Today, several regional managers of Archon Hospitality presented in my Hotel and Resort Operations class and conducted job interviews with SU students. They are Mark Miller, VP of East Coast, Jim Cornish, Area Director of Select Service Hotels, and Tania Cornish, Regional Property Support Manager.Archon Hospitality just acquired a large number of properties in the 3rd quarter of 2009. It owns or operates more than 350 hotels in the U.S. Previously, we discussed opening new hotels under recession. Now, I would like to focus on the success of these three Archon managers. They came from different backgrounds. Yet, they are young, professional and have very progressive career paths with Archon. They set an excellent example for us. Here are some highlights:
· Being flexible in terms of locations and jobs is important. Companies that grow aggressively like Archon may open up tremendous opportunities whenever they acquire new hotels. If a person is willing to move (e.g. from Front Office to Housekeeping or HR; from one location to another), he/she may become a GM or regional manager much faster than those who only want to stay in their “comfort” zone.
· Hospitality industry offers great career opportunities for those who work hard and have good work ethics. For example, when Tania first started, she could work from 7am till 11pm if needed. I believe Tania, as a Regional Property Support Manager today, is still willing to do so if necessary. The result? She has been moving up very fast.
· Having the “right” personality is sometimes even more important than having the “right” skill sets. It is easier to train someone what to do than to change a person’s personality and/or attitudes.
· A college degree in hospitality management may help a person get an entry-level management position upon graduation, but a degree does not promise a person’s success in the industry. Work ethics and personality could be more important.
There must be other important factors that contribute to a successful hospitality career. What do you think?
References:
Archon Hospitality: http://www.archonhospitalityus.com/
Pictures are Archon’s logo and one of its featured property – Four Points, Pleasanton, CA
Hi Linchi,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Heather Shelley. I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but i had taken your Managed Services class at Texas Tech University a few semesters ago. I found this post very helpful as I am interviewing with Archon Hospitality this Wednesday, September 1st at Texas Tech. I am trying to research the company, and I was wondering if you had any tips that could possibly help me in my interview. I hope you are doing well in New York, and i look forward to hearing back from you. heather.shelley@ttu.edu
Hospitality is the key to any business.Treating a customer like a king and giving them good service guarantee your success.
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