experienced real-world hospitality at almost 20 properties on the Dubai field trip, including:
Le Meridien Al Aqah
InterContinental Fujairah Resort
The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah
Bulgari Resort Dubai
Renaissance Downtown Hotel Dubai
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa
Zuma Restaurant Dubai
– Dusit Thani Dubai
– Armani Hotel Dubai
Burj Al Arab (the only 7-Star hotel in the world)
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort & Spa
Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa
Atlantis The Palm Dubai
Students gain invaluable insight from GMs
Frank Gueuning captured the one consistent message given to the students by all of the GMs they met in Dubai. “Each General Manager we have met, at every property we have been fortunate enough to meet one, has given the same message: be passionate about the industry, believe in your abilities and work hard to get to where you wish to be.”
One such GM, was Ahmed Elnawawy, General Manager at Manzil Downtown. “This kind of trip is really helping students because they see the actual hotels in real life, what they look like and meet the General Manager that is currently on board. Getting their experience, getting their feedback, getting their advice. It will definitely help them improve and move forward with their career.”
Unrivalled opportunities for aspiring leaders
PGD student, Lachlan Bond believes the field trip gives students a level of learning and confidence that simply can’t be achieved in the classroom alone. “The opportunities, meeting the General Managers, the heads of each department and asking them the sort of questions that you can’t ask in a normal classroom. They treat you as professionals, you’re not just students, you’re entering the industry and they treat you that way.”
Showcasing future hospitality leaders
The Dubai Field Trip gave Postgraduates more than just the opportunity to experience real world hospitality, it was a chance to network, and for current leaders to start recruiting the next generation. “By working closely with the industry and industry leaders we can certainly portray and show off the quality of students”, commented Frank Gueuning.
