Friday, September 16, 2016

Swiss Hospitality Education - Classes Starting Soon

Classes Starting Soon - just a few weeks left to apply

  

 

ALPINE CENTER

SWISS HOSPITALITY EDUCATION


Are you considering a career in the hospitality and tourism industry? If so, congratulations, for you are choosing a career with one of the highest employability prospects throughout the world.

THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2016-17 IS ROUND THE CORNER!


After three decades of service to the tourism and hospitality industry, Alpine Center has reasserted its strategic position for the future. It is and will continue to be one of the premier hotel and tourism management schools in Europe and a leader in developing and offering quality, cutting-edge programs of study that are recognized by industry worldwide and designed to equip students with the necessary skills to compete in a global market place.
 
Or
Call us for more information today !
(+30) 211 800 0371
 

Thursday, September 1, 2016

The Academic Year 2016-17 is round the corner!

ALPINE CENTER / SWISS HOSPITALITY EDUCATION

GREECE / KENYA / INDIA / RUSSIA / SWITZERLAND

 

Greetings from Alpine Center Switzerland!  
Induction Day is on 10 October!
If you are considering an exciting career with tremendous career opportunities,
we encourage you to enroll on one of our programs of study!

Deadline for Registration is 12 September.

Registration on our Distance Learning program is ongoing.

We would love to hear from you!
 
 

THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2016-17

IS ROUND THE CORNER!

Get More Info Now:
(+30) 211 800 0371
  
 OUR GRADUATES ARE IN LEADING POSITIONS IN HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AIRLINES, AND MORE,
ALL OVER THE GLOBE. 

  View Some Of Graduates Careers Or Read Our Student Testimonials

Friday, August 26, 2016

Study Events Management at Alpine Center

How About Studying Events Management in the birthplace of one of the biggest global events ever, the Olympic Games!

 
The Olympic Games is just one example of a Mega Event Management.  Other Events include  Musical Events, Theatrical Events, Product Launches, Fashion Shows,  Trade Fairs, Weddings, Global Sporting Events, Cup Finals, Rock Concerts, Food Festivals, Dog Shows, Awards Ceremony, Incentive Travel, Opening Ceremonies, Cultural Events and much more!

Event Managers manage the theme, location, marketing, entertainment catering and much more for the event.

 

Musical festivals


Product launch


Fashion Show


Conventions 



Are you looking for an amazingly rewarding career, an exciting new field of study that includes business, marketing, public relations, advertising, crisis management, customer service, catering management, financial planning, human resources management and more!  Our 2-year Diploma or 3-year BA(Hons) Events Management  will prepare you very well for such an stimulating career!

Here’s the career path of one of our very well accomplished graduates, Stella Tsirigoti, currently holding the position of Groups, Conference & Events Sales Development Manager - Middle East & Africa.

Hilton Worldwide
May 2013 – Present (3 years 4 months) Dubai, UAE


 





Meetings & Events Sales Office Manager
glh Hotels


January 2011 – January 2013 (2 years 1 month) London, United Kingdom


Cumberland Hotel: Successfully planned and developed an on -property team of twelve for Meeting & Events Sales, consisted of senior sales executives & Event planners. Fully responsible for forecasting, increasing market share and delivering M&E budget.






Cluster Groups, Conference & Events Manager
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
February 2010 – December 2010 (11 months) London, United Kingdom
Cluster Groups, Conference & Events Manager:
Hilton London Docklands
Hilton Islington
Hilton Green Park
Hilton Hyde Park

Starting off with taking over Hilton Islington as part of the integration project of a Cluster Sales Office. Planning and opening of a new Cluster GC&E Sales Office for four London Properties.
Part of the project team for installation of new Delphi system in the new cluster office.
Successfully managing a cluster reservations & sales team of twelve people. Overlooking groups, individual reservations and Conferences and Events Sales teams.






Revenue Development Trainee
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
June 2008 – January 2010 (1 year 8 months) Hilton London Select Cluster
An 18 month management training program in Revenue which included exposure in individual reservations, group and meeting & event sales.
Rooms Division Supervisor
Brasil Suites Hotel
June 2006 – October 2007 (1 year 5 months) Athens, Greece






Management Trainee - Front Office
Le Meridien Limassol Spa & Resort
April 2005 – September 2005 (6 months) Le Meridien, Limassol






Training as Receptionist-Cashier
Le Meridien Limassol Spa & Resort
April 2004 – September 2004 (6 months) Le Meridien, Limassol


Friday, July 29, 2016

Internships 2015-2016

Students of Alpine Center, the Hospitality & Tourism Management Department of City Unity, are on exciting internships in leading hotels, restaurants and travel companies all over the globe!




Belgium
  • Courtyard Marriott Brussels Hotel Brussels
  • Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel Antwerp
  • Marriot Brussels Brussels
Cyprus
  • Hilton Hotel Nicosia
  • Aphrodite Hills Pafos
Greece
  • Aldemar Hotels & SPA Crete, Rhodes, Peloponnese, Mykonos
  • Astir Palace Resort Starwood Hotels & Resorts Athens
  • Athens Golden Ace Athens
  • Athens Hilton Athens
  • Benaki Museum Athens
  • Herodion Hotel Athens
  • Capsis Hotels & Resorts Crete
  • Sbokos Group of Hotels Crete
  • Costa Navarino Starwood Hotels & Resorts Messinia
  • Daios Cove Resort Crete
  • Elounda SA Crete
  • Elounda Bay Crete
  • Golden Coast Resort Marathon
  • Grande Bretagne Hotel Starwood Luxury Hotels Athens
  • King George Starwood Luxury Hotels Athens
  • Helios S.A. Elounda Beach Crete
  • Canaves Oia Santorini
  • Mykonos Grace Mykonos
  • Grand Resort Lagonnisi Anavissos
  • Saint George Lycabettus Hotel Athens
  • Sheraton Rhodes Resort Rhodes
  • Elysium Hotel Rhodes
  • Hotel Kalliston Rhodes/Atlantika Group of Hotels
  • The Margi Athens
  • The Miraggio Resort and Spa Chalkidiki
  • Vedema Resort Starwood Luxury Collection Santorini
  • The Metropolitan Hotel Athens
  • Melia Hotels Athens
  • Divani Apollon Athens
  • The Caldera Collection Santorini
  • Mykonian Collection Mykonos
  • Amanzoe Resort Porto Heli
  • Nikki Beach Porto Heli
  • The Iconic Hotel Santorini
  • Grand Poseidonion Spetses
  • Expedia com Athens-Global
  • Porto Carras Chalkidiki
  • Sani Resort Chalkidiki
  • Danai Resort Chalkidiki
  • Club Med Evoia-Global
Italy
  • Sadler Restaurant 2 star Michelin Milan
  • The Bulgari Hotels and Resorts Milan
  • Il Luogo di aimo, 3 star Michelin Milan
Maldives
  • Four Seasons Maldives
Mauritius
  • Le Meridien Ile Maurice
Montenegro
  • Aman Resorts-Aman Svelti Hotel
Netherlands
  • Intercontinental Amstel Hotel
Qatar
  • St Regis Hotel & Resort Doha
Russia
  • Almira Hotel Sochi
Spain
  • Hotel Arts , Ritz-Carlton Hotel Barcelona
  • Mandarin Oriental Barcelona
  • St Regis Tenerife Tenerife
  • Restaurant Santcelon - 2 star Michelin Madrid
  • W-Barcelona
UAE - United Arab Emirate
  • Food fund International Dubai
  • The Cove Rotana Resort Ras Al Khaima
  • The Ritz - Carlton Bahrain
UK - United Kingdom
  • The Mandeville Hotel London
USA - United States of America
  • W Washington D.C
  • W Austin Hotel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Austin, Texas



Monday, July 25, 2016

Three Decades in Hospitality & Tourism Education

START YOUR CAREER NOW!

 

Prepare Yourself for a Brilliant Career!

At Alpine Center, we pride ourselves on preparing men and women for brilliant careers in this exciting and growing industry. 

We celebrate diversity and the international aspect of our programmes that are designed to meet the professional goals of our students, while at the same time meeting the changing needs of the global hospitality industry.

For nearly three decades Alpine Center has provided cutting-edge, high quality education and training in the field of hospitality and tourism management resulting in the overwhelming success stories of our graduates.

 

Next Intake: January 9, 2017

 


Monday, June 27, 2016

Exciting Internship Opportunity for two students in London!

We are looking for two interns to join our team this July - December 2016. 

 

TGP International is an up and coming Leisure and Hospitality Consultancy based in London.

With a small but growing team, we are looking for two excellent interns to join our family for 6 months.

The ideal candidate will be fearless and independent, enjoy working in small team, and have a strong passion for F&B.

The internship itself is a hands-on, full speed opportunity to put your hospitality skills to work and learn all aspects of running restaurants.

Your internship will include:

1. F&B Concept Development - including kitchen and front of house layout planning, menu
and drinks list development, and interior design
2. Project Management for Openings of F&B Projects – including timeline management,
procurement, recruitment and training.
3. Operational Reviews and Action Plan Development – carrying out research and analysis
on existing operations and developing strategies for operational and commercial
enhancement
4. Supporting the TGP team in developing analytical tools and structures to continue the
growth of the business
5. Office Administration and other ad-hoc tasks
6. Market & Competitors Research Assistance

Does this sound like a great opportunity for you? 


Sunday, June 19, 2016

Alpine Center MEET Point, our new Group on Facebook



Alpine Center MEET Point is a new platform created especially for students enrolled on any of the hospitality programmes of Alpine Center, the Hospitality & Tourism Management Department of City Unity College. 
 
The purpose of this MEET point is to communicate important news with our students, to share their experiences, to hear from them, and to ensure that they succeed in their internships which are integral parts of their studies at Alpine/City/Cardiff Met. 
 
Dear Students, we miss you and trust that you are enjoying your internships. Pigi Mantzouratou will share important announcements with you, but that's not all. We would love to hear all about your rewarding experiences! 
 
All the best in your summer 2016 internships!
 
Sybil Hofmann
President, International Programmes
Swiss Alpine Center | The Swiss Business School for International Hotel & Tourism Management Education, Switzerland   

How you can join the Alpine Center MEET point group:

To join this group, go to it and click Join Group in the top-right corner. You will have to wait for a group admin to approve your request.
Keep in mind when you join the group:
People may see when you join the group or that you're a member of that group, like in News Feed or search.
When someone adds you to the group, others may see that you've been invited (ex: in News Feed or search). Once you visit a group you're invited to, you'll become a member and other people may see you joined.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Inspiring Interview with the GM of Park Hyatt Vienna, Monique Dekker

Monique comes across as someone who is determined and driven. She is a strong lady who thrives on meeting her goals. It’s obvious that her heart is embedded in the hotel business, most probably, for life.

 

Despite the fact that I’ve interviewed as many as 66 successful hoteliers worldwide, Monique Dekker, the GM of Park Hyatt Vienna, Austria is only one of the two female GMs I’ve interviewed.  She comes across as someone who is determined and driven.  I also sense it that she is not the one who will back down from life’s challenges. This is a strong lady who thrives on meeting her goals. It’s obvious that her heart is embedded in the hotel business, most probably, for life.

 

INTERVIEW by Lily Lin, Author

Despite the fact I’ve to date interviewed as many as 66 successful hoteliers worldwide, you are one of the only two female GMs whom I have interviewed, the other one being Hiroko Noguchi, the GM of Hyatt Regency, Hakone Resort & Spa in Japan. Being a female, is it more difficult to become a GM?
No. I don’t think it is more difficult for a female hotelier to become a GM.   Becoming a general manager was my goal since I was a little girl. If you have a goal in mind – something that you want to do – then you know your path, and you can achieve anything you want.  I have never experienced a glass ceiling. I have met many young ladies who have also had the aspirations of becoming a general manager.

My experience working with hoteliers tells me that most of the senior HR and PR managers are females. Most of the senior operations managers are males, and of course, most of the GMs in the luxury hotel industry are males. This pattern is similar across all brands and all geographical locations. Do you have any insight that you could offer as to why that is?
I think to be successful in the positions of HR, marketing and PR, as well as in operations, it requires certain types of personality. Personally, I would choose the person who can do the job better than anyone else regardless of gender.
I graduated from the Hotelschool The Hague in 1995.  Back then, Madelon Boom, who was a graduate of the Hotelschool The Hague, also worked for Hyatt as a general manager. This was 23 years ago. She was a role model for me. I thought if she can be a female GM at the Hyatt then perhaps I can do it too. The funny thing is that in 2016, the male vs female question still comes up. I wish that there were more female GMs in the five-star luxury hotel industry. 

Is your management style somewhat different comparing to your male counterparts?
With me, what you see is what you get. My team knows exactly where I stand and what I expect. If my team is happy, I am happy.  What really counts regardless of gender is that the general manager has an exciting personality and always has fresh outlooks and new innovative ideas.

After you graduated from the Hotelschool The Hague in 1995, you worked in a number of luxury hotels in the US for 10 years. What did you learn from your US experiences that you have taken with you?
There were lot things I learned:  For example, good leadership style, corporate and government rules and regulations, effective ways of dealing with unions, developing and management of staff, and especially a strong business-minded approach in solving management issues.

In 2005, you moved to Singapore and a couple of years later, you moved to Japan. How did you adjust to the cultural differences?
I think when you are an open-minded and flexible person, you are willing to learn and adjust to your surroundings wherever you are. At The Hotelschool The Hague, students were from different parts of the globe, and in New York, you are also surrounded by people from all over the world. So, adjusting to Singaporean or Japanese culture was not much of a shock. However, it was an eye-opening experience regarding my management style. This experience definitely helped to shape my management skills and style.

Did you always want to become an hotelier?
Absolutely! Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a GM. I’ve never wavered; I’ve never had the desire to be anything else. This was my dream. This was what I wanted. And this is where I am today.

What is your long-term career ambition?
To grow in the hotel industry and become an area director, responsible for several hotels.

You worked at the preopening of both Hyatt Regency Düsseldorf and your current hotel. What was the biggest challenge while working in preopening?
The biggest challenge in a preopening, especially while entering a new country, is being prepared for its labor laws and other legal regulations. Other challenges such as staying focused, making sure everything is on schedule so that the hotel would open on time, getting the support from the construction company, and putting the right team in place are part of your daily tasks during a preopening.

What is the biggest challenge you have to face on your current job?
I think the biggest challenge we and the industry face is finding good qualified young individuals who see that working in the hotel industry is exciting and challenging. Unfortunately, many people do not think that the hotel industry offers promising career opportunities. Therefore, finding people who are passionate about working in the hotel industry and who have the potential to reach management positions is rather difficult.

Almost all successful hoteliers I’ve interviewed have talked about their passion. What does “passion” mean to you?
Passion is a big word. “Passion” to me is when you live and breathe what you do. That means in the hospitality and the hotel industry, passion for service excellence; passion for your guests and employees; passion for hospitality; passion for my employers and owners, and passion for my hotel. To me, “passion” must come from your heart!

At work, what pleases you the most?
What pleases me the most is that when I get a positive feedback from my guests about their stay; when they write a story about a particular individual who went out his/her way to serve the guests. Personal effort and personalized connections are very important to me as they make the difference. In the end, happy guests and happy employees equal happy me, and it usually also means a happy owner

What displeases you the most?
Laziness. I can’t stand it when people are lazy, uncaring. I mean lazy as in “I am working here but I am not putting myself 100% into my job; I just work for a paycheck.”

Do you think a GM is important to his/her frontline employees? Why or why not?
I know I am very important to my team. At the end of the day, the GM should live and breathe the hotel.  When he/she portrays the image of the hotel and what he/she expects from their employees, the GM should be a role model.
I want my staff to look at me and say, “Hey, she did a good job. I have learned something from her.”  Or “I want to be just like her.” Or “She is so energetic! How does she do it?”  You can’t expect your employees to feel close to you if you are an “Ivory Tower GM”, who stays in his/her office all the time.  You need to be visible at all times.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?
My strengths are that I am very energetic, very present, not just in the hotel, but also in my community. I am very good at delegating responsibility. I like to tell my people that as a GM I know a lot about everything, but I am not an expert at anything. I am not an expert in marketing, in HR, or in F&B, but I know enough about them that I can talk about it and make decisions about it. The actual expertise and efforts should come from those team members, who specialize in those particular fields.
My weakness is that I am very direct; maybe even a bit stubborn. I guess I am very Dutch. Sometimes people tell me that I’m too direct, too Dutch in my ways.

Many male senior hoteliers I’ve interviewed have a good sense of humor. On the other hand, the female hoteliers I’ve come across tend to be much more serious. Let’s put it this way, most businesswomen are not good at telling jokes :). In your opinion, is having a good sense of humor important for the business?
Laughing . . .  I cannot tell good jokes either. Of course, we need humor in certain situations to defuse tense emotions or to lighten things up a little. Personally, I use a small dose of female charm instead. Just like you, I am also surrounded by men. But no, telling jokes, I’m not good at it . . .

Are you more worried about doing things right or doing the right things?
Depends on the situation. When it comes to serious stuff, like labor laws and finance, then, doing things right is absolutely necessary. But doing the right things is necessary as well.  Sometimes you need to be flexible.  Life is not just black and white, there are several shades of gray, red and pink in between.

Life is too short to tolerate: _____________________________.
Laziness.

If you were to hire a manager, what qualifications would you be looking for?
First and foremost is that the person must have ‘fire in his belly’ regardless of the position. I interview every single applicant. I need to see if these people have the passion and the ability to do their job. I need to see their facial expressions, the sparkle in their eyes, their excitement, and their passion. And then, of course, I look at their experience and background. I would much rather take somebody who has no experience, than someone who has no passion, but who has lots of experiences.  It also depends on the position, of course. For a top management position, it depends also on their knowledge and experience. But the passion and fire in their eyes is super important. There are a lot of things that I can teach you and show you and make sure you are capable of doing it, but I cannot teach you passion. It will either come naturally or it will never come.

Do you have to make personal sacrifices in order to achieve your career goals?
Well, no. I have been very lucky. I have a husband who is used to work in hotels as well. We travel the world together. I always knew exactly what I wanted and my husband has been very supportive and understanding.  He is now very successful business owner.

Do you have any advice for female hoteliers who aspire to become a GM?
Follow your dreams! If this is what you want, then go for it. The sky is the limit. Don’t think you’ll never make it and that it’s impossible. There are plenty of managers who don’t care whether they hire a male or a female manager. They just want to know whether you are capable of doing your job.

We, women, often think that others dictate and define who and what we are. If you ask a male GM what their next job is, they would say: “VP!” A female GM would say: “Well... I don’t know… I’m not sure.“  IF you want something, you have to go for it! Someone will recognize your ambition! And to be honest, at Hyatt, they see me as an extremely professional GM --- and that’s how I’ve always wanted them to see me first and I am a woman secondly :).

Monday, May 30, 2016

European Luxury Hospitality Summit a Big Success

Leaders of Europe’s luxury hospitality industry gathered in Athens, Greece for two days of learning, networking, and fun!

 

Barak Hirschowitz, President ILHA, Dimitris Tryfonopoulos, General Secretary of Greek National Tourism Organization, Sybil Hofmann, President, International Programs, Alpine Center, the Swiss Business School for Hotel & Tourism Management, Elena Sergeeva, Founder of Passion for Greece

Prominent hospitality leaders and professionals came together at The Athens Ledra Hotel on May 19-20 to learn how to maximize their business, grow their hotel's revenue, and obtain a bigger-picture perspective to stay competitive.

Unlike your usual hospitality events, this groundbreaking summit presented on a wide range of subjects that businesses must address to remain competitive and up-to-date with the latest trends. From IT and Marketing, to Design, HR, Catering, and more!

The summit opened with Mr. Dimitris Tryfonopoulos, General Secretary of Greek National Tourism Organization, on behalf of the alternate Greek Minister of Tourism, Ms. Elena Kountoura; and was hosted by Elena Sergeeva, founder of several professional blogs including Passion for Greece and co-founder of Travel Bloggers Greece, the first travel bloggers network in the country.

The summit included 19 speakers, 12 information sessions, two workshops, and several networking opportunities.

I would like to extend a special thanks to our hosts Eric and Sybill Hofmann of the Alpine Center, Swiss Business School for Hotel & Tourism Management. They worked round-the-clock to ensure the event’s success, along with the team at the Athens Ledra Hotel.” – Barak Hirschowitz, President, International Luxury Hotel Association.

Featured speakers included Peter Fulton – Group President of Europe, Middle East, Africa (EAME)/Southwest Asia and Executive Vice President at Hyatt Hotels Corporation – who presented “The Future of Food and Beverage in Luxury Hotels.” Hotels are sitting on empty restaurants, with guests flocking elsewhere to eat. The solution? Fulton advised hotels to let chefs be more creative as well as hire employees within the market they are trying to serve. For example, if your target is millennials, hotels should have more millennials on staff.

Georgios Drakopoulos – President & CEO of Tourism Generis, and Special Adviser to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization – spoke on “Managing Tourism in Times of Crisis.” Drakopoulos addressed the impact of a country’s economic turmoil and how Greece is struggling with talent shortage and lack of expertise as qualified professionals are leaving the country.

The chairman of Historic Hotels of Europe, Barbara Avdis, led “Historic Hotels: The Art of Understated Luxury & Emotional Experience.” Avdis focused on the role emotions play in creating memories and building relationships with guests. "As guardians of the stories and places of the past and hosts of the present, we treasure our History and wish to preserve it," she said.

Carina Svensen – Global Brand Director of Quorvus Collection – presented a highly engaging session on “The New Definition of Luxury”. The audience left with a better understanding of how to create memorable experiences for their guests, taking into consideration how modern luxury has experienced fundamental shifts and the need for hotels to adopt a more multicultural mindset.

This was the first time ILHA organized a European summit and we are proud to say it was a huge success. We look forward to hosting future conferences in Europe and beyond.

An excellent well organized event which was covering a wide range of interesting subjects and for me it was very inspiring – I walked away with quite a few ideas!” – Thomas Pfitzer, Former CIO/CTO Aida & Costa Cruises

The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) is the preeminent organization unifying, promoting and advancing the luxury hospitality industry. We are a global non-profit connecting hotel and travel professionals in more than 90 countries. The ILHA provides its members with the valuable resources and insights to ensure they stay competitive in the luxury hospitality industry.