Wittenborg Online News!

What it is like to work at the Ritz-Carlton - Wittenborg student speaks about her internship at legendary 5-star hotel

What is it like to work at the Ritz-Carlton – the luxury hotel chain synonymous with glamour, refinement and legendary service?

Vietnamese student, Ngan Huynh, recently found out when she worked for 6 months at the Ritz-Carlton in Barcelona, which has more than 200 members of staff. One thing she learned was they value and take their staff seriously – whether you are an intern or a manager.

“The first two weeks, as an intern at the Ritz-Carlton, was really overwhelming and I questioned whether I should continue working. After that things got a lot easier. Still stressful, but in a good way. In fact, I worked in the Club Lounge – which is for VIP guests and has its own front office, restaurants and concierge – and it became the happiest place of all the departments in the hotel. Hospitality is about people – guests, yes, but also your colleagues. The hotel really empowers its staff – whether you are an intern or a full-time worker. They create an environment which is condusive for a positive mindset where you really believe in yourself.”

Ngan, who plans to graduate this summer, joined Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences in 2014 where she is doing the EuroBA programme – a double degree hospitality programme Wittenborg offers with the University of Brighton in the UK. This gave her the opportunity to study, work and live in four countries: The Netherlands, Germany, the UK and finally Spain where she did her internship. Spain was also her favorite. “The lifestyle is so free and I really made good friends there.”

After graduation she plans to stay in the Netherlands and perhaps start her own company. “I taught myself graphic design, and, aside from my studies, I help brands with their logos, etc. The creative industries will also be an interesting career choice for me.” You can find her website here.

Ngan says she chose to study in the Netherlands because the standard of living is good, she has family here to support her, and likes that the country is efficient and forward-thinking in terms of culture and technology. She was drawn to the EuroBA at Wittenborg because of the opportunities to travel and study in different countries.

WUP 15/6/2018

by Anesca Smith
©WUAS Press