Beijing 2007 – A Trip With The “WoW” Factor! | «César Ritz» Colleges Switzerland

So, after a 12-hour flight, we headed for the hotel, checked in, showered, dressed to impress, had a quick lunch, got back on the bus, set off for the first hotel tour and interviews, toured the Grand Hyatt and the Raffles Hotel, and eventually returned to the hotel to meet and greet the Beijing alumni… Yes, it really was that hectic on the first day, and the following days were not much different!

Over the three days we were there, we visited the Grand Hyatt, the Raffles Hotel, the Intercontinental, the Westin, The Ritz-Carlton, the Seven Star Pengu Plaza, and the Shangri-La China World. The hotel tours, along with the presentations made by Human Resources and Training Managers, brought us up to speed with what is available in Beijing and what the hotels require from graduates of “César Ritz” Colleges. In a modern metropolis like Beijing, luxury hotels are competing for a very select group of business travellers and tourists. This competition has led to a very high level of service and sophisticated infrastructure, in which design and comfort are essential. This was very much appreciated by the students and elicited many positive comments from those who were considering starting their careers in a Beijing property. And the excitement and dynamism created by the Olympic Games just added to the attraction!

A visit to China must include a trip to the Great Wall and to the Forbidden City. Visiting the Great Wall for the first time is a memorable experience. During the 30-minute walk to the summit, we were spurred on by the knowledge that there was a choice of ways to get back down! The healthy option was to walk back down, though there were not many takers for that! The second choice was the cable car – sensible and safe. The winning option, however, was the two-man toboggan that went at breakneck speed from wall’s highest point right down to the car park, stopping near to the shops so we could buy souvenirs.

And what an array of culinary delights Beijing has to offer! The food that we sampled over the few days showed off the country’s varied regional cuisine, and students soon got used to choosing from the several hundred dishes on each menu – as long as there was a translation from Mandarin to English! The students who will eventually work in Beijing will soon learn to master this skill and to take a risk with unknown dishes. Intercultural classes were never this lifelike, but they certainly helped prepare us for the cultural differences.

There was a little disappointment that some of the Human Resources and Training Managers did not treat our students as privileged cases, but this is the real world and they will have to compete for the interesting jobs with everybody else in the marketplace. Since their return, however, the students have been surprised to see that the properties have been making offers far beyond anything hinted at during the tours or interviews. This success justifies the time spent in organizing the recruitment trip, and the extent to which the students invested in it. Let’s hope that the few days in Beijing met their expectations, and that it will be the exciting starting point that we believe it can be.

Finally, the organizers of the trip would like to thank all those who took part. The word we heard most – from students and from staff! – was “wow!” Even Mr Kisseleff used it once or twice. It certainly was a busy few days, but we did see, do and eat some memorable things. Wow! What a trip!