What Do Hotelies Even Do?

I’m a hotelie … but wait (pause), what does that even mean?

Well, according to the online dictionary, hotelier [hoht-l-eer] (noun): is “a person who owns or manages a hotel.” As hotelies, we are often asked – so what do you do? Do you even do work? Fold napkins? Know how to make good food? Know a lot about wines? …. You should, right - come on you’re a hotelie!

But as a hotelie, it’s not about what we do – it’s about who we are.

And who we are stands simply behind the idea of: our passion committed to service & hospitality.

Service is what we are known for. It’s about creating enriching experiences, and caring for others deeply, even when it goes unnoticed. It’s being observant in the small things - from making people feel warm & welcomed, anticipating the needs of others, and creating ideas of how we can make a moment the best it can be. That’s why we rock the People Business.

Hospitality is what ignites that spark within us. It’s everywhere. It happens in a handshake, a smile, a conversation. It leaves a trail of lifelong friendships, connections, passport stamps, and big ideas in its wake.

Hotelies are a diverse group of people who pursue careers in just about everything - real estate, consulting, finance, operations, food & beverage, tech, entrepreneurship … you name it. We are all hotelies, but we embrace what makes us unique. We create our own definition, and we celebrate that.

We organize student-run conferences (HEC) for industry-defining leaders, host Hotelie Weekend in NYC to learn more about hospitality, transform a “secret location” to a Pop-Up Restaurant in one night, win first place in both an international wine tasting competition in France and the International Hotel Investment Forum Student Case Competition … the list goes on.

We thrive off experiential learning - whether that is discovering that an eggplant, which needs to be roasted in a preheated oven for 30 min in 400 deg F (cannot, I repeat - cannot be sped up by blasting up the oven to max & expected to be ready in 5 min … yes I’m guilty of that) or working halfway across the world to strike change, hotelies are always up for adventure and challenge. Any day. Any time.

And it’s that Hotelie Pride. That’s why our alumni network is one of the strongest in the world. Because hotelies always find ways to give back to the community. We inspire the next generation of hotelies and share our passion. We are a global network of dynamic, imaginative leaders. We are family.

So if you think we’re just a group of students who fold napkins, maybe some certified sommeliers here & there, love free food (who doesn’t) – we are. But we are also so much more. Think again. #hotelieforlife